Commentaries for Liturgical Ceremonies
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
The Sixth Sunday ushers us into the ‘Holy Week” or the ‘Great Week’ and commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The Liturgy begins with a Solemn Procession with Palms on Palm Sunday and ends with the great vigil of Easter (inclusive). The characteristic feature of the day is that some of the most solemn liturgies of the liturgical year are celebrated during these days. This week contains the annual celebration of the most solemn mysteries of the Christian faith: the Passion, the Death, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The title of the sixth Sunday of Lent has undergone changes during the course of time. Earlier it was known as Palm Sunday.
After the reform of Lectionaries in 1968, the title was changed to Passion Sunday. The present liturgical books indicate the theme of the day with the title: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. The Liturgy of the day has two parts: a) Commemoration of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem and b. Eucharist. Let us enter into these intense days of celebration with the proper disposition of body and mind, so that we can draw out immense spiritual wealth in order to enliven our personal and ecclesial life.
First Reading (Is 50: 4-7)
The middle section of the book of the Prophet Isaiah presents four Songs of the Suffering Servant. In the first reading of the day, we have the third Servant Song. The suffering of the servant benefits the welfare of the people. The suffering servant mentioned in the reading prefigures the personality of the Messiah, contradictory to the expectation of the Israelites.
Second Reading (Phil 2: 6-11)
The section of the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, reflected in the second reading of the day, is an ancient Christological hymn mirroring a very ancient Christian understanding of who Jesus is and enumerates his mission to save humanity. It focuses on the ‘self-emptying’ of Jesus for the salvation of the world in obedience to the plan of the Father, notwithstanding His status as the Son of God.
Gospel Reading (Lk 22: 14-23: 56)
The Gospel of the day challenges us to examine our own lives in the light of some of the characters in the Passion Narrative, like Peter who denied Jesus, Judas who betrayed the Master, Pilate who acted against his conscience and condemned Jesus, Herod who ridiculed Jesus, and the leaders of the people who preserved their position by getting rid of Jesus.