“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Palm Sunday 2022)

Psalm 118 is a description of how the King (Son of David) is welcomed in Jerusalem as he proceeded to the Temple.

Later, Christians considered this psalm as a prophecy for the coming of the Messiah which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This procession was punctuated by the leafy branches that the people carry as the King proceeds, not to the Palace but to the Temple.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.

The Lord is God and has enlightened us. Join in procession with leafy branches up to the horns of the altar.

The liturgical practice of Palm Sunday re-enacts, or make present, this event in our time. As we process from a stational church or chapel we end it with the celebration of the Mass. It reminds us that the Palm Sunday celebration ends with the Crucifixion in Calvary.

Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your kingis coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

Jesus by riding on a colt demonstrated that he is the King whom the people are expecting to return. He will, unlike the other Davidic kings, will established true justice and peace among the people.

Another interesting fact is that the procession of Jesus from Bethpage and Bethany near Mount of Olives which is located East of Jerusalem. From there Jesus proceeded to the Temple entering the Eastern Gate ending up in the Temple.

This is the reverse of what happened in the vision of Ezekiel (Chapter 10) describing how the “Glory of the Lord” abandoned the Temple by going up from the Holy of Holies then leaving the Temple area, exiting at the East Gate then it hovered in the Mount of Olives.

Further in Ezekiel (Chapter 43), the prophet described how the “Glory of the Lord” is coming from the East returning to the city and restoring the Temple.

Thus, Jesus coming from the East via Mount of Olives showed how the “Glory of Lord” is now returning to the Temple to restore it.

Remember that after entering the Temple, Jesus restored it by driving away the animals, and merchants overturning their tables telling them that this place is a house of prayer and not of thieves.

Furthermore, he challenged the authorities to destroy this temple and in three days he will re-build it indicating that the restored Temple is not made of stone but his own body.

By seeing all these texts being fulfilled in Jesus we conclude that the Church's task is to proclaimed that it is in Jesus that our hope of peace and justice is fulfilled.

The peace and justice (prosperity) promised by politicians (especially during Election campaigns) will always fall short. So, it is a bit naïve to put our trust in “kings/queens” rather than in the Lord.

The "Reign of God" will always be a gift from the Lord. Do not trust people who promises otherwise.

The "Kingdom of God" will always remain something that every generation of believers will hope and workfor. It is both "here and not yet here" because it is an ideal that everyone has to strive for while always falling short in its realization because only God can truly bring about a just and peaceful society.