10/04/2022

Jesus is outside of Jerusalem looking at the Holy City. He is preparing for the must important event of History. The disciples are to find the colt and requisition it, for today Jesus is to be treated as a king. He is surrounded by a great crowd of disciples who believe that the miracles and the teachings will be manifest in some great way in Jerusalem. Will his power to do miracles result in the expulsion of the Romans and their supporters?

Jesus does not mount the ass but is lifted onto the garments that have been placed on its back as a saddle . Others of the crowd place their garments on the ground for Jesus to be carried over them. All this is an ancient, middle-eastern way of honouring a monarch. Thus mounted Jesus enters the Holy City to acclamations and waving of palm branches.

There were some pharisees in the welcoming throng and they did voice their displeasure at some of the cries of the crowd but there were more in the city plotting with the high priests how to contain the enthusiasms of the pilgrims who were arriving from Galilee.

All these happenings were known to our God in the person of Jesus as he sat on the donkey in human time 2000 years ago. The hymn from the Phillipians is a meditation on the greatness and the complete humility shown by Father, Son and Holy Spirit to create the mercy that is still here for all of us. It is a hymn one of the most ancient New Testament texts and is thus a reflecton of how quickly the disciples were able to have an understnding of the events they had witnessed and recorded.

Dear Lord I can return only a miniscule fragment of the Love you have shown to all mankind. Of course all this is known to you and these words are for my benefit to remind myself to stay true to thoughts, feelings and deeds that are pleasing to you. May Our Lady who experienced the momentous events of Holy Week with pain and suffering lead all the saints to pray for those who today are suffering in a way that I can't imagine.