29th MARCH 2026 – SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER

What Is Palm Sunday and What Do Christians Celebrate?

SUNDAY, PALM SUNDAY

Ez 37: 12-14 Ps 130: 1-8 Rom 8: 8-11 Jn 11: 1-45

OPEN HANDS, OPEN HEARTS: THE ATTITUDE OF CHRIST

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, entering the Holy Week, the most meaningful days of our Christian faith. Today we remember the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem. Crowds welcomed Him with cheers, laying branches and cloaks on the road as a sign of honor. Yet during the same Mass we also listen to the long Gospel of the Passion, which speaks of Jesus being betrayed, condemned, and put to death. Palm Sunday holds both celebration and sorrow together. Many of the palms we receive are shaped into crosses, while others are kept as simple branches. The palms from last year are burned to create the ashes placed on our foreheads at the start of Lent. It is all connected: joy, repentance, and sacrifice.

One of the priests during the homily invited people to look at their own hands. He said that the same hands can be used for loving, caring, helping and also hurting and rejecting. The same hands that wave palms in praise can also form fists in anger. The same people who welcomed Jesus singing “Hosanna!” were, a few days later, part of the crowd shouting “Crucify Him!” Our hands and our hearts reveal who we really are. Jesus, on the other hand, always keeps His hands open. In the Eucharist He offers Himself completely, generous, forgiving, and unconditional. He never closes His hands against us; He never stops giving. The question posed by the priest remains: are your hands open or closed? Are they ready to help, to forgive, to give? Or are they clenched, guarding pride, anger, or selfishness? To open our hands is also to open our hearts to God and others.

Todays’ theme is clear: “Your attitude must be Christ’s.” Our attitude shows who we truly are. In the Gospel, the people praised Jesus when they thought He would fulfill their expectations. But when they realized that He was not the powerful political leader they hoped for, they turned against Him. This teaches us how quickly human attitudes can change. What we say and do reveals the truth inside us. There is a saying that people can be compared to different objects because of the attitudes they show. Here are eight simple examples that help us reflect on ourselves:

(1) Some people are like wheelbarrows. They do not move unless someone pushes them. They avoid making decisions and wait for others to push them forward.

(2) Some are like canoes. They move only when someone paddles them. They need constant reminding, monitoring, or encouragement before they act.

(3) Some are like kites. If you do not hold the string, they drift away. These are people who behave well only when someone is watching.

(4) Some are like kittens. They feel good only when they are praised or petted. Without attention or appreciation, they become discouraged.

(5) Some people are like footballs. You cannot predict which direction they will bounce next. Their choices are inconsistent and unstable.

(6) Some are like balloons. They are full of air, easily offended, and quick to burst. They see only the faults of others while ignoring their own.

(7) Some are like neon lights. They shine brightly for a while, then suddenly go off. Their enthusiasm comes and goes.

(8) And a few are like good watches: open-faced, gold, and steady. They work quietly, faithfully, and generously. They serve without expecting reward. These people offer their time and energy simply out of love for God.

A question might come to us from all this: what do we do with the first seven types of people? The answer though simple is challenging: even in the most difficult person, there is still some goodness. God’s grace can fan that small spark into real change. Our task is to encourage, to guide, and to correct with kindness, even when it feels useless. We are not called to make people bitter but to help them become better. This is the attitude of Christ. He did not give up on anyone, not even on the ones who betrayed, denied, or abandoned Him. As we enter Holy Week, we are invited to examine our own hearts honestly. What kind of person am I? How do I use my hands, my words, and my actions? Do I reflect the open, generous heart of Jesus? Palm Sunday challenges us to walk with Christ – not only in moments of joy, but also in moments of sacrifice. May our hands and hearts remain open to God and to one another.

Response: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?