Passion Sunday

Matthew 21: 1 – 3

When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethpage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: “Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Master needs them!’ He will send them with you.”

As Holy Week begins, the scene is surprising ordinary. Jesus doesn’t arrive with power or spectacle. Instead, he sends his disciples to find a donkey. A simple, unnoticed animal becomes part of something extraordinary.

There’s something deeply familiar in that for educators.

In Catholic schools, so much of the work can feel ordinary. Lessons prepared, conversations had, students supported, problems managed. It doesn’t always feel significant in the moment. In fact, it can feel repetitive, even invisible at times.

But this Gospel reframes that completely. The donkey wasn’t impressive, but it was valuable. It was part of the story because it was willing to be used.

That’s the challenge of Holy Week for those in education. Not to chase impact in big, visible ways, but to recognise that the everyday matters more than we think. The small interactions, the tone we set, the presence we bring into the room. These are the spaces where transformation actually happens.

In a time where schools are navigating complexity, pressure, and constant change, there’s a temptation to measure success only in outcomes, data, or performance. But the Gospel invites a different lens. Faithful presence. Quiet consistency. Being available for the moment that matters.

Because in the story of Holy Week, it’s often the simplest, most overlooked things that carry something far greater than they realise.

And maybe that’s the invitation. Not to underestimate the role we play, but to step into it with intention. Because what feels ordinary may, in fact, be part of something much bigger.