Palm Sunday

Mark 11:1-10 RSV

Palm Sunday

“Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord!”  Mark 11:9

As I left the grocery store the other day, the cashier said to me, “Have a blessed day.”  That got me to thinking about what makes a “blessed day” as opposed to simply having a “good day”, which is the more common statement.  Is” blessed” something special.  Is it like winning the lottery or having your doctor tell you that the suspicious tests were wrong, and you will live, or some other special happening? 

I then thought of these words from the gospels addressed to Jesus as he entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday.  His days that week certainly didn’t seem to fit the concept of “blessed”. He was publically challenged, ridiculed, threatened, beaten, and executed.  So, I turned to the dictionary for some enlightenment.  The word “blessed” covers several different meanings but one seemed to indicate an important understanding, both for Jesus and for us.  Webster says one of its meanings is “to invoke divine care for” which suggests walking with God through the day being consciously aware of the ongoing care of God in our life.

Jesus entered Jerusalem with a personal sense of the presence of God caring for and guiding his every moment.  That presence gave him meaning and purpose to his actions and the courage to face whatever would come to pass.  Whether that is what the crowd meant for him is unknown, but that is a message worth remembering and passing along to others.  So, when we wish someone a “blessed day” we are really wanting them to walk consciously within the presence of God’s eternal caring love and guidance.  It is in that spirit I wish each of you reading this a “blessed day” today.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be conscious of your presence in my life today.

Reflection Question: How can I live today in a way that makes it truly blessed?