April 10, 2022 – Palm Sunday

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041022.cfm)

For us Filipinos, there are three occasions in the year that we come home, get together, and spend quality time with our family: Christmas, All Souls’ Day, and Holy Week. These are the moments when and where us, Filipinos BE with each other, that is where and when we experience, encounter, and meet each other again as family and community which usually lead to renewal, deepening and strengthening of bonding and relationships among family. While during Christmas, we are with our family and friends, and during All Souls’ day, with our family and relatives remembering our beloved dead members of the family, Holy Week is particularly our time and space with God.

Today, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of our Holy Week this year of Faith. These days in this week of this year of faith is our time and space to BE with our God. This week is our God-time and God-space. Particularly this week is more than just our chance to be with God but more so God’s chance to be with us. Meaning, this week is not only our time and space with God but more so GOD’s time and space with us. It is more like God must be first and foremost Be with us rather than We must be with God. The center or focus of this week then is not ourselves but God. This week is not about us and ourselves but about HIM and His being with us now. This is our chance then to experience, encounter and meet God in His own terms and not on our own terms. The best attitude then is to let Him set the agenda, activities, schedules, and venue of this week. Meaning, to let Him take the steering wheel – let Him drive your life this week – let God be God, not be a god as we want or need Him to be.

To do this and make the best of this week, allow me to suggest some appropriate approaches.

First, RECALL. As I have said, this is not about us but about Him. So, once again be reminded, that is to put into mind – God’s story with Us which is the Jesus story. We are to call again and remember (to make it member or part of ourselves) what God did, does and is doing to us through the life and mission of Jesus Christ. So, time and space to Recall, Remind, Remember God’s story with us through Jesus rather our story with God.

Then, REFLECT. This is an invitation to mirror back or reflect back God’s story with and along our faith-story with God now. In other words, Manalamin. To look and see our faith-life experience from the point of view of God’s story and less from our own perspective. Meaning, Be moved. Be disturbed. Be influenced. Be shaken. Be challenged. Be transformed by God’s story, presence, words, movements, plans, agenda and will for us, you and I now.

And above all, RESPOND to what, when, how, when and where God is calling, inviting, and leading you now in whatever faith-life commitment you choose to be. Meaning, whether you are ordained, married, professed, or baptized Christian, be a BETTER Christian as you choose and committed to be.

We begin Holy Week today. Recall, Reflect, and Renew what God did, does and is doing in You and Us now by being with God, not in our own terms but in His own terms.

May we, you and I have a blessed and inspired week ahead.

So Be it. Amen.