[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the remaining Scripture readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, April 13, 2025, the Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.
If you listened to my podcast last week, I explained that this week's episode is broken into two parts. In Part I, I covered only the main Gospel for this week - the Narrative of Christ's Passion and Death. This is Part II, where I cover the remaining Scriptures: the processional Gospel (from the beginning of Mass where we hear Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem), the First Reading, Psalm, and Second Reading.
Couple of other notes before we get started… I have a number of photos from my trip to Israel that will shed light on all of the readings for this week, so please check out my Instagram post to look at those pictures. And also that I'm using the same opening and closing for both episodes. I don't know which one you're going to listen to first, so I'm just going to assume that some may listen to Part I first, some may listen to Part II first, and I'm going to use the same opening and closing for both. So, with that in mind, let's get started.
[00:01:27] This week's episode is entitled: From Triumph to Sacrifice and our readings this week allow us to focus on a mystery that is central to our Christian faith - the Passion and Death of Jesus.
[00:01:41] Hopefully our Lenten disciplines have properly prepared us to receive the great and awesome gift that is Holy Week.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
Holy Week offers a number of unique liturgies that allow us to witness the depth and breadth of Jesus’ salvific actions from the extremes of Palm Sunday to the universality of the Chrism Mass celebrated by the Diocesan Bishop, from the quiet beauty of the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday to the bitter sorrow of the commemoration of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday, from the peaceful silence of a Paschal Watch to the joyous celebration of the Lord's Resurrection at the Easter Vigil, we are invited to participate in the greatest mysteries the world has ever known.
[00:02:37] May each of us traverse these sacred days with open hearts, humbled egos, and as much gratitude as we can muster for the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for us out of love.
[00:02:50] So let's begin.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of this most sacred time of Holy Week. Strengthen us so that we may faithfully follow Jesus, Our Savior and King, wherever he leads by loving and serving others and by giving generously of ourselves so that we may reach the new and eternal Jerusalem where he lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
As I have said, this week we have an additional Gospel, and it takes place at the beginning of Mass. It's called the Gospel at the Procession. Since it takes place first, I will begin this Part II of our Palm Sunday readings with that reading.
With that in mind, and our hearts open in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures. Our Procession Gospel is from Luke 19: 28-40.
[00:03:53] “[Jesus proceeded on his journey] up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Beth’phage and Beth’any, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. If any one asks you, “Why are you untying it?” You shall say this, “The Lord has need of it.”’ So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ And they said, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. [A]s he rode along, they spread their garments on the road. As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered them, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’”
[00:05:20] All four Evangelists record Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem - John's is the shortest at just seven verses, and Luke's, the one with just heard, is the longest at 12 verses.
[00:05:34] Some details are only found in the Synoptics, others are present in all four. But, regardless of which account we hear, we have to be mindful that this is the final time that Jesus will ever enter into the city of Jerusalem. This week he will celebrate his last Passover. Every event in his life has led up to this week - the week during which he will experience his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. So, let's break open the Procession Gospel.
“[Jesus proceeded on his journey] up to Jerusalem.”
Now, if you remember back to previous episodes when I've talked about going up to Jerusalem… Jerusalem is on Mount Zion… it's on a height. So, the typical thing for people to say is that they go up to Jerusalem. Even if they're coming from a northerly direction and heading south, they still say, we go up to Jerusalem.
[00:06:38] “When he drew near to Beth’phage and Beth’any, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples saying, ‘Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” You shall say this, “The Lord has need of it.”’”
And remember I just said that some details are only found in the Synoptic Gospels, while others are recorded in all four Evangelists? Well, that entire section - that I just read - is found only in the Synoptic Gospels. And it includes one of those details that would have been familiar to Jesus' Jewish disciples, but is probably much less familiar to us. The words: a colt on which no one has ever sat may seem like a strange and obscure detail to our ears, but it is intended specifically to signal the coming of a king. It is actually from Zechariah 9, and the quote is “Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Keep in mind, kings have the right to appropriate animals for their own use. So, Jesus' instructions here demonstrate that he is no victim… he is in fact the king - and he is fully in control of his own fate and has the right to appropriate whatever he needs for his use.
[00:08:22] “So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ And they said, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it.”
[00:08:43] That is exactly what would have been done for a king, returning from a successful campaign as a conquering hero. Soldiers would have laid their own garments on the animals for the king to sit on.
“And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road.”
That also would have been done for a king. This is one of those instances where the details differ in different Gospels: Matthew and Mark both say garments and branches were laid on the road; Luke, as we just heard, says only garments; John says only branches were laid on the road. Does it really matter? No, regardless of what was laid on the ground, the intent is the same.
