Lent is a journey from where we are to where we want to be. Hopefully, your journey has some milestones that measure your progress. If not, there is still some time.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, or simply put Palm Sunday, begins Holy Week, the most beautiful week in the Church’s calendar. This Sunday’s Scripture readings capture the theme of the day as well as the whole week. At the blessing of palms, the Gospel of Matthew will describe the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, an entry worthy of a king, but for the humble Jesus who rode on a donkey.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem points to the entirety of his teachings. He will prove the value of his love for us by dying on the cross for humanity. The story of that love will be proclaimed in the reading of Passion according to Matthew. That reading speaks for itself. The moments of silence after the death of Christ provide us with the opportunity to reflect deeply on the reality of Christ’s love for us.

Remember that love is willing the good of the other. Does our love of Christ and love of other reciprocate in some way what Christ has done for us? Paul says it best in the second reading from his letter to the Philippians: “he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

On that cross we see not simply a violent display, but rather our own weaknesses. What brought Jesus to the cross? Stupidity, anger, mistrust, institutional injustice, betrayal of a friend, denial, unspeakable cruelty, scapegoating, fear, etc. In other words, our entire dysfunction is revealed on that cross.

The spiritual masters know that the only way up is down. When we live in self-imposed darkness, unaware of our sins, we will never make spiritual progress, nor can we fully appreciate what Christ has done for us. So, we need the light, however painful it is. With the light of Christ, we can overcome and begin to rise.

On the cross of Jesus, we meet our own sin. Fortunately, we also meet the divine mercy that has taken that sin upon himself in order to swallow it up. We have found, in that cross, the way up. We want to hold up this thing that was considered too horrible to look at.

So, rather than focusing on the pettiness in our own lives, rather than focusing on our sins or the sins of others, focus on the cross of Christ. Just as eventually Christ rose from the dead, we, too, can rise from our weaknesses and sins through the power of the cross. Pray to move out of the “convenient darkness” and shed the light of Christ on your own life and the lives of others.

At some point during Holy Week, in church you may sing the hymn “Lift High the Cross.” Let the tune and the lyrics fill your hearts with the reality of Christ’s love for each and every one of us. For every cross there is a resurrection!