Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. On this day, Jesus enters Jerusalem riding a donkey to cheers from the crowds, who wave palm branches and hail him as the Messiah. His triumphant entrance is followed by teachings and events that will lead to his crucifixion later that week, including the Last Supper on Holy Thursday and his betrayal by Judas.

1. Holy Week
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week

2. Jerusalem
• It’s early in the morning and the streets are deserted on a day
which will become a famous day in the history of Christianity.
• Today a young preacher and miracle worker from a small
village called Nazareth will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the
Passover with His twelve disciples.
• He has carefully taught them and now they are nearly ready
to become apostles, the first bishops, who will bring His
messages to all nations.
• Many people have come to Jerusalem for the Passover.
• Suddenly, Jesus is seen in the distance riding toward
Jerusalem on a donkey, just like king David’s son Solomon on
the day of his anointing.

3. • Many people think Jesus is the
Messiah, the Christ, the Savior.
• Word spreads quickly. People are
awakened and rush down to the
street near the entrance to
Jerusalem.
• Just like any other great man the
people want to welcome him into the
Holy City in a special way, but how?
• Some spread out their coats on the
road while others cut palm branches
to lay in his path, signs of honor and
respect.

4. • Soon, everything is in
readiness for His arrival.
• People wait with more
palm branches in their
hands ready to cast
them in front of Jesus.

5. • When he is seen, people begin to cry
out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord.
• Still others call out that He is the King of Israel!

6. • The Pharisees look at one • On Palm Sunday we join
another, “You see that the enthusiastic crowds in
you can do nothing; Jerusalem as we long for
look, the world has gone our salvation.
after Him. • It is time for us to
• We will begin to walk examine ourselves and
through the great our loyalty to Jesus.
mysteries of our salvation • Will we be like the crowd
with Jesus this week and later in the week and
discover how good God demand His crucifixion or
has been to call us out of will we have the courage
the darkness of our sin of John the Evangelist and
into the light of His Life. walk with He and His
Mother to the cross?

7. Palm Sunday
• On Palm Sunday we will • Are we the kind of Christian
hear of Our Lord’s triumphal who will abandon our faith
entry into Jerusalem and His when our emotions are
death on the cross just a overcome with fear or
few days later. anxiety?
• As Holy week progresses we • Are we the kind of Christian
shall slowly draw back the like Judas who focus on
curtain and see the actors things of this world instead
emerge to play their parts. of building up our treasure
• Some will be heroes while in heaven?
others will demonstrate • Are we the kind of
their need for the courage. Christian, like John the
• As we watch and listen to Evangelist, who will walk
the actors, we might find through the soldiers to
ourselves. remain loyal to Christ?

8. Holy Week - Monday
• We find Jesus in Bethany at the home of
Mary, Martha and Lazarus the man Jesus had
raise from the dead.
• We hear of Mary, anointing Jesus with
aromatic nard.
• Judas, a man of the world, quickly objects
that the nard could have been sold and the
money given to the poor.
• Judas cared more about money from the sale
of the nard, than about Jesus.
• Who is your god, money, a car, a house, a job
or the one true God?
• Are we Sunday Christians or 24/7 Christian?

9. Holy Week - Tuesday
• In today’s gospel we find • But that was not the
ourselves in the upper room Father’s plan.
for the Passover meal. • Peter says he is willing to
• Jesus announces that one of die for Jesus but Jesus tells
the twelve will betray Him. Peter before the cock crows
• Every time we sin we join three times Peter will also
Judas and betray Him. betray Jesus by denying
• It would have been easy for Him.
Jesus to identify Judas as • When pressed have you
the traitor and we can rest acted like Peter and denied
assured that Peter would your faith or your faith’s
have taken action to teachings because you fear
prevent his treachery. what others may think
about you?

10. Holy Week - Wednesday
• The Son of Man indeed • Judas is the goat who will
goes, as it is written of lead the lamb to the
Him, but woe to that man slaughter.
by whom the Son of Man is • Have you been willing to
betrayed. bargain away your honesty,
• Today we see Judas make a or your integrity, for a few
bargain with the life of an dollars?
innocent man.
• They agree on thirty pieces
of silver, the price of a slave.

11. Holy Week - Thursday
• Today the bishops will • At this point we leave the
concelebrate the Chrism Lenten season and enter
Mass with the other priests into the Easter Triduum.
of their diocese. • In the evening there will be
• The bishop will bless the the Mass of the Lord’s
Holy Oils that will be Supper.
distributed throughout the • Following the homily there
parishes in his dioceses. will be a “Washing of the
• This Mass is a Feet” just as Jesus did at the
demonstration of the unity Last Supper.
that exists between the • At the conclusion of the
bishops and the priests. Mass the tabernacle should
be entirely empty.