Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Welcome to Sundays with Bishop Ken, a weekly podcast brought to you by the publishers of little books of the Diocese of Saginaw.
[00:00:21] This lent, we use our Sundays to learn more about the parts of the mass and their significance to our faith, life and journey.
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[00:00:43] We are pleased to spend this quiet time with you today.
[00:01:05] Palm Sunday of the Passion of our Lord from ancient times, the palm tree, because of its height and graceful trunk, was considered a princely tree.
[00:01:27] Its branches became a symbol of victory and were also used for decoration.
[00:01:34] Victorious roman soldiers carried palm branches when parading in Rome, and the palm was given as a victory emblem at public games.
[00:01:46] All four gospels describe a grand entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on his final visit there.
[00:01:54] Only John has the detail about the palm branches, the symbol from which this Sunday has received its popular name.
[00:02:04] As far back as the fourth century, Christians in Jerusalem reenacted this event in the place where it actually happened.
[00:02:14] They gathered on the Mount of Olives in the late afternoon, and carrying palm branches, they went in procession through the gates of the city to the Church of the resurrection.
[00:02:28] The custom of reenacting Christ's entry into Jerusalem gradually spread to churches around the world.
[00:02:36] The palm branches were blessed and carried home by the faithful as a reminder of Christ's presence in the place where they lived.
[00:02:46] The holiest week of the year begins today.
[00:02:50] The world won't stop.
[00:02:52] Everything will go on.
[00:02:55] If I want this to be a holy week, what do I do?
[00:03:00] I decide.
[00:03:06] Today will be the last Sunday that we pray with the mass.
[00:03:10] Today's focus is the concluding rite.
[00:03:19] When a movie ends, the people simply get up and walk out of the theater.
[00:03:25] But the mass is a communal ritual and needs a ritual ending. So we are ritually blessed, then sent.
[00:03:34] Go in peace.
[00:03:36] When the liturgy was celebrated in Latin, the priests said, ite misa est.
[00:03:44] Misa means being sent or missioned.
[00:03:50] Literally, the latin phrase meant go. It is descending.
[00:03:55] Since the fourth century, the whole celebration became known by that word, misa. The mass, the Eucharist, is not something we celebrate once and then are finished. We do it over and over again because it is always live.
[00:04:27] We also do it because the Lord said, do this in memory of me.
[00:04:34] We often need a healthy sense of obligation to prod us to do what we really ought to do, like traveling to a family gathering. Even though it's inconvenient, the obligation nudges us to go, and afterward we're glad we did.
[00:04:54] Going to mass is not a decision we should have to make from ground zero every weekend.
[00:05:00] It's something we simply make part of our lives every week.
[00:05:06] Picture Mary and the other disciples in those days after the ascension, they came together for prayer and mutual support. On Sundays.
[00:05:16] We should picture ourselves as part of those early disciples gathered every Sunday.
[00:05:23] It's not hard to get the feeling this is where I belong.
[00:05:44] Thank you for sharing some quiet time with the Lord today.
[00:05:52] Please consider supporting this podcast by clicking the donate link.
[00:06:00] For more information and other prayer resources, go to littlebooks.org.
[00:06:08] May your day be blessed.
