Liturgy of the Word Isaiah 40”4-9a, Palm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Mark 14:1—15:47

“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” In our scripture today about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday, “the one” refers to Jesus. He is the one who has come in God’s name to incarnate God’s love in our world, to shepherd us through life, to show us the way home to God. Jesus was blessed in everything he said and did throughout his earthly pilgrimage.

Looking at Jesus’ life, we can see that being blessed doesn’t mean everything is always easy: born in a stable, fled into exile, misunderstood and rejected, chased out of town, challenged by spiritual authorities, betrayed, denied, flogged, and crucified. Yet through it all, Jesus knew he was one with the Father, that the presence of God was sustaining him day by day.

That is the blessing that is ours as we take up our cross and follow Christ Jesus on our journey through life. We can trust that nothing can separate us from the love of God; as Paul testifies, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.8:38) The Holy One is with us every step of our pilgrimage, using whatever comes our way to bring us to wholeness and holiness.