On April 2, 2023, many Christian denominations in the west will celebrate Palm Sunday, the triumphant entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. (Mt 21:1-11) Shouts of \u201cHosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest\u201d rings out from the crowds, who lay their cloaks on the road or cut branches from the trees to mark the path of his royal journey. To make this mystery present, the use of palm or olive branches is common. Thus we celebrate \u201cPalm Sunday\u201d each year.<\/p>\n
This begins the last week before Easter, or \u201cHoly Week.\u201d The crowds in Jerusalem shouting \u201cHosanna\u201d on Sunday will shout, \u201cCrucify him\u201d on Friday. Thus are all those ever seeking public acclaim taught of the fickleness of the human heart.<\/p>\n
I grew up Catholic, and early on the word \u201cPassion\u201d in my vocabulary was simply associated with the actions of Christ during this time. It was only later that I understood its general meaning of \u201csuffering.\u201d Thus we get the word \u201ccompassion\u201d – literally, \u201cto suffer with\u201d someone.<\/p>\n
These moving moments have long stirred up the hearts of Christians, who longed to \u201csuffer with\u201d their Lord. St. Paul perhaps gives the earliest voice to these sentiments when he wrote, \u201cIn my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.\u201d (Col 1:24) The liturgies and devotions of churches during this time speak to this. <\/p>\n
Each of the four Gospels has a \u201cPassion\u201d narrative that finds its place in this season. Palm Sunday is unique in the modern Catholic liturgy for having two Gospel readings: the entrance into Jerusalem (followed by a procession with the palms), and then the passion narrative from Matthew (as this year), Mark, or Luke (in a three-year cycle). The Passion of John is always reserved for Good Friday. As with any retelling based on different eyewitness accounts, they differ in the particular details on which they focus.<\/p>\n
In these liturgical retellings, it is most common for the speaking parts to be divided. The voice of the crowd is assigned to the congregation. To lend their own voices to the cry \u201cCrucify him\u201d can help even the most obstinate persons realize the consequence of sin and lead them down the path of repentance and conversion. In more solemn presentations, the entire passion might even be sung.<\/p>\n
Attempts have been made to integrate the various accounts of the Passion into a single narrative. In the Byzantine liturgy of some eastern churches, the Good Friday Matins of the 12 Gospels is one approach: splitting the narratives into 12 smaller pieces, removing duplication, so that they can be combined into one service. This service is anticipated on the evening of Thursday. (It should be noted that some eastern churches did not observe the Gregorian reforms to the Julian calendar, and thus their Easter dates no longer reliably correspond to those in the west.)<\/p>\n
Another devotional practice is called \u201cThe Stations of the Cross.\u201d Once of varying length, common custom now numbers them 14. Pilgrims to Jerusalem might walk the same path that Christ did, carrying the cross from the site of the Praetorium to Golgotha. Those who can\u2019t get to Jerusalem can take a shorter walk through the stations that adorn some churches. Devotional booklets might be used at home. Such scenes might also come alive in a sort of sacred theater.<\/p>\n
A group of local youth will enact a \u201cliving stations\u201d on Good Friday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary Church in Apalachin, as they have for several decades.<\/p>\n
As one approaches death, the words we speak can speak for a lifetime. The gospels relate seven last \u201cwords\u201d that our Lord spoke from the Cross. While shorter in principle than any passion narrative, the focus on Christ\u2019s own words can be a powerful opportunity to enter more profoundly into that event. I will be joining a group of local clergy of several Christian denominations to preach on these words in an ecumenical service planned for Good Friday, April 7, <\/span>at 7 p.m. at the Owego United Methodist Church, located at 261 Main St. in Owego. A free-will offering will be contributed to support the good work of Tioga County Rural Ministry.<\/p>\n Through these events, or their own devotions, it is my prayerful hope that Christians of all sorts will approach Easter with a renewed gratitude for all the many blessings they have received from God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On April 2, 2023, many Christian denominations in the west will celebrate Palm Sunday, the triumphant entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. (Mt 21:1-11) Shouts of \u201cHosanna…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":95190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\n