Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

March 29, 2026 • Week 37

God greatly exalted [Christ] and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. — Philippians 2:9

Hosanna!

“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9). With these words the Church enters the holiest of weeks, commemorating the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. When the people of Jerusalem cried out with their “hosannas,” they were using an ancient Hebrew shout of acclamation that meant “Pray, save us.” The king to whom they were shouting eventually would save them, but in a way that would be far from what they expected. Salvation would come from the wood of the cross as Jesus hung there to bring freedom from sin and life through death, opening the gates of heaven for all who put their faith and trust in him.

The Visit to the Seven Churches

On Holy Thursday evening, once the Blessed Sacrament has been transferred to the altar of repose and exposed for the adoration of the faithful, there is a popular tradition of visiting seven churches or temples.

This tradition began thanks to the Eucharistic fervor of St. Philip Neri (1515–1595), encouraging people to visit the churches for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament while also meditating on the seven moments or “visits” that Jesus made on the night of his trial.

The meditation begins in the Garden of Olives and concludes at Calvary. The fact that Jesus was taken from one place to another is remembered in a context of faith and adoration of his real presence in the Holy Eucharist.

There is no established ritual for the visits; however, the popular practice is to pray a station before the Blessed Sacrament (three Our Fathers, including a Hail Mary, Glory Be, and a Eucharistic ejaculatory prayer) and then to leave a moment of silence to accompany Jesus in his agony. The final visit should be at one’s home parish.

Announcements

Holy Week Schedule

Sunday, March 29 — 9:00 AM & 12:00 PM (Spanish)

Monday, March 30 — 8:30 AM

Tuesday, March 31 — 8:30 AM

Wednesday, April 1 — 8:30 AM

Holy Thursday, April 2 — 7:00 PM, followed by Adoration until 9:00 PM

Good Friday, April 3 — 6:00 PM

Holy Saturday, April 4 — 7:30 PM

Easter Sunday, April 5 — 9:00 AM & 12:00 PM (Spanish)

Parish Events & Notices

Confirmation Retreat — Tuesday, March 31, from 4:30–9:00 PM.

CCD & RCIA — Classes meet today at 10:15 AM. Classes will not meet on Easter.

Live Stations of the Cross — Our Hispanic Community will present live Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, April 3, at 4:00 PM. Everyone is welcome.

Easter Egg Hunt — Next Sunday after the 9:00 AM Mass. Don’t forget your baskets!

Holy Land Collection — There will be a collection for the Holy Land on Good Friday, April 3.

Easter Flower Donations — Envelopes are on the tables in the hall and vestibule if you would like to make a donation for Easter flowers in memory of a loved one.

Chrism Mass — Bishop J. Mark Spalding invites all the faithful to the annual Chrism Mass at 6:30 PM on Tuesday of Holy Week, March 31, at Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Church in the Catholic Pastoral Center (2800 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN). Church doors open at 5:30 PM. A reception begins at 4:30 PM in Unity Hall. All are welcome.

Online Giving — Use the parish QR code to make your donation online.

Today’s Readings

Gospel at the Procession with Palms — Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1– 11).

First Reading — In spite of my sufferings I am not disgraced. I am not put to shame (Isaiah 50:4–7).

Psalm — My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Psalm 22).

Second Reading — Christ emptied himself, and God filled this emptiness with exaltation (Philippians 2:6–11).

Gospel — The account of Christ’s passion according to Matthew (Matthew 26:14 — 27:66 [27:11–54]).

Readings for the Week

Monday: Is 42:1–7; Ps 27:1–3, 13–14; Jn 12:1–11

Tuesday: Is 49:1–6; Ps 71:1–6, 15, 17; Jn 13:21–33, 36–38

Wednesday: Is 50:4–9a; Ps 69:8–10, 21–22, 31, 33–34; Mt 26:14–25

Thursday (Lord’s Supper): Ex 12:1–8, 11–14; Ps 116:12–13, 15–16bc, 17–18; 1 Cor 11:23–26; Jn 13:1–15

Friday: Is 52:13 — 53:12; Ps 31:2, 6, 12–13, 15–17, 25; Heb 4:14–16; 5:7–9; Jn 18:1 — 19:42

Saturday (Easter Vigil): Multiple readings from Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Baruch, Ezekiel, Romans; Ps 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23; Mt 28:1–10

Next Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37–43; Ps 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23; Col 3:1–4 or 1 Cor 5:6b– 8; Jn 20:1–9 or Mt 28:1–10

Reflecting on the Word

The only reason I wanted to go to church on Palm Sunday at first was for the palm leaves out of which I could create embellished crosses that would then be placed on the prayer table in our home. I did not really pay much attention to the lengthy reading of the Passion, not only because I was occupied with folding and twisting the palm leaf into a cross, but also because the liturgical cadence of the language was much more formal and poetic than my ten-year-old mind could comprehend.

My grandmother wept through the Passion reading, which I found simultaneously fascinating and embarrassing. Much later, I became a lector and participated in reading the Passion narrative and paid more attention to it. Now, with so much more life experience behind me, I can relate to so much of the narrative and the various characters in it. Over the years, I have put myself in the place of each of the characters, and now find it hard to be sharply judgmental of any character. They were all simply who they were. That could be me.

The very few times that I have put myself in Jesus’ place, I have been unable to remain in Jesus’ pain and anguish. Instead, I wondered how he found the courage to be a wrecking ball often aimed at the institutional establishment, despite knowing that he would face this torture and gruesome death. I wonder how he found the lovingkindness within himself to give to those around him even as he called them to a higher moral standard.

Why do people not like one who speaks in the prophetic voice? Because this calls us to humility and courage?

— Excerpted from Living the Word

Mission Statement

We, the members of Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church, recognize and respect our diverse and multicultural character. By the grace of God, we will nurture our spiritual community through prayer, service, and example to become one family in Christ.