From Celebration to Compassion - Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday – a day of joy, celebration, and praise as Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem. The anticipation and excitement would have been amazing. They had recently witnessed Jesus performing miracles—healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, calming storms, and teaching with an authority they had never seen before.
Now, they were waiting for their new King.
There wasn’t a planning team, logistics meeting, or a formal welcoming committee like we might see today when royalty or dignitaries visit. Instead, the response was spontaneous. The people of Jerusalem, that day, were so moved with excitement and reverence that they laid down palm branches and their cloaks on the road, cheering and shouting, “Hosanna!” as their King, Jesus, arrived and entered the city.
Yet, we can’t ignore the bittersweet reality that the very voices celebrating Him - laying down palms, singing and shouting his praises, would only days later, be the same voices calling for His crucifixion. Is this an invitation for you and I to pause and reflect on this dichotomy for our own lives?
How often do we, like the crowd, lift our voices in praise during moments of joy and triumph, only to stumble during times of trial or uncertainty? When things don’t go as expected, do we find ourselves questioning God’s presence, doubting his goodness, or even pushing Him away?
It’s easy to judge the crowd for turning on Jesus so quickly, but the truth is, I see myself in them. It wasn’t until I came face to face with His love that I truly discovered what He had done for me.
Years ago, before I joined the sisters, I attended a retreat where a team of young adults from Youth Mission Team Australia re-enacted the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I was captivated by the powerful story unfolding before me – a story of suffering, sacrifices and immeasurable love. At one point, the young man playing Jesus walked through the crowd of 200 people and stopped right in front of me. He looked into my eyes, and in that instant, a tear rolled down his cheek. In that moment, God spoke to my heart. It was as if Jesus was saying to me, “Therese I did this for you. I love you. I know your heart”.
That powerful encounter with Jesus has remained with me, especially during Holy Week, a time we are invited to walk closely with Jesus in His suffering. And as we do, we can look to our Mother Mary for strength and inspiration.
Mary walked beside her Son in His darkest hour. She trusted in God as she witnessed the brutality of His Passion and Death. Her faith did not waiver. Mary shows us that, with God’s grace, we too can endure our own times of suffering, our moments of grief, pain or uncertainty, while remaining constant in the love of God.
Holy week is not just about remembering what Jesus did for us; it is an invitation to journey with Him, carrying our own crosses, and like Simon of Cyrene, reach out with compassion to those who are struggling.
Therese Mills
This reflection was originally written for Compassio - the 2026 Lenten Program of the Diocese of Wollongong.