What if the crowd on Palm Sunday wasn't wrong to shout "Hosanna" -- they just didn't know how big the answer would be?

On the Sunday of the Passion, we hold two moments at once: the joy of Jesus entering Jerusalem to shouts of "Hosanna to the Son of David!" and the weight of the full Passion Gospel (Matthew 26:14 -- 27:66), read dramatically by the congregation.

In his sermon, Fr. Craig Swan reflects on the word "Hosanna" -- which simply means "save us." The crowd wanted what crowds have always wanted: relief from the immediate problem. For first-century Jerusalem, that meant freedom from Roman occupation, a restored Davidic kingdom. They got something far larger than they bargained for. Fr. Craig draws a line from that ancient disconnect to our own prayer lives today -- the way we tend to pray for the things right in front of us (health, safety, the needs of our loved ones) while missing the greater reality the cross addresses: release from the bondage of sin itself, freedom from the fear of death, and the restoration of the whole world as the Kingdom of God. "We make God our cosmic Santa Claