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29 Mar 2015 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle B

"The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced.” The readings for Passion Sunday seem almost like a choosing of sides: Those who understand Jesus go here, while those who don’t go there. Among the latter you will find the religious authorities of the day, of course, who opposed Jesus at every step. There is also the Jerusalem crowd: Jesus entered the city like a prophet and they gave him the royal treatment, yet he wasn’t quite the messiah many were expecting. The dividing line is the willingness to see Jesus not only as the Messiah but also as a suffering one, and to understand that following him means embracing the entire experience, the costs as well as the blessings of discipleship.

Palm Sunday

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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle B

29 Mar 2015

SUNDAY SUMMARY Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16 Jesus chooses deliberate signs of kingship as he enters Jerusalem. Isaiah 50:4-7 The faithful servant suffers abuse for speaking a wakeful word. Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 In the psalmist’s cry we recognize the hour of Jesus’ anguish and glory. Philippians 2:6-11 Paul traces the parabola of humility and exaltation that is the journey of Christ. Mark 14:1—15:47 An ensemble of characters, known and unknown, makes up the Passion story of Jesus.

Mark 11:1-10 John 12:12-16 Isaiah 50:4-7 Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24 Philippians 2:6-11 Mark 14:1-15:47 Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle B

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Exploring the word

01 Apr 2012 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle B

THE GOSPELS ARE not biographies of Jesus. That is most clear during Holy Week, when scripture recounts the Passion in all its brutal details. Nearly one-fourth of the synoptic gospels are devoted to the Passion; when it comes to John, make that one-third. Obviously the gospel writers were not as invested in the life of Jesus so much as they were dedicated to portraying and interpreting his death. It is in this final week, we understand, that the identity of Jesus is fully expressed. Miracles from his active ministry are often dismissed in a paragraph or two. In the Gospel of Mark particularly, teachings are brushed past in a sentence: “And Jesus taught them many things.” You’ll look in vain for his Sermon on the Mount. Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus had to say because for Mark, Jesus the Teacher is more important for future disciples to grasp than any one lesson plan. Heaps of miracles and years of instruction had meaning for the individuals involved but not for us. All we need to know is Jesus the Healer, Jesus the Teacher—until we reach his final identity, Jesus the Obedient One. It’s no accident that the Passion narrative sounds almost pre-scripted. Jesus talks his way through it like a man in a dream he’s had before. He describes actions already set in motion: You’ll find a colt tied to a fence; you’ll meet a man carrying water. One of you will betray me. All of you will have your faith shaken. Peter will deny me. See, my betrayer is at hand. Everything that happens fulfills the prophecies of scripture. There’s no point in speaking at his trial, to Caiaphas or Pilate; Jesus already bears the weight of his cross, so words seem wasted. Although the Holy Week narratives sound premeditated, that’s not the same as saying that free will was revoked for one long dark week of history. People still make choices: the woman with the alabaster jar, the sleepy disciples in the garden, the young man who runs off naked—even Judas, who leaves the greatest supper ever served to sell out his host. Could Caiaphas have had a softening of the heart? Might Pilate have thrown out the case? Did the soldiers have a chance to let their prisoner escape? Was the Crucifixion in some cosmic sense inevitable? As we consider each critical character in this Passion play, we mustn’t lose sight of Barabbas. It’s become a Holy Week practice to wonder what each of us might have done differently, given the chance. Am I Peter, am I Judas, am I the anonymous one who runs away? At bottom, though, we’re all really Barabbas: the sinner for whom the Just One’s life was traded away. Related scripture links Destroying the Temple: Mark 13:2; 15:29; Matt. 24:2; 26:61; 27:40; Luke 21:6; John 2:19-21; Acts 6:14 What Christ emptied and regained: Col. 1:15-20 Servant model of surrender: Isa. 42:1-4; 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12 The story of Incarnation: John 1:14; 2 Cor. 8:9 Catechism links The Passion of Jesus: CCC 571-618

Authors Alice Camille

Passion Palm Sunday gospels synoptic gospels Holy Week

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Homily stories

29 Mar 2015 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle B

The first day of Holy Week is Passion Sunday. Its more popular title, Palm Sunday, evokes the waving branches, the Hosannas, the welcoming “red carpet” made of the robes and garments of the crowd. The branches in our hands today place us squarely in the crowd. And crowds can have power. Think of recent political “bloodless” revolutions, of Je suis Charlie, of the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2013, or the effect of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March for Peace in 1965. A crowd is also a place in which one might get lost, become faceless, just another palm waver. However, sometimes we see an entertainer, politician, or sports figure—the center of attention—who points toward a particular person in the crowd and singles her or him out. If you were that person, you would be proud that someone important recognized you. Jesus is always singling you out, and his relationship with you is unique and deep. You are someone whom he has taught, healed, forgiven, touched, and been touched by. Walk the whole walk with him this week. Do not be like those who today cry Hosanna and tomorrow Crucify him! Keep your eyes locked on his as he reveals again the depth of his passion for you.

Authors Father Larry Janowski O.F.M.

Palm Sunday

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Prayers

29 Mar 2015 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle B

Penitential Act Invitation As our time of accompanying Christ to Easter is nearing its end, let us call upon God’s mercy. Invocations Lord God, you show compassion to those who follow you. Lord, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you gave yourself that we may have life. Christ, have mercy. Lord God, you set your people free. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer As Christ on the cross cried out to the Father, we call out, confident God will hear us. To be saved we must serve. May we always seek to serve God and others. Lord, hear our prayer. To be exalted we must humble ourselves. May we always seek the path of humility. Lord, hear our prayer. To be disciples we must at times make sacrifices. May we accept the challenges of faith. Lord, hear our prayer. In this Year of Consecrated Life, may the universal church support and encourage religious vocations that have been a true gift to all God’s people. O God, you hear our prayers and have not abandoned us. For this we praise you and give you thanks, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle B

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Prayers

13 Apr 2014 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle A

Penitential Act Invitation Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries. Invocations God our Lord, you rouse the weary. Lord, have mercy. God our Lord, you became like us to save us. Christ, have mercy. God our Lord, you give your life for us. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer With reverence we pray to our loving God: May the church imitate the humility of Jesus and so with him be exalted, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. May the suffering world know the forgiveness of God, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. May God’s word inspire those whom life’s difficulties have made weary, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. May those who assemble in Christ’s name accept the cup of following him as disciples, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle A

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Prayers

24 Mar 2013 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle C

Penitential Act Invitation As we begin the remembrance of our Lord’s Passion, we call to mind the failures and sins from which he saves us. Invocations For when we have not always lived humbly. Lord, have mercy. For when we have not witnessed to our faith in you. Christ, have mercy. For when we have not opened ourselves to your redeeming words. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Our Lord is not far from us. He is our help. We ask God to hasten to help us. That the people of God bring patience and compassion to situations of misunderstanding and hatred, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. That leaders everywhere exercise their power in a spirit of humble service, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. That all those who suffer from persecution, violence, and abuse find deliverance and justice, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. That the members of this community love others as themselves and pray for their enemies, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. On this Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, we ask that the prayers we offer be received as Jesus offered his life, in the name that is above every name, Christ our Lord, for the glory and praise of God the Father.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle C

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Prayers

20 Mar 2016 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle C

Penitential Act Invitation As we begin the remembrance of our Lord’s Passion, we call to mind the sins from which he saves us. Invocations For when we have not always lived humbly. Lord, have mercy. For when we have not witnessed to our faith in you. Christ, have mercy. For when we have not opened ourselves to your redeeming words. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Our Lord is not far from us. He is our help. We ask God to hasten to help us. That the people of God bring patience and compassion to situations of misunderstanding and hatred, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. That leaders everywhere exercise their power in a spirit of humble service, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. That all those who suffer from persecution, violence, and abuse find deliverance and justice, we pray, Lord, hear our prayer. That the members of this community love others as themselves and pray for their enemies, we pray. Lord, hear our prayer. On this Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, we ask that the prayers we offer be received as Jesus offered his life, in the name that is above every name, Christ our Lord, for the glory and praise of God the Father.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle C

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Prayers

17 Apr 2011 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle A

Penitential Act Invitation We stand at the beginning of our celebration of the Passion of our Lord. We have followed him through Lent, and now we turn to him and ask him to show mercy on his people. Invocations Lord Jesus, we love and serve one another as you loved us, even to death on a cross. Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, we exalt your holy name, we kneel before you, we confess that you are Lord. Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you truly are the Son of God. Lord, have mercy. Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Our Lord gave his back to those who beat him, and he did not shield his face from buffets and spitting. Pray with me for courage to trust in his passionate love for us. For our pope and our bishops, that they may be faithful to the truth even in the face of persecution and rejection, we pray to the Lord. That all who eat and drink at the table of the Lord's Supper receive his real presence and remain faithful to him even when rejected by society, we pray to the Lord. For our priests as they gather with the bishop for the Chrism Mass this week, that they be renewed in their commitment to service in the church, we pray to the Lord. For all Catholics everywhere who will celebrate this Holy Week and observe the sacred Triduum, that the grace of the sacraments renew us in faith, we pray to the Lord. Almighty God, the suffering and death of your Son Jesus Christ brought hope and healing to a fallen world. May sin never ensnare us with empty hope in the passing world. We ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle A

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Prayers

28 Mar 2010 - Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle C

Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Christ suffered and died for all people so that we could be reconciled into one human family of God. Pray for hearts open to recognize the sacred dignity of all human life. That the nations of the world may learn to live in peace with one another; that enemies may be brought to the table of reconciliation and may we seek diplomatic and political solutions to the problems that divide us, we pray to the Lord. That our families may be reconciled and come together in peace; that the alienated may be forgiven and reunited with the community of love, we pray to the Lord. That we may always recognize the sacred dignity of human life and work to protect the unborn, the dying, the poor, the criminal, and the enemy from the violence of the powerful, we pray to the Lord. O God, the suffering and death of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, reconciled the world to himself and won for us the forgiveness of our sins. May the sign of his cross lead us to repentance and a change of life. We ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Cycle C

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