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Palm / Passion Sunday C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 10, 2022 (Palm / Passion Sunday C)

The Liturgy of the Palms C

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40

Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday fall on the same day in modern times, prompting us to watch in shock and surprise as the crowds who cheered for Jesus upon his arrival in Jerusalem quickly turn to mocking him and calling for his crucifixion.

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (c.1530), oil painting on panel by Pieter Coecke van Aelst (1502-1550). Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht, Netherlands. (Click image to enlarge.)

First, in the Liturgy of the Palms, we celebrate and wave our palms as Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem while the crowd chants the words of the prophet Zechariah celebrating the arrival of Israel’s king: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!” Then Luke shows the crowd responding with a song of joy that we’ll hear again in Psalm 118: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

This resounding ancient hymn, a song in celebration of victory, rings out in harmony with the first reading’s verses of celebration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Imagine a joyful crowd at the gates to the ancient Temple, clapping hands and loudly singing, praising the Lord, our God, whose mercy and steadfast love endure forever. “On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

The Liturgy of the Passion C

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a

Now our readings turn darker and more painful as Holy Week draws near. But even as shadows and twilight fall, the hope that rests in faith and trust remains. The Prophet Isaiah surely meant the “Suffering Servant” figure as a metaphor for Israel under the iron foot of exile, hoping some day to return home with God’s help. Christians must respect this tradition, but the Servant’s pain may make us think of Jesus too, particularly in its clear call to turn the other cheek against our enemies, knowing that God is with us.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16

The darkness deepens as we hear this Psalm. These verses that echo the pain of the Suffering Servant remind us that numbing anguish can sap the strength of body, mind and soul. But even in the darkest depths, hope remains! Even when life seems full of pain and void of hope, we trust in God and pray: “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

When Paul wrote this letter from a prison cell in Rome, he may have had Isaiah’s Suffering Servant in mind. In poetic verses that historians believe may have been taken from an early Christian hymn, Paul tells us that Jesus “emptied himself” as a human, even a slave, becoming one with us even in suffering. Jesus took on human frailty as he bore the gruesome pain of crucifixion. With this as our model, Paul shows that all are called to serve God and our neighbor humbly and obediently, becoming “more” through being “less.”

Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:49

Now the joy and celebration of the procession with the palms is fully turned. We see Jesus and his friends at the Last Supper, and now the crowds who had cheered for Jesus are mocking him and calling for his crucifixion. Before long we listen in horror to the familiar account of Jesus’ torture and gruesome death. In the midst of it all, though, take a moment to reflect on a brief passage at the Last Supper when Jesus turns the disciples’ bold ideas upside down after they started arguing about which of them was to be the greatest: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest,” Jesus tells them, “and the leader like one who serves.” What direction might we take from this? How are we called to serve?

Palm / Passion Sunday C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 14, 2019

The Liturgy of the Palms C

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40

Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday fall on the same day in modern times, prompting us to watch in shock and surprise as the crowds who cheered for Jesus upon his arrival in Jerusalem quickly turn to mocking him and calling for his crucifixion.

Christ Before Pilate Again

Christ Before Pilate Again (1308-1311), tempera painting on wood by Duccio di Bunda (1255-1319). Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana del Duomo, Florence, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First, in the Liturgy of the Palms, we celebrate and wave our palms as Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem while the crowd chants the words of the prophet Zechariah celebrating the arrival of Israel’s king: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!” Then Luke shows the crowd responding with a song of joy that we’ll hear again in Psalm 118: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

This resounding ancient hymn, a song in celebration of victory, rings out in harmony with the first reading’s verses of celebration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Imagine a joyful crowd at the gates to the ancient Temple, clapping hands and loudly singing, praising the Lord, our God, whose mercy and steadfast love endure forever. “On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

The Liturgy of the Passion C

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a

Now our readings turn darker and more painful as Holy Week draws near. But even as shadows and twilight fall, the hope that rests in faith and trust remains. The Prophet Isaiah surely meant the “Suffering Servant” figure as a metaphor for Israel under the iron foot of exile, hoping some day to return home with God’s help. Christians must respect this tradition, but the Servant’s pain may make us think of Jesus too, particularly in its clear call to turn the other cheek against our enemies, knowing that God is with us.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16

The darkness deepens as we hear this Psalm. These verses that echo the pain of the Suffering Servant remind us that numbing anguish can sap the strength of body, mind and soul. But even in the darkest depths, hope remains! Even when life seems full of pain and void of hope, we trust in God and pray: “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

When Paul wrote this letter from a prison cell in Rome, he may have had Isaiah’s Suffering Servant in mind. In poetic verses that historians believe may have been taken from an early Christian hymn, Paul tells us that Jesus “emptied himself” as a human, even a slave, becoming one with us even in suffering. Jesus took on human frailty as he bore the gruesome pain of crucifixion. With this as our model, Paul shows that all are called to serve God and our neighbor humbly and obediently, becoming “more” through being “less.”

Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:49

Now the joy and celebration of the procession with the palms is fully turned. We see Jesus and his friends at the Last Supper, and now the crowds who had cheered for Jesus are mocking him and calling for his crucifixion. Before long we listen in horror to the familiar account of Jesus’ torture and gruesome death. In the midst of it all, though, take a moment to reflect on a brief passage at the Last Supper when Jesus turns the disciples’ bold ideas upside down after they started arguing about which of them was to be the greatest: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest,” Jesus tells them, “and the leader like one who serves.” What direction might we take from this? How are we called to serve?

Palm / Passion Sunday C

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Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for March 20, 2016

Procession: Liturgy of the Palms C

Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday Russian Orthodox icon‎.

Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday Russian Orthodox icon‎.

Psalm 118

This Psalm is thought to be an ancient anthology of Temple songs of celebration and praise. Just as the crowd in the following Gospel passage shouts out its verses upon Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, it is easy imagine a joyous crowd clapping hands and singing this Psalm loudly, celebrating the Lord their God.

Luke 19:28-40

Jesus gets on a colt to ride into Jerusalem. The Jewish throngs waiting to welcome him would surely have recognized this as an allusion to the prophet Zechariah’s verses about the Messiah’s arrival: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you … riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!” Then the crowd responds with another joyful Messianic verse, the one that we just sang in Psalm 118 and will sing again at the Great Thanksgiving: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Liturgy of the Passion C

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a

Holy Week draws near, and our readings darken with grief and pain. But even when the world grows dark, the hope that lies in faith and trust remains. The Prophet Isaiah surely meant the “Suffering Servant” figure as a metaphor for Israel under the iron foot of exile, hoping some day to return home with God’s help. Christians should respect this tradition, but we may see it as a symbol for Jesus too, particularly in its clear call to turn the other cheek against our enemies, knowing that God is with us.

Psalm 31:9-16

Have you or a loved one ever suffered from serious depression? It seems likely that the Psalmist deeply understands this stunning anguish that can break down body, mind and spirit. But even in the black depths, the Psalmist sings, hope endures. When the world feels dark and black, trust God and pray: “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

When Paul wrote this letter from a prison cell in Rome, he may have had Isaiah’s Suffering Servant in mind. In poetic verses that historians believe may have been taken from an early Christian hymn, Paul tells us that Jesus “emptied himself,” becoming one with us even in suffering; he took on human frailty as he bore the gruesome pain of crucifixion. We, like Paul, are called to serve God and our neighbor humbly and obediently, becoming “more” through being “less.”

Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:49

In modern liturgy, we celebrate Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday together, watching in shock and surprise as the crowds who cheered for Jesus upon his arrival in Jerusalem quickly turn to mocking him and calling for his crucifixion. And now Jesus, too, calls us to be servants: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. … But I am among you as one who serves.” What might this look like in our lives? How are we called to serve?

Palm / Passion Sunday C

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Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, March 24, 2013.

The Entry into Jerusalem, unknown artist, Ottonian, Regensburg, about 1030 - 1040.

The Entry into Jerusalem

Procession: Liturgy of the Palms C

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40
Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, an allusion to the prophet Zechariah that wouldn’t have been lost on the Jewish throngs: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.!” The Roman rulers and Jewish authorities wouldn’t have been happy about that, but the crowds, says Luke, responded with a song of joy right out of Psalm 118: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”We repeat this song of praise every time we celebrate the Eucharist.

Psalm: Psalm 118
As we read these verses, which are thought to be an ancient collection of Temple songs of celebration and praise titled “A Song of Victory,” imagine a joyous crowd clapping hands and singing loudly. celebrating the Lord their God, whose steadfast love endures forever.

Liturgy of the Passion C

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Grief and pain fill our readings as Holy Week comes near; but there is hope here, too, the hope that lies in faith and trust. To the ancients, Isaiah’s Servant figure probably stood for Israel suffering in exile in hope of returning home with God’s help. It’s not hard for Christians to find Jesus symbolism here, though, particularly in the prophet’s clear call to turn the other cheek against our enemies, knowing that God is with us.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16
If you’ve ever suffered from serious depression or known and loved anyone who has, you’ll see that the Psalmist deeply understands this numbing anguish that can sap the strength of body, mind and soul. But even in the black depths, there’s hope! Even when things seem darkest, trust in God and pray: “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
Paul, writing to the people of Philippi from prison in Rome, might very well have had Isaiah’s Servant in mind as he wrote. Jesus’s death on the cross is significant, Paul says, because Jesus “emptied himself,” becoming one with us even in suffering, accepting human frailty as he bore the gruesome pain of crucifixion. We, too, like Paul, are called to serve God and our neighbor in the name of Jesus, who became “more” through becoming ‘less.”

Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:49
Palm Sunday brings us to Holy Week with Luke’s full account of Jesus’s Last Supper, Passion and Crucifixion. And now Jesus, too, calls us to service: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. … But I am among you as one who serves.” What might this look like in your life? How are you called to serve?