20250413 Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion 

Readings at USCCB.org | https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041325.cfm

Let Go and Let God

As a young adult juggling school, work, and teaching Confirmation, I'll be honest—sometimes I feel like I've taken on more than I can handle. There are days when I come home from work only to face a mountain of assignments, and then I remember I still need to make time for Confirmation. I often wonder if I’m truly doing enough, or if by taking on more than I can manage, I’ve let people down by not being fully present.

I catch myself asking: Am I ever going to finish my graduate program? Do I even know what I’m doing at my job? Am I contributing enough to Confirmation and other areas of my life? Outside of all my responsibilities, I try to make time for family and friends—but I worry that they sometimes feel forgotten or think I don’t care. What weighs most heavily on me is how fast life moves, and in the chaos, I often forget to take care of myself. 

Some people in my life have suggested stepping back from teaching Confirmation to focus on other areas of my life. But being a Confirmation teacher has always been a choice I made willingly, and it’s never something I’ve wanted to give up. Even when I’m tired, I truly love seeing my students and supporting them on their faith journey.

On Palm Sunday, we watch the crowds cheer as Jesus enters Jerusalem. It’s easy to follow Jesus when things are going well. But then Jesus is arrested, betrayed, and abandoned. And in that moment—when it’s no longer easy or popular to stand by Him—most people walk away.

What strikes me the most is that, even though we may walk away or stop trusting in Jesus, He would never walk away from us. He chooses to love us. He chose to die for our sins even when we walked away from Him.

Sometimes when I get frustrated, I wonder why Jesus hasn’t shown up for me. Why isn’t He answering my prayers? Why is life so hard? Why can’t He just take away all my burdens? And then I realize that, in those moments, I start to walk away from Him and stop trusting in the plan He has for me.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that He has a plan for us. Faith is trusting in something we can’t see, trusting in God to lead us on the right path. Even when things aren’t going my way, I try to remember what happened on Palm Sunday. All we need to do is let go and let God.

This Holy Week, I’m choosing to let go and let God—put all my worries in His hands and trusting that He will lead me on the right path.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or distant from God right now, I get it. I’ve been there too. But maybe this is the week we lean in just a little more. Maybe this is the week we sit with Jesus—not just in the joy of Palm Sunday, but by letting go of what worries us and trusting that God has a plan for us.

--Nikki Mena