From Jill Carattini at Slice of Infinity:

With Palm Sunday comes the arrival of holy week in all its darkness, in all its brilliance. With palms in our hands, we carry a glimpse of the burden that Jesus himself carried through that first crowd. Though we recognize the Messiah before us, we will turn from him. Though we labor to follow his ways, we will fall short. (How fitting that in many churches the remains of Palm Sunday literally become the ashes of Ash Wednesday. The discarded palms are burned and the ashes collected. Then on Ash Wednesday services the following year, the ashes are used to mark our foreheads with the sign of the Cross.)

This week we remember the one who comes into the midst of our every defeat. Christ comes near to our unfaithfulness, near the ashes of what was meant to be obedience or praise. Despite our oscillating thoughts, despite the sin we cannot leave, he comes to make us holy and pure. He comes to bring us to the Cross. (emphasis mine)