Palm Sunday, faith in difficult times

Palm Sunday is called “Domingo de Ramos” or Mahal na Araw. It’s the start of Holy Week, in local parlance, “Mahal na Araw.” “Mahal” does not mean nag-mahal ang halaga ng gasolina at mga bilihin. (‘Mahal’ does not mean the price of gasoline and commodities rose up!).

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“Mahal na Araw” literally means a “costly day” and in church parlance, it signifies God saving us at a very costly price. Jesus suffered and died to redeem us from sin and death.

Salvation was achieved.

Palm Sunday ushers the start of Holy Week. It commemorates the Passion (intense suffering) and Death of our Lord with an eye on the happy ending of his Resurrection.

We will be inspired by the long processions, the Last Supper Mass, Visita Iglesia, Siete Palabras, Veneration of the Cross and other activities, but let us remember that these are meant not to be seen primarily but to be “lived.”

We should not be merely passive spectators but active participants.

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