My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
 revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24.

Here are the complete readings for Sunday, April 13, 2025.

(“Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem” by Alexey Smirnov)

Contemplate the entire collection of readings for this Palm Sunday day as we enter into Holy Week. I chose to highlight Psalm 22 today because of the connection to Jesus’ last words prior to his death. Also, I have always appreciated the arc of this psalm. The narrator goes from despair to confidence over the course of each of the stanzas. Note that at the end, the person is not relieved of suffering and stress, but is emboldened by the presence of God they’d questioned at first. This psalm is about hope. That is the basis of all belief. It is not always rational, but life is not rational either. Hope can appear in the smallest and most barren of spaces, but hope has a special power. It grows, gradually but then exponentially, whatever the circumstances. Our life’s arc is limited to space and time, but hope is forever, like our God.

 Gradually,
you will realize
that the cost of your discipleship
is your very life,
freely consecrated to God
and offered to the world
as a sign of God’s love and care.
The gift you have received
give as a gift.
You have promised
to follow Christ, the poor man,
totally given in love to God
and for all people everywhere,
and whose loving obedience led Him
to death on the cross. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, we thank you for the people in our lives who have been Christ for us. They respond to our suffering with compassion and walk the journey with us. They give of themselves with humble joy. The simplest encounters with them are rich with meaning. Their passion exudes a zeal that can sustain us in the darkest of trials. We trust in you, O Lord, that your presence and love transcends even death.

Amen

(“The Isenheim Crucifixion” by Matthias Grunewald)