Palm Sunday 04/02/23
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The Still Point
A Time of Meditation and Reflection
Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
... At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,There would be no dance, and there is only the dance...
T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Like a tent in the wilderness, God’s table stands ready;
A place of sanctuary and safety, of hospitality and healing.
Come, all you who are tired and travel-stained, footsore and famished;
Come with your fellow travelers to find companionship and comfort.
Jesus waits to meet us here and welcome us in,
Offering rest and renewal, solace, and strength, for the journey still to come.
Opening Prayer
We praise you God, that the light of Christ shines in our darkness and is never overcome; show us the way we must go to eternal day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Gospel Matthew 21:1-11
When Jesus and his disciples had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, `The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! "When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."
Poem: “The Last Seven Words” by Mark Strand (b. 1934)
The story of the end, of the last wordof the end, when told, is a story that never ends.We tell it and retell it — one word, then anotheruntil it seems that no last word is possible,that none would be bearable. Thus, when the heroof the story says to himself, as to someone far away,‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do,’we may feel that he is pleading for us, that we arethe secret life of the story and, as long as his pleais not answered, we shall be spared. So the storycontinues. So we continue. And the end, once more, becomes the next, and the next after that.
Meditation
Each year on Palm Sunday we read the great drama of the Passion of Jesus. (The word "Passion" comes from the Latin passus meaning to suffer or endure.) Although familiar, the story always has the power to grab our attention... and even to shock us. When the story is read in a liturgical setting, we may participate in one or more roles in the drama, or at least participate as a member of the crowd, who calls for Jesus to be crucified. The poem by Mark Strand was written to accompany a musical performance of the Seven Last Words for string quartet by Franz Joseph Haydn. The poem refers to the Passion as both the "story of the end" and the "story that never ends." Through this reference to the open-ended nature of the story, we are reminded that it will be followed with another more glorious story. Yet both the gospel and the poem invite us to dwell in this moment and participate in Jesus's suffering. The Passion Chorale (O Sacred Head, Now Wounded) is a hymn created by Hans Leo Hassler based on a medieval hymn and text. The most famous harmonization is by J.S. Bach. Bach used the chorale melody and harmonies five times during his St. Matthew Passion (a musical telling of the complete Passion story as it is related by Matthew). Each time the chorale appears in a different key and with various harmonic frames, highlighting different aspects of the story and our response to it. Holy Week is an opportunity to participate in Jesus's suffering through liturgy, meditation, music, and prayer. Through all of these we may find new angles and connect with the story through our senses, minds, and hearts.
Questions for Reflection
When you read or hear the Passion story, where do you see yourself in the story - as an observer, a participant, or both?As we enter into Holy Week 2023, what is most on your mind or heart? Are there specific aspects of the Passion story you wish to go deeper with?You may wish to read the entire poem on the Seven Last Words by Mark Strand.http://jacketmagazine.com/19/stra.htmlOr to listen to the Passion Chorale in this version sung by the Gesualdo Six.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_OBbjAfVrI
Prayers
We bring before God someone whom we have met or remembered todayWe bring to God someone who is hurting tonight and needs our prayerWe bring to God a troubled situation in our worldWe bring to God, silently, someone whom we find hard to forgive or trustWe bring ourselves to God that we might grow in generosity of spirit, clarity of mind, and warmth of affectionWe offer our thanks to God for the blessings in our livesWe name before God those who have died.Gracious God, you hear all our prayers: those we speak aloud, those we hold in our hearts, and those prayers for which we have no words. Hear the prayers of your people, and grant them as may be best for us, for the sake of your holy name. Amen.Accept our thanks for all you have done, O God. Our hands were empty, and you filled them.May Christ’s holy, healing, enabling Spirit be with us every step of the way, and be our guide as our road changes and turns, and the blessing of God our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life be among us now and remain with us forever. Amen. Reflections this month offered by: Frank Nowell
To Read the Passion Gospel in its entirety: Visit this link.