Word from the Pastor
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Let us place ourselves before Christ as we journey through Holy Week.
Matthew 21:1-11, Isaiah 50:4-7, Philippians 2:6-11, Matthew 26:14—27:66 or 27:11-54
Dear parish family,
Saint Andrew of Crete, an eighth-century bishop and theologian, in reflecting upon
Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, once wrote, “It is ourselves that we must spread
under Christ’s feet, not coats or lifeless branches or shoots of trees, matter which wastes
away and delights the eye for only 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.”
As we enter into this Holy Week, we need to take Andrew of Crete’s advice and
spread ourselves out before Christ; we need to join with other disciples and be there with Jesus on the path to Jerusalem, to gather in the Upper Room, and to learn the lessons of humility as our feet are washed and we learn to wash the feet of others. We need to sing in the
garden after the Last Supper and be there with Peter as he denies the Messiah. We need to
stand at the foot of the cross with Mary and John.
We need this week, which calls us to set aside our routines, to remove ourselves from
all that is predictable in our lives and simply spread ourselves out before the Lord. We need
to watch and wait together as we once again recall the events which gained for us the great
and precious gift of our salvation.
Fr. Jean Jadotte
Pastor