[00:09:33] So what was the intent? It was to show honor. Think of it as laying out a red carpet for a celebrity at a special event.
[00:09:43] Cloaks were precious possessions so laying their cloaks down on the ground - only to have an animal tramp all over it - shows that the people are honoring Jesus and are in full support of him at the moment.
“As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,”
[00:10:14] By mighty works, Luke means Jesus' many miracles: the number of times he drove out demons… his healings… all of that… that's what Luke is referring to. Then the crowd uses very specific words - and they may have even sounded a bit familiar the first time through - but let's go through them.
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Again, we don't necessarily think scripturally - but the crowd certainly did. The first sentence there is recorded in all four Gospels and it is from Psalm 118: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Now, those of us that are Catholic recognize that from another use, right? That's from the Holy, Holy. However, the second sentence is unique to Luke, and he actually sort of paraphrases what the angels proclaimed at Jesus’ birth. Remember, Luke is one of only two Gospel accounts that have Infancy Narratives - Luke and Matthew. From the Infancy Narratives, we get the quote: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
[00:11:43] That shows the contrast between what Israel expected of a Messiah and the type of Messiah that Jesus actually was.
[00:11:57] King David, for instance, returned to Jerusalem bringing the type of peace that is the result of conquest. Whereas Jesus comes in the true peace that only he can provide - the heavenly peace that the world cannot give. By including this quote, Luke emphasizes for us that Jesus' Death and Resurrection were always a part of God's plan. And from Jesus's birth onward, his Passion and Death were necessary to reconcile all of humanity to God himself.
[00:12:40] “And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’”
[00:12:52] This detail is only found in Luke. It is actually a reference to Habakkuk 2 and the quote there is “for the stone in the wall shall cry out.”
[00:13:04] That's from a section of Habakkuk's book labeled Sayings Against Tyrants. Now that doesn't speak particularly well for the Pharisees, but it's certainly appropriate.
[00:13:19] Our celebration of the Mass on Palm Sunday begins with this Procession Gospel. Our palm branches are sprinkled with holy water and we process into the church to take our places in the congregation. We, like the disciples, like all those crowds, rejoiced at Jesus's Triumphal Entry. But we will soon be transported into the depths of suffering and grief by Jesus Passion and Death.
[00:13:58] So have we adequately prepared ourselves to receive such a tremendous gift of love?
[00:14:09] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Isaiah 50: 4-7.
“The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. Morning by morning he wakens, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD helps me’ therefore I have not been confounded; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.”
[00:15:01] This passage is from 2nd Isaiah (chapters 40 to 55), and they were written during the Babylonian captivity to give hope and encouragement to the exiles. Isaiah addresses the issue of why the justice suffer while the wicked prosper in the four Suffering Servant Songs. This particular passage, what we just heard, is part of the Third Suffering Servant Song. If we look at this with an historical perspective, Isaiah sees the exiles as the Suffering Servant. From a Christian perspective, of course, we see Jesus as the Suffering Servant. So, let's hear what 2nd Isaiah has to say…
[00:15:53] “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught.”
In the NAB, those words are translated as a well-trained tongue, the meaning is the same. The NAB is a bit more poetic, but regardless, they both mean someone who is eloquent and who is able to speak forcefully.
“that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary.”
[00:16:21] In other words, the prophet has both the knowledge and the ability needed to encourage those who are suffering.
“Morning by morning he wakens, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear,”
All of that is a way of saying God has prepared me to hear and understand his words.
[00:16:47] “and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward.”
The Suffering Servant is obedient and faithful.
[00:16:57] I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;”
Okay, we see Jesus in these words, right? “I gave my back to those who struck me” - in those words, we see his flogging at the hands of Pilate and “my cheek to those who pulled out my beard” - that's part of the mockery that he endured.
[00:17:20] And I have to point out, pulling a Jewish man's beard would have been a grave insult.
[00:17:29] So that's a really big deal. This is more than just turning away from an insult. This is an active insult that can't be ignored.
“I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”
The Suffering Servant's obedience to God's will results in both mental and physical abuse. That's essentially what all those phrases have told us.
“For the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been confounded; therefore I have set my face like a flint,”
Through every trial, through every challenge, God's love is there to keep the Suffering Servant from faltering or wavering.
[00:18:16] “Set my face like flint” is an idiom for resolute determination, meaning God's steadfast support provides the strength and courage necessary to withstand any test.
[00:18:33] “and I know that I shall not be put to shame.”
That, of course, is the ultimate promise that could be made in an honor/shame society, right? Others may incur shame through their own unjust actions, but the Suffering Servant will not experience shame, will not undertake any actions that will bring shame down upon him. When we get to the Gospel, it will be quite evident why these verses are read on Palm Sunday. And remember, that is Part I of this
two-part episode.
[00:19:12] Christians see everything that is described in these Suffering Servant Songs come to life in the Passion Narrative. So, it's abundantly clear why we see Jesus in these passages.
The exiles, however, are another matter, at least in this passage. In the verses that immediately precede what we just heard, Isaiah pointed out that the faith of the Jews at this point is weak, that the people don't respond when God calls on them, and that they no longer believe in God's promise to deliver them from bondage.
[00:19:54] Placed within the entirety of that context, I think that makes it difficult to see the Jewish exiles as the Suffering Servant in this particular passage. Now, it is possible that Isaiah was intentionally employing hyperbole to snap the exiles out of their waywardness… he was known for using epigrams, hyperbole, and metaphors in his writing, just not necessarily in the Suffering Servant Songs. So again, the Jewish perspective does typically see the Suffering Servant as the exiles in Babylon, but Isaiah may have also been referring to himself. We have to keep that in mind, too. But the Christian perspective clearly sees Jesus in those same words.
[00:20:53] Our Responsorial Psalm this week is Psalm 22 and the refrain is:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Now I need to point out here that in the NAB the word “forsaken” is translated as “abandoned.”
[00:21:12] They are interchangeable for our purposes, but just be aware that if you read it in the NAB you'll see the word “abandoned” rather than “forsaken.” And here are the verses…
“All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; ‘He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him! Yes, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and my feet - I can count all my bones. [T]hey divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O LORD, be not far off! O my help, hasten to my aid! I will tell of your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel!”
This Psalm is an Individual Lament, and as most Lament Psalms do, it begins with cries and complaints and ends with words of trust and gratitude. And we know even Jesus quoted this Psalm on the Cross when he took humanity's weakness upon himself and fulfilled the Father's plan to transform death into life.
[00:22:51] For those of us who are Christian, it's so clear why Psalm 22 was chosen to be part of the Palm Sunday liturgy. Jesus was mocked by the Roman soldiers, the chief priests, and the scribes - they told Jesus to save himself; evildoers were the thieves crucified on Jesus’ right and left; his hands and feet were pierced in the Crucifixion; and the soldiers cast lots for his garments - Christians see the words of this Psalm come to life in the events of the Passion of Jesus. And remember Lament Psalms help us express our pain and grief to God, not through words of praise - we often can't call to mind those praises when we are in pain, when we are in the midst of our suffering. But these Psalms help us turn toward God and ask for his help. They remind us that God bends down to us and meets us at our lowest points, which is precisely where we become aware of his power, his mercy, and his unending love.
[00:24:34] That leads us to our Second Reading, which is from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians, 2: 6 -11.
“[Christ Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heavens and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
[00:25:33] This is one of Paul's Captivity Letters, so called because they were written when Paul was in prison.
[00:25:41] Philippians was probably written when Paul was a prisoner in Rome around 62 AD. The purpose of the letter was for Paul to express his gratitude to the generosity of the Philippian community toward him. They supported him during his imprisonment with constant prayer and with financial support - not asked for, but certainly appreciated nonetheless. The Philippians were probably the most gracious community that Paul ever established, and his affection for them is abundantly evident in this letter. It is also intended to encourage the Philippians in their faith, regardless of what is happening to him. Paul begins chapter 2 by telling the Philippians to be humble and generous, and then uses Jesus as the perfect example of humility, selflessness, and generosity. And this passage was most likely an early Christian hymn that Paul appropriated to incorporate into his letter. So, let's listen to what Paul has to say…
“[Christ Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,”
The word “though” could also be translated as “because”… (because he was in the form of God) and the word “form” comes from the Greek word morphē, which means outward appearance but it also means essential nature. So, when Paul says Jesus was in the form of God, he's not suggesting that Jesus just looked like God - he is saying that, in heaven, both Jesus' outward appearance and his essential nature were divine… both were divine before the Incarnation. And that in spite of, or perhaps because of, his divinity, Jesus did not then hesitate to do the Father's will and take on human flesh in the Incarnation.
Paul says that Jesus did not perceive his divinity - in his words: “his equality with God” - as something to be grasped. And Paul uses that word very deliberately. He could have said, held onto, but he used the word grasped. And that's because he's contrasting Jesus’ willingness to let go of the outward signs of his divinity with Adam's potential to grasp (and in that word grasp, you can also hear, take or steal or appropriate) the fruit of the Tree of Life in Genesis 3, and thereby live forever - for all eternity - trapped in a state of profound sin, right? That's why God exiled Adam and Eve from the Garden. They had already eaten of the Tree of the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That is one fruit that they certainly did grasp… but then they could have eaten of the other tree, the Fruit of the Tree of Life, which would have absolutely, for all time, trapped them in their state of profound sin. It was a great mercy that God did not do that, and that instead exiled them from the Garden so that they could repent, so that they could return - try to return - to their state of innocence. Jesus, the new Adam, surrendered that which the first Adam would have grasped. That's why Luke uses that word.
