Hosanna

04-05-2020Weekly Reflection

“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9). With these words the Church enters the holiest of weeks, commemorating the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. When the people of Jerusalem cried out with their “hosannas,” they were using an ancient Hebrew shout of acclamation that meant “Pray, save us.” The king to whom they were shouting eventually would save them, but in a way that would be far from what they expected. Salvation would come from the wood of the cross as Jesus hung there to bring freedom from sin and life through death, opening the gates of heaven for all who put their faith and trust in him.