Isaiah 50:4-7/ Phil 2:6-11/ Mark 14:1 - 15:47
The palm branches that we were waving in our hands are still fresh and green.
This Sunday is called Palm Sunday because at the beginning of the Mass, we commemorated the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
We blessed the palm branches, waved them joyfully, and sang "Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of David.
Hosanna means, “Save us! please!” and it was a quote from Ps 118:25, and so the people were actually addressing Jesus as Saviour and Lord, and that was what made the chief priests and scribes so angry.
That was at the beginning, which was hardly about half an hour ago.
The palm branches had their "prime time" and now they lay almost hidden among the pews.
And then only just a few minutes ago, we heard the passion narrative, the gospel passage about how Jesus was betrayed and captured and interrogated and finally nailed to the cross.
That is why besides being called Palm Sunday, this Sunday is also called Passion Sunday.
Earlier on it was "Hosanna to the Son of David".
Then in the passion gospel narrative, it was "Crucify Him, crucify Him".
The gospel narrative of the passion of Jesus prepares us for the events during the last days of the life of Jesus, which will be recalled and unfolded in the coming week, which is called Holy Week.
Hence this Sunday, the Church prepares to enter into a sacred and spiritual time of prayer and reflection.
We enter with Jesus into His suffering and death.
And we also wait with Him for His resurrection.
Yes, things will be happening quickly, and the mood of things will also be changing fast.
Just like how one moment we were singing "Hosanna to the Son of David", and in a matter of minutes, it was "Crucify Him, crucify Him".
That was what happened to Jesus in His last days in Jerusalem.
And that is also what our life is like, isn't it?
Things happen so fast in life, especially during the last few months.
There was Advent and Christmas, and then there was Chinese New Year, and then it was Ash Wednesday, and now we are already coming to end of Lent.
And in between, our life may have been like a roller coaster.
With the blink of the eye, or the snap of the fingers, happiness can just turn into sadness, success into failure, joy to grief, expectation to disappointment.
In other words, it was like "Hosanna to the Son of David" turned into "Crucify Him".
Yet as we enter into the suffering and death of Jesus, we also know that "Crucify Him" is not the last word.
"Crucify Him" will eventually give way to "Alleluia, the Lord is risen".
And that is only next Sunday.
But for this Sunday and this coming week, let us unite our hearts with Jesus in His suffering and death, as we ourselves reflect on our own sufferings and how we need to die to ourselves.
But let us also prayerfully wait in hope, that just as Jesus died and rose, we will also rise with Him.
That is our hope and our joy, and that will be enough to see us through life, and beyond.