Use some or all of this reflection to help guide your personal journey through this week of Lent.
Reflect
We begin in earnest the week with Jesus, and his final Easter journey. It takes courage and also a certain steadfastness to hear again the age-old stories, stories that are familiar, yet… perhaps arrive in our lives now to bring us something new, something deeper… something calling us?
True love demands sacrifice, because true love is a transforming force and really is the birth pangs of union on a higher plane.
The recapitulation of the Lord’s prayer (private publication, British mystic, unknown)
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?
Excerpt from The Summer Day, Mary Oliver New and Selected Poems
Read
28After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ 32So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ 34They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ 35Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joy fully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38saying,
‘Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!
39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ 40He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’
Luke 19:28-40 (NRSVUE)
Ponder
- Jesus knows what is coming in this time.
- Despite this, he chooses to continue toward Jerusalem
- What must the Son of God, the man, Jesus have been feeling?
- Can you sit with what your thoughts and feelings are but also take a moment to suspend your images and place your self in Jesus shoes.
- In what ways does love pull you forward even in difficult or disheartening or troubling situations?
- Could you have gone on to Jerusalem?
Do
- Is there someone you can offer to join in some way as they walk toward their Jerusalem?
If not now, perhaps in the future?
- This is the week leading up to Eater. It is called Holy week.
There is a Hebrew word for Holy -qadash; it means to be set apart.
Can you set apart a piece of each day this week -no matter what you’ve done until now or might do after Easter…for these next days, set aside a time to simply be where Jesus is, to be in his experiences, to ponder his feelings, his thoughts, his choices….To Love Him.
Prayer
Jesus, help me to truly be with you in this week.
Listen
Here are some songs that you may like to listen to as you reflect on the week.
In the Night Andrew Peterson. The first version is a live recording in valley of stones, the second has the lyrics on screen and some animation.
For a printable PDF of the text of this reflection please click on the link below.
