Lenten Devotional 2021

A Lenten Devotional for 2021

A collection of reflections on the Lectionary readings by members of The Academy of Saint Elizabeth

PALM SUNDAY

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and marks the first day of Holy Week. It is important to note that the last miracle Jesus performed prior to His arrival was bringing Lazarus back to life, four days after his death and burial. Word of this miracle traveled and created much anticipation for His arrival. The people must have felt excited, hopeful, and curious about the stories and promises they’d heard from afar. Could this young man, riding a donkey symbolic of peace, be the prophet they had been waiting for? The Son of God entered through the Golden Gate or Eastern Gate, which was believed at the time to be where the Messiah would enter at the end of days.

As we reflect on this promising, hopeful journey into Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate, we can all relate to our own rituals and traditions that we use to symbolize the most meaningful celebrations we take part in. The branches of palm and articles of clothing laid in the roadway to welcome Jesus and His entourage were symbolic for an honorary guest but were also rooted in a common, useful purpose, keeping the honorary guest clean, free from dust or mud from the dirt roads. Additionally, palms during Roman times were symbolic of peace and purity. Waving palms and laying garments down allowed anyone who attended the processional to participate in the ritual as an individual as well as part of a greater whole.

To me, this day feels ominous, with a dark cloud overshadowing an otherwise promising, hopeful event. The miracle performed by Jesus with Lazarus, along with the people believing He is the King or Messiah, is reported to be the final straw for the Romans, sealing the fate of Jesus in the coming week.

When we have something looming in our life that causes distress, anxiety, or a sense of doom, we can counter the anticipation by centering and grounding ourselves and calling our attention to the present moment. If we allow the heaviness to take over our present moment, it robs us of our ability to experience and appreciate the gift of life. We can use rituals or meaningful symbols to draw our attention back to the present moment. Keeping a daily gratitude journal or using contemplative prayer, meditation, or a breathing exercise can all contribute to a healthy, grounded, spiritual awareness.

I believe we can know and observe the final week of Jesus’ life from the perspective of a consolidated lifetime. You can have a celebration like a homecoming or birth of a child along with death, grief, and suffering. Both experiences are acted out with meaningful rituals, traditions, and symbols commemorating the event whether it is joyous or sad. When we reflect on our own lifetime from a consolidated point of view, we will also observe the best times and worst times of our lives. We may come to realize that we didn’t have the ability to control many circumstances or every outcome. We do however have the ability to control how we see life​—​our perspective and perception, if you will. What we are given during Holy Week is the ability to detach from the outcome, to observe life and death for what it is in that moment, and to have Faith that it all has meaning and purpose. We can use these observations during Holy Week and in our daily lives to deepen our ability to experience love, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness for ourselves and others.

Megan Knight

Director of Development and Alumnae Relations