Reflection for Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

by Dot Connealy, Notre Dame Associate

Matthew 21:1-11; Isaiah 50;4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54

This will be a Palm Sunday like no other for most of us. Today we should be attending mass and hearing the Passion read for the first time during Holy Week, processions in many places, the lovely palms, and the beginning of “brightening” of our Lenten altars.

All these are things we have come to expect for the Sunday before Easter. We will probably experience none of these this year. However, I know that for me, memories of past Palm Sundays will be in my mind as I go through this day. One such memory are the Palm Sundays my family spent with my maternal relatives (Italian) in Long Island, NY. My Uncle Joe used to make lovely things woven from the palms we received at church, like the cross pin he made for me every year. I also have a more recent memory at our parish in Decatur when our priest suggested (and we did) a procession from our community center to our church. A very short distance but the memory of playing the guitar, singing and walking is a lovely memory to me.

On this day Jesus starts his journey to the cross and accompanying him into Jerusalem are crowds of people who have followed him there.

“The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.’” – Matthew 21:7-9
May we take the time in the next week to actually “walk” the way with Jesus and keep him always in our heart. May God bless and protect you all.