Palm Sunday

How often has one friend turned away from another because, in being truthful, one has told the other something he or she didn't like hearing; the fact that what was said, was said out of loving concern for the friend's future happiness, is completely overlooked. Today we see such a situation in the making as Jesus, having spent three years teaching about the Love of God, healing souls and bodies and bringing Truth, life and joy, having exposed their hypocrisy has now, in the eyes of the powers that be, had the temerity to object to the abuse of the Temple for base financial gain rather than its being reverently used as a place of Prayer.​

On Good Friday we shall hear how, encouraged by those who rejected Christ's Truth, many who had, today, acknowledged Jesus as King, were to call for His Death on the Cross. Our Lord, in chastising those who profaned the Temple, knowing full well the response He would receive, taught us a vital lesson. As Catholics, we are living in an increasingly liberal age, when the Teachings of the Church on, among other things, Marriage and sexual morality are openly attacked and being charitable is, at times, confused with permissiveness. It is that world in which our children are growing up. We must equip them to live the Truth, to be witnesses to God, “...in season and out of season...”.

We may, perhaps, have to risk resentment and worse, in order to stand up for what is right. Our promotion of the Truth may see us falling in the 'ratings', perhaps even being actively opposed but, in sticking to the truth, we know that God's Will prevails. It is our fidelity to God which will bring us safely into Heaven, not our being prepared to compromise on truth and so be well thought of in the here and now! Remember the saying that, “Silence gives consent!”. How might that apply to me?

We can draw courage from Saint Thomas More. As he faced death, the ultimate punishment for his defence of the indissolubility of Marriage and his concern for immortal souls, he declared, “I die, the King's good servant, but God's first!”.

The painting entitled Entry of Christ into Jerusalem by Pietro Lorenzetti 1320