Ezekiel 37:12-14 / Romans 8:8-11 / John 11:1-45
The one thing that we will bring back from Church is the palm branch.
After all, today is Palm Sunday, and we would expect to bring home a palm branch.
And since it is a blessed object, (it was blessed at the beginning of the Mass), we will put it on our home altar, or hang it on our main door, or maybe just leave it lying around.
In a way, the palm branch is like a reflection of our lives.
We wave the palm branches at the beginning of the Mass in celebration of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
We too had our moments of glory and celebrated our achievements and success.
In the days to come, the palm branch will dry up and turn brown, and after a while it will be almost forgotten.
We too will have our dry moments, and we may feel like being left aside, being left out, and at times even feel rather useless.
But we must remember that one year later, we will bring back these palm branches to Church, where they will be burnt and made into ashes for Ash Wednesday.
That also tells us that we have to die to ourselves in repentance, so as to rise to the new life of the Resurrection.
As we enter into Holy Week, let us unite ourselves with Jesus in His suffering and death, so that together with Jesus, we will rise to the new life of the Resurrection.