Palm Sunday A

[RCL] Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 Isaiah 50:4-9a What could it mean to set one’s face like flint? Why would one do it? Flint is hard and weather resistant. It has been used throughout history to make cutting tools. It has also been used as a construction material to build homes or…

Matthew 21:1-11 The Liturgy of the Palms Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is full of hope, joy, and anticipation. Riding on a donkey, Matthew is quick to show us how this too fulfills prophecy: the King comes to them, humble, not with the appearance of a conqueror, but the same way that the poor travel. Jesus’…

Isaiah 50:4-9a This part of Isaiah is interesting. If we look closely, it has a careful balance of human responses to God and each other. First, we find the value of listening and speaking. As God gives the prophet the gift of words, it is to use them to sustain the weary. And as God…

Isaiah 50:4-9a  Isaiah 50 is the third of four servant songs found in Second Isaiah (Chapters 40-55). In this mysterious text, we meet a nameless prophet, looking for the meaning of suffering in his life. He is persecuted by his enemies: They strike his face, pull his beard, insult him and spit on him; yet…