Homily for Palm Sunday Year A, 2026
Introduction
Today we have listened
to a long and painful Gospel. It is not an easy story to hear. Jesus, who is
good and innocent, suffers and dies. But the sadness is not only because Jesus
suffers. It is also because in this story we see many sins committed by many
people.
One preacher, Bishop Robert
Barron, says that the Passion of Jesus is like a
symphony or a choir of sin — many different voices, one after another. When we
listen carefully, we begin to see something important: these sins are not only
in the Gospel. They are also in our own hearts.
Today I would like us
to reflect simply on five of them.
Scripture and Tradition
1. Betrayal
Judas was a close
friend of Jesus, but he betrayed him. He chose money instead of love.
Do we also betray
others? We may not sell someone for money, but sometimes we betray one another
in small ways, especially with our words. When we speak badly about a sister
behind her back, when we pretend to be kind but inside we are not — are we not
doing something similar to what Judas did to Jesus?
2. Laziness in
prayer
In the garden of
Gethsemane, Jesus was suffering and afraid. He asked the disciples to stay
awake and pray with him. But they slept.
This can also happen
to us. Sometimes we are present in the chapel, but our hearts are not present.
Sometimes we rush through prayer. Sometimes we feel lazy and do not make the
effort to pray well. Jesus is still asking us the same question today: “Can
you stay with me even one hour?”
3. Cowardice
When Jesus was
arrested, the disciples ran away. Even Peter, who loved Jesus very much, denied
him three times because he was afraid.
Sometimes we also are
afraid: afraid to admit a mistake, afraid to tell the truth, afraid to accept
correction, afraid to do what is right, afraid to defend the good name of
others. Fear can make us weak, and we fail to do what is right. But Jesus is
calling us to be brave, even in small things.
4. Prejudice
There is also the sin
of judging others without really knowing them, the sin of prejudice. The
bystanders said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them; even your speech
gives you away.” Peter came from Galilee, and his accent must have stood
out — just like today we can often tell where someone comes from by the way she
speaks.
How often do we also
judge others for the same reasons? In community life this can destroy love very
quickly. When we judge a sister because of her tribe, her education, her way of
speaking, or her mistakes, we are doing the same thing that was done to Jesus.
God does not look at tribe, background, or education. He looks at the heart.
5. Despair and loss
of hope
After Judas sinned, he
did not believe that God could forgive him. He lost hope. Peter also sinned,
but Peter repented and was forgiven. Judas lost hope; Peter trusted in mercy.
Sometimes we also feel
discouraged: “I am not changing.” “I am not good enough.” “God cannot forgive
me.”
But this is not true.
Jesus did not come for perfect people. He came for sinners. No matter how weak
we are, his mercy is always greater than our sin.
Conclusion
The Passion of Jesus
is not only a sad story. It is also a story of hope. Jesus is stronger than
betrayal. He is stronger than fear. He is stronger than prejudice. He is
stronger than discouragement. He is stronger than our weakness.
So as we prepare for
Easter, what should we do? Very simple things:
- Pray with more attention
- Speak the truth
- Forgive one another
- Stop judging others
- And trust in God’s mercy
If we do this, the
story of our lives will not end in sadness. At the end of this Passion story is
the good news we shall hear on Easter Sunday: Jesus conquers every sin and
opens for us the door to new life.
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