A Bittersweet Palm Sunday Holy Communion

This morning’s Holy Communion service at my parish brought out the bittersweet, even ironic nature of Palm Sunday.

The part of the service that struck me the most was walking up to receive the sacrament. At the beginning of the service, palms were laid by the altar rail by a procession of children. As I walked past those palms to take my place at the rail, I reflected that palm branches were still strewn about the road to Jerusalem 2000 years ago when Christ had the Last Supper and the first Eucharist with the disciples -- and when the king the palms acclaimed was crucified.