Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula urged the faithful on Palm Sunday to rethink the meaning of surrender, stressing that yielding to God is not weakness but the beginning of redemption.
Speaking during Mass at the Manila Cathedral, Advincula contrasted worldly notions of success with the wisdom revealed in the Passion of Christ.
“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,” he said.
“To fall into the hands of God to surrender ourselves completely to Him is not defeat. It is the beginning of redemption,” he added.
Advincula explained that Christ’s surrender to the Father, even unto death, opened the path to salvation.
“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.
He further emphasized:
“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.”
Filipino Catholics flocked to churches nationwide to mark Palm Sunday, signaling the start of Holy Week.
The observance included the blessing of palaspas or palm fronds, recalling Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem before His crucifixion.