A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew: 21:1-11
"When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, 'The master has need of them.' Then he will send them at once." This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Say to daughter Zion, "Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. 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 come in the name of the Lord: hosanna in the highest." And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee." The Gospel of the Lord
Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come into my soul, fill me with Thy seven fold gifts.
"And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" This is THE question. Today, the Church will be reading the Gospel narrative of the passion, but in the beginning of the Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday Mass, will be this short reading from the Gospel of Matthew. For the sake of this Lectio, we will stop to ponder this passage of Sacred Scripture. Walk closely with Jesus, he is riding on the ass, stay close to him, walking as near to him as you can and just watch and listen to all that is going on and spoken; "Hosanna to the highest", watch them throw their garments down and cut down branches throwing them on the ground- it is a 'victory' you are sensing here, and yet not, there is something 'more' present here. What is it? As you all enter the city walls of Jerusalem, its a familiar place, yet this time, its altogether different. Watch the reaction, the looks, stares, fear, skepticism, curiosity, and intrigue and then you hear many people say; "Who is this?" What answer rises in your heart burning inside you? or is your heart still? What would you say to the crowds? This past week, in the Gospels, there has been a constant movement forwards in Jesus' revelation of who He Is; "I AM." The most important question is..the question Jesus asked of Simon Peter (Mt 16) "Who do you say that I am?" and the question the crowds are asking now: Who is this? Be with Jesus-and answer Him