This weekend, the Church celebrates the sixth Sunday of Lent as both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday. This is the time of year we stop to remember and relive the events which brought about our redemption and salvation. What we commemorate and relive during this week is not just Jesus’ dying and rising, but our own dying to sin and rising in Him. If we do this then we will know healing, reconciliation, and redemption. Do you plan on coming to any of the Holy Week Services? Each service is so meaningful. Leave yourself open to being changed and re-energized in your faith by participating in the Holy Week liturgies. Your presence will deepen your relationship with God, increase your faith and strengthen your life as a disciple of Jesus. The Palm Sunday liturgy combines contrasting moments -- one of glory and one of suffering - the royal welcome of Jesus in Jerusalem and the drama of His trial culminating in His crucifixion, death and burial. It’s a breathtaking story. As we listen to Matthew’s account of the Passion, we are challenged to examine our own lives in the light of some of the characters in the Passion story…like Peter who denied Jesus…Judas who betrayed Jesus…Pilate who acted against his conscience as he condemned Jesus to death on the cross…Herod who ridiculed Jesus and the leaders of the people who preserved their position by getting rid of Jesus. The bottom line for us is…are we willing to follow Jesus, not just to Church but in our daily life? Are we willing to entrust ourselves to Him even when the future is frightening or confusing, believing God has a plan? Are we willing to serve Him until that day when His plan on earth is fulfilled? These are the questions of Palm Sunday. Let us take a fresh look at this familiar event. We might be surprised at what we see. It could change us forever. An interesting as well as challenging old fable tells of the colt that carried Jesus on Palm Sunday. The colt thought that the reception was organized to honor him. “I am a unique donkey,” this excited animal might have thought. When he asked his mother if he could walk down the same street alone the next day and be honored again, his mother said, “No, you are nothing without Him who was riding you." Five days later, the colt saw a huge crowd of people in the street. It was Good Friday, and the soldiers were taking Jesus to Calvary. The colt could not resist the temptation of another royal reception. Ignoring the warning of his mother, he ran to the street, but he had to flee for his life as soldiers chased him and people stoned him. Thus the colt finally learned the lesson that he was only a poor donkey without Jesus to ride on him. As we enter Holy Week, today’s readings challenge us to examine our lives to see whether we carry Jesus within us and bear witness to Him through our living or whether we are Christians in name only. GOSPEL QUESTION FOR THE WEEK: Does the story of the Passion and Death of Jesus move your heart?