There is one week left. We are on the last portion of the journey. The end we have been waiting for is almost here. For us Lent is almost over. For the crowds the prophet is on his way into town. And Jesus’ public ministry will soon be ended.

We all know a lot can change in a week though. Despite reading of the enthusiastic people gathered to welcome Jesus today, we know the real ending to the story, an opportunity we as humans rarely have. It is easy then today to not focus on the entire week ahead, but rather one part of the week. As a college student, I am part of one of the most future oriented subgroups and generations. We worry about surviving a week of demanding classes and assignment, finding a major and then finding a job, and constant uncertainty about the unknown ahead of us. Just when we think we have one detail of life figured out another future event begins to worry us. It takes time to accept that life is just as much about the journey as the end. We do not always think about the process and the present moment that will eventually bring us to an end in the future.

Let us not focus on the passion gospel of today, but rather the story of Palm Sunday. In Matthew 21 today Jesus is finally entering Jerusalem to be welcomed enthusiastically by the crowds. It seems that everything the people thought they have waited generations for has come true and they can finally be present in the moment. They do not know what is going to happen at the end of the week, however today that is not important. I hope that as we enter into the last week of Lent we are able to be free to live the each day of this week.