by Sr. JoAnn Mark, ASC
Today we experience a range of emotions: the joy of waving palms and greeting Jesus and the reading of the Passion with the pain and loss of the way of the cross and Jesus’ Crucifixion. This is typical of our lives: joy and sadness. I sometimes ask myself why Jesus would choose to become human with all our pain – and knowing what he would experience being betrayed by one of his own.
Jesus asked the apostles to watch with him but, when he returned from praying, he found them asleep. Could they not watch one hour with him? Can we not watch with him without going to sleep? It seems easy to move from centering prayer to sleep as we are relaxed. I believe God accepts sleep as part of our prayer. We read that “Peter broke down and wept.” This is a sign for all of us. No matter how strong we think we are, there is a time when our strength is present in our tears.
We take a palm today to remind us of the range of emotions and the variety of actions put before us. May we remember and reflect often on today’s readings as they relate to our lives.