Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Zion!
See, your King comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Palm Sunday.
The most bittersweet of all services . . .
The Lord Jesus, riding humbly on a donkey, enters Jerusalem. Is greeted by wildly cheering crowds.
"Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!"
Palms are waved jubilantly, then strewn with cloaks along His path to quell the rising dust from so many feet. Running to meet Him. Walking beside Him. Following behind Him.
Shouting! Laughing! Rejoicing! The people welcome their Redeemer King.
The Messiah. Triumphant. Righteous.
"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
The Light of the World.
The One who will save them.
And, then, when the dust has settled . . .
In the span of just days.
This very same crowd, whipped into a frenzy by the authorities, shift their allegiance.
Turn on the One to whom they had turned.
"Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"
And, there is beating. Scourging. Mocking. Jeering.
Darkness falls.
All is lost . . .
We mourn His suffering. We weep for His pain. We die with Him. And, into the tomb, we follow Him.
And, wait for the light to shine once again.
For, unlike His scattered and despairing disciples, we know what they did not:
The joyous outcome.
"Alleluia! He is risen! The Lord is risen, indeed! Alleluia!"
~
Will you be attending services during Holy Week?
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father, You sent Your only Son, Jesus, our Lord, to die for us that we might be reconciled to You once and for all. Let us with humble and reverent hearts reflect upon His suffering and sacrifice as we prepare to celebrate Easter. May we never cease to be thankful for the greatest love ever shown to the world. Amen.
Readings
Psalms 24, 29 or 103
Zechariah 9:9:12 (morning)
Zechariah 12:9-11, 13:1, 7-9 (evening)
1 Timothy 6:12-16 (morning)
Luke 19:41-48 (evening)
I love your enthusiasm...It's a beautiful. :) This is the first Sunday I won't be attending services in years.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by, Jessica, and for your lovely compliment. It means so much!
DeleteBlessings to you always!
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DeleteEvery year as we celebrate Christ's Paschal Mystery, God finds ways to make each celebration unique. Last year, my reflections were aided by Sacred Art. This Holy Week, I'm celebrating it with the children.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to be journeying with you too. My meditation on God's Words have become more regular through your daily devotions.
I wish our parish could do more to assist the people in my place. But perhaps, we also need to seek more in order to participate in our parish activities.
I pray with you.
Hi, Melissa, and thanks so much for coming by!
DeleteI'm so glad to know you're on the journey with me this Holy Week - it is the saddest/happiest time of the church year.
I like that you will spend it with the children this year - the little ones always make holidays special!
Thanks you so much for your prayers as always! :)
Blessings to you!