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Today we hold in our hands palm
branches. In the ancient world, palm
branches were the symbol of victory.
For the Israelites in the Old
Testament, the elegance, strength,
and simplicity of this tree became a
symbol of the just man or woman, the one in whom God’s law
triumphed. It also symbolized victory for the Romans. Palm
trees were not native to Italy. And so, when the Romans started
conquering other nations in the Mediterranean, the generals
brought palm trees back to Rome as souvenirs of their victories.
So, the crowds waving palm branches as Jesus entered
Jerusalem were declaring his victory. Today, we echo them, we
join them, and we declare and celebrate Christ’s victory. But
what victory is it? And how did Christ win it? It is the victory
over original sin. Original sin was mankind’s disobedience to
God and obedience to the devil. It shattered God’s plan, let
loose the scourge of evil, and gave the devil a certain power
over earthly society. Jesus, through his passion, death, and
resurrection, reversed the disobedience of original sin by
obeying his Father’s will in spite of all the devil’s attempts to
thwart him: The betrayal of Judas, the abandonment of his
apostles, the false accusations, the condemnation, the
humiliation, the scourging and crowing with thorns, the torture
of crucifixion – all of these sufferings were the devil’s attempts
to get Jesus to say “no” to his Father, just as he had gotten
Adam and Eve to say “no”. But Jesus defeated the devil. He
continued to love, forgive, and obey through it all. And so, he,
unlike Adam, unlike every other person in history, can say, “I
have not rebelled” [first reading at the Mass]. His obedience
establishes a beachhead in this world that is under the devil’s
sway: Jesus’ Passion is D-Day for the devil, and liberation for
us. This is the victory we celebrate

Please pray for our sick that they may receive God’s healing strength: Teresa Morone, Albert Ferranti, Marisa Della Pia, Dom Dinella, Sarah Wallace, Marie Devlin, James Curci, Susan and Frank Addis, Eileen McClain, Grace Jones, Brian Ligato, Danielle Peters, Marie and Hugh Quigley, Geraldine DiDonato, Pam Casey, Gerri Liberato-Abbott, Louie DiBruno, Michael Cornaglia, Sr., Karen Specht, Angel Scorza, Tom and Linda Sammaritano, Sister Peg, Stephanie Sinex, Shawn Keefe, Maria Dattilo, Ashleigh Leone, Tommy Van Horn Jr., Fr. Casey, Mary Young, Rose Campolongo, Landon Reid, Annette Slattery, Anna Musolino, Joann Auld, Pat Kennedy, Sr. Francine OSF, Constance DeMayo, Robert Federico, Tom Rucci