Cardinal Advincula urges Catholics to surrender to God amid Holy Week

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula on Sunday challenged the faithful to shift their perspective on surrender, as doing so to God is a form of redemption, not defeat.

Advincula made the statement during the Palm Sunday Mass at the Manila Cathedral.

“In our world today, we are often told never to give up, to keep striving, pushing, competing, asserting ourselves. Surrender is often seen as weakness or defeat. We are taught that success comes from control and strength. But the Passion of Jesus reveals a different wisdom,” Advincula said during his homily.

“To fall into the hands of God to surrender ourselves completely to Him is not defeat. It is the beginning of redemption,” he added.

The Passion of Christ refers to the final moments of Jesus Christ, from His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, following the Last Supper, to his death on the cross at Calvary.

Advincula said that because Jesus Christ surrendered to the Father until his death, the path to salvation was opened for the faithful.

“This is the good news hidden within the passion. God can take even the darkest moments of human life, like betrayal, injustice, suffering, abandonment, and transform them into instruments of grace,” he said.

“When we entrust our suffering to God, when we remain faithful even in trials, when we refuse to let bitterness or hatred take root in our hearts, then the grace of Christ is at work in us,” he added.

Filipino Catholics trooped to churches across the country to observe Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week.

Aside from the Mass, the devotees take part in the blessing of the palaspas or palm fronds, as the faithful remember Jesus Christ's triumphant entry to Jerusalem before His crucifixion.

Nurture God’s presence

This Holy Week, Catholics were also invited to visit the Church and embrace God’s presence.

Fr. Francis Gustilo, president of Don Bosco School of Theology in Parañaque City, said, compared to seeing the president, the Pope, or a celebrity, meeting Jesus is easier, as it requires no appointment.

“They're sikat. At, ito oh, Jesus Christ. With you, accessible. Anytime in a church,” Gustilo told GMA News Online.

(They are all famous, but Jesus Christ is with you, accessible anytime in a church.)

“So, we need to foster that sense of accessibility of God na naandyan na, ba't di natin siya pinapansin? Sayang naman, and we lose parang golden opportunities,” he added.

(So, we need to foster the sense of God, who is always accessible. He’s already here, yet we fail to notice Him. It’s a waste if we lose the golden opportunities.)

The Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum refers to the last three days of Holy Week that highlight the Lenten Season, commemorating the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

It is observed through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

This year, Easter Sunday will be on April 5. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday meanwhile underscored the values of compassion and service as he welcomed the observance of Holy Week.

In a message from Malacañang, Marcos said he stood in solidarity with Filipinos taking time to pause and reflect on the Passion of Christ.

“In this solemn season, we remember the immeasurable love of Jesus Christ, who offered His life in perfect obedience to the will of the Father," he said.

"The Passion of Christ reminds us that true greatness is not found in power, but in sacrifice; not in privilege, but in service; and not in comfort, but in the courage to carry the burdens of others,” Marcos added. —KG, GMA Integrated News