Today, March 29, 2026, we step into the most sacred week of the liturgical year. As we stand at the threshold of Holy Week, we are greeted by a scene that is as confusing as it is beautiful. We call it Palm Sunday. It is a day of high energy, waving branches, and loud shouting. But if we look closely at the center of the crowd, we see something that turns our idea of power completely upside down. We see a King, yes, but He is a King on a donkey.

The Great Paradox of the "Hosanna"

The Gospel reading for the procession today (Matthew 21:1-11) describes a city in an absolute state of ferment. People are spreading their cloaks on the road. They are cutting branches from trees and creating a royal carpet. The air is thick with the cry of "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

To the casual observer in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, this looked like the beginning of a revolution. In the ancient world, when a conquering hero or a king returned from a successful military campaign, he entered the city with fanfare. He usually rode a white stallion, a symbol of war, strength, and domination.

But Jesus makes a very specific choice. He doesn't ask for a horse. He asks for a donkey, and not even a full-grown one, but a colt.

This wasn’t an accident or a matter of convenience. Jesus was making a statement. By riding a donkey, He was explicitly fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah: "Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey." In the ancient Near East, while horses were for war, donkeys were for civil processions and peaceful missions. When a king rode a donkey, he was saying, "I come in peace."

Jesus was announcing His messianic identity, but He was also redefining what it meant to be a King. He wasn’t coming to overthrow the Romans with a sword; He was coming to conquer sin and death with humility. He is the King who serves, the King who suffers, and the King who loves.

The Well-Trained Tongue

As we move deeper into the liturgy, we encounter the First Reading from the Book of Isaiah. It speaks of a "well-trained tongue." The prophet says, "The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them."

Think about that for a moment. What does it mean to have a "well-trained tongue" in our world today? Often, we think a trained tongue is one that is sharp, clever, or good at winning arguments. We use our words to defend ourselves or to climb the social ladder.

But in the eyes of God, a well-trained tongue is one used for the "weary." It is a tongue that speaks comfort, truth, and hope. Jesus embodied this perfectly. Even as He was being led toward His Passion, a journey that begins in earnest today, He did not use His words to curse His enemies. He used His words to forgive, to pray, and to offer Himself to the Father.

On this Palm Sunday, we are invited to ask ourselves: How are we using our words? Are we using them to rouse the weary, or are we adding to the noise and the exhaustion of those around us? To follow the King on a donkey is to learn the language of humble service.

The Great Emptying (Kenosis)

The Second Reading from Philippians 2:6-11 gives us the "theological heart" of what we are witnessing. Saint Paul tells us that Christ Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Instead, He "emptied himself."

The Greek word for this is kenosis. It describes a total pouring out. Imagine a pitcher of water being turned upside down until not a single drop remains. That is what Jesus did for us. He set aside the "privileges" of His divinity to take on the form of a slave. He became human, and then He went even further, becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross.

This is the radical nature of Catholic spirituality. We follow a God who doesn't hoard power, but gives it away. We follow a God who doesn't demand to be served, but who washes feet. The "emptying" of Christ is the reason the donkey is such an appropriate throne for Him. He wasn't interested in the outward trappings of majesty because His majesty was found in His perfect love and total self-gift.

Humble Leadership in the Missions

This model of humble leadership, the King on a donkey, the servant who empties himself, is exactly what we strive to foster at The Pontifical Mission Societies, specifically through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle (SPA).

In mission territories across the globe, in remote villages in Africa, high-altitude communities in the Andes, or island parishes in the Pacific, the Church is growing. But for that growth to be sustainable, these communities need holy, humble leaders. They need priests and religious sisters and brothers who come from their own culture and understand their own struggles.

The men and women we support through SPA don't arrive in their communities with fanfare or worldly riches. They are not looking for "upward mobility" or a prestigious career. Like Jesus on the donkey, they enter their communities with a spirit of humility. They are often the first ones to wake up and the last ones to go to bed, serving the poor, educating children, and bringing the Sacraments to the sick.

When we provide for the education and daily needs of seminarians and novices in mission lands, we aren't just paying for books or food. We are helping to train "well-trained tongues." We are supporting the formation of shepherds who have learned to "empty themselves" for the sake of their people.

You can learn more about how we support these future leaders by visiting our Society of St. Peter the Apostle page. By supporting their journey, you are directly participating in the same mission Jesus began when He entered Jerusalem. You are helping to ensure that the Gospel is brought to the "weary" in every corner of the world.

Reflection: Making Room for Others

As we begin Holy Week, the liturgy asks us to look at the contrast between the "Hosannas" and the donkey. It asks us to look at the contrast between the palms and the cross (which we hear about in the reading of the Passion from the Gospel of Mark or Luke, or today, Matthew).

Here are a few questions to carry with you this week:

• How can I "empty myself" this week? Is there a grudge I can let go of? Is there a piece of my "status" or "pride" that I am clinging to that prevents me from serving someone else?
• What does leadership look like in my life? Whether you are a parent, a manager, a student, or a volunteer, how can your leadership look more like the King on a donkey? How can you lead through peace and service rather than through control?
• Who are the "weary" in my life? How can I use my tongue, my words, my texts, my social media posts, to rouse them and give them hope?

A Journey Toward the Cross

Palm Sunday is a beautiful day, but it is also a sober one. We know where this road leads. The same people who are shouting "Hosanna" today will be shouting "Crucify Him" by Friday. Human nature is fickle, but God’s love is constant.

Let’s walk with Jesus this week. Let’s not skip from the palms of Sunday to the joy of Easter without spending time in the "emptying" of the days in between.

Please join us in praying for the thousands of seminarians and novices in the missions. They are currently beginning their own journeys of lifelong service, learning to be the "donkeys" that carry Christ into the world. May they always follow the path of the humble King, and may we have the courage to follow right alongside them.

Have a blessed and prayerful Holy Week.