Passion

Passion.

It is also called Holy Week.

It is the holiest week of the Christian calendar.

Believers hold fast to the truth of Jesus the Christ rising from the dead.

For Catholics, for example, palm branches, or, pussy willows, will awaken participants at Mass Sunday, April 1st, to the reality of the passion of the Christ, and, his ordeal recalled this week.

At St. Sylvester Catholic Church at 8:30 am in Warren, Michigan, for example, I will lead a procession with palm branches. They recall how people welcome Jesus as king and a few days later, they killed him. Crucifixion was common practice for those rendered to be trouble by the state. Jesus was that, according to authorities.

This God man rose from the dead, however. Jesus defied his murderers. Faith triumphed.

Feel the feeling this week: Mad, sad, glad or scared, or some variation of these feelings.

Jesus must have felt them all.

There was abandonment by his disciples, rejection by the rulers, fear of what was to come, sadness, and much more.

Christians move from what was called Spy Wednesday to Jesus' last supper with his intimate twelve apostles where Judas defects and betrays him, for example.

Finally, Good Friday is marked with Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary. All the way, he is mocked and scourged. One Simon help him carry his heavy cross.

Easter follows, however.

Death does not have the final word.

Life does.

Easter, a week later.