The Beginning of Holy Week: Palm Sunday
This past week we first discussed "standing out" at work, then ruminated
about those times when things don't go our way. For most of us, life
has a way of mixing great success with disappointment and failure.
That's certainly been the case in my life. Maybe that's been your
experience too. There are two contrasting phrases that capture this
well: "victory snatched from the jaws of defeat," and, "defeat snatched
from the jaws of victory." While we all prefer the former, the latter
usually isn't far behind.
Palm Sunday reminds us that we're not alone here. It gives us the
greatest example of defeat snatched form the jaws of victory. Our Lord
rode into Jerusalem to an adoring crowd shouting "Hosannahs." Within a
week he was arrested, tortured, and hung on a Cross. It certainly puts
the ups and downs of our lives in perspective.
Our liturgy reflects this as it begins with the procession of the palms,
accompanied with Hosannahs. Then comes the Gospel: The Passion of Our
Lord Jesus Christ. Entering into our Palm Sunday liturgy with our minds
alert, and our hearts open to the graces of this day, we can then leave
Mass ready for Holy Week.
Although many of our parishes that exclusively celebrate the Novus Ordo
don't always offer the best musical accompaniment to these, we can count
our blessings that with modern resources like Youtube we can access
much of the treasury of glorious and inspiring music that our ancestors
enjoyed in Palm Sunday's past.
First, the great "All Glory Laud and Honor," typically sung only on Palm Sunday:
Now the Latin chant, "Gloria Laus," sung at Masses in the extraordinary form, upon which that wonderful hymn is based.
Finally, after the triumph of His entry to Jerusalem, the great hymn "O
Sacred Head" to complete the sequence we shall all witness during this
Holy Week:
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