Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion 2024

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
March 24, 2024

My brothers and sisters in Christ,¹

We have entered into the holiest days of the Christian calendar, as we remember the mysteries of our salvation that lead us to the glory of Easter.

In our long Gospel this morning, we relive the last days and final hours of our Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly life.

The Gospel is written in such a way so that we become “witnesses,” we become part of the story.

So as we begin this Holy Week, let us ask for the grace to enter into these mysteries in a deep and personal way. Let us truly accompany Jesus and Mary our Blessed Mother on this final journey.

And as we walk this path with Jesus and Mary, we remember that everything that we witness is happening according to God’s plan of salvation.

And we know the “end of the story.”

Our Gospel today ends with our Lord suffering and dying on the cross, feeling abandoned and alone. Everything appears to be lost. But it’s not! And we know that. The victory is already won. God wins in the end!

St. Paul tells us today in the second reading: “Christ Jesus …  humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him.”

So my brothers and sisters, year after year, we remember our Lord’s passion and death. But we know that Good Friday leads to Easter Sunday. The way of the cross leads to the Resurrection; Jesus dies in order to rise.

This week let us ask for the grace again to enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery, into the mystery of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, the mystery of his love.

In our prayer this week, let us reflect on how much Jesus loves us, how much he was willing to suffer for your sake and for mine and for every person.

In our Lord’s passion — in his agony in the garden, in his scourging at the pillar, in his crowning with thorns, and in his death the cross — Jesus loves us to the end. He lays down his life for his friends. There is no greater love than this.

So let us remember, as we accompany Jesus and Mary through Holy Week, that they are showing us the true meaning of love.

Love means self-surrender. Love means handing over our whole self, everything we expect out of life, everything we want and have, all our actions and thoughts — putting it all in God’s hands, to do his will.

We see this in Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

He says: “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.”

This is what love looks like. Not what I want, but what God wants. This is the love we are called to, my dear brothers and sisters.

It sounds very challenging and difficult, and it is, but we know that Jesus is walking with us, and that with him all things are possible.

And what we commemorate this week and celebrate on Easter Sunday gives us the joy of knowing that we are going to be successful.

We know that Good Friday leads to Easter Sunday, and that he will turn our every sorrow into joy, and wipe away every tear from our eyes.

So, as we continue in this Holy Week, as “witnesses” to the drama of our redemption, let us open our hearts to experience the love that Jesus has for us, for each one of us.

Let us draw near to him, and let us ask for the gift of grace, that we might love Jesus more and more as we are loved by him.

And as we accompany Jesus and Mary on their final earthly journey together this week, let us say to God, as they did: “Not my will, but Thy will be done.”

May Holy Mary our Blessed Mother go with us this week, as we carry our cross with her Son, that we might join him in his Resurrection.