The Paradox of the Palms: Walking with St. Francis
Palm Sunday begins with a paradox: celebration and suffering arrive together. Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna,” greeted as a king, yet we already know where the road leads. It leads to betrayal, to pain, to the cross. Palm Sunday invites us to hold both joy and sorrow in the same open hand.
St. Francis of Assisi helps us do just that. Francis understood that following Christ means walking closely with both the beauty and the wounds of the world. He loved creation with tenderness, but he also embraced poverty, humility, and the suffering Christ. Francis did not run from what was hard. He moved toward it with love.
That makes him a fitting companion for Palm Sunday. On this day, it can be tempting to stay with the waving branches and avoid the darker parts of the story. But Francis reminds us that real discipleship is not sentimental. It is joyful, yes, but it is also costly. To follow Jesus into Holy Week is to say yes not only to inspiration, but also to surrender.
There is something deeply Franciscan about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a war horse. It is the image of gentleness, humility, and peace. Francis would have loved that. He knew that God’s power often appears in weakness, simplicity, and vulnerability rather than dominance or control.
Palm Sunday asks us: what kind of king are we welcoming? And just as importantly, what kind of followers are we choosing to become? Are we only with Jesus when the crowd is cheering, or are we willing to stay when the road turns difficult?
Francis might encourage us to enter this week with open eyes and an uncluttered heart. Let go of the need to appear strong. Let go of the need to be impressive. Instead, receive Christ as he comes: humble, peaceful, and full of love.
Reflective questions:
Where am I tempted to welcome Jesus only when faith feels uplifting or easy?
What would humility look like in my life this week?
How might I walk more gently with Christ, with others, and with myself?
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2026@Go Deeper Ministries
