Yesterday, I had the great honour of reveling in one of the most significant moments in the history of salvation. No, not the Passion of the Lord, but of course, Jesus’ triumphant entrance in to Jerusalem. To me, this holds great significance because for the first time, he makes a very audacious public statement, to believers and non-believers alike, with a sense of great regalia but at the same time, humility. He was, indeed, their king. Though they failed to see what being King really meant, this sense of overwhelming hope and devotion to Christ affirms me of the posture of hope we should maintain in our full awareness of his divine and royal sovereignty.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey”Zechariah 9:9
Jesus, Prince of Peace
St. Ignatius always taught that to really contemplate on the scripture, we must picture ourselves present in that exact moment in time. I could imagine myself being one of the Jews on the sideline thinking, “We’re waiting for a great military leader who will lead us to redemption and we get an average joe on a donkey?!” That exact way of thinking is likely how must Jews would have felt at the time, however something that I recently learned was that Jesus’ triumphant return by way of donkey was no mere coincidence. In fact, It was written. Not only was in prophesied by Zachariah, but Jewish tradition tells us that all Jewish kings who have entered a city ride in one of two distinct animals: a horse or a donkey. A horse symbolizes readiness for battle. It signals his troops to take heed and also sends a message to the men of the town that he’s ready for war. However, a donkey, signifies just the opposite. It signifies that he comes in peace. The donkey, in it’s lack of size and “masculinity” is meant to show humility and in an altruistic sense, meekness. When Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey, He sent a very clear message to the Romans and Jews that he and his apostles came in peace.
Our Personal Pilgrimmage
The great truth the Lord has been revealing to me this Holy week (thus far) is really to pilgrim through this faith journey by way of donkey – to make known of our peaceful intentions by maintaining a humble heart and a charitable Spirit. Though no one will know what the Lord intends for us, not even us, we should always make it very clear that we, as Christians, should be vessels of virtue. Christ already knew of the suffering that was to come, he entered willingly His passion. Similarly, we, with the same God-given wisdom and discernment, must enter willingly our own personal passion not with a heart of conflict or waging war, but with a peace, joy, and charity. When there is suffering, we must burst from the seams with overwhelming compassion and we must always call in to mind that though we remain pilgrims in this life, we are ultimately called to be eternal residences in the next.
Father, allow me to be a faithful pilgrim to you this Holy Week. Allow me to immerse myself in deep conversation with you, as I strive to deepen my love for you. Allow me to strength and grace to do what is needed to enter in to your kingdom in the same manner our Lord entered Jerusalum, in meekness, humility, and peacefulness.
Pater Noster. Ave Maria. Gloria Patri.
Amen
cpm