“but he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
The word “emptied” comes from the Greek word kenoō, which means to empty out. So, Jesus emptied himself… he restricted his rightful exercise of divinity to accept the limitations of his Incarnate (human) existence. And then we have that word “form” again (in Greek morphē) “taking the form of a servant.” The NAB translates that as slave… (taking the form of a slave and born in the likeness of men). That is Paul's way of saying that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. That is how Paul pulls all that together.
One other thing I want to point out here Paul is - again - contrasting Jesus (the new Adam) with the first Adam when he says that Jesus was in the likeness of men. Paul is comparing Jesus becoming fully human, while still - of course - being fully divine, but taking on humanity in the Incarnation with the serpent's promise to Adam that he would “be like gods” (and that's lowercase “g” gods) and that promise the serpent made in Genesis 3. So, contrasting the reality of Jesus with the illusion offered by the serpent.
“And being found in human form”
So, having the outward appearance of a human… at least until the Transfiguration.
“[Jesus] humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”
Paul says that Jesus “humbled himself” because that is exactly what Paul is encouraging the Philippians to be – humble! And Jesus' humility led him, through his obedience to the Father's will, to sacrifice himself in death. And not just any death! But, “death on a cross” - the most debased and shameful death possible. All for us and all out of love.
“Therefore God has highly exalted him”
How exactly has God done this? Scripture tells us that God exalted Jesus by raising him from the dead, first of all; by seating him at the Father's own right hand in heaven; and by clothing his Incarnate humanity with eternal, unchanging, divine glory. Not only that, Paul tells us, but he also says God…
“bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,”
That sounds a little strange. The word “bow” is actually translated as “bend” in the NAB. And I think that makes a little more sense, at least for a knee. It's not so easy for a knee to bow, but it is easy for a knee to bend. And that actually refers to a quote from Isaiah 45 where God says: “To me every knee shall bend” indicating, again, Jesus’ divinity and his exaltation by God the Father. Note, Isaiah does say bend! And where will this take place?
“in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”
Paul uses those words because those represent the three primary realms of existence understood in ancient Israel. “Heaven” means the angels and saints, patriarchs, prophets, okay? “Earth” means all living creatures. And “under the earth” means the dead and the demons of the underworld. So, all primary realms of existence.
“and every tongue confess”
That is actually the other half of the quote from Isaiah 45, where God says: “by me every tongue shall swear” but by using the word confess, Paul is tweaking the meaning a bit. To swear would be equated with taking an oath, whereas confess more closely relates to acknowledging or bearing witness to. So, that's what he's trying to express there.
[00:35:09] So what is every tongue confessing or acknowledging?
“that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The Jews say LORD rather than the name of God - the tetragrammaton (YHWH).
[00:35:27] So, Jesus is - now and for all eternity - fully divine and fully human, which came about because of his obedience to the Father and which in turn brings the Father glory. Jesus did not obey the Father's will solely for the purpose of achieving glory or being exalted… he did it out of love for us. Jesus is the Word (the capital “W” Word) through which God spoke everything into existence. So, in his unending divine love, Jesus became obedient to the Father for us… for our sakes.
On Palm Sunday, our story ends in apparent tragedy with Jesus’ Death on the Cross, with his Burial in a rock tomb. We must traverse the length of Holy Week to reach the triumph of Easter.
I would like to leave you with a message of hope and inspiration - as well as an invitation.
In his book The Lamb's Supper, Catholic theologian Scott Hahn wrote, “Of all things Catholic, there is nothing so familiar as the Mass. With its timeless prayers, hymns, and gestures, the Mass is like home to us.” To that sentiment, I would add that there is nothing more sacred than Holy Week and Easter.
[00:37:31] During these days, we are guided through the nearly inconceivable physical and emotional pain that Jesus endured for the sake of all humanity… for your sake… for my sake… done out of a love beyond all telling.
If you have never taken the opportunity to attend Holy Week liturgies, I would invite you to do so this year. These liturgies are the most captivating, profoundly moving, and unbelievably beautiful liturgies of any throughout the entire year. So, I highly encourage everyone to embrace this sacred time with humility and gratitude and be forever changed by the love that Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, has for each and every one of us.
[00:38:40] Remember, if you're looking for the Gospel - the Narrative of Jesus’ Passion and Death, you will find that in Part I of episode 41.
If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
[00:39:16] From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
[00:39:33] Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
