My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

There is something about Palm Sunday that can deceive the eyes. It is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of Sacred Scripture – our Lord entering Jerusalem, seated upon a donkey, the crowds spreading their garments before Him, waving palms, crying out: 

“Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9).  

It looks like triumph. It feels like victory. It sounds like recognition. And yet, it is one of the most misunderstood moments in human history. Because what is seen is not the full truth. And what is unseen is everything.  

On that day, there were many eyes watching. But very few truly saw. They saw movement, but not meaning. They saw celebration, but not sacrifice. They saw a king entering a city, but not the Lamb going to be slain. Because true sight is not simply the ability to look. True sight is the ability to receive what God is revealing – even when it contradicts what we expect. 

And this is where we must pause. Because if we are honest, this is not only about them. This is about us.  

We are living in a time when there are more voices than ever – more information than ever – more images, more commentary, more analysis. And yet, there is a strange blindness. A blindness not of the eyes, but of the soul.  

People see events, but not their meaning. They see confusion, but they do not ask why. They see contradictions, but they explain them away. They see warning signs, but they refuse to follow where those signs lead. 

And perhaps most dangerously – they see what they want to see. 

This is exactly what happened on Palm Sunday. The people were not lying when they cried, “Hosanna.” But they were not seeing clearly. They were seeing through the lens of their expectations. They wanted deliverance, but on their own terms. They wanted a kingdom, but a kingdom of this world. They wanted victory, but without the Cross. 

And so when Christ revealed what His kingship truly meant – they could no longer see Him.  

And this is the danger for us. Because God is revealing much in our time. But He is not revealing it according to our preferences.  

He is revealing the state of the world. He is revealing the state of His Church. He is allowing things to come into the light that were once hidden in shadow. Not to destroy, but to purify. Not to abandon, but to call back. And yet, many do not see it. 

Why? 

Because they are still looking for a different kind of triumph. They are looking for things to suddenly “feel right.” They are looking for clarity without suffering. They are looking for restoration without purification. They are looking for a Palm Sunday that never leads to Good Friday.  

But that is not the way of Christ. 

The way of Christ is always this:  

Revelation – then trial. 

Truth – then testing. 

Light – then the Cross.  

And if we do not understand this, we will misread everything. Just as they did.  

There is something else we must understand. God often allows truth to remain hidden – until hearts are ready to receive it. Not because He wishes to conceal – but because truth, when rejected, becomes judgment.  

This is why Our Lord spoke in parables. This is why He said: 

“To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing may not understand” (Luke 8:10). 

It is a sobering reality. That one person can hear the truth and be transformed. And another can hear the same truth and remain blind.  

And this brings us to something that is unfolding in our time – something many have begun to notice: the approved apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1589 to Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres in a convent in Quito, Ecuador. This apparition is often referred to as Our Lady of Good Success, but it is perhaps more accurately translated as Maria del Buen Suceso de la Purificacion OR Mary of the Good Success of the Purification. 

In older Spanish, this does not mean “success” like achievement – it means: a good outcome, a blessed event, a providential happening. This refers to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2), when Mary underwent ritual purification after childbirth, and the child Jesus was presented in the Temple. This is why the devotion is strongly tied to February 2^nd. 

Our Lady was emphasizing her role in bringing about a “good outcome” during time of crisis, a connection to purification of the Church, and a prophecy of future suffering, corruption, and restoration.  

These messages were given centuries ago, but they were not meant for that time. Our Lady did not speak vaguely, she spoke with clarity, and she pointed directly to this time. She spoke of a crisis in the Church, a time when faith would be weakened. A time when confusion would enter even into the life of the Church. A time when what is sacred would be obscured … not destroyed, but hidden.  

And among the most serious warnings she gave – was the attack on the priesthood. She warned that the Sacrament of Holy Orders would be ridiculed, oppressed, and despised. That priests would be targeted. That many would lose the spirit of their vocation. That some would grow careless in their sacred duties. That others would become attached to the things of the world.  

And that matters. Because when the priesthood is wounded – the Church is wounded. When the shepherd is struck – the flock suffers.  

She also warned of the corruption of innocence. That the innocence of children would be attacked. That purity would be undermined. That modesty would nearly disappear. That the world itself would become saturated with impurity.  

And then comes one of the most piercing warnings of all: that those who should speak would remain silent. That line alone should stop us. Because it speaks not only of evil advancing, but of truth not being defended.  

And yet – Our Lady did not leave us without hope. She spoke of a restoration. She spoke of a time when God, in His mercy, would raise up souls.  

That means this is not only a prophecy of darkness. It is a prophecy of purification – and of restoration. 

And now we must ask ourselves: Where are we standing in this? Because these things are no longer hidden. The wounds to the priesthood are visible. The attack on innocence is visible. The loss of modesty is visible. The confusion is visible. And the silence is deafening.  

And yet, many still do not see. Not because there are no signs. But because seeing requires more than looking. It requires humility. It requires openness. It requires a willingness to let God show us what we may not want to see.  

And this brings us back to Palm Sunday. Because on that day, everything was visible. And yet the deepest reality was hidden. 

The crowd saw the procession. But they did not see the Passion. They saw the King. But they did not see the sacrifice. They saw what was in front of them. But they did not see what God was revealing beneath it. And that is the danger for us now. 

We can see everything happening around us and still miss what it means. We can watch events unfold and fail to recognize that God is allowing a purification. We can mistake exposure for destruction. We can mistake confusion for the absence of God. We can mistake suffering for defeat.  

However, we must remember:  

Palm Sunday looked like triumph. But it led to sacrifice. 

The Cross looked like defeat. But it was victory. 

And now we are living in a moment where both are present again. And only those with eyes to see will understand it.  

Our Lord asked: “Having eyes, see you not? And having ears, hear you not?” (Mark 8:18). 

That question is for us.  

Do we see only what is easy? Do we see only what fits our expectations? Do we see only what allows us to remain comfortable? Or do we ask God to show us the truth – even when the truth is difficult?  

Because the one who stands before God with open hands will be given more. And the one who stands with clenched fists will lose even what he thinks he has. 

And so as we come to Holy Week, ask for a special grace. The grace to see. Not as the world sees – but as God reveals.  

The grace to recognize what is hidden. The grace to remain faithful when others turn away. The grace to follow Christ, not only in the moment of palms, but all the way to the Cross. Because only those who see Him there will understand what He is doing now. And only those who remain with Him at the Cross will be ready for the restoration He has promised. 

That is Palm Sunday.  

May Almighty God bless you, 

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland 

Bishop Emeritus