As we enter the holy days of the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord, the Church invites us to reflect on the great mystery that unfolds from Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  Our Lord entered the Holy City and was joyfully welcomed by the crowds.  Children sang: “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.”  Together with His disciples, the people of Jerusalem also rejoiced in greeting Christ.
Yet, Christ our Savior entered Jerusalem with another purpose — to fulfill the will of the Heavenly Father through His Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection.  Those who greeted Him with palm branches would soon turn against Him and call for His crucifixion.  The disciples who walked beside Him in joy would soon scatter in fear and abandon their Teacher.  Reflecting on this Gospel in the light of our own time, we see how deeply it speaks to the modern world.
Our world is shaken by instability and suffering. The powerful ones promise a better future while seeking to dominate others in the name of justice or security.  We live in a time of global political tension, social division, violence, uncertainty, and moral confusion.
At the same time, Ukraine enters yet another Holy Week of suffering, enduring destruction and fear, as if sharing in the very wounds of Christ.  Its people continue to endure the unjust invasion of a cruel foreign regime that seeks not only to seize territory, but to extinguish hope and life itself.  Yet despite suffering and sacrifice, they courageously and faithfully carry their cross.
And so we ask: what changed the lives of the disciples after the darkness of Good Friday?  What transformed their fear into courage and their uncertainty into hope?
The turning point came when they encountered the Risen Lord.  The joy of the Resurrection always begins with a personal encounter with Christ.  What turned the tears of Mary Magdalene on Good Friday into the joy of Easter morning?  Nothing other than her encounter with the risen Christ Himself.  When the Lord called her by name, her sorrow was transformed into faith and joy.  After meeting the risen Savior, Mary Magdalene faithfully fulfilled His command to go and proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection to the disciples.
The risen Christ desires that each of us experience this same joy of an encounter with Him.  He calls us to live not for ourselves, but for Him — to be freed from the sins that lead us into self-centeredness, and to discover the blessing that flows from Christ’s sacrificial love.  No matter what happens in our lives, we can experience spiritual joy through God’s love by living as we were created to live — in self-giving and sacrificial love.
The Easter Gospel is not only about new life in general, but about a new life for each of us personally.  Christ not only rose from the dead — He comes to meet us and calls each of us by name.  Easter is an encounter, a calling, and a mission: “Go and proclaim what you have seen and heard.” Christ is alive. More than that, He Himself seeks us and calls each of us by name.
I have the honor of conveying to you the heartfelt greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Leo, along with the assurance of his fervent prayers for all who toil on the sea.  In his address to the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square in Rome on Palm Sunday, acknowledging the current conflict affecting the Middle East and surrounding seas, he said:
“I also wish to entrust to the Lord all maritime workers who have become victims of this conflict. I pray for the dead, the wounded, and their families. The earth, the sky, and the sea were created for life and for peace!”
And as always, I too assure you of my prayers for all who labor on merchant vessels across the world’s oceans, as well as for your families at home in Ukraine, who feel your absence so deeply in this difficult time, especially at Easter.

Christ is Risen!  Indeed He is Risen!
Glory to Ukraine!  Glory to the Heroes!

Most Rev. Paul Chomnycky, OSBM

Head of Maritime Apostolate, UGCC