The Liturgical Sense of the Readings at Catholic Mass

The Liturgy Teaches Us that what Belongs to God, Stays with God (Palm Sunday Reflection)

Play Episode Pause Episode

Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 30 seconds

00:00 / 12:54

Amazon Apple Podcasts RSS Spotify YouTube

RSS Feed

Share

Link

Embed

Reflection on the Readings at Mass for Palm Sunday. The Liturgical Sense of the Scriptures Podcast, by Catholic Author and Theologian David L. Gray.

The Liturgy Teaches us that What Belongs to God, Stays with God 

The Gospel accounts of Palm Sunday harmonize in portraying Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as a royal procession, with crowds crying “Hosanna” and laying down cloaks—likely their most valuable possessions—as a sacrificial gesture. This greeting, drawn from Psalm 118 and still used in Jewish Passover liturgy, is both homage and plea: “Save us, we pray.” The Synoptic Gospels emphasize that everything involved—the colt, the cloaks, the palms, the Temple—belonged to God. Jesus’ authority to cleanse the Temple and silence the Pharisees stems from this truth: all creation is His. Psalm 24:1 affirms, “The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds,” and the liturgy echoes this in the Sursum Corda, urging us to lift our hearts to the Lord—not symbolically, but entirely.

This truth confronts the illusion of ownership, which Satan distorts into possession. Parents, spouses, and even clergy can fall into this trap, mistaking control for love. True freedom begins with humility and simplicity—acknowledging that we belong to God and returning everything to Him. The liturgy forms us to live this truth: to be in the world what we receive at Mass. Whether it’s our time, possessions, or even our children, nothing is truly ours. Like Abram, who was willing to give his son back to God, we are called to surrender all. The world abuses what God gives freely—air, water, even human life—but those who love God reclaim their divine responsibility to steward creation, not possess it.

THIS AUDIO COMMENTARY WAS BASED ON THE WRITTEN VERSION IN: The Liturgical Sense of the Readings at Mass – Year A, by David L. Gray

Hear More of the Audio Version Liturgical Sense of the Readings at Mass, by David L. Gray, or buy the Book, ‘The Liturgical Sense of the Readings at Mass.’

David L. Gray, ThM

A 2006 convert from Agnosticism, David L. Gray has emerged as a prolific Catholic theologian, author, and humorist. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central State University, Ohio, and a Master of Arts in Catholic Theology (ThM) from Ohio Dominican University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Liturgical Catechesis at the Catholic University of America. For more information about Mr. Gray, please visit davidlgray.info