At the Procession with Palms – Gospel
Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.
As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany
at the place called the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples.
He said, “Go into the village opposite you,
and as you enter it you will find a colt tethered
on which no one has ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here.
And if anyone should ask you,
‘Why are you untying it?’
you will answer,
‘The Master has need of it.’”
So those who had been sent went off
and found everything just as he had told them.
And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them,
“Why are you untying this colt?”
They answered,
“The Master has need of it.”
So they brought it to Jesus,
threw their cloaks over the colt,
and helped Jesus to mount.
As he rode along,
the people were spreading their cloaks on the road;
and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of his disciples
began to praise God aloud with joy
for all the mighty deeds they had seen.
They proclaimed:
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
He said in reply,
“I tell you, if they keep silent,
the stones will cry out!”
The gospel of Luke. Amen
Thank you Menagerie prayers for you , Sundance , and all treepers clinging to this tree of truth
God Bless you all
R.D.
Amen
Merciful God,
as we enter Holy week, turn our hearts again to Jerusalem, and to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Stir up within us the gift of faith that we may not only praise him with our lips, but may follow him in the way of the cross.
Amen
Thank you for your efforts Menagerie.
We had almost no experience of any church growing up, although I have seen pictures of my Christening.
I was given a Bible last year and it is bedside.
Input from the many good folks at the CTH has encouraged me to try and study it.
It’s heavy going, and difficult for the likes of me to comprehend, but just opening the book and reading a page or two is comforting.
Cheers!
Dekester, you might like the hymn I posted in the open thread below.
Hope you have a blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter. Cheers to you.
And thanks, Menagerie.
Thank you!
I recommend the Bible in a Year podcast with Father Mike Schmitz. He doesn’t read the books straight through, but in chronological order, and the commentary after is very good. It is the best thing I’ve ever done as far as Bible study.
Thanks for that suggestion, Menagerie. I think I need this in my life. May God bless you, Menagerie, and Sundance and all Treepers this Holy week and always.
Thank you!
Thank you Menagerie your suggestion to Dekester sounds great. I’m going to try it myself thank you.
May you have a Blessed Day.
Reading the bible with Fr. Mike is life changing.
I think I will check this out. I am ready for more guidance in my readings.
Thanks I will look into it. I have never found a Bible study I like or enjoy, maybe it is the people, or something. Always very dry and boring. Prayer groups are my thing, I love prayer meetings, and connecting through music.
Bible Gateway app is good too. You can pick the version and Max McLean reads the audio version.
https://media.ascensionpress.com/all-bible-in-a-year-episodes/
Diocese of Duluth
I also struggle with interpretation and deeper meaning. Ray Stedman (for me) does a great job of interpreting scriptures. https://www.raystedman.org/thematic-studies
Dekester, I can testify to you that when that “lightbulb” goes off, you will never be the same.
When you understand the power of the love of Jesus for YOU, you will be so humbled that HE loves you, beyond your comprehension, that you will fall to your knees weeping in wonderment!!!
You are an amazing path, and once you start on it the light just gets brighter! I’m so excited for you!
Hallelujah!
Yes, indeed AMK. God is great and good!
Make sure you pray before reading. The Holy Spirit will guide you. May God bless you and keep you.
You might try Shepherd’s Chapel with Pastor Arnold Murray. It’s a chapter by chapter, verse by verse study of the Bible. Pastor Murray will help in understanding the original texts/ languages. Additionally, learning what tools can be used by Bible students for clear understanding of the scripture is key to your study that will come alive with meaning. God bless.
Try the Read Scripture App. They do a great job of breaking down the Bible to help you understand it. There’s 5 minute videos along the way that explain what you’re going to be reading about. They also offer bible study guides. Very helpful trying to navigate the Bible and the lessons and themes God is portraying throughout. Cross reference it with your Bible if you aren’t sure of it’s authenticity. Also, make sure your bible is a KJV bible or one that talks about fasting and praying (in the New Testament) when asking God to hear your prayers. Some versions that were revised took out fasting in the Bible. Reference Mark 9:29 and Matthew 17:21 to make sure you’re reading the correct version of the Bible.
God bless
Dekester, you might want to try looking for a Church you can belong to.
Everything you were taught by the media about Christians is not true. They are just people with all of the messiness that comes with that, but people who, no matter how messy, become better through the transforming power of Christ.
We may all need the support of fellow Christians in the difficulties that seem to lie ahead.
To pick church, ask people you like and respect where they go. Then look at their website and look at the “about us ”/“what we believe” type page . If all it talks about social justice or how they feed the poor and do nice things (as opposed to making crystal clear how they are firmly rooted in Christ and believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word) then pass it by and try another.
