Year 37 No.

51 Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion / Alay Kapwa Sunday (B) — Red March 24, 2024
World Youth Day

OBEDIENT TO THE FATHER PART I: THE COMMEMORATION

by Fr. Arnel Aquino, SJ OF THE LORD’S ENTRANCE
INTO JERUSALEM
W e were all encouraged to make
guilt the overall atmosphere
of Semana Santa. To think about
ailed them. I freed the hungry from
hunger by feeding them. I freed the
lame by making them walk, the blind
Solemn Procession (First Form)
our sins, to feel guilty over them is
(The people, with their palm
by making them see, the lonely
the best, and in fact the right way by befriending them. I freed the branches, gather in a suitable place
to commemorate Holy Week—to burdened by teaching them about outside the church. Wearing a red
make it all about our fault, our fault, a loving Father.” “Did you know cope, the priest joins the assembly
our most grievous fault. It means to that you’d be hated for all that?” and begins the celebration. The
look up at the cross and say, “I did “I eventually did. But that didn’t following antiphon or another
that to Jesus.” But today, especially stop me.” “Why not? Why did you appropriate song is sung.)
among the younger Catholics, fewer keep freeing people?” “(Sigh). I was
and fewer understand why guilt obeying my Father. And I myself felt Antiphon (Mt 21:9)
should be the atmosphere of Lent that that was what the Father put me
and Holy Week, even when it is in this world for, freeing people. It Hosanna to the Son of David;
repeatedly said that Jesus died for was the meaning of my life. Naku, blessed is he who comes in the
our sins, because of our sins, to save hijo, you have to feel what I felt when name of the Lord, the King of
us from our sins. I saw the faces of people who got Israel: Hosanna in the highest.
I’m not saying that is wrong. In healed, got fed, exorcised, inspired.
You have to feel it for yourself so that Greeting
a manner of speaking, the sins of (The sign of the cross is made here.)
the world put the innocent Son of you’ll understand why I kept doing
God on the cross. And for sure, the it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in
the world.” “Not even for your life?”
P—The Lord be with you.
religious authorities who put Jesus on All—And with your spirit.
the cross were guilty of a great sin. “Not even for my life. If I were to
But today it has become harder to live my earthly life again, I’d keep Introduction
understand—and harder to explain setting people free even if they kill
me again. I’d die setting people (The priest may use this introduction
especially to the young—why Jesus
free. Even on my last breath, I set or similar words.)
had to die when (a) we still sin even
when we say the cross saved us from one more guy free, remember? The
thief?” Incidentally, Barrabas was a P—Dear brethren (brothers and
sin, and (b) we still have to seek
freedom fighter, too. But Barrabas sisters), since the beginning of
God’s forgiveness even when we
say Jesus died for the forgiveness murdered for the cause, he killed for Lent until now we have prepared
of sins. I am not saying it is wrong freedom. Jesus, on the other hand our hearts by penance and
to connect the cross to our fault, freed by giving new life. Biggest charitable works. Today we
our fault, our most grievous fault, irony? Even Barrabas was freed by gather together to herald with
especially during Semana Santa. But Jesus’ captivity! Even in that strange the whole Church the beginning
I wonder how we could pass that state of affairs, in suffering and in of the celebration of our Lord’s
onto the next generation when even near-death, Jesus kept freeing.
Paschal Mystery, his Passion
we ourselves understand it less and Now that is so much easier and Resurrection. For it was to
less. I wonder, too, if Jesus himself to explain. It is much easier to
thinks that his death is only about understand, and it makes more
accomplish this mystery that he
our sins, our sins, our most grievous sense to us and to our children: entered his own city of Jerusalem.
sins. I cannot keep looking at the that Jesus died on the cross on the Therefore, with all faith and
cross and think that God willed for first Good Friday because he was devotion, let us commemorate
that to happen to his Son, so that obedient to the loving Father all the Lord’s entry into the city for
God’s heart would soften enough to his life. He kept freeing and freeing our salvation, following in his
forgive the sins of the world. and freeing, until they stopped him footsteps, so that, being made by
“He humbled himself, becoming so he could free no more. With his grace partakers of the Cross,
obedient to the point of death, even that, the focus of Holy Week is we may have a share also in his
death on a cross.” Doesn’t that not so much on our fault, our fault,
our most grievous fault—and how Resurrection and in his life.
passage from Paul make more sense
today? Imagine a child asking Jesus: they put Jesus on the cross so that
“Why did you die on the cross?” God would forgive us. Instead, the Blessing of Palms
“Well, sweetheart, they killed me focus this time is our Lord himself,
because I kept setting people free.” obedient to the Father, lived for P—Let us pray. (Pause)
“How did you set people free?” one reason: to free people of their Almighty ever-living God,
“Well, I freed the sick from what deepest burdens and even to die sanctify (†) these branches
 Amante

  
Fm C7 Fm
with your blessing, that we, acclaimed Jesus in Jerusalem,
      
who follow Christ the King let us go forth in peace. 
in exultation, may reach the All—In the name of Christ. My God, my God,
eternal Jerusalem through him. Amen.
Who lives and reigns for (Processional Song)

   
B♭m
  
3

ever and ever.

All—Amen.
PART II: MASS why have you
(In silence, the priest sprinkles the
palm branches with holy water.) (When the priest reaches the altar,
  
   
Fm C7 Fm
he kisses it. He removes his cope and

4

Gospel of the Lord’s Entrance    

into Jerusalem (Mk 11:1–10)
puts on a red chasuble. Then he begins 
the Mass with the Collect.) a ban doned me?

Collect 1. All who see me scoff at me;/

P—The Lord be with you. they mock me with parted lips,
All—And with your spirit. they wag their heads:/ “He
P—Let us pray. (Pause)
P—A reading from the holy Almighty, ever-living God, relied on the L ord ; let him
Gospel according to Mark who as an example of humility deliver him,/ let him rescue
All—Glory to you, O Lord. for the human race to follow him, if he loves him.” (R)
WHEN Jesus and his disciples caused our Savior to take 2. Indeed, many dogs surround
drew near to Jerusalem, to flesh and submit to the Cross, me,/ a pack of evildoers closes
graciously grant that we may in upon me;/ They have pierced
Bethphage and Bethany at the my hands and my feet;/ I can
Mount of Olives, he sent two of heed his lesson of patient
suffering and so merit a share count all my bones. (R)
his disciples and said to them,
in his Resurrection. 3. They divide my garments
“Go into the village opposite among them,/ and for my
Who lives and reigns with you
you, and immediately on entering in the unity of the Holy Spirit, vesture they cast lots./ But you,
it, you will find a colt tethered God, for ever and ever. O Lord, be not far from me;/ O
on which no one has ever sat. All—Amen. my help, hasten to aid me. (R)
Untie it and bring it here. If 4. I will proclaim your name
anyone should say to you, ‘Why THE
are you doing this?’ reply, ‘The THE Liturgy
LITURGY to my brethren;/ in the midst of
the assembly I will praise you:/
of
OF the
THE word
WORD “You who fear the Lord, praise
Master has need of it and will
send it back here at once.’” So First Reading (Is 50:4–7) (Sit) him;/ all you descendants of
they went off and found a colt Jacob, give glory to him;/ revere
tethered at a gate outside on the This mysterious Servant prefigures him, all you descendants of
street, and they untied it. Some Jesus who identifies himself as Israel!” (R)
of the bystanders said to them, the Servant who frees all people. Second Reading (Phil 2:6–11)
“What are you doing, untying A reading from the Book of
the colt?” They answered them The glory of Jesus comes from the
the Prophet Isaiah total emptying of self. His passion
just as Jesus had told them to,
THE LORD God has given me and death are his exaltation.
and they permitted them to do
a well-trained tongue, that I A reading from the Letter of
it. So they brought the colt to Saint Paul to the Philippians
might know how to speak to the
Jesus and put their cloaks over
weary a word that will rouse CHRIST JESUS, though he
it. And he sat on it. Many people them. Morning after morning
spread their cloaks on the road, was in the form of God, did
he opens my ear that I may not regard equality with God
and others spread leafy branches hear; and I have not rebelled,
that they had cut from the fields. something to be grasped.
have not turned back. I gave Rather, he emptied himself,
Those preceding him as well as my back to those who beat taking the form of a slave,
those following kept crying out: me, my cheeks to those who coming in human likeness, and
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who plucked my beard; my face I found human in appearance,
comes in the name of the Lord! did not shield from buffets and he humbled himself, becoming
Blessed is the kingdom of our spitting. obedient to the point of death,
father David that is to come! The Lord God is my help, even death on a cross. Because
Hosanna in the highest!” therefore I am not disgraced; of this, God greatly exalted him
I have set my face like flint, and bestowed on him the name
—The Gospel of the Lord. knowing that I shall not be put which is above every name,
All—Praise to you, Lord Jesus to shame. that at the name of Jesus every
Christ. knee should bend, of those in
—The word of the Lord.
All—Thanks be to God. heaven and on earth and under
(A brief homily may be given.)
the earth, and every tongue
Procession to the Church Responsorial Psalm (Ps 22) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
P—Dear brethren (brothers and R—My God, my God, why have —The word of the Lord.
sisters), like the crowds who you abandoned me? All—Thanks be to God.
Verse before the Gospel N—They shouted again, THE CHRIST, THE KING OF
(Phil 2:8–9) (Stand) C—“CRUCIFY HIM.” ISRAEL, COME DOWN NOW
N—Pilate said to them, FROM THE CROSS THAT WE
All—Christ became obedient
to the point of death, even P—“Why? What evil has he MAY SEE AND BELIEVE.”
death on a cross. Because of done?” N—Those who were crucified
this, God greatly exalted him N—They only shouted the with him also kept abusing him.
and bestowed on him the name louder, At noon darkness came over
which is above every name. C—“CRUCIFY HIM.” the whole land until three in the
N—So Pilate, wishing to satisfy afternoon. And at three o’clock
Gospel the crowd, released Barabbas Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
(Mk 15:1-39) (Short Form) to them and, after he had Jesus J—“Eloi, Eloi, lema
scourged, handed him over to sabachthani?”
(The Proclamation of the Gospel is be crucified. N—which is translated,
read without candles nor incense; The soldiers led him away J—“My God, my God, why
the greeting and the sign of the cross inside the palace, that is, the have you forsaken me?”
are omitted.) praetorium, and assembled the N—Some of the bystanders
whole cohort. They clothed who heard it said,
(J—Jesus, N—Narrator, P—
Pilate and Individual Speaker, him in purple and, weaving C—“LOOK, HE IS CALLING
C—Crowd) a crown of thorns, placed it ELIJAH.”
on him. They began to salute N—One of them ran, soaked
The Passion of our Lord Jesus him with, a sponge with wine, put it on
Christ according to Mark C—“HAIL, KING OF THE a reed and gave it to him to
N—As soon as morning came, JEWS!” drink saying,
the chief priests with the elders N—and kept striking his head P—“Wait, let us see if Elijah
and the scribes, that is, the with a reed and spitting upon comes to take him down.”
whole Sanhedrin, held a him. They knelt before him in N—Jesus gave a loud cry and
council. They bound Jesus, led homage. And when they had breathed his last.
him away, and handed him over mocked him, they stripped him (Here all kneel and pause for a
to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, of the purple cloak, dressed him short time.)
P—“Are you the king of the in his own clothes, and led him
out to crucify him. N—The veil of the sanctuary
Jews?” was torn in two from top to
N—He said to him in reply, They pressed into service a
passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, bottom. When the centurion
J—“You say so.” who stood facing him saw how
N—The chief priests accused who was coming in from the
country, the father of Alexander he breathed his last he said,
him of many things. Again P—“Truly this man was the
Pilate questioned him, and Rufus, to carry his cross.
They brought him to the Son of God!”
P—“Have you no answer? See
how many things they accuse place of Golgotha—which is —The Gospel of the Lord.
you of.” translated Place of the Skull. All—Praise to you, Lord Jesus
N—Jesus gave him no further They gave him wine drugged Christ.
answer, so that Pilate was with myrrh, but he did not
amazed. take it. Then they crucified Homily (Sit)
Now on the occasion of him and divided his garments
by casting lots for them to see Profession of Faith (Stand)
the feast he used to release
to them one prisoner whom what each should take. It was All—I believe in God, the
they requested. A man called nine o’clock in the morning Father almighty, Creator of
Barabbas was then in prison when they crucified him. The heaven and earth, and in Jesus
along with the rebels who inscription of the charge against Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
had committed murder in a him read, “The King of the who was conceived by the
rebellion. The crowd came Jews.” With him they crucified Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin
forward and began to ask two revolutionaries, one on his Mary, suffered under Pontius
him to do for them as he was right and one on his left. Those Pilate, was crucified, died and
accustomed. Pilate answered, passing by reviled him, shaking was buried; he descended
P—“Do you want me to release their heads and saying, into hell; on the third day he
C — “A H A ! YO U W H O rose again from the dead; he
to you the king of the Jews?” ascended into heaven, and
N—For he knew that it was out WO U L D D E S T R OY T H E
TEMPLE AND REBUILD IT IN is seated at the right hand
of envy that the chief priests had of God the Father almighty;
handed him over. But the chief THREE DAYS, SAVE YOURSELF
BY COMING DOWN FROM from there he will come to
priests stirred up the crowd to judge the living and the dead.
have him release Barabbas for THE CROSS.” I believe in the Holy Spirit,
them instead. Pilate again said N—Likewise the chief priests, the holy catholic Church,
to them in reply, with the scribes, mocked him the communion of saints,
P—“Then what do you want among themselves and said, the forgiveness of sins, the
me to do with the man you call C—“HE SAVED OTHERS; HE resurrection of the body, and
the king of the Jews?” CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF. LET life everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Faithful
P—Let us pray to our heavenly
Father, who willed that all
h u m a n b e i n g s b e s ave d
through the passion, death,
and resurrection of his Son
Jesus Christ. We pray:
R —Through the passion of
Christ, listen to our prayer.
C—May Pope Francis, bishops,
priests, and deacons continue
to profess their faith in God in
an indifferent and sometimes
hostile world. We pray: (R)
C—May government and civil
leaders follow the example of
Christ, who came not to be served
but to serve and to give his life
for the good of the people. We
pray: (R)
C—May we support the Alay
Kapwa program as our way of
responding to the challenges
of restoring social justice and Preface: The Passion of the Lord All—Lord, I am not worthy ...
helping the weak and the needy.
We pray: (R)
P—The Lord be with you. Communion Antiphon (Mt 26:42)
All—And with your spirit.
C — May those who continue to P—Lift up your hearts. Father, if this chalice cannot
crucify Jesus by acts of violence pass without my drinking it,
All—We lift them up to the Lord. your will be done.
against their brothers and sisters P—Let us give thanks to the
be led to the road of repentance Lord our God. Prayer after Communion (Stand)
and atone for the evils they have All—It is right and just.
done. We pray: (R) P—Let us pray. (Pause)
C—Let us pray for the urgent P—It is truly right and just, Nourished with these sacred
concerns of our community and our duty and our salvation, gifts, we humbly beseech you,
always and everywhere to give O Lord, that, just as through
our personal intentions (pause). the death of your Son you have
We pray: (R) you thanks, Lord, holy Father,
almighty and eternal God, brought us to hope for what we
P—Father, look tenderly on believe, so by his Resurrection
through Christ our Lord. you may lead us to where you
your children. As we follow
For, though innocent, he call.
Christ in the joy of his entrance
suffered willingly for sinners and Through Christ our Lord.
to Jerusalem, as well as in
accepted unjust condemnation All—Amen.
the pains of his sacrifice on
to save the guilty. His Death THE CONCLUDING RITES
Calvary, may we be worthy to
has washed away our sins, and
enter your kingdom. P—The Lord be with you.
his Resurrection has purchased
Through Christ our Lord. All—And with your spirit.
our justification.
All—Amen. And so, with all the Angels, Prayer over the People
THE we praise you, as in joyful P—Bow down for the blessing.
THELiturgy of
LITURGY OF celebration we, too, acclaim: (Pause)
the
THEeucharist
EUCHARIST All—Holy, Holy, Holy...(Kneel) Look, we pray, O Lord,
Presentation of the Gifts (Stand) Acclamation (Stand) on this your family, for whom
P—Pray, brethren… our Lord Jesus Christ did not
All—We proclaim your Death O hesitate to be delivered into the
All—May the Lord accept ... Lord and profess your resurrection hands of the wicked and submit
Prayer over the Offerings until you come again. to the agony of the Cross.
P—Through the Passion of your Who lives and reigns for
THE COMMUNION RITE ever and ever.
Only Begotten Son, O Lord, may The Lord’s Prayer
our reconciliation with you be All—Amen.
near at hand, so that, though we All—Our Father… P—And may almighty God
do not merit it by our own deeds, P—Deliver us, Lord… bless you, the Father, and the
All—For the kingdom ... Son, (†) and the Holy Spirit.
yet by this sacrifice made once All—Amen.
for all, we may feel already the Invitation to Peace
effects of your mercy. Dismissal
Through Christ our Lord. Invitation to Communion (Kneel) P—Go forth, the Mass is ended.
All—Amen. P—Behold the Lamb of God... All—Thanks be to God.