From time to time, we all need to step back from who we are and where we are and what we're doing to take another look at who we are and where we are and what we're doing. Holy Week provides the perfect opportunity to do that. It's just one part of the genius of Catholicism. So welcome to our Holy Week retreat where we are going to be accompanied by John Paul II and Faustina. We're going to delve deeper into the question of mercy, the goodness of mercy, our need for mercy, and God's willingness to lavish His mercy upon us. Each day we're going to reflect on two quotes, one from John Paul II and one from Faustina. Today, we hear from John Paul II. This was not the first time that the people recognized Christ as the king they expected. It had already happened after the miraculous multiplication of the loaves, when the crowd wanted to carry him in triumph. Jesus knew, however, that his kingdom was not of this world. For this reason, he had fled from their enthusiasm. He now sets out for Jerusalem to face the trial that awaits him. He is aware that he is going there for the last time. Since that day, the church throughout the world has repeated the words of the crowd in Jerusalem that day, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." She repeats it every day while celebrating the Eucharist shortly before the consecration. She repeats it with particular emphasis today on Palm Sunday.

And so Jesus is entering Jerusalem and the people, they're ecstatic. They're cheering him. They're laying their robes and the palms down before him as he rides the donkey in triumph into the city. And of course, he knows what he is riding towards. And they are celebrating him more than ever before, any other time in his life. And of course, he knows how quickly that tide is going to turn. He knows that their cheering is a worldly cheering. And as John Paul II points out, Jesus is abundantly clear that His kingdom is not of this world, but of the next world. And so the question I think for us to ponder here today is, do we believe that our life is of this world, or do we believe that our life is of the next world? Of course, the answer to the question is both. Our life is of this world. Our life is of the next world. But if we do a little bit of math, and we think to ourselves, okay, we live on this planet. I think the actuaries tell me about 82 years they'll give me, but maybe more, maybe less. Call it 100 years. Probably, people will live even longer in the future due to science and medicine. But 100 years, even if you live as long as the oldest person alive right now, I think it's 123 And then we compare that to eternity. The 123 years or the 100 years or the 90 years or 82 years, it's the blink of an eye, right? Compared to eternity, we're here for the blink of an eye. And so our life is not of this world, primarily. Our life is of the next world, but very often we live as if our life is of this world. And today, we need a king of kings to teach us that our life is primarily of the next world, living in eternity with Him and His Father and the Spirit forever. And so when we think about this, it's a lesson in delayed gratification. One of the kids asked me recently-- they saw something like, the secret of success is something, and they came home and, "Is this the secret of success?" I said, "Well, I don't think so." And then, "Well, what is the secret of success?" And now we're at the dinner table and they're all talking about the secret of success. And I said, "Well, there's many secrets of success." Well, what's one secret of success? Well, the ability to delay gratification, I believe, is a crucial indicator of our ability to succeed at anything. You can't be successful at anything worthwhile, I think, unless you have the ability, the willingness to delay gratification. You certainly can't be successful as a parent unless you're willing to delay gratification. I don't think you can be successful in career unless you're willing to delay gratification. You can't be successful in your studies, unless you're willing to delay gratification, because there are probably plenty of times you'd rather go out and throw the Frisbee or go to a party, but you have to study in order to accomplish what is most important to you. I don't think you can be successful in personal finances unless you're willing to delay gratification. I don't think we can be successful in our health and well-being unless we're willing to delay gratification. I don't think we can be successful in marriage, in managing people, in coaching people, in all sorts of aspects of life. It's impossible to be successful unless we're willing to delay gratification. And what God is calling us to this week is a week of prayer and fasting. And what the genius of Catholicism calls us to very often is to delay gratification, not for five minutes, not for five weeks or five years, but for the realisation that, hey, we're here for a blink of an eye, and to give up a little bit of gratification in order to live in eternity, united with God forever, is a very, very, very small price to pay. And it's a mercy that God reveals that to us. It's a mercy that God makes us aware, that we're here for a moment, and then we're with Him for eternity, and that we can orient ourselves, our hearts, our minds, our souls toward that reality. We can orient our lives toward that reality. Our quote from Faustina today is a reflection on a meditation she had. "I saw Jesus riding on a donkey and the disciples and the great multitude with branches in their hands, joyfully accompanying the Lord Jesus." So this is, again, fascinating because you've got Jesus entering triumphant into Jerusalem. You've got people cheering. And what struck me from Faustina's quote is just the word joyfully. Just that one word joyfully. And I think to myself, "Well, what was Jesus feeling? What was Jesus thinking? What was he feeling?" He knew what was coming. He knew it was near. The crowds are going crazy. Joyfully is the word Faustina uses. Joyfully accompanying the Lord Jesus. Was Jesus joyful? I don't know that that is probably the feeling he was experiencing on Palm Sunday. Probably a lot of mixed emotions, I imagine. But Faustina describes the people as accompanying the Lord Jesus joyfully. And so that is the question that we ask ourselves today. Two questions, actually. One, are we accompanying Jesus? Are we willing to accompany Jesus this week? And today, yes, it's joyfully.

But as we get toward the end of the week, there's going to be a lot of other emotions that are attached to accompanying Jesus. Are we willing to accompany him for the whole week? Are we willing to accompany him today and next Sunday? Are we willing to accompany him for part of his passion, but not other parts of his passion? Are there parts of this next week that we want to avoid or ignore? And what does that say about what we're trying to avoid or ignore in our own lives? And so today, we examine are we accompanying Jesus? Are we accompanying him joyfully today? And are we willing to accompany him this whole week? God bless you. Have an amazing holy week. We are pilgrims of mercy.

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Eternal God.

In whom mercy is endless.

And the treasury of compassion, inexhaustible.

Look kindly upon us.

And increase your mercy in us.

That in difficult moments we might not despair.

Nor become despondent.

But with great confidence.

Submit ourselves to your holy will.

Which is love and mercy itself.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

See you tomorrow.

Thank you, Ambassadors.

You are changing the world.

Have a great day. Have a great day.

Have a great day.