Passion Sunday Cycle A 2023 (’02)

SUN 2nd APRIL 2023(’02): PASSION SUNDAY (formerly called PALMS). A

THE HOLY WEEK OF THE NAZARENE BEGINS

1. PROCESSION OF THE PALMS: MT 21:1-11

  • In my local church, what is the equivalent of ‘TheEntrance-of-the-King’?
  • YourKing/Humble!’ Read ZECH 9:9-17! But is He not also vengeful&manic?
  • Donkey!’ Abigail came to David on a donkey, with bread&wine! (1SAM25)

2. THE MASS OF PASSION SUNDAY. IS50:4-7 (What about vv8-9?)

  • Read TheFourServantSongs! 42:1-9, 49:1-7, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12
  • In my local church, how are ‘disciples’ speaking&listening&suffering?
  • To judge by these ‘songs’, what are the ingredients of ‘true discipleship’?
  • The attacks on TheServant, anything like that going on in my local church?
  • In what 10Ways does ‘Yahweh’ aid past&contemporary ‘servants’?

3. THE PSALM 21:8-9, 17-20, 23-24 (Mere shreds of this great song!)

  • Read 21(22):1-31! Dramatic&moving song of a beleaguered Yahwist!
  • Isn’t it imaginable that Jesus sang all of this as He ‘died-a-servant’?
  • Which ‘Friends-of-Yahweh’ are being derided in my local church?
  • Are those who suffer-for-faith nowadays, encouraged to be so graphic in church?
  • &If they had the opportunity to ‘witness-publicly’, would they be heard&heeded?
  • But what if it’s the lot of a ‘servant/disciple’ to be mocked&torn&strippt?

4. PHIL 2:6-11.

  • Read 2:1-18! ‘Mind-of-Christ’! Paul’s-imagining? Or the rale-Christ
    • In 45 words can I imagine how he’d explain ‘Christ’-Equality-with-God’?
    • What biblical or philosophical precedent (or model) did he have for ‘TheEmptying’?
    • All-Beings!’ Does this include God&Angels
    • &Spirits&Animals, as well as Humanity?

5. THE PASSION FROM MATTHEW. 26:14-27:66

  • How is ‘TheBetrayal-of-Jesus’ experientially-nuanced in my local church
  • Peter&Judas!’. One wept, one sacrificed himself! One is canonised, the other
  • What was the alleged ‘blasphemy’? &Is ‘blasphemy’ a likelihood nowadays?
  • Why did the storyteller make Jews say, ‘HisBlood be upon us’?
  • Is it significant that Jesus died utterly alone, utterly devalued&unwanted?
  • But what of the ‘many women, watching from a distance’?
  • Son-of-God!’ One who is totally committed to embodying ‘TheInterests-of-God’!

6. The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?

One of the saddest reflections for me in Holy Week, How many of those who shouted for TheKing on Palm Sunday shouted against Him on GoodFriday?’ &TheOfficialBeliever sighed as he spoke! ‘Maybe they saw the light’ ThePracticingSceptic’s response was casual but rapier-like ‘Oh, don’t take refuge in such a cynical ’ Listen’ Say, in 13th century Rome, if TheVatican fingered some peasant form the Abruzzi who’d shouted against the religious authorities, &kicked up a symbolic rumpus in St. Peter’s, would even you.’ ‘Nego paritatem’ You’re comparing chalk&cheese! OurLord was divine, whereas your peasant.’ ‘Who’s to say? &Hasn’t each one a spark of the divine.’ ‘Not at all’ That’s another of your sentimental half chewed existentialist lucubrations! Not even OurDivineMother! ‘Only the Godman from Nazareth was divine’ ‘That’s a much later dogma.’ ‘Pardon me, Schleiermacher! Both the words&works of TheWord-Made-Flesh sufficed to prove HisDivinity beyond shadow, to any reasonable’ ‘catholic apologist’, yes! but ‘They didn’t see the light, they sinned against it’ ‘That’s that’ ‘Leave it there.’

7. RIDDLE Which Jesus, as HisHolyWeek begins? AnointedKing? Son-of-God? The Shepherd? Son-of-Man? Lord? The Prophet? TheMaster? Yehweh’sServant? TheImposter? TheDesertedOne?Passion Sunday