4 They went off and found a colt in the street tied in a doorway, and they untied it. 5 The bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They gave the answer Yeshua had told them to give, and they let them continue. 7 They brought the colt to Yeshua and threw their robes on it, and he sat on it.
8 Many people carpeted the road with their clothing, while others spread out green branches which they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who were ahead and those behind shouted,
“Please! Deliver us!”[a] [b]
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai!”[c]
10 “Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David!”
and,
“You in the highest heaven! Please! Deliver us!”[d] [e][Footnotes:
Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:25
Mark 11:9 See note, p. 1249.
Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:26
Mark 11:10 Psalm 118:25
Mark 11:10 See note, p. 1249.]
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the LordBlessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (Mark 11:9)
When artists talk about contrast, they’re referring to the arrangement of opposite elements—light versus dark, small versus large, rough versus smooth. It’s a technique they use to add a dramatic effect to their work. If we thought of God as an artist, we would definitely say that Palm Sunday is a study in contrasts. God created the universe out of nothing, fashioned the stars and planets, sustains every living thing, and knows every hair on our heads. Yet this same awesome, all-powerful God chose to enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. You can’t have a more dramatic contrast than that. Or can you?
That Jesus, our King, came to his people riding a lowly pack animal is a huge contrast. But even more dramatic is the fact that he was crowned with thorns and not with gold, and beaten rather than worshipped. Or that he, who would judge heaven and earth, was judged and condemned the very people he created.
Jesus went through all the pain and humiliation of the cross so that we could be reconciled with God. He who is Life itself embraced death so that we could receive eternal life.
Keep this in mind during Mass today. During the Holy, Holy, remember the citizens of Jerusalem who spread out their cloaks and waved palm branches at Jesus. Like you, they called out, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” But just a few days later, they joined the Sanhedrin in calling out, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:14). And through it all, through all the contrasts and ups and downs that he faced, Jesus continued to love. He continued to forgive. He never forgot his mission to save us all.
So when you say these words, do it with all the conviction you can muster. Praise the Lord for coming so humbly. And tell him you don’t want any more contrasts in your life!
“Lord, thank you for coming to us so humbly! Teach me to follow your example of self-sacrifice and compassion.” Amen!
Isaiah 50:4 Adonai Elohim has given me
the ability to speak as a man well taught,
so that I, with my words,
know how to sustain the weary.
Each morning he awakens my ear
to hear like those who are taught.
5 Adonai Elohim has opened my ear,
and I neither rebelled nor turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
7 For Adonai Elohim will help.
This is why no insult can wound me.
This is why I have set my face like flint,
knowing I will not be put to shame.
Psalm 22:8 (7) All who see me jeer at me;
they sneer and shake their heads:
9 (8) “He committed himself to Adonai,
so let him rescue him!
Let him set him free
if he takes such delight in him!”
17 (16) Dogs are all around me,
a pack of villains closes in on me
like a lion [at] my hands and feet.[a]
18 (17) I can count every one of my bones,
while they gaze at me and gloat.
19 (18) They divide my garments among themselves;
for my clothing they throw dice.
20 (19) But you, Adonai, don’t stay far away!
My strength, come quickly to help me![Footnotes:
Psalm 22:17 Or: “They pierced my hands and feet.” See Introduction, Section VIII, paragraph 6, and Section XIV, footnote 70.]
23 (22) I will proclaim your name to my kinsmen;
right there in the assembly I will praise you:
24 (23) “You who fear Adonai, praise him!
All descendants of Ya‘akov, glorify him!
All descendants of Isra’el, stand in awe of him!
Philippians 2:6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
7 On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.
And when he appeared as a human being,
8 he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!
9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;
10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow —
in heaven, on earth and under the earth —
11 and every tongue will acknowledge[a]
that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai —
to the glory of God the Father.[Footnotes:
Philippians 2:11 Isaiah 45:23]
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:
{Isaiah 50:4 Adonai Elohim has given me
the ability to speak as a man well taught,
so that I, with my words,
know how to sustain the weary.
Each morning he awakens my ear
to hear like those who are taught.
5 Adonai Elohim has opened my ear,
and I neither rebelled nor turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
7 For Adonai Elohim will help.
This is why no insult can wound me.
This is why I have set my face like flint,
knowing I will not be put to shame.
Psalm 22:8 (7) All who see me jeer at me;
they sneer and shake their heads:
9 (8) “He committed himself to Adonai,
so let him rescue him!
Let him set him free
if he takes such delight in him!”
17 (16) Dogs are all around me,
a pack of villains closes in on me
like a lion [at] my hands and feet.[a]
18 (17) I can count every one of my bones,
while they gaze at me and gloat.
19 (18) They divide my garments among themselves;
for my clothing they throw dice.
20 (19) But you, Adonai, don’t stay far away!
My strength, come quickly to help me![Footnotes:
Psalm 22:17 Or: “They pierced my hands and feet.” See Introduction, Section VIII, paragraph 6, and Section XIV, footnote 70.]
23 (22) I will proclaim your name to my kinsmen;
right there in the assembly I will praise you:
24 (23) “You who fear Adonai, praise him!
All descendants of Ya‘akov, glorify him!
All descendants of Isra’el, stand in awe of him!
Philippians 2:6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
7 On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.
And when he appeared as a human being,
8 he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!
9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;
10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow —
in heaven, on earth and under the earth —
11 and every tongue will acknowledge[a]
that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai —
to the glory of God the Father.[Footnotes:
Philippians 2:11 Isaiah 45:23]
Mark 11:1 As they were approaching Yerushalayim, near Beit-Pagei and Beit-Anyah, by the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent two of his talmidim 2 with these instructions: “Go into the village ahead of you; and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it, and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it,’ and he will send it here right away.”
4 They went off and found a colt in the street tied in a doorway, and they untied it. 5 The bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They gave the answer Yeshua had told them to give, and they let them continue. 7 They brought the colt to Yeshua and threw their robes on it, and he sat on it.
8 Many people carpeted the road with their clothing, while others spread out green branches which they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who were ahead and those behind shouted,
“Please! Deliver us!”[a] [b]
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai!”[c]
10 “Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David!”
and,
“You in the highest heaven! Please! Deliver us!”[d] [e][Footnotes:
Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:25
Mark 11:9 See note, p. 1249.
Mark 11:9 Psalm 118:26
Mark 11:10 Psalm 118:25
Mark 11:10 See note, p. 1249.]}
1. Passion or Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, when we are all called to relive and to celebrate the events, which went before and surrounded Christ's death and resurrection, the inexhaustible source of our salvation. We begin by recalling Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He is a sign of contradiction, acclaimed by some and reviled by others. In what ways can Jesus be a sign of contradiction in your own lives: acclaimed at times, ignored at other times, and even doubted during times of suffering?
2. In the first reading and the responsorial Psalm, we begin to get a vivid glimpse of what Jesus suffered for us. Don't let the words slip by because they are so familiar to you. Try to visualize what it must have been like for the Son of God to have been beaten, scoffed at, mocked, and pierced for YOU. What are some steps you can take to enter more deeply into the Church’s Holy Week events? In what ways can you “keep watch” with Jesus through his Holy Week of suffering and death on the cross?
3. In the second reading we learn that Christ "emptied" himself and humbled himself when he became man. St. Augustine called humility the "royal road". It is the road Christ took when he became man and it is the only way we can get back to God. How about you? How do you react when you have been humbled or criticized or even rejected? Does your sense of self and pride in your own worth and talents ever interfere in your relations with others? In what ways?
4. It is said that St. Mark wrote his Gospel for the Gentile's whom he desired to bring to believe in Jesus' divinity. The gentile Roman centurion at the cross professes: "Truly this man was the Son of God." In what ways do you see Jesus’ divinity in his passion, death, and resurrection?
5. The meditation describes the many “contrasts” we see in the Gospel’s description of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his passion and death on the Cross. How would you describe these contrasts? How would you describe the contrasts in your life? Which ones need more of the Lord’s grace to overcome them?
6. Take some time now to pray and ask Jesus for the grace to overcome the “contrasts” in your life so you can follow, in a deeper way, his example of self-sacrifice and compassion. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.“Lord, thank you for coming to us so humbly! Teach me to follow your example of self-sacrifice and compassion.” Amen!
____________________________
2. In the first reading and the responsorial Psalm, we begin to get a vivid glimpse of what Jesus suffered for us. Don't let the words slip by because they are so familiar to you. Try to visualize what it must have been like for the Son of God to have been beaten, scoffed at, mocked, and pierced for YOU. What are some steps you can take to enter more deeply into the Church’s Holy Week events? In what ways can you “keep watch” with Jesus through his Holy Week of suffering and death on the cross?
3. In the second reading we learn that Christ "emptied" himself and humbled himself when he became man. St. Augustine called humility the "royal road". It is the road Christ took when he became man and it is the only way we can get back to God. How about you? How do you react when you have been humbled or criticized or even rejected? Does your sense of self and pride in your own worth and talents ever interfere in your relations with others? In what ways?
4. It is said that St. Mark wrote his Gospel for the Gentile's whom he desired to bring to believe in Jesus' divinity. The gentile Roman centurion at the cross professes: "Truly this man was the Son of God." In what ways do you see Jesus’ divinity in his passion, death, and resurrection?
5. The meditation describes the many “contrasts” we see in the Gospel’s description of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his passion and death on the Cross. How would you describe these contrasts? How would you describe the contrasts in your life? Which ones need more of the Lord’s grace to overcome them?
6. Take some time now to pray and ask Jesus for the grace to overcome the “contrasts” in your life so you can follow, in a deeper way, his example of self-sacrifice and compassion. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.“Lord, thank you for coming to us so humbly! Teach me to follow your example of self-sacrifice and compassion.” Amen!
____________________________
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