29th March 2015 - Palm Sunday and Holy Week

On this weeks programme John, Anne, Shane and Martina reflect on Palm Sunday and various particular focal points of the events of Holy Week and how we can enter into a deeper reflection of the Sacred Triduum.

For Palm Sunday we focus on the entrance of the Lord into the Holy City and how the acclamation's of Palm Sunday turned to the baying of a mob on Good Friday. Where are we in that crowd? Do we run with hare and chase with the hound in a mob context? 

We jump ahead to Spy Wednesday and remind ourselves that Judas was one of the Twelve, called by Jesus to be an apostle but whose path got turned aside thinking the ends justified the means. It gives us pause for thought before we condemn someone else.

Holy Thursday night we focus on the Mandatum - the Washing of the Feet and the call to Christian Service as well as the fact it is also the commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist. How well do build up the Body of Christ in our service to God and to one another? 

Garden of Gethsemene - can we stay one hour with the Lord?

Good Friday sees the church gather in silence to Commemorate the Passion of the Lord. In starkness with a bleak and sparse liturgy the community recalls why we call this Good Friday.

Holy Saturday is a day of silence. We keep vigil at the Lord's tomb right into the darkness of the night when Light comes forth from darkness and we are called to sing out the Good News of the Lord.

You can listen to the podcast of this weeks programme HERE.

The podcast of reflections on the days of Holy Week is HERE.

The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Mosaic, Cathedral of St. Mark, Venice, Italy.

When Jesus and his disciples drew near to Jerusalem,
to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples and said to them,
“Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately on entering it,
you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here.
If anyone should say to you,
‘Why are you doing this?’ reply,
‘The Master has need of it
and will send it back here at once.’”
So they went off
and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street,
and they untied it.
Some of the bystanders said to them,
“What are you doing, untying the colt?”
They answered them just as Jesus had told them to,
and they permitted them to do it.
So they brought the colt to Jesus
and put their cloaks over it.
And he sat on it.
Many people spread their cloaks on the road,
and others spread leafy branches
that they had cut from the fields.
Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11: 1-10) 

The Donkey - G K Chesterton

When fishes flew and forests walked

And figs grew upon thorn,

Some moment when the moon was blood

Then surely I was born;

With monstrous head and sickening cry

And ears like errant wings,

The devil's walking parody

On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,

Of ancient crooked will;

Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,

I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;

One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

And palms before my feet.

Reflections and resources for reflecting on Palm Sunday:

Word on Fire - United in the Blood of Jesus
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections






Resources for Holy Week from Phil Ewing over at Ennis Blue:

Here on SS102fm we often link to posts by the blogger Phil Ewing which has been presented to us under various manifestations online over the last couple of years. She always provides some great links and visual aids and again for Holy Week has a series of posts which we link below as well as archived ones. Head on over and say hello from us:

Holy Week Music - Taize Chants
Holy Week Music - Classical selection
Palm Sunday

Reflections for Holy Week

iBenedictines - Making a Good Holy Week and other posts tagged Holy Week
Thinking Faith - Holy Week
SS102fm - Pope Francis homily Palm Sunday 2014 -  Where is my heart before the suffering Jesus?
Ignatian Spirituality - Reflections for Holy Week - dotMagis blog
Pray as you go - Women of the Passion - Lent 2015 Online retreat
Patheos Engaging Easter Page which has many resources including Devotional Reflections of Easter
Creighton University online ministry - Holy Week; the Sacred Triduum
Limerick Diocese Weekly Resource Newsletter 

Liturgical odds and ends

Holy Week and the Sacred Easter Triduum out rank all saints memorials and commemorations this week so we wont be posting any saints of the week list. The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.

The Mass of Chrism, for the Year for Consecrated Life will be celebrated on Wednesday, 1st April at 7.15pm in Redemptorist Church, Mount St. Alphonsus, South Circular Road. 

This is a special gathering to which all are warmly invited. We especially invite families of those who will be baptised or confirmed this year - as the sacred oils for these sacraments will be blessed by Bishop Brendan and sent out to parishes from this gathering. For those who cannot attend in person: the Mass can be seen and heard live, via the 24hour webcam, at the Mount St. Alphonsus website at www.novena.ie

Lent ends at sunset on Holy Thursday before the Mass of the Lord's Supper. Reminder to people to bring your Trocaire box to church for collection.

Good Friday the traditional collection is taken up for the support of the Holy Places in the Holy Land.

Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence for Catholics in Ireland.

The Stations of the Cross from the Colosseum in Rome - reflections for 2015