Sunday Meditation: Honor or Dishonor? Palm Sunday and Good Friday!

What a week this is from Palm Sunday to Holy Thursday to Good Friday to Easter Sunday. We experience a range of emotions from the incredible honoring of Jesus as Christ the King by the crowds on Palm Sunday, to the Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood on Holy Thursday, to the betrayal by Judas and the evil trial by the Sanhedrin that broke every rule in the book during the passion. It's exhausting even to think about the journey including the Stations of the Cross, the last short, but agonizing, stretch to Golgotha.

Meditation for Palm Sunday: I Crucified Him by MY Sins!

We hailed you on Palm Sunday, O Lord, and then screamed
 "Crucify him!" five days later. Forgive us, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.

In many ways I hate reading the passion on Palm Sunday. Not because it's long and I get tired of standing. No, not that, but the stark reminder that MY sins, MY wickedness, caused the Lord I know and love to die a horrifying death.

He suffered His agony in the garden for MY sins. He underwent the cruel trial for MY sins. He fell under the weight of the cross for MY sins. It was MY sins that were reflected in the mocking, the scourging, and the crowning with thorns. It was MY sins that hammered the nails into His hands and feet and drove the spear into His side. Father, forgive me; I didn't know what I was doing.

Like Amazing Grace says, I once was lost, but now am found. Why? Because He saved a wretch like Me. Help me, Lord, this Holy Week, to come face to face with all my past sins. I deserve eternal damnation, but by Your stripes I'm healed. I repent of all my sins and ask that you help me to never sin against you again. My sins make me want to hide, like Adam and Eve in the garden.

On the cusp of Holy Week

The day before Palm Sunday is a good time to assess your Lent. How have you done with increasing your prayer, fasting, and almsgiving all meant to draw you to a closer walk with the Lord?

 I don't confess in public so I won't go into my own failures during this season of opportunity, but I'm resolved to take full advantage of Holy Week.

If you haven't been to confession, there's still time in these last few days. You can pack a lot into a short time even if your Lent so far leaves you with head bent, ashamed to look the Savior in the face. And you have plenty of friends to keep you company on the journey. Your guardian angel and patron saints are guides who know the way and they are eager to help if you ask.