"For the second time we are living in the context of the pandemic.

"Last year we were more shocked, this year we are more tried, and the economic crisis has become heavier," he said after reciting the Angelus at the end of Mass.

"In this historic and social situation, what is God doing?" he asked, referring to the more than 100 million Covid-19 cases and more than 2.7 million deaths from the pandemic worldwide in the past year.

"He takes up the cross. Jesus takes the cross; that is, he takes on himself the evil that this reality brings, the physical, psychological and above all the spiritual evil, because the Evil One takes advantage of this crisis to sow distrust, desperation and lies."

Jesus "experienced our deepest sorrows: failure, loss of everything, betrayal by a friend, even abandonment by God."

Addressing the worldwide audience for the internationally televised ceremony, Francis asked, "And we, what must we do [in this situation]?"

His answer: "The Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus and his first disciple, shows us the way."

She "followed her son" and "took on herself her own part of the suffering, of the darkness and bewilderment, and she walked on the road of the Passion, keeping alive in her heart the lamp of faith."

Pope Francis said that "we too, with the grace of God, can make the same journey. And along the daily ‘way of the cross,' we encounter many brothers and sisters in difficulty.

"Let us not pass by, let our hearts be moved with compassion and draw near."

He then invited his global audience to join him in prayer for all victims of violence, especially for "the victims of his morning's attack in Indonesia, in front of the cathedral of Makassar." Continue reading

It is ironic that in these times of isolation when people replace cars around the streets, people are meeting more people than they used to.

All the while keeping their social distance and remaining in their bubble.

People seem to have slowed down.

We all have skin in the game with this issue, we are all in this together.

Possibly for once, we actually now share something in common; a concern about the Coronavirus - COVID-19.

The crowds on the streets today are different to the Jerusalem street crowds; out to find out who Jesus was. They didn't know what was to come.

With hindsight, we are fortunate to have been shown the way of hope.

With our Christian tradition, after death comes life. These are times of hope.

You are invited to pray with us during this video.

Click to view Palm Sunday liturgy video

Before the revision of the Roman Missal in 1970, this coming Sunday, the Fifth Sunday of Lent, was referred to as "Passion Sunday" and marked the beginning of Passiontide.

In his incredible fifteen-volume work on the liturgy, Dom Gueranger remarked, "This Sunday is called Passion Sunday, because the Church begins, on this day, to make the sufferings of our Redeemer her chief thought."

Though we now celebrate Passion Sunday and Palm Sunday as one, on the Sixth Sunday of Lent, we can still use these next two weeks—Passiontide—to renew our Lenten practices.

Where have we succeeded? Where have we failed? It's time to make the Passion of our Lord our "chief thought." Here are four ways to enter more deeply into Lent and finish it off well.

Recommit. Perhaps we had grand plans on Ash Wednesday, and we have since failed once, twice, or perhaps entirely.

Rather than just throwing up our hands and going back to our normal routine, let us recommit ourselves to our Lenten program. Rather than being discouraged at failures, let us be thankful for the two remaining weeks of Lent that will give us a second (or third) chance to pick up our crosses.

Be honest with God in your assessment and ask for the grace you need to continue. Lent isn't pass/fail. Just because you may have hit that snooze button every single morning doesn't mean you can't recommit to abstaining from it for the next two weeks. Avoid the trap of defeatism.

The Devil wants you to throw your plans out the window. God wants you to start again. Continue reading

• Joannie Watson is presently the Director of Adult Formation for the Diocese of Nashville.

"Even as every form of justice is denied to him, Jesus also experiences, in his own flesh, indifference," the pope said.

"Since no one wishes to take responsibility for his fate, I am thinking of so many other people, so many marginalized people, so many asylum seekers, so many refugees."

"There are so many who don't want to take responsibility for their destiny," said Pope Francis at the observance of Palm Sunday, which marks the start of Holy Week.

The pontiff abandoned the prepared text of his homily to lament Europe's handling of the influx of migrants and asylum-seekers fleeing war, persecution or poverty from Syria, Iraq, Africa and elsewhere.

Palm Sunday commemorates the joyful welcome of Jesus to Jerusalem before he was betrayed, crucified, and resurrected, according to Christian teachings.

"Jesus also suffered on his own skin indifference, because no one wanted to take on the responsibility for his destiny," said Pope Francis.

"And I am thinking of so many people, so many on the margins, so many refugees" for whom "many don't want to assume responsibility for their destiny," he said in a clear reference to Europe's migration debate.

EU and Turkish officials have made a deal to send back to Turkey migrants now arriving on Greek islands. The action was supposed to begin on Sunday.

Sources

Huffington Post
Reuters
Daily Mail
AP/The Herald News
Image: Reuters/Daily Mail

On Palm Sunday The Methodist church in Fiji collected a special donation to go towards their relief efforts for the people of Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Kiribati who are recovering from the onslaught of category five Tropical Cyclone Pam.

Palm Sunday in Fiji is also Children's Sunday.

In Methodist churches children usually dress in white and lead the worship. They are also give a good meal and gifts

According to UNICEF it is estimated that at least half the population of Vanuatu has been affected by cyclone Pam.

Of these, at least 54,000 are children.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• UNICEF
• Image:Facebook