The Feast of the Humble King

We have arrived at Palm Sunday. The final week of the period of strict fasting. In the West, it is the final week of Lent. In my own Byzantine Rite, we ended the Great Lent on Lazarus Saturday the day before. The King has completed a foreshadowing of His Greatest Miracle to be performed and now enters the Holy Gates of Jerusalem. He enters it with a grand entrance fit for a King. A grand entrance fit for a True King, that is. For in this entrance He sets the example for all kings in which He is Lord over. The great and Ven. Thomas á Kempis writes the following:

"Who, while He was supreme and rich and powerful above all, as the Son of God according to the divinity; nevertheless, did not display the excellence of His majesty before the people by worldly pomp: but with much humility and meekness approached the city, rebellious against Him." (Homily XXVII on Palm Sunday)

This final entrance of Our King into the city takes onto the final journey with Him in His life. His journey toward the via dolorosa of Golgotha. We are invited to accompany Him in His glory, waving palm branches before the King and laying them down before Him as is fitting. We are invited with Him and His apostles to the upper room to become the final preparations for the crucifixion, anxiously and ever-examining our own lives to determine if we are worthy. He will ask us whether or not we truly love Him and if we love Him what we must ought do for Him. Some of us may deny Him thrice but be reconciled afterward. Some of us may betray Him to the enemy. Some of us may join Him first along His final journey, carrying the cross He will be executed upon. Some of may have been with Him and will remain with Him our entire lives. That is why the Ven. Thomas á Kempis further observes:

"[L]et us take note further pleasure in examining the apparel and appearance of our humble King, seated upon the colt of an ass: Who, when He was in the midst of rejoicing people, showed no smile, but wept."

Yes, He wept for it is unbecoming in the light of the adversities we face in our constant war against the enemy to start guffawing. There may be delightful moments and joyous moments in this spiritual life but we must always guard ourselves against the enemy's attempt to lure us into not taking this fight seriously. Or this journey seriously. We are beginning to reflect on and remember Christ's final week on this Earth before His death and glorious resurrection. We ought to have joy but we must remember this is not the victory march but the march of a King about to send His troops to battle. And a difficult battle lies ahead of us if indeed those who are most faithful could even slip up in this final struggle against the enemy. The Ven. Thomas á Kempis makes further note of what Our King rode upon:

"Christ, in the beginning of His conflict with the Devil, sat upon the cult of an ass."

Yes! All the fitting! For a King who would choose to be born in nothing more than a cave outside of Bethlehem and then to ride not upon a fine, thoroughbred horse but the colt of an ass! A donkey, the lowliest of creatures has been sat upon! Christ has come to lift up those who are not exalted but He has come to lift up those who are lowly and He has given the ass the highest place of all the animals for this festive day! This is the beginning of the conflict. Will you join with Christ in His conflict? Will you betray Him? Will you collaborate with the Sanhedrin in having the Romans put Him to death? Will you recognize He is truly the Son of God? Will you deny Him but reconcile yourself to Him again in the end? Will you carry on with Him unto the end?