Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year B. - Sunday, March 28, 2021 (EPISODE: 288)

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year B.  - Sunday, March 28, 2021
(EPISODE: 288)

Readings for Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year B.
Blessing of the Palms Reading: Mark 11:1-10
FIRST READING: Isa 50: 4-7
Ps 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24. "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
SECOND READING: Phil 2: 6-11
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Phil 2: 8-9). 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: B: Mark 14: 1 – 15: 47

{Image Credit: "Shutterstock" Licensed. image: photo ID: 1360837268 - Biblical vector illustration series, Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King. By rudall30 }
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year B.  - Sunday, March 28, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-288-passion-sunday-b-2021/s-xqecmVSYLKl  
(EPISODE: 288)
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* (Prologue: Fr Paul Kelly)
Holy Week has begun. And the passion narrative is such a powerful text in itself.

In the coming days, when you get some quiet prayer time, it would be excellent to read through the whole passion reading of Mark's gospel, from the woman anointing Jesus with oil, to the last supper, and through his trial, and Peter's denial of him and then on to Jesus' crucifixion and the laying of his body in the tomb.

Mark, in his brief but powerful and striking account of Jesus' passion, presents to us an amazing array of people, representing contrasting personalities and different behaviours and values. Mark is inviting us to enter into the text and see where we stand in this astounding.

Mark presents the flawed leader, Governor Pontius Pilate, who wants to placate his people rather than do what is right. Mark also presents the disciple, Peter, who takes fright and denies his master when the pressure is on. A disciple who had misunderstood or not attended to Our Lord's warning to pray and fast and prepare in order to survive the imminent time of trial.

Mark shows us the crowd, who are swayed by the ever-changing moods of fashion. One day they welcomed Jesus in as the King and the Messiah, and now this same crowd easily gets whipped up into an emotional frenzy by irrational sentiment and, egged on by peer-pressure, they now bay for the blood of the man they so recently praised as their King. It is a sober warning to us all to be wary of being swayed by populist sentiments…(and a "mob mentality"). We also hear in Mark's Gospel, of the appalling trade-off between a guilty criminal, (a murderer), Barabbas, who is released in favour of an utterly good and innocent man, Jesus.

We see people dressing Jesus up as a King, and bowing to him. And people would be right to bow and worship him as the King of all heaven and earth. But disgustingly, these people are not worshipping him in truth but acting only in appalling mockery. The irony is unbearable. They are pretending to worship the one who truly should be worshipped. What they mock him about they should have been seriously recognising him. Their ignorance and lack of respect and reverence is breath-taking. Lord, save us from ignorance and gross offence to you if ever we mock another - and in so doing mock the very truth that you yourself give us, in your grace and love.

In what ways are we still to truly bow down to Christ, not just in outward action, but profoundly in heart and mind and soul? To what extent is our commitment to Jesus still only as deep as the baptismal robe we were clothed in.

Let us be immersed in the drama of Holy Week, so that Jesus, who gave everything for us out of divine and overflowing love and self-giving, will bring us through this and all trials and sins, injustices and tragedies, into to the new life of Christ and a renewed faith and commitment to his good news. His good news, so wonderfully and perfectly lived out in his life and death, gives us life… and life to the full.
(Pk).
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Homily: Fr Peter Dillon:
There is a strange atmosphere on Palm Sunday. We begin with the crowds acclaiming Jesus as the long-awaited one who comes in the name of the Lord. The title with which they acclaim him, 'Son of David', is a messianic title. As he enters Jerusalem there is an air of excitement and anticipation. Son of David implies a new kingdom, a new glorious chapter in the history of the people of God. Then later in the Mass, we go on to read the passion narrative. Here the same crowds have turned, within a matter of days. We read that passers-by jeer at Christ on the cross. The people who were singing praises are now taunting him.

It is a sobering reminder of the fickleness not only of crowds but of all human beings. Which one of us could say that we have never run with the crowd, even against our better instincts? Which one of us could say that we have never voiced opinions that were not our own, motivated by the fashion of the day and our desire to win favour in the eyes of others?

This is the world – our world – into which the love of God incarnate has come to establish the kingdom. The crowds greeting Jesus were right. This is a new and definitive moment in history. Only this time it is a kingdom of the heart that Jesus is creating, a movement of followers who will seek to bring into everyday life the love of God and neighbour that Jesus taught and lived himself.

Because we know this and believe this, it is difficult to read the words of The Passion. In particular, it is painful to shout the words 'Crucify him.' This is not what we want, we think in the quiet of our hearts. But let's remember that we are following the whole story. That story includes not just the cross, but also the resurrection. As we re-enact the events of the passion, we enter more deeply into the meaning of it all.

Psychologists tell us that we come to terms with trauma in our lives by playing it over and over again in our minds. We see it from different perspectives. We think about how we might have reacted differently at the time.

And in this way, slowly, the trauma has less and less hold on us. As we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, as we hear the menacing crowd and hear the thud of the nails hammered in, we are re-living once more a great wound on the body of humankind. But by doing this we find that we are not trapped in the past, but rather, we are set free in the power of the resurrection that we will soon celebrate. The paradox is that in remembering the death of Jesus we enter more deeply into the life of Jesus, as the one who overcame sin and death and takes us with him in his victory.

So let us not be afraid to be with the crowd of sinners this Holy Week. We are the people who acclaim him. We are the disciples whose feet he washes. We are also the disciples who run away as he is arrested, and the crowd who taunt him on the cross. We remember all this and act it out so because we know that God's response is not to leave us in our shame.

The events of each Holy Week tell us that this world's sorrows are not the final word. Rather, God raises us up with Christ and invites us to live the promise that his love is with us until the end of time.

Confident in that love, confident in the victory of Christ over human sin, we can ask for the grace, God's free gift of love, that we might continue the work of God's kingdom entrusted to us by Christ.

He taught us to pray: 'Your kingdom come'.
Each year Holy Week renews in us the desire to live what we pray. +++++
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References:

Homily – Fr Peter Dillon

Prologue - Fr Paul W. Kelly

{Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. image: photo ID:ID: 1360837268 - Biblical vector illustration series, Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King. By rudall30 }


Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Year B.  (Sunday, March 28, 2021) (EPISODE: 288 )
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{Goodness and faithfulness to you all}} welcome everyone, we gather - Silence, reflection, prayer and contemplation of our God.

Brothers and sisters, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the Lord's supper, let us recall our sins and acknowledge them in silence.
Lord Jesus, you are the image of the unseen God: Lord, have mercy.//You are the firstborn of all creation: Christ, have mercy//You are the head of the body, the Church: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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Ps 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24. "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Phil 2: 8-9). 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.
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PREFACE: Preface of the Passion of the Lord
EP II
Communion side. pwk: RH
(theme variation: 2 )

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{Thanks for joining us for this time of prayer and reflection}

Go in peace.(glorifying the Lord by your life)

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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: 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).

"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

Lenten Hymn: "Have Mercy" inspired by Psalm 50(51). Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2020.

[ Production - KER - 2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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