As Jesus sets His face toward Jerusalem in the last days of His earthly ministry, He is greeted by a swelling mass of humanity all celebrating his entrance to the city. But what did they think that He was coming there to do? And how did they receive Him when He revealed His true purposes?

In this Palm Sunday reflection we see Jesus confidently maintaining the integrity of His mission in the face of those influences who would co-opt His strength and vision for their own self-destructive purposes. We recognize that those same parasitic forces are alive in the world today and remember Jesus’ example in standing against them.