Pastoral Notes for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, April 13, 2025, Year C
N.B. The liturgy of Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion moves from the emotion of joy as we accompany Our Lord through the first gospel reading and reenact the entry to Jerusalem, crying out “Hosanna in the Highest,” to the somber sadness of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and death proclaimed in the Passion according to Luke. The Sacred Liturgy is intended to convey this movement of emotion and lead us into the events celebrated during Holy Week, culminating in the joy of the Resurrection at the Easter Vigil.
Because the liturgies of Holy Week are longer than expected and contain such rich symbolism, homilies are usually briefer and directed to the celebrated event. For Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, we reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus, who has given himself not only for the just and the good but, even more, for the unjust and those deemed unworthy. Such is the depth and the power of God’s love that He will exclude no one from His grace. We, however, sometimes exclude ourselves through our resentments, clinging to old wounds or bad habits, or holding on to judgments about ourselves or others. On Holy Thursday, we note the humility of Jesus, who washes the feet of his apostles. On Good Friday, we may offer our own humility as we venerate Jesus’ cross. In this Holy Year of Hope, let our hearts be renewed in the Christian Virtue of Hope (Faith, Hope, and Love) by receiving the love of God in Christ and extending that same love to others in our words and deeds.
CALL TO ACTION
The Church needs to be a community and a place of welcome! Some parishes are more formal, and some are less formal than others in the parish “culture.” However, whether more or less formal, the parish must be a place where visitors, guests, and even sinners feel welcome and wanted! The parish is not a country club but a missionary community offering healing and hope in a world desperate to know God. Please be ready to provide that spirit of welcome! Have your youth group, senior citizens, Knights of Columbus, or whatever groups you have act as greeters, offering a warm welcome to all the people, known and unknown, to your parish.
Have your GC SmartText phone number available on your Pew Engagement Cards. You can also have GC SmartQR Codes on banners, printed in your bulletin, or incorporated into your worship aid. Be sure to follow up with your guests within a week!
Easter Services can generate quite a crowd! Have your entry areas clean and presentable, and make sure your restrooms are cleaned and restocked between services. A good environment makes a huge difference in helping people feel welcome.
When the service is finished, have a handout ready for people with information about your church or organization. Include your GC SmartQR Code on the handout. Ask your greeters to say goodbye and Happy Easter to people as they leave.
For your regular church members, take some time to ask them to consider their Easter Gift for the community. Remind them of all the good your church accomplishes because of their generosity. And, always say “thank you” to every donor. They may not ask for recognition, but they do like to be acknowledged in a personal email. You can use your GC Communication Portal to create personalized thank-you emails to be sent easily and quickly after Easter.
The easiest and fastest way for donors to give is with a single tap of their mobile phone and the use of their digital wallets. A donation can be made within seconds! There is no need for awkward card readers. GC SmartStickers are small, coin-sized Near Field Communication devices that can be placed in high-traffic areas such as offices, vestibules, hallways, and other high-traffic areas. However, they can also be placed discreetly in pews, devotional areas, under stained glass windows, near memorials, and any other space you can imagine! GC SmartStickers are also re-programmable! You can program them now for Easter giving, again for Mother’s Day or graduations, or even to share information about nonprofit organizations, churches, or events where they are being used! To learn more about GC SmartStickers, see our webpage here: GC SmartStickers. If you want to start using GC SmartStickers, please contact Teresa Meyer at teresa@givecentral.org.
Easter giving Fundraising for Nonprofits Palm Sunday
Last modified: April 9, 2025
