From Palms to Passion: Walking with the Suffering Servant

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion: April 13, 2025

Readings: Luke 19:28-40; Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24.; Philippians 2:6-11; Philippians 2:8-9; Luke 22:14—23:56

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/dOrS5SF3Pso

What would be your situation if your are praised to the sky for the person you are and then you were seen as wicked and people plotted to kill you? Often, the human tendency is to look at the exterior and follow the crowd without critical thinking.  Palm Sunday is a day of profound contrasts. The liturgy begins with jubilation as Jesus enters Jerusalem, hailed as a king by the crowds waving palms. Yet, it soon shifts into the solemn narrative of His suffering and death. This is no ordinary procession. This is a journey into the heart of God’s redeeming love — a love that does not cling to glory but empties itself for the sake of the world.

1. A Paradoxical Kingship

Palm Sunday sets the precedent for the days ahead. It invites us to walk closely with Jesus through the upper room, the garden of Gethsemane, the trials, the cross, and ultimately, the empty tomb. It asks us: What kind of king are we following? What kind of kingdom are we seeking? As we enter Holy Week, let us not merely observe the Passion from a distance but participate in it by embracing our own crosses, our own paths of surrender and love. Let our Hosannas echo not just in words but in lives that reflect the self-giving love of Christ, who humbled Himself to lift us up.  

In Luke 19:28-40, we are invited to witness a king who chooses a donkey, not a chariot. He is greeted not by nobles but by ordinary people. He does not enter with force but with peace. This entry, humble and deliberate, sets the tone for the kind of Messiah Jesus is. He subverts our expectations of power and prestige. His kingship is marked not by domination but by surrender — surrender to the will of the Father and to the needs of humanity.

2. The Suffering Servant

The prophet Isaiah (50:4-7) paints the striking image of the Suffering Servant — one who listens deeply, stands firm in the face of insult, and does not run from pain. His strength lies not in escape but in embrace. Jesus is this Servant, whose obedience leads Him not around suffering, but straight through it — for love.

Suffering is an inescapable part of human existence. As Christians, we don’t suffer to find meaning — we find meaning through how we suffer.  Whether through illness, loss, loneliness, failure, or the weight of injustice, we all encounter moments when life feels like a burden too heavy to carry. But Christ’s Passion shows us this truth: suffering, when embraced in love, becomes sacred. In Jesus, pain is not pointless — it becomes redemptive. Our wounds, united with His, can heal the world. We don’t have to understand all our crosses. We only have to carry them with Him.

3. The Way of Self-Emptying (Kenosis) into the Heart of God

The Passion of Christ answers not with an abstract theory but with presence — a God who suffers with us and in us. Through Christ, suffering is no longer absurd or empty. It becomes a place of deep encounter with God, where meaning is not always found in explanation but in communion. As the Suffering Servant, Jesus teaches us not to flee from life’s trials but to walk through them with trust — discovering along the way that even the darkest valleys can become sacred ground.

To follow Christ, then, is not to seek suffering but to face it with the same trust and surrender He embodied. As disciples, we are called to listen, like the Servant, to the voice of God in the midst of our struggles — not with bitterness, but with the confidence that our suffering, united with Christ’s, has redemptive value. The cross, a symbol of shame, becomes the throne from which Jesus reigns. This is what the Palm Sunday sets us to enter deeply into the mystery of the Holy Week.

Questions for self-reflection

1. When faced with pain or rejection, do I resist, escape, or embrace it with Christ-like trust?
2. Do I allow my faith to inform how I carry my daily crosses — in relationships, work, illness, or loss?
3. Is my discipleship shaped by comfort and success — or by surrender and service?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, as we step into this sacred journey of Holy Week, we walk beside You — from palms to passion, from triumph to the cross. Help us not to follow You from a distance, but with open hearts willing to stay close even in Your suffering.  In the struggles of our own lives, let us recognize Your presence. When we feel weak, remind us that You are our strength. As we witness Your humility and self-giving love, teach us to let go of pride, fear, and the need for control. May Your example reshape us from within.

Let this Holy Week be more than a ritual. Let it become a real turning point in our lives — a time of surrender, transformation, and grace. May we walk with You all the way to the cross, so we may also rise with You to new life. We make this prayer in your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

April 11, 2024