Palm Sunday, Year B

Humble daily conversion

Procession: Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16

Isa 50:4-7 Ps 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 Phil 2:6-11 Mark 14:1 – 15:47

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday and intensify our efforts to be close to Jesus as he is about to enter into his Passion. Perhaps it is time to pass over with Jesus, from a mediocre following of Christ to a passionate one, from lukewarmness to fervour. As we hear in the book of Revelations, the Lord desires that we are either hot or cold but not lukewarm. Hot is fervent and zealous, cold is struggling but in need of help. But the one who is only lukewarm does not feel they need the help of anyone. Jesus, help us to be passionate about you and on fire with your love as we approach the Holy Week. May we have the enthusiasm of the children who greeted you as you entered Jerusalem on the donkey.

This day, Palm Sunday can be a good day to pray for a conversion! Each day our founder Fr Jaime Bonet says that we need a humble, daily conversion. Even the great Saints needed moments of conversion. How did they become so “great” if it was not through many and repeated small conversions. A helpful example of conversion we find in the life of the great St Teresa of Avila who wrote: “From pastime to pastime, from vanity to vanity, from occasion to occasion, I would again begin to endanger my soul [...] The things of God gave me pleasure and I was unable to detach myself from those of the world. I wanted to reconcile these two so contrary enemies with one another: the life of the spirit with the tastes and pastimes of the senses.” The result of this state was profound unhappiness: “I fell and got up again, and I got up so badly that I fell again. Thus, in fact, I was so lacking in perfection that I was almost no longer aware of venial sins, and I did not fear mortals as I should have, because I did not flee from dangers. I can say that my life was one of the most painful that one could imagine, because I did not enjoy God, and I was not happy in the world. When I was in worldly pastimes, the thought of what I owed God made me spend it with affliction; and when I was with God, I was disturbed by the affections of the world.” St Teresa of Avila asked the Lord for the grace of “determined determination,” to “set my face like flint knowing that I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7).

How many times we think we are already perfect! How humble was St Teresa of Avila to recognize her need for conversion and change. Like Christ himself: he did not rely on his divine status, or rest on his laurels that he was already the Son of God. Instead he emptied himself, becoming obedient to the point of death. May we too be humble because only the humble can advance along the royal road of following Christ. There is a beautiful prayer called the Litany of Humility. It is worth giving in its entirety and if you pray with it for sure it helps one to become more humble!

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honoured ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged ... Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected ... Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed ... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything... Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should… Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Let us pray that during this week we can walk humbly with Jesus. St Andrew of Crete proposed: “Let's not put palms beneath his feet but put our-selves.” Let us take off our old selves, our stubbornness, our resistance to change, our desire to blame others, our tendency to not take seriously our own conversion and place it at the feet of Jesus. This is the way to really welcome the triumphant entry of the King into our hearts. Hosanna to the King of Kings. Lord, may you find space in my heart to live out your passion of love for humanity once again this Easter.