In the preliminary gospel for the blessing of the palms the Church includes a short gospel pericope (Lk 19:28-40) that describes the beginning of the most famous "colt' ride ever made by anyone. Jesus sends two disciples into a village to fetch a colt "on which no one has ever sat." They returned to Jesus with the animal. The disciples put their cloaks on the animal's back and helped Jesus to mount. Let me bring your attention to the next verse in the Lucan text. "As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road."
You might ask, "Where are the palms?" This is significant. Luke's life of Christ does NOT mention palms at this event. Why? A person's cloak is much more valuable than palm branches. A person's cloak was quite significant to the people of Jesus' times. Wherever a person went, the cloak can with him/her. Even the poor possessed a cloak. It was a protection against the weather. So, why the cloak and not the palms?
The people spreading their cloaks along the road way to Jerusalem were giving their most prized possession to Jesus as an expression of recognition. They used their treasure to recognize "all the mighty deeds they had seen." They gave their prized possession to symbolize a letting go of themselves to be graced by what Jesus had been teaching them during his public life. These poor people had come to a better understanding of the love of the Father for themselves that Jesus ahd shared with them.
What can we see in this significant sacrifice? We should try to see what St Luke wanted others to understand about what would unfold for the people, indeed for human kind. Here was the beginning of the final act of the life of Jesus.. From the poverty of birth in the Bethlehem stable to the beginning events of the passion and death of Jesus, Luke is reminding his readers and hearers that the Son of God laid down his divinity to bring God's children to reconciliation with his Father.
Today when we reflect on this particular entrance into Jerusalem, we might look at our interior lives to see more clearly if there are particular "cloaks" we might hesitate to lay down so that Jesus may enter our lives more fully. What can we remove from our daily lives that will remove any roadblocks from Jesus' coming into our hearts?
It is easy to pull a palm branch from the tree and wave it in jubilation. But how challenged we can be if we remove four our lives that which prevents our experiencing the compassionate love of the Father. Luke's gospel, as presented, could well be your defining moment as a true follower of Jesus Christ. What is there that I can "take off" and put before Jesus to assure him and yourself that your Baptism and Confirmation have a genuine consequence in your life?
