Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion - Year A
April 9, 2017
Gospel: Mt 26:14—27:66
http://www.usccb.org
This week’s spotlight
The Passion of Christ
Passion comes from a Latin word that means "sufferings”. The story
of the Passion of Jesus is recounted in the readings about his last meal with
his disciples, his night of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, his arrest, and
his crucifixion. The four Gospels tell about the Passion of Jesus Christ. This
shows the importance of the moment in time when Christ gave his life for all
men, women, and children. On the third day, he will rise from the dead. It is
the victory of God’s love.
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ ("Anima Christi" in Latin) is
a beautiful traditional prayer of the Church. Take time to say this prayer
during this very special week.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me,
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, fill me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds hide me.
Never let me be separated from you.
From the evil enemy defend me.
In the hour of death call me,
And tell me to come unto you.
That with your saints I may praise you
For ever and ever.
Amen.
Hosanna
Hosanna means "save us” in Hebrew. When Jesus
enters Jerusalem, the crowds wave palm branches and set them on his path as a
sign of honor and respect. They cheer him with shouts of “Hosanna!” and a line
from Psalm I 18: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
This statement is a way to express that Jesus is the Messiah sent by God. In
the Mass, these words are repeated in the Sanctus, which in Latin means
“holy". The Sanctus is the "Holy, Holy, Holy" prayer said during
the Eucharistic Prayer; it praises God for his holiness.
Reflection
A hero like no other!
In the movies, the superhero always wins. The
superhero usually wears a special costume, like Batman or Spiderman, and
usually carries a powerful weapon or drives some fast and flashy vehicle.
Jesus, the “superhero” of the Gospels, is quite different. He wins by losing.
He dies and is abandoned by his friends.The soldiers take away his clothes and
roll dice to see who wins them. Jesus' only uniform is a mock crown made out of
thorns. His only weapons are the cross and the nails from which he hangs. His vehicle
into Jerusalem was a donkey. Even though the crowd welcomes him today as their
king, on Friday they will cry out,“Crucify him! Crucify him!”
This superhero, Jesus, didn’t come to destroy the
enemies of the Jews, but to destroy sin and death. Jesus came not with
violence, but with healing love. If Jesus is still your superhero, then hold
your palm branches high, and greet him with, “Hosanna!”
Discussion questions
1.What happens to Jesus after he enters Jerusalem?
2.Why does Jesus suffer and die on the cross?
3.What happens after Jesus dies?
4.How is God’s great love for us shown through Jesus?
5.How do you give Jesus thanks and praise?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. It's
never too late to receive your love and forgiveness. Help me to follow you this
week and to comfort you by my love and prayerfulness. Amen.
This week…
Celebrating Jesus
In Hebrew, the name Jesus means
"God saves.” This week, show the love of Jesus, Savior of the human
family, to a person who is suffering. Take a cup of hot chocolate to your
sister who has the flu, or visit a classmate who has missed school. Smile and
provide them with comfort and concern.
A special week
Palm Sunday marks the beginning
of Holy Week. Bring a palm frond that has been blessed at Mass to three people
of your choice. This is a way of telling them of your faith in Jesus, our
Messiah, and your hope in his Resurrection.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm