By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Big week this week for most of us Christians, beginning today with Palm (Passion) Sunday, with the rest of Holy Week following as we journey with Jesus to the cross on Good Friday and celebration of His resurrection on Sunday April 20. Many think that Christmas is the holiest day of the year, but while Christmas is certainly a prerequisite for it (at least in the way that God ordained), the greatest day for Christianity is Easter. In Christmas the divine assumes humanity with itself, and with the Easter resurrection divinity opens humanity to new life with Him in eternity as Jesus becomes the “first-born of the dead” whom we are called to follow … as St. Paul writes: “… so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

Now, in the week preceding Holy Week, readings in the daily Catholic Mass center upon heroic stories of faith in the Old Testament. One of these is in Daniel 3, in which three Hebrew exiles in Babylon refuse to abjure their Jewish faith to worship Babylonian gods and are sentenced to suffer horrific death, declaring courageously: “If our God, whom we serve, can save us … may he save us! But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god …” (Daniel 3:18)

And now on Palm Sunday we read always the Passion narrative of one of the three synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and this year, Luke. When we join Jesus and the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus’ arrest, one of the most poignant phrases of Jesus’ prayer to the Father is: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

In the tapestry of biblical narratives, these verses —and others like them throughout the Bible—resonate with a profound harmony, weaving together themes of faith, submission, and defiance in the face of divine will and human opposition—the choice of whether through yielding to His will or standing strong against worldly pressures. All it would take for the three youth to save their lives was to yield to making token sacrifices to the Babylonian idols. All it would take for Jesus to save His life was to apologize to the Sanhedrin for his teachings. But…some things are more important. Some things are worth dying for.

These passages, though separated by centuries and context, converge in portrayal of unwavering faith—Jesus through submissive surrender to God’s purpose, and the three Hebrews through defiant loyalty to God. Together, they offer a true understanding of what it means to trust God fully, whether it be by yielding or resisting.

Jesus is on the eve of what He knows will be His crucifixion. Facing the imminent reality of His suffering and death, Jesus expresses a human desire to avoid the “cup” of suffering. Yet, His prayer is not one of resistance but of submission, “but not as I will, but as you will” the very essence of His mission—to fulfill the Father’s divine plan. His is an active choice to trust God’s wisdom over personal inclination … an acknowledgment of the pain of the path ahead yet embracing its redemptive purpose. His willingness to endure the cross stems from His certainty that God’s will, though mysterious and painful, is ultimately good. This trust is not blind but rather rooted in His intimate relationship with the Father. His trust provides the “cornerstone” for understanding Christian submission: deliberate alignment with God’s purposes, even when those purposes lead through hardship.

In contrast, our three Hebrews present a moment of bold defiance rooted in the same trust in God. Faced with a decree to worship a golden statue, they refuse to compromise their loyalty to the true God. Their response expresses confidence that God is able to deliver them from the fiery furnace, but even if He chooses not to, their loyalty will remain unshaken. They do not demand specific outcome but rest in God’s ultimate authority and trust in Him.

These reveal a profound truth about biblical faith: it is neither passive acquiescence nor reckless bravado but a dynamic trust that adapts to the demands of the moment. Jesus surrenders by embracing the cup of suffering; the Hebrews surrender by entrusting their fate to God. In both cases, faith is not contingent on favorable outcomes but on the character of God Himself—His wisdom, power, and love.

These recollections offer implications for modern believers in a world of competing loyalties and pressures. Jesus’ example calls us to submit to God’s will, even when it leads through personal sacrifice or uncertainty. Whether facing loss, illness, or difficult callings, His prayer reminds us that aligning with God’s purpose requires trust over comfort. Conversely, the Hebrews’ defiance challenges us to stand firm in our convictions, even when societal or cultural forces demand conformity. Their “even if” faith encourages us to hold to God’s truth over safety or approval, trusting Him regardless of the outcome.

True trust in God is not about predicting His actions but about anchoring ourselves in Him. Whether we are called to surrender like Jesus or to stand like those Hebrews, the heart of faith remains the same: resolute commitment to God’s goodness and sovereignty, come what may…for to surrender to God’s purposes and stand for His truth, trusting that His will, however it unfolds, is always worth following.

Peter and the apostles answered, ‘‘We must obey God rather than men.’” (Act 5:29)

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.