Palm Sunday 2010

Palm Sunday, 2010
John 12:1-18

Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazaros was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazaros was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."

When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazaros, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazaros also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!"

His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazaros out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

Additional Readings for Today:
Matthew 21:1-11; 15-17
St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9

Today's Gospel - Mark 3:6-12

From the Douay-Rheims Bible

6 And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. 7 But Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee and Judea, 8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him. 9 And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10 For he healed many, so that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had evils.
11 And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him: and they cried, saying: 12 Thou art the Son of God. And he strictly charged them that they should not make him known.

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Pharisees and Herodians – united for once. What binds them together? They have common interests to protect:

> They both anticipate the arrival of an earthly Davidic messiah.
> They both are against any form of leadership resulting from divine revelation.

If a true God-sent prophet had appeared, it threatened their power, the hold they had on the people and the hold they had on the religious throne of power.

The Pharisees, guardians of the Law of Moses, and the Herodians (followers of Herod, who claims to be a prince of the line of David) get together to plot the demise of the incarnate God/Man, Jesus.

Luckily, Christ is a prophet – no palace, no real possessions, nothing keeping him down. He is the one who hears the voice of God in the wilderness and obeys it, and teaches the same to those who assemble with him.

So what does Christ do? He gets on a boat, and is joined by many people outside the circle of worldly influence who accept not only him, but the theology He is a manifestation of.

Let’s examine the group: Multitude from Galilee – generally poor. Also from Judea (that is Judah) and Idumea (that is Edom) and from Tyre and Sidon (traditionally trade competitors among Judahite monarchy) strangers and pilgrims.

This is a collection of those who would have been the common folk who lived in Jerusalem and the outlying areas ever since the Babylons became part of the life of Judah. The flyover-state people: the masses whose needs are not being recognized or met – who are wounded by the traditional leadership instead of being healed – who are the poor, the immigrants, the ones who have no country to cling to and no civic advocates to speak of.

These people responded to Christ so well, that he had to escape to the open sea FOR HIS SAFETY. Christ finds himself the Lord of a people – kingship was never his aim, but it is how these foreign peoples respond. They have found one with the power of a King to heal, to teach, and most importantly, to command loyalty and undying allegiance. Tolkien reminds us in his classic fiction LOTR concerning the exiled king Aragorn that "the hands of a King are the hands of a healer" which idea has its foundation in the Gospel of Christ.

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Fast forward to today: Who are today's Pharisees and Herodians conspiring to terminate the living God? Who are today's leaders - "kings" of ruling the people? If the test of a valid ruler was that he heals his people, which among them would stand?

A Magical Mystery Tour Into The Recent Past

I have just finished reading Skinny Dipping in Reality (A coot's account of the great hippy LSD enlightenment search party) by Joe Bageant and wish to share it with the world. Those who know me know that I am and have been from my earliest youth devoted to the dear Lord Jesu Christos, but what most likely don't know is that the heart-opening peyote vision quest direct experiences of my teenage searchlight years (operating a searchlight in the dark for truth, for God, for enlightenment, for peace, for face-to-face encounters with the Creator) left me madly in love with the King of Kings, God and Man. And the sense of brotherhood which was opened up, with all humanity, which he describes at the end of the essay, I still bear witness to today. Enjoy.

Excerpt ~
QUOTE And often the soft presence of a gentle and loving Christ would fill the air with a sense of transcendent peace. Despite my many personal conflicts with the Police Court Jehova of Christian fundamentalism, it was becoming clear that Christ was a guy whose actions were worth deep consideration, even if you considered yourself an atheist. Police Court Jehova be damned. Other times would come zappy symbolic glimpses of quasi cosmic order: Aha! The upright bar of the cross represents the onrushing spirit and mind of man through eternity, and the horizontal crossbar stands for undifferentiated matter. And where they meet one another all we know is made manifest -- all pain, all ecstasy and everything in between. Pure existence. Years later I related this to one of the numerous Asian Buddhist masters who passed through Boulder. He crinkled up his face and laughed in recognition. This mysticism, if that's what it is, was clearly not new. UNQUOTE

He Who Lights the Stars

THE LIGHTENER OF THE STARS
Behold the Lightener of the stars
On the crests of the clouds,
And the choralists of the sky
Lauding Him.
Coming down with acclaim
From the Father above,
Harp and lyre of song
Sounding to Him.
Christ, Thou refuge of my love,
Why should not I raise Thy fame!
Angels and saints melodious
Singing to Thee.
Thou Son of the Mary of graces,
Of exceeding white purity of beauty,
Joy were it to me to be in the fields
Of Thy riches.
O Christ my beloved,
O Christ of the Holy Blood,
By day and by night
I praise Thee.

Pursuing the Goal of Perfect Giving

The entire day thus far has been spent in shopping for some small gifts and for the perfect wrapping paper, glittery stickers, USPS-approved strapping tape, bubble-wrap, plain brown paper for the outside of the packages and adorable little boxes festooned with appropriate Christmas decor ~ all to wrap suitably the delicious homemade fudge, both chocolate and vanilla, with which assorted cousins, aunties, in-laws and out-laws will be regaled(out-laws being those one is related, by birth or marriage, to who one may be on the outs with but still gift at Our Lord's birth because they are Family).

The practice of gift-giving at the Christmas holidays is said to be in imitation of the Three Kings who came to the stable in Bethlehem bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh for the newborn King, but I like to think of it as being a form of self denial, shopping for and making for others, then making the gift beautiful, swathing it in warm colored paper & tying it up with a bow.

He Who made man also redeemed him by the utterly perfect gift on the Cross, and still does today by the resurrected love which is offered to transform each and every one of us every time we take holy communion. As we pursue the goal of conforming our lives to Christ's and His Blessed Mother's, at this time of year we get a glimmer that they are lives of perfect giving. As we hand each other material gifts this holiday season, let us remember to give ourselves also, in perfect love.

Saint Nicholas
art credit: julius kronberg
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The Carpenter's Son

To the "Christians"

By Francis Adams

Take, then, your paltry Christ,

Your gentleman God.

We want the carpenter's son,

With his saw and hod.

We want the man who loved

The poor and the oppressed.

Who rebuked the Rich man and King

And the Scribe and the Priest.

We want the Galilean

Who knew cross and rod.

It's your "good taste"

that prefers

A bastard "God"!

"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." Mahatma Gandhi

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.--Mother Teresa

An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind. - Gandhi

"It is for us the living...to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us --...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." -Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

"...and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8

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Prostitutes Will Enter the Kingdom of Heaven Before Us

I am spending the day contemplating tomorrow's Gospel. Off to work now but still contemplating ~ I'm turning it into a "walking meditation".

Here is the basis of my ruminations:

ZENIT

Prostitutes Will Enter the Kingdom Before You
Gospel Commentary for 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap

ROME, SEPT. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).-QUOTE "Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, "Son, go out and work in the vineyard today." He said in reply, "I will not," but afterward changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, "Yes, sir," but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?' They answered, ‘The first.'"
The son who says "yes" and does "no" represents those who knew God and followed his law to a certain extent but did not accept Christ, who was "the fulfillment of the law." The son who says "no" and does "yes" represents those who once lived outside the law and will of God, but then, with Christ, thought again and welcomed the Gospel.
From this Jesus draws the following conclusion before the chief priests and elders: "Truly, I say to you, even the publicans and prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of God before you."UNQUOTE

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Welcome!

Welcome To The Rosemary Tree

I am hopeful of providing a little respite from the junk-food of politics, finance, doom & gloom, peak oil/climate change and celebrity hoohah.Here we strive for a rest in the shade, some cool water and a little civility, if not chivalry. This blog is dedicated to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint Patrick, Saint Deborah and the glorious Bridget of Kildare. I very much like the line about the ancient knight - "His helmet now shall make a hive for bees;"probably because my name Deborah means "the bee" in Hebrew, so I have always enjoyed references to them. It's also reminiscent of " beating swords into plough shares" a sentiment I also approve of.

Thank you for visiting the site, hope you return!

~ Pax Christi,

Deborah

P.S. Please visit our new sponsors which we are very proud to be associated with, Mystic Monk Coffee (real Catholic monks, fair trade/organic coffee) Accents In The Garden and Nature Hills Nursery.

Holy Transfiguration

Thou wast transfigured on the mountain,

O Christ, our God,

showing to Thy disciples Thy glory as each one could endure.

Shine forth Thou on us, who are sinners all,

Thy light ever-unending. Through the prayers of the Theotokos,

Light-Bestower, glory to Thee.

(Dismissal Hymn - Feast of the Holy Transfiguration/Grave Tone)

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Matthew 17:1-9

1 And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: 2 And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow. 3 And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him.
6 And the disciples hearing, fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them: and said to them, Arise, and fear not. 8 And they lifting up their eyes saw no one but only Jesus. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: Tell the vision to no man, till the Son of man be risen from the dead.

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The Feast of the Transfiguration is always a wonderful day for me. It was on this day I was ordained a Protestant minister back in 1976 "in another lifetime" as they say ~ and while I am now an Eastern Rite Catholic, all the paths which brought me here were good ones and full of Light...it is my favorite Aunt's birthday (Happy birthday, Aunt Patricia!) and the icon of my patron saint, Saint Deborah (Old Testament) has this inscription: "Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded saying, come and draw nigh Mount Tabor?" Deborah and the Holy Transfiguration go together in my mind like bees and honey.

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Lord Jesus, I was your shield-maiden who desired to be knight-errant: and now I am your unhumble beads-woman, praying for the lost, fighting her pride, who wishes to be useful to you as heartily as I did in days gone by.

Transfigure us into something suitable for You. Amen.

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WALL-E and the Ancient Eschaton

I have the habit of going to kid's movies that look promising, a sometime touching and rewarding adventure or oft a misspent, trite bit of froofroo. I do look forward to this one, and hope it lives up to this review from The CedarRoom. Be sure and click on over & read the rest.

QUOTE The same might be said of some people I know, as well. If only they had nothing, no money and no influence and nobody to listen to them, well, then they might bloom into white orchids. There's something about having lots of money and lots of power that makes even good men slow to speak Jesus Christ to you. Imagining the end of the world, hoping for it, is like imagining everyone stripped of all those things that hold them back from God; we all become the rich young ruler, and God helps us to part with our things, and we give all our profit to the Poor, Who is Christ, and then We follow Him unencumbered. We are already mad, Lord. If you would just make our nails grow long and put us out in the pasture to eat grass for seven years, maybe we could hear You when it was all finished. UNQUOTE