Displaying items by tag: Palm Sunday
Jesus’ three promises on Palm Sunday
In a world of chaos and declining faith in institutions, Jesus' Palm Sunday message offers a distinct form of peace, contrasting with society's inclination towards temporary fixes like drugs and materialism. Amidst personal trials and imminent crucifixion, he highlighted three crucial aspects of peace. 1) Peace with God: through his death and resurrection, Jesus created a way to reconcile humanity with God, fulfilling his primary mission of establishing peace between mankind and the divine, as Paul articulates in Romans. 2) The peace of God: Jesus advised his followers to focus on noble and truthful thoughts, cultivating a mental discipline rooted in faith. This mindset fosters God’s peace, allowing believers to experience tranquillity despite life’s challenges. 3) The peace of the future: the Bible foretells a future era of remarkable peace following Jesus’ return, where harmony will prevail as prophesied in Isaiah. The ‘peace that surpasses human understanding’ provides comfort and hope in tumultuous times.
Indonesia: grace of God
Father Tulak was preaching at a Catholic cathedral in Indonesia when it was attacked by suicide bombers on Palm Sunday. He said God protected church members and guards, who were only two metres away from the bombers when they exploded. ‘What happened in my church is a personal testimony for the world.’ Indonesia is one the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nations. Christians in the area are unfortunately used to these types of attacks, especially during Christian celebrations. Please pray for the injured church guards, who are in a police hospital for protection.