Remembering as Reliving

Devotional Reflection, Monday,  April 14, 2025

Monday in Holy Week

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!’ 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: 15‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’ 16His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.

You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 956)

AM Psalm 51:1-18(19-20); PM Psalm 69:1-23

Jer. 12:1-16; Phil. 3:1-14; John 12:9-19

David's Reflections

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, a day when we reenact Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.  It marks the beginning of Holy Week, our annual reliving of the events of Jesus' last week, climaxing in the Last Supper, his betrayal, death, and resurrection.  Why do we repeat the ritual of the Palm Sunday procession and repeat the events of Holy Week annually?

I grew up and served as a minister and seminary teacher in a nonliturgical tradition, Southern Baptist, in which we only had two basic holy days each year, Christmas and Easter.  After seminary, I found myself thirsting for more, for ways to relive the events of Jesus’ life and salvation history and bring them into the present.  That was one of the reasons I became an Episcopalian.

In the liturgy, the rituals of our worship, we indeed do relive the events of our salvation.  We enter another kind of time, sacred time, where clocks and calendars do not mark the moments;  rather, the events of our salvation history keep the time and allow us to re-experience in the present moment the saving significance of those events in which God worked our salvation.  We walk with Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  We sit at his last table, share in the institution of the Holy Eucharist, and have our feet washed on Maundy Thursday.  We stay up with him through that night in Gethsemane in the Maundy Thursday vigil.  We wait on Good Friday at the foot of the cross.  We relive his body lying in the tomb on Holy Saturday.  We celebrate his resurrection in the Great Vigil of Easter and Easter Sunday.

The technical term for this unique experience of time is called anamnesis, a Greek term for remembering. Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me.” When we experience one of those holy moments, we do more than call them to mind.  Through the Spirit’s activity, we actually enter into the events themselves, the saving power of those past moments comes into our experience now.

I have found myself on Palm Sunday reflecting on Jesus' state of mind during his entry into the city, recalling his weeping over the city as recorded in Luke, and wondering just how lonely he must have felt surrounded by such adoring crowds but facing so much misunderstanding and hostility from the religious leadership. That reflection sparks in response to the ritual--holding a palm leaf, singing in procession, and hearing the Passion Gospel read.  The events of the liturgy take me to that moment in Jesus' life and make me a participant.

As the Roman Catholic scholar Aidan Kavanagh observed, " . . . worship broadly conceived gives rise to theological reflection rather than the other way around." + We actually do our theology in our worship.  Wherever you may worship, I hope you will devote this Triduum (Maundy Thursday through Holy Saturday) to gathering with that community to relive the events of these three uniquely significant days for our faith, to remembering in the full sense of the term.

Join me in asking Spirit to bring the power of those moments into your individual and church experience in each act of worship this week. Join me in seeking to remember in the sense of reliving and participating in those moments through the Spirit.

+Aidan Kavanagh, On Liturgical Theology (New York: Pueblo, 1984), p. 3

Collect of the Day, Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 219)

Collect for Monday in Holy Week

Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (BCP, 220)

A Collect for the Renewal of Life

O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP, 99)

Of the Holy Spirit

Almighty and most merciful God, grant that by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit we may be enlightened and strengthened for your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 252)

A Prayer for Light

Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy that, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine into our hearts the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP, 110)

A Collect for Mission

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified:  Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Daily Office Gospel, John 12:9-19

9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!’ 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: 15‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’ 16His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. 17So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. 18It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. 19The Pharisees then said to one another, ‘You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!’

Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common PrayerMorning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common PrayerNoonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common PrayerOrder of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer