Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017

There is an old song: "Your Cheating Heart" . . . it refers to the fickle human heart.

As illustrated by the events of Palm/Passion Sunday:
How fickle were the crowds who shouted "Hosanna,"
and a few days later cower behind their closed doors.

And this included all the Apostles, minus John.

From palms to blood, thus the red vestments of Passion Sunday.

Yesterday we visited my Jewish 94-year-old friend, and I gave her a Passover blessing:

"May the God of Abraham, Isaac, Sara, and Ruth bless you
and may Moses lead you to the promised land."
And she reverently received it ,  

As we enter Holy Week and the Last Supper, our Jewish friends prepare for Passover.

It is important to remember, especially when John in his Gospel keeps referring to "the Jews,"
that it was a tiny cadre of Jews and pagan Romans who put Jesus to death.

And so we pray:
O Lord, bless this week that is holy.
Turn our fickle hearts toward the Cross.
Join us in spirit with all who suffer:
Our neighbors close at hand,
And afar: Syria, Sudan, Iraq.

We adore you O Christ,
And we bless you,
Because by your Holy Cross,
You have redeemed the world.
Amen