======================================================
Last Palm Sunday of 2006, my entire family attended mass. Actually, this is not the first time that I attended, but I would say that this is the first time that my family went with me to celebrate mass.
When we arrived, the commentator told us that those who have palms must proceed to the front door of the chapel. Since I was the only one in my family carrying a palm, I joined in the group.
So I stood there with them, raising my palms and shaking it (but I didn't shake it that much because the noise irritates me). Then, the priest read the Gospel about the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem. As he did that, I visualized what happened on the first Palm Sunday, especially through this verse:
As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." (Luke 19: 36-38).
I said to myself that this was the same thing that happened! But that visualization changed when I saw myself not carrying a palm, but a whip. I also saw that the same people that welcomed and praised Jesus as he entered in Jerusalem were the same people who shouted "Crucify Him!" They were the same people who laid their cloaks and shouting praises to Him before were the same people who threw stones and mocked Him.
I asked myself which group I was? It was at that point that I wept because I saw myself in the second group.
You see, we are like them. When everything that we asked from God is given to us, we praise Him. But when that does not happen, we persecute Him, at most curse Him.
We are like the same people who, when Christ entered into our lives, are joyful, energetic and happy. But when trials come our way and we feel that He is not with us, we throw Him away or refuse to recognize His presence.
This is where our loyalty to Him enters. You see, He did not make this world a better place because if He did, then there is no use coming here. There is no use of tears or tissues, or even sad love songs. Because everything is perfect!
In every trial or problem that we encounter, He is there with us. We feel His undying presence. He tests us to see whether we are with Him and keeping His promise or not. The sad part of this is we ask this question when trials come our way: Does God even care for us?
Or, do we stand up to what is right rather than allowing to be led by what is morally wrong. As we look around, many laws are passed which are not in accordance to His teachings like using embryonic stem cells or same-sex marriages. Do we stand up with the Holy Catholic Church in rejecting these actions? Or do we allow ourselves to be led by what the world dictates just as what Pilate did?
Will you be loyal to Him until the end?
