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How fickle the events of Holy Week show us to be! We acclaim Jesus with shouts of praise and joy as he rides into Jerusalem on Sunday. By Friday, we are shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” In the Gospels for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, we hear the accounts from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem through his Last Supper, betrayal, arrest, trials, Crucifixion, Death, and burial. It’s enough to give us emotional and spiritual whiplash.
As we struggle with sin and selfishness, we are in good company. In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul wrote, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). And in the Book of Revelation, we read: “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (3:15–16).
LET US PRAY: Lord, help us to grow in love for you and others as we enter these final days of Lent that lead to the celebration of Easter. Help us to conquer our selfish and sinful ways. Do not spit us out of your mouth. Instead, fan the flame of faith in us so that we burn with love and conviction. Open our mouths to praise you with constancy. We ask this in Jesus’ most holy name. Amen.
Image credit: Nabil BOUTROS/CIRIC