Meditations for Holy Week – Palm Sunday
Psalm Old Testament Epistle Gospel
| Apr 2 | am: 24, 29 pm: 103 |
am: Zech 9:9-12
pm: Zech 12:9-13:9 |
1 Tim 6:12-16 | Matt 21:12-17 |
PALM SUNDAY
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: This Sunday observes the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem that was marked by the crowds, who were in Jerusalem for Passover, waving palm branches and proclaiming him as the messianic king. The Gospels tell us that Jesus rode into the city on a donkey, enacting the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, and in so doing emphasized the humility that was to characterize the Kingdom he proclaimed. The irony of his acceptance as the new Davidic King (Mark 11:10) by the crowds who would only five days later cry for his execution should be a sobering reminder of the human tendency to want God on our own terms.
MEDITATION OF THE DAY:
His coming is a revelation, a radical, total revelation of God’s holiness. “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory…”. Precisely this Week which humanly speaking is filled to the brim with suffering, humiliation, despoliation, in a word, with the kenosis of God this Week contains the revelation of God’s holiness, the culmination of world history. “Holy, Holy, Holy…. Hosanna in the highest”…. To embrace the Cross on this day, to pass it from hand to hand, is a very eloquent gesture. It is like saying: Lord, we do not want to stay with you only at the time of the “Hosannas”, but with your help we want to accompany you on the way of the Cross as did Mary, your mother and ours, and the Apostle John. Yes, O Lord, because “You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68), and we have believed that precisely your Cross is the word of life, of eternal life!
As Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem, we must ask the question : How shall we journey this Week? Can we make the journey with humility? Can we walk in simplicity? Can we make the effort to transcend the hectic and, at times burdensome, aspects of life weighed down by things that are not what the soul’s journey is all about? Do we have the courage to not just cheer Jesus on with Hosannas but to walk every step with him? Let us renew our resolve this Palm Sunday to make the commitment of kenotic love and make the journey to Jerusalem with Our Lord.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Almighty and ever living God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
ANCIENT WORDS/PRESENT GRACE: Let our souls take the place of the welcoming branches – Saint Andrew of Crete
Holy Week Discipline : Read Matthew 21:1-11. What “garments” do I need to lay down before my God? Can you reflect on this avoiding any self-righteousness? We are called to be living testimonies, share with another the fruit of this discipline.
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