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 as we

enter into Holy Week on this Palm Sunday, we are summoned to a very particular

attention. Obviously everything that Jesus said and did is worth noticing but

His words and actions as He enters the Holy City at the climax of His life are

especially compelling. This is precisely why the church returns again and again to

these events and to these great texts that describe them. St. Mark tells us today

that Jesus approached the Holy City of Jerusalem from the east. Listen, when

Jesus and His disciples drew near to Jerusalem to Bethphage and Bethany at the

Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives, those who have visited Jerusalem know this,

is just to the east of the Holy City. Bethphage and Bethany were on the further

eastern slope of the Mount. So Mark's telling us very clearly that Jesus is

approaching the Holy City gradually from the east. Will you say, okay, so what?

Well, in these great literary texts, which are the gospels, nothing is

unimportant. In the prophet Ezekiel, we hear that because of the corruption of

the temple. The glory of the Lord had up and left. The prophet describes Yahweh's

leave-taking in stages, but here are the climactic verses there in chapter 10 of

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