The former will likely be a good percentage of woke people and very old people who have never changed churches. The sermons will be a celebration of wokeness with some Bible stories added in. You want one that is bring God to the forefront.
As for the latter, watch their sermons online and see if it speaks to you.
Or you can pray and just pick one and go. Easter is a great time to check one out as you can slip in without calling attention to yourself.
Welcome to the light side.
I grew up in the church, once out on my own didn’t go for a very long time, and it has taken years to find a church again. Your advice is spot on. I now go to five different churches to get my various needs met, and of course that isn’t how you are supposed to do it, but it is what works for me.
What I have observed w/visiting churches is they are like any other organization, they are set in their ways, and while they may want new membership to keep their numbers and finances up, if you haven’t been attending for at least 5 years or more you are an outsider. I am not saying all churches are that way, but it has been my experience.
I have attended churches where not one soul said good morning or welcome, and of course those are the churches I did not return to.
I also have gotten up and walked out of a church because of the woke nonsense, it isn’t what I am there for. Same w/the music, if the music isn’t up my alley I won’t go back.
I find the smaller, non-denominational Christian churches friendlier and not so woke. And I look for churches that regularly do pot luck dinners or some sort of food or holiday activities, that is where you get the time to get to know others. Plus the food is good. LOL!
Anyway, you are correct on how Christians are going to need each other in the times ahead. Part of the communist manifesto is to destroy the church, I have encouraged more than a few even if you aren’t into the church, and I understand their reasonings, many are bitter from past experiences, go out and find one anyway. Do not allow them to destroy church. Go and be a rebel, and along the way they will learn about the love of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Guns: “I find the smaller, non-denominational Christian churches friendlier and not so woke.”
I agree! It’s hard to keep that warm, intimate spirit as they grow. That said, the larger ones are good for introverts, as one can initially slip in and out unnoticed and get hooked into the small groups as one sees fit.
I listen to the audio book Word of Promise which is a fantastic reading of the Bible with a whole cast of characters. An excellent easier way to enjoy the Bible.
Dekester, When my mom passed at 102, I became the caretaker of her bible. It had been given to her in 1931 when she was 16 years old. I put it away in a safe place until the first week of 2021 when I felt the call to read it. I committed to reading from beginning to end both from the Old Testament and the New Testament.
I decided to let God guide me in my understanding of this Holy Book. I finished the entire Bible in about 8 months and then continued to read from it daily. Every time I read it my understanding is deepened. It has been a source of peace for me and I continue to read and learn from it. Prayers for you in your journey now and in the future.
Dekester,
Try reading the Book of John first. Have joy &faith, He knows you are seeking Him. He will guide you through His Holy Spirit. God Bless you and keep you on your journey. You will be in my prayers.
He Is Risen!
The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; John 12:12–19)
28After Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent out two of His disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
32So those who were sent went out and found it just as Jesus had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34“The Lord needs it,” they answered. 35Then they led the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over it, and put Jesus on it.
36As He rode along, the people spread their cloaks on the road. 37And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:
38“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”c
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”d
39But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!”
40“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”
Long ago, unable to find links today, I had read that the “colt tied there, that no one has ever sat…” is the offspring of the donkey that Mary sat upon while she and Joseph were going to Bethlehem.
Does anyone know anything about this? Sweet story? True? Conjecture?
It is sweet and bittersweet enough to believe. Also, consider this, found on googledygoo:
“The Nubian donkey has a cross on its back because it was said that this breed of donkeys carried Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.” Powell said, according to legend, the donkey knew what that Jesus was facing a trial and much suffering.Apr 4, 2015
Even as a child, the conspicuous cross on my grandfather’s donkey’s back was most curious. The only thing that makes sense is that Jesus was involved. Why would a donkey have a cross on his back otherwise?
Well… that’s conjecture. The Bible never actually says that Mary rode a donkey on the way to Bethlehem. There’s a lot of stuff like that in popular cultural thinking, but it’s important to stick with the Word of God.
I believe it’s better to just be amazed at what the Scripture actually does say. For instance…
Jesus rode a donkey that no one had ever ridden before. I never owned a donkey, but I would assume that there is normally some breaking in period… and yet Jesus calmly rode into Jerusalem.
As pointed out above, this all happened in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, while the very words and actions of the crowd followed the prophecy of Psalm 118:22-27.
The complaint of the Pharisees and the response of Jesus are telling. The Pharisees apparently thought that the crowd was quoting from the Psalm, and referring to Jesus as the coming Messiah. The response from Jesus turns things around – the Psalmist/prophet had been quoting the crowd, foretelling what would be said. That prophecy would come to pass one way or another, even if it meant the rocks crying out the very same words.
And my last point… it was very probably the same crowd who shouted “Hosanna!” (Psalm 118:25) who cried out “crucify him!” less than a week later. An emotional response in the moment is not enough. Praising Jesus as long as He is fulfilling our hopes and desires makes us the Lord and Him the servant. No, we need to seek and follow the crucified and risen Savior. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Donkeys were a sign of wealth.
It’s so easy to get side tracked with conjecture. His Word is enough.
Amen and Amen!
Dog Soldier 6768vn
Where in the Bible does it say that the Bible alone is what we look at?
I can absolutely believe it, Ag. I’ve seen that explanation as well. Blessings to you, girl. 🙏
That was 33yrs. ago. I’m no expert on a donkeys life span. I’m also aware of “with God, all things are possible”
He was given to us for Forgiveness and Grace, and His Will is going to be completed. Amen.
Thank you WP
Allow me to offer a cantata by French composer Theodore Dubois: considered a minor composer, he was at his best and occasionally reached greatness in religious music.
One of those great moments is The Seven Last Words of Christ (something of a mistranslation: “The Seven Last Statements” would be better, but the work is known in English by the above title.
A Spanish orchestra, chorus, and soloists perform the work here: the music, Latin text, and English translation are provided.
A marvelous way to spend 45 minutes on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, or any day!
Thank you so much Ausonius, for posting this! I have sung this several times (the English version of course). I listened to the whole thing and followed along with the music. It was a great spiritual experience for me. Best Wishes to you.
Thank you for all you do. Mostly for being the Prayer Warrior you are.
Good morning
The Donkey
When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scouge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet;
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms about my feet.
~~GK Chesterton
Thank you, Menagerie, for you faithfulness in giving us each year a place to meet and reflect on this most sombre week, expecting with all certainty that indescribable joy will follow it.
One of my favorite songs to listen to on Palm Sunday:
Beautiful in every way.
I know a farmer in the upper peninsula who keeps two donkeys with her cows to keep wolves away from the newborn calves.
And we also like that colt of a donkey carry the gospel into all the world .
Here in the Texas Hill Country the donkeys keep the goats safe from the coyotes. The cows pretty much can take care of themselves.
Good morning, G💓 There are many donkey sanctuaries in the UK. I hope you’ve seen a video or two of donkey owners and carers and how their donkeys love them. What joy it is to watch them run up to their owners and rest their heads on them. Truly a beautiful thing to watch.
I went to visit a buddy at Ft Hood one year. We took a trip to Austin, and I noticed donkeys with cows and goats. I was told that the donkeys were great to alert the herd to danger that was near by.
Amen!
Rejoice greatly , O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you , righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt , the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9
Thank you.
He fulfilled all the signs foretold.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of Lord, Hosanna!!!
Amen. Amen.
If somwhoe they succeeded in muzzling us, and then the very rocks would cry out!
Jesus Christ, we glorify you and we exalt your holy name. You are our redeemer. You are the ransom paid for our freedom. Thank you. As we honor you on Palm Sunday, the day you set out to save us, we ask for humility; the kind of humility you displayed when you rode on a donkey on your way to Jerusalem. Crush the pride in our hearts. Let our hearts be filled with gratitude for all you have done for us, and for who you are, Lord. Amen.
Beautiful prayer. Thank you for sharing.
I just want to share my understanding that Jesus Christ showed His humbleness when He became flesh (Christmas, if you will). Philippians 2:5-11
Jesus Christ riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (symbol of wealth at the time), was to show that He is King.
In the Old Testament you can see how they measured one wealth by the number of donkeys they had, example Jair in the Book of Judges 10:4)
And so it begins; the Promise of our God and the Redemption of man.
The Book of Mysteries – Jonathan Cahn – Day 65 – The Lambs of Nisan
“Passover fell on the fifteenth day of Nisan. But the Tenth of Nisan was the day that the lamb was chosen and taken to the house that would, on Passover, offer it up…. What we call Palm Sunday is, in reality the Tenth of Nisan, the Day of the Lamb. As the people of Jerusalem were leading the Passover lambs to their homes, Messiah was being led from the Mount of Olives into the city gates….So on the day when the Passover lamb was to be brought to the house, God brought the Lamb of God to the House of God, to Jerusalem, the place of his dwelling.”
See Exodus 12:1-3
Thank you
I learned something wonderful today.
I love how cross referencing the bible expands on itself if you follow it down.
Thank You Menagerie! I look forward to your postings every holiday but especially Easter.❤️
Participating in Mass this morning, I could not think about the comparisons between then and now by those in social media and msm.
THEN
“Crucify him!”
Vs
NOW
“Crucify them!”
(The unvacccinated, J6’ers, White males, Police, Climate Change Deniers, Trump Supporters, etc.)
Forgive them father for they know not what they say or do
When the deaths from “covid” first started, I was paying very close attention. Keeping spreadsheets of information from various “respected at the time” websites. By August it was clear that the deadliest time was the week after Easter. I miss took that to mean, that The Lord was going to expose the traitors. Instead, the traitors used it to steal the election, and the country. I beleieve God is giving us a chance to choose sides in the greatest battle. The sides are pretty well chosen. There are still people who Jesus wants us to gather for Him, but it is just the stragglers, now. The suffering Jesus endured is nothing comapred to what those who are against Him will face. I do not know God’s timeline, but I can see that He is The Only One who can sort this mess out. I just want to be a man in whom He is well pleased. Praise The Lord for He is risen!
Christians for years have been praying for a revival.
Forgetting perhaps it is triggered by persecution and the blood of the martyrs .
If the Lord doesn’t come soon we could see a world wide spiritual revival. because the persecution has gone on in many places and is on our own doorstep.
Yet looking at the big picture the line between believers and unbelievers seems to be set.
All indicators are there that Jesus is coming for his bride very soon.
Even so. Come, Lord Jesus .
Anyone who hears, anyone who is thirsty, anyone who wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Forgive me for posting this in two comment sections…
It is just Simply Beautiful!
Jesus was was crucified by the woke mob.
“I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!
Amen. Just like today.
Something that I have done before and was so inspiring was to follow Jesus each day of the week of Holy week reading in each of the four gospels exactly what Jesus was doing that very day. Started on Palm Sunday with His triumphal entry. On Monday He clears the Temple, Tuesday He goes to the Mount of Olives, there isn’t real clarity on what Jesus did on Wednesday, Thursday was the upper room, last supper and prayer at Gethsemane, Friday early morning hours was the arrest, the trial, crucifixion, and his burial. Saturday He was in the tomb and that evening, after their Sabbath had passed, Nicodemus prepared His body for burial. Then Sunday….oh, Sunday! He was resurrected from death and He is alive!!!
Here is a guide that I found that will assist you.
https://www.learnreligions.com/holy-week-timeline-700618
Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem, as described by Luke, exactly fulfills an Old Testament prophecy. See Zechariah 9:9.
Thank you for the Palm Sunday Gospel from Luke.
That had to be really something special, no doubt.
The War is over.
Only the battles remain.
Jesus would have known about Rome’s policy of sending reinforcements to the city at Passover. His decision to enter the city as he did was what we would call a planned political demonstration, a counterdemonstration.
The juxtaposition of these two processions embodies the central conflict of Jesus’ last week: the kingdom of God or the kingdom of imperial domination.
What Christians have often spoken of as Jesus’ triumphal entry was really an anti-imperial entry. What we call Palm Sunday featured a choice of two kingdoms, two visions of life on earth.
― From: Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary by Marcus J. Borg
John 12:12-19
The day that The Messiah was to enter Jerusalem on a donkey was foretold by the angel Gabriel as written in the book of Daniel during Israel’s exile to Babylon.
That would explain the people being there and waving the palms, the triumphal entry and the leaders of Israel and the Temple asking Jesus if He was the Messiah or not.
See http://www.khouse.org/articles/2004/552/
Palm Sunday.
Thanks for bringing this up.
Take a bath, put on nice clothes, comb your hair and grab the palm. Walk outdoors a mile or so… with the family, cousins and all…
…to the big plaza right next to La Sagrada Familia and we’d have a huge outdoor mass.
I’m sure the entire city, with its many beautiful plazas, was doing the same thing at the same time… Likely the whole country, as I think that even the otherwise hegemonist-would-be-Protestant Castilians behaved themselves that day.. 😉
My family didn’t much go to Mass, but that one day we never missed, with my cousins and uncles and aunties too. It was a grand day for sure.
Some of my earliest memories. 😉
Now that I think about it… First Communion for us came up on May. Age 5. I found my Chalice. My mom was keeping it.
…
Oh no! My mother passed away during Holy Week, last year…. we were so busy we absolutely missed everything else going on. Jesus!
The Gospel of Luke is my favorite.
Amen!
King of Kings, Lord of all, Hallelujah!