“Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your King is 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). This text from the Bible was written by the prophet Zechariah approximately 500 years before the triumphant entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. But, what is the real meaning of this? Why did the prophet announce this solemn entrance of a king, not riding a big horse or steed, but instead this king rode a donkey? What kind of king is this who preferred to demonstrate all His splendor and majesty through a simple act of humility, such as riding a simple donkey? Some people could think that there was a mistake in the vision of the prophet or that Jesus did not have another option than to ride this animal; however, I see a coherent way to demonstrate that the Kingdom of God is always present in simplicity.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was a simple man who was always surrounded by the Anawim, the poor of Yahweh. “Who were the ‘Anawim’? They were the poor of every sort: the vulnerable, the marginalized, the socio-economic oppressed, those of lowly status without earthly power. In fact, they depended totally on God for whatever they owned. The Hebrew word Anawim (inwetan) means those who are bowed down” (catholicnewsagency.com).
Jesus came to serve the Anawim. He wanted to serve them. This was one of the big lessons that Jesus taught to His disciples in the Last Supper. When our Lord washed the feet of the apostles, He taught them to serve one another in a humble way. Service is a fundamental part of the Kingdom of God which was proclaimed by our Lord. Jesus served always with happiness because He was serving the creation that God, the Father, made with so much love. Because Jesus loves all creation, He wanted to stay with us in the form of bread and wine. In the Last Supper, Jesus Christ offered Himself as the living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51). The Eucharist is the most sublime act of love of Jesus because it has connection with the ultimate sacrifice that He gave for us on the Cross. In the Last Supper, Jesus Christ gave us His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. For that reason, when we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26-32).
We are proclaiming the death of Jesus. And Jesus died on the cross for us because He loves us very much. No question about this. The death of our Lord on the cross is the highest proof of His love. He, the King of the Universe, sacrificed His life for us, His sheep, His flock. A king does not need to sacrifice for anybody, but Jesus Christ did it because He came to serve, not to be served (cf. Matthew 20:28). His Kingdom is a kingdom of love, sacrifice, sorrow… a kingdom of the Cross. However, this kingdom is as well a kingdom of happiness, joy, hope… a kingdom of Resurrection. The death of Jesus on the Cross is the way that He redeemed humankind, and His resurrection is the hope that we find in our lives.
My brothers and sisters, Holy Week is not just another week where we have extra activities in Church, or a way to stage the last moments of our Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Week is a commemoration of salvation that we received through the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us experience with love and happiness each one of the celebrations during this week and let us thank God for the opportunity to celebrate these sacred mysteries in the company of our family… the family of the Roman Catholic Church.
Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!
God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!
Fr. Jorge Ramirez
