Palm Sunday Mass 2020

Join the Jesuit Institute South Africa as they celebrate the Holy Mass for Palm Sunday 2020 in Year A of the Liturgical Calendar. Today's Mass is celebrated by Fr Russell Pollitt SJ. Owing to COVID-19 and the suspensions of Mass in various parts of the country, we invite everyone to make a 'Spiritual Communion' with us during this Mass. More resources are available at https://www.jesuitinstitute.org.za/co... You might want to light a candle, or do something to make this a prayerful time for you all. Since this is Palm Sunday, please find some green plant - even if you do not have a palm - so that it can be blessed today. Our readings for this Mass are: Gospel Matthew 21:1–11 First Reading Isaiah 50:4–7 Response Psalm 22:2a Psalm Psalm 22:8–9, 17–20, 23–24 Second Reading Philippians 2:6–11 Gospel Acclamation Philippians 2:8–9 Gospel Matthew 27:11–54 Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent – A (beginning 5:16) 5 April 2020 Fr Russell Pollitt SJ Today we begin the most sacred and solemn week of our Christian calendar as we recount the events of that first Palm Sunday – Jesus entering into Jerusalem and the crowds cheering for him – “Hosanna to the son of David”. We know that in just a few days’ time, the world around Jesus will change and they will be shouting again, this time “crucify him”. There is an interesting little word in the Palm Sunday Gospel I want to explore… in vs 5 Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah. The second line begins with the word “behold” ­ “Behold your king is coming”. What does it mean to “behold” at the beginning of Holy Week? I suggest that beholding invites us to three things: i) learning to gaze contemplatively; ii) recognising that when we think we have sight we don’t; iii) and hearing an invitation to conversion, to live more fully as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. You can listen to this homily at https://www.jesuitinstitute.org.za/su... or download it to read here, https://www.jesuitinstitute.org.za/wp...