Palm Sunday: a Prayer, A Poem, A Practice
A Palm Sunday Prayer
Holy One
You ride through this life
on the bony back of our stories,
on the spread of our hopes
You do not shun the confusion of our longings
or the brevity of our commitments.
You meet us in the midst of them
and by your Presence gather us close
and make us the more that we are.
We pray these words as a banner.
We lay them down as our love.
we linger in them so that we may become
Hosanna. (Catherine Smith)
Image: Palm Sunday by Kai Althoff
A Poem
A Sonnet for Palm Sunday
Now to the gate of my Jerusalem,
The seething holy city of my heart,
The saviour comes. But will I welcome him?
Malcolm Guite
(Read the whole poem here)
A Practice
On the eve of Palm Sunday look around your home or your yard or in a place that you walk for something that represents the best of you. Yes, the best of you! Keep it somewhere in the room where you sleep. Let yourself imagine the Palm Sunday gospel.
In the morning set your symbol in a special place praying this prayer.
Breathing in, I pause.
Breathing out I make space.
I accept this gift of myself.
I offer it to you.
Hosanna, my Love.
You may also want to sing this hymn.