We gain something, however, from seeing the joyful palm-waving crowd welcoming Jesus and the angry crowd demanding his death in the same liturgy. We see a reflection in today's mass of the struggle within each of us between the desire for salvation and the allure of sin.
Crucifixus Etiam Pro Nobis: Lotti’s Musical Meditation on the Crucifixion
The Crucifixion, by Giambattista Tiepolo & Giandomenico Tiepolo, 1745–50 Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato: Passus, et sepultus est. (Nicene Creed) Crucifixus Etiam Pro Nobis Crucifixus etiam pro nobis: He was also crucified for us. That brief statement in the Nicene Creed refers to one of the two most important events of all … Continue reading Crucifixus Etiam Pro Nobis: Lotti’s Musical Meditation on the Crucifixion
Who Are Those Cheering People? Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday
There’s something a little unsettling about Palm Sunday. It appears that the same people who welcome Jesus as a victorious king at the beginning of the week are screaming for his death by its end. The liturgy reminds us of this incongruity by putting Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday together (at least in the Ordinary Form; … Continue reading Who Are Those Cheering People? Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday