Spread Ourselves Before Christ’s Feet.
After the Palm Sunday celebration at the beginning of the service, we transition to the passion of Christ upon which we will concentrate during Holy Week. The first writing today, from Andrew of Crete comes from the eighth century and reflects upon the palm portion of the day. The second reading is from the Byzantine Vespers service that calls attention to the transition from the palms to Jesus’ passion.
It is ourselves that we must spread under Christi’s feet, not coats or lifeless branches or shoots of trees, matter which wastes away and delights the eye only for a few brief hours. But we have clothed ourselves with Christ’s grace, with the whole Christ – “for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” – so let us spread ourselves like coats under his feet.
Passing from one divine feast to another from palms and branches, let us now make haste, O faithful, for the solemn and saving celebration of Christ’s passion. Let us behold him undergo voluntary suffering for our sake, and let us sing to him with thanksgiving a fitting hymn: Fountain of tender mercy and haven of salvation, o Lord, glory to you.
(I likely won’t be posting anything for a few days. We are travel to Wisconsin tomorrow. Dad’s funeral is on Tuesday morning. I should be back by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Ron Jansen)
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