SPIRITUAL COMMUNION - PALM SUNDAY, March 28, 2021

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

PALM SUNDAY

March 28, 2021

Celebrant: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.

People: His mercy endures for ever.

Celebrant: COLLECT

Almighty and everlasting God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself 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 come to 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.

THE LESSONS (Please read and reflect on the Lessons prior to the Spiritual Communion Zoom Gathering. We will offer the Passion Narrative according to Mark during our time together.)

FIRST LESSON: A Reading from Isaiah 52:13-53:12

He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;[a] he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.

14 As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

15 so shall he sprinkle[b] many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?[c] And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected[d] by men, a man of sorrows[e] and acquainted with[f] grief;[g] and as one from whom men hide their faces[h] he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;[i] when his soul makes[j] an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[k] and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[l] and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[m] because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

PSALM 22

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, *

and are so far from my cry, and from the words of my complaint?

2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not hear; *

in the night season also, but I find no rest.

3 But you remain holy, *

enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers hoped in you; *

they trusted in you, and you delivered them.

5 They called upon you, and were delivered; *

they put their trust in you, and were not confounded.

6 But as for me, I am a worm, and no man, *

scorned by all, and the outcast of the people.

7 All those who see me laugh me to scorn; *

they curl their lips, and shake their heads, saying,

8 “He trusted in God, that he would deliver him; *

let him deliver him, if he will have him.”

9 But you are he that took me out of my mother’s womb; *

you were my hope, when I was yet upon my mother’s breasts.

10 I have been cast upon you ever since I was born; *

you are my God, even from my mother’s womb.

11 O go not far from me, for trouble is near at hand, *

and there is none to help me.

12 Many oxen have come around me; *

fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.

13 They gape at me with their mouths, *

like a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; *

my heart also in the midst of my body is like melting wax.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my gums, *

and you bring me into the dust of death.

16 For many dogs have come about me, *

and the council of the wicked lays siege against me.

17 They pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones; *

they stand staring and looking upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, *

and casts lots for my clothing.

19 But be not far from me, O Lord. *

You are my succor; hasten to help me.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword, *

my life from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth, *

and my soul in misery from among the horns of wild oxen.

22 I will declare your Name to my brethren; *

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.

23 O praise the Lord, you that fear him; *

magnify him, all you seed of Jacob, and fear him, all you seed of Israel.

24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor; *

he has not hidden his face from him, but when he called unto him, he heard him.

25 My praise is of you in the great congregation; *

my vows will I perform in the sight of those who fear him.

26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; *

those who seek after the Lord shall praise him; may your hearts live for ever.

27 All the ends of the world shall remember, and be turned unto the Lord, *

and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s, *

and he is the Governor among the peoples.

29 All those who sleep in the earth, how shall they worship him? *

All those who go down into the dust, how shall they kneel before him?

30 But my life shall be preserved in his sight, and my children shall worship him; *

they shall tell of the Lord to the generations to come;

31 And to a people yet unborn shall they declare his righteousness, *

that he has brought it to pass.

SECOND LESSON: Philippians 2:5-11

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

GOSPEL: Mark 14:32-72; Mark 15:1-47

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”[a] 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant[b] of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled.

A Young Man Flees

51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Jesus Before the Council

53 And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council[c] were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying,58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”[d] 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

Peter Denies Jesus

66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway[e] and the rooster crowed.[f] 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.[g]

15 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.