Palm Sunday marks coming of humble king

MANILA, Philippines — Today, Palm Sunday, the faithful are called to remember that Jesus Christ presented himself as a humble king when he entered Jerusalem riding a borrowed donkey.

“Palm Sunday is a sign of the people’s joyful acceptance of Jesus in Jerusalem. Jesus came as a humble king sitting on an ass. Jesus always comes to us but in a humble and lowly way,” Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on the Laity chairman Bishop Broderick Pabillo said yesterday.

For his part, CBCP vice president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David added that by riding on a donkey instead of a war horse, Jesus presented himself as a man of peace, resolutely resisting evil and ready to suffer the violent consequence of doing so, but never succumbing to the temptation to return evil for evil, until the very end.

CBCP-Public Affairs Committee executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano said Palm Sunday tells the faithful that while Jesus Christ was adulated like a king, he also experienced being wrongly accused and experienced suffering in his life just like the common man. 

CBCP president Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said Palm Sunday is a time for Catholics to rediscover the gift of their baptism during the special days of the Easter Triduum or recalling and praying about the passion and death of Jesus and his resurrection. 

Archdiocese of Manila Communications Officer Fr. Roy Bellen said Palm Sunday becomes the day of renewal for Catholics.