Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year A - Sunday, April 5, 2020
Readings for
FIRST READING: Isaiah 50:4-7
"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me."
SECOND READING: Philippians 2:6-11
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless Glory. Christ became obedient for us, even to death. Dying on the cross. Therefore God raised him on high, and gave him a name above all other names.
GOSPEL: Matthew 26:14-27:66
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Palm Sunday. Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Dominica in palmis de passione domini. Illustration - fresco in Byzantine style. Royalty-free stock illustration ID 1302202996
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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year A - Sunday, April 5, 2020 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-217-passion-sunday-shortened-version-in-absence-of-assembly-2020/s-dqTjcNIN9sZ (EPISODE: 217)
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Greetings everyone, wherever you may be.
This year, the words "unprecedented" and "this has not happened before in living memory" have been used frequently to describe the unbelievable events of the world coronavirus emergency.
We continue to pray for all who are ill, those who have died, and all who have been affected in any way... financially, emotionally, and through isolation. A parishioner said to me the other day, "During this terrible time, i am going to hide within the arms of the Lord." This is a very apt concept. As each of us jump into the loving and protective arms of the Lord, who loves us utterly.
The reference is quoting the psalms where it says..
Psalm 32:7
You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 119:114
You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.
Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
This year, due to the health directives, and social quarantine, we have, again, an unprecedented situation where public Masses and liturgies are suspended, and Holy Week will be conducted without a congregation. We all are very much aware how difficult this is and what an incredible sense of sadness this has caused in everyone.
Our faith, fortunately, has always taught us that we are never truly alone. Christ is with us, and in us... and we are always united to Christ and with one another, in the spiritual body of Christ. So, even as we find ourselves separated by distance, we are certainly close in Spirit.
Due to this situation, (the coronavirus pandemic), the Holy week liturgies which we will feature here in the coming days, are specially approved shortened and adapted liturgies in this time of pandemic. So you will notice that some options are not featured this year.
Let us put ourselves in these times, at the service of the Lord. Let us be instruments of God's extreme compassion, love and practical charity.
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You may have heard recently that at the height of the massive quarantine of the entire nation of Italy, Pope Francis was able to walk down the usually busy streets of Rome, (now deserted), as he went on a solitary pilgrimage to a couple of historic Roman churches and prayed for all God's children affected by the pandemic. Such a humble, caring and poignant action, enhanced by the fact that he himself was recovering from a cold, (fortunately not covid-19).
We could hardly have imagined that, as we enter Holy week, so many people right across the globe are affected by this coronavirus emergency. Many regions and whole nations locked down or with serious restrictions. Many people battling the illness, shocking numbers of deaths, and also the terrible, untold economic and financial disruptions.
It is timely on this Passion Sunday, to recall Pope Francis' words from a previous Palm Sunday Mass (three years ago). The pope invited us all to contemplate the face of Jesus "not only in paintings, or photographs, or even in video depictions" but "in the faces of many of our brothers and sisters . . . who are suffering." "Jesus is in them, in each of them, and with a disfigured face, with a broken voice, He asks to be looked at, to be recognized, to be loved," In that mass, held back then in St Peter's Square with a huge crowd of 50 000 pilgrims and visitors, his message holds just as strongly today, as he celebrates Mass in the absence of a congregation. (as many areas also do… but very much in union with them – and keeping them Spiritually united.
"We have no other Lord but him: Jesus, the humble King of justice, mercy and peace", said the Pope.
Our gentle Pope said that "Passion/Palm Sunday,":- "can be said to be bittersweet. It is joyful and sorrowful at the same time. We celebrate the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem to the cries of his disciples who acclaim him as King. It recounts the enthusiasm of the disciples who acclaim the Master with cries of joy, and we can picture in our minds the excitement of the children and young people of the city who joined in the excitement.
Yet, on this exact same day, we also solemnly proclaim the Gospel account of his Passion and death. Jesus, who accepts the hosannas of the crowd, knows full well that these cries of welcome will soon be followed by cries of: "Crucify him!"
Even as Our Lord fulfils the Scriptures by entering into the holy city in this way, he is in no way some kind of misguided peddler of illusions, no new-age prophet, no imposter. Rather, he is clearly the King and Messiah who comes in the humble role of a servant, - who obeys his Father in Heaven utterly, and goes willingly to his passion. - , He suffers all the pain of humanity.
In this sad contrast, (from joy and acclamation – to sorrow, suffering and condemnation), our hearts experience in some small way, what Jesus himself must have felt in his own heart that day, as he rejoiced with his friends and also wept over Jerusalem.
So as we joyfully acclaim our King, let us also think of the sufferings that he will have to endure in this coming (Holy) week. Let us think of the slanders and insults, the snares and betrayals, the abandonment to an unjust judgment, the blows, the lashes and the crown of thorns… And lastly, the way of the cross leading to the crucifixion.
He had spoken clearly of this to his disciples: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Mt 16:24). Jesus never promised honour and success. (pk - well, not in an earthly sense, that is!). The Gospels make this clear.
He had always warned his friends that this was to be his path, and that the final victory would be achieved through the passion and the cross. All this holds true for us too. Let us ask for the grace to follow Jesus faithfully, not in words but in deeds. Let us also ask for the patience to carry our own cross, not to refuse it or set it aside, but rather, in looking to him, to take it up and to carry it daily.
Christ is present in our many brothers and sisters who today endure sufferings like his own: they suffer from slave labour, from family tragedies, from diseases… They suffer from wars and terrorism, from interests that are armed and ready to strike. Women and men who are cheated, violated in their dignity, discarded…(and we can add in 2020 0 present in all suffering in any way from the many and varied effects of this terrible pandemic)…… Jesus is in them, in each of them, and, with marred features and broken voice, he asks to be looked in the eye, to be acknowledged, to be loved. (Our Lord always stood by those who were most disadvantaged, most isolated – he stood with them and promised to be with them in the joys and sorrows of life.. and he made a practical difference to people's lives.. he calls us to ensure we always do the same – faithful, serving, practical love).
It is not some other Jesus, but the same Jesus who entered Jerusalem amid the waving of palm branches. It is the same Jesus who was nailed to the cross and died between two criminals. (this is one and the same person. This is the fullness of the revelation of God with us). We have no other Lord but him: Jesus, the humble King of justice, mercy and peace.
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References:
Pope Francis. Homily. Palm Sunday, 2017. https://zenit.org/articles/palm-sunday-we-have-no-other-lord-but-him-full-text/ © Libreria editrice vaticana 2017.
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed
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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year A (Sunday, April 5, 2020) (EPISODE: 217)
Grace to you and peace fRomans God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
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{{Greetings}}
Coming together as brothers and sisters in Christ, let usprepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries by recalling our sins and remembering Christs greater mercy.
I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault,* .......
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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Preface of the Passion
Eucharistic Prayer II
Prayer for Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, Come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
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Go forth, the Mass is ended.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Have Mercy – Song based on Psalm 50. Music by Paul Kelly. Added lyrics and arrangement and sung by Stefan Kelk. 2020.
May God bless and keep you.
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