Friends, welcome to Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. Word on Fire is an

apostolate dedicated to the mission of evangelization using media both old and

new to share the faith on every continent and to facilitate an encounter with

Christ and His Church. The efforts of Word on Fire engage the culture and bring

the transformative power of God's Word where it is most needed. Today we invite

you to join Bishop Robert Barron as he preaches the gospel and shares the

warmth and light of Christ with each one of us.

Peace be with you. Friends, we come today to Palm Sunday and therefore to the

beginning of the holiest week of the year. It's the church's customs you know on

Palm Sunday to read the entire Passion narrative from one of the synoptic

Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. We of course read John's Passion on Good Friday.

Well in the cycle this year we have St. Mark's version of the Passion which

happens to be the earliest by you know common consensus Mark is the first

gospel written so here's the first account of the Passion. Now Matthew, Mark and

Luke have a lot in common in their accounts but each one has some

distinctive features. I want to draw attention today just to three features of

the story that are distinctive to St. Mark's account. Each one I think packs a

punch spiritually. Here's the first one at the very beginning of the account

unique to Mark. Well Jesus is at the home of Simon the leper of woman enters

with an alabaster jar perfume. Breaking the jar open she pours the perfume on

Jesus head. Now this is a strange gesture and the the bystanders right away

notice it. Here's this jar of very expensive perfume. She doesn't just dab a

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