Gospel Reflections for April 5 2020
Follow me!
On this Palm Sunday we normally receive palms to wave as the people in the Gospel waved palms and celebrated the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem. Not so for this Covid-19 year.
You must celebrate this event not as a parish community gathered together but staying in your home.
Nevertheless, you can celebrate the most central event of this Gospel no matter where you are.
This account of His last days always recalls the very first days of His ministry, when He walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and called His first disciples together.
He began His invitation with two simple words, and they remain today the entire summary of what it means to be Catholic. These two words encompass everything you need to know about your faith and how to live it well, no matter where you are.
Jesus looks at each person directly in the eye and simply says, “Follow me.” What else do you have to know? That is the whole summary of our faith. In every moment of your life, even while staying in your home, you must seek only to follow the example of Our Lord.
As the crowd physically followed Jesus into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, decide to follow Him all this week as well, by joining with Our Lord in our Holy Week video services online at stbrunochurch.org.
Follow Him on Holy Thursday, and celebrate the Last Supper He shared with His disciples. He knew you would need His presence with you after He was gone so He left His Eucharistic presence to encourage you with His love for you each and every week.
Follow Him on Good Friday in His Way of the Cross and His crucifixion on Calvary. You can see just how much suffering He would endure out of love for you. You can ponder His amazing words from the Cross as He asks God to “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Follow Him on Easter Sunday, when you can celebrate His resurrection …and the victory of the way of Christ over death and all suffering when He rose from the dead.
No other person in history has ever risen from the dead so the life of Our Lord is worth taking seriously, even if you are staying at home.
His way works for true and lasting happiness for those who follow Him!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Hi Fr. Dave, A miraculous vision was given to a Messianic Jewish Rabbi, Felix Halpern who wrote President Trump March 7 about the importance of us as a nation pray Psalm 91 to defeat the virus. “Abide in the shelter of the Most High” He also sent a copy of the letter to his Messianic Jewish friend Sid Roth. Please see the March 10 recorded Livestream video on YouTube. We are encouraged as a nation to pray for forgiveness of our sin. President Trump’s proclamation of National day of Prayer indeed references Psalm 91, and as Sid says 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If we humble ourselves and pray….will heal their land.” Many Blessings, in Jesus’s name. Dennis
Thanks for all the information!
I loved ur reflections. To me this is a time of reflecting. When I hear the Gospel message for Sunday I think about Peter and how he denied Jesus 3 times. I think of the things I have done to deny Him. As that is what sin does.
At the end of it all I am grateful that I know the end and He is a forgiving God.
Right now as I see what is happening, it is a time to be Jesus to others. What a great way to spend Easter.
Pete and I remember one of your quotes,
“It’s not where you are, it’s who you are”
We will enter Holy Week in our hearts and be grateful for technology and the roof over our heads. Thank you for your inspiring words every week. Stay well, dear friend !
Beautiful reflection Father Dave!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the precious words ” Follow Me” and we do so much in love of our Jesus!! We will follow our Jesus in love this Holy week from our homes for our precious Jesus lives in us when we received Him in Holy Communion!! He is one with us always whether at home or elsewhere!!!We look forward though coming back to our Masses with our precious priests and receiving our precious Lord once again in love sacramentally soooooooooooooooooo our loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee grows and grows!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee our Jesus and loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you Father Dave and all our priests who share our precious Jesus always with us!! You all are a gift of LOVE to us!!! We are sooooooooooooooooooooooo blessed!!!
Fr. Dave.,
You outlined the whole of Holy Week in a great way. Thank you & Amen to all that you said
I will follow you Jesus
God bless
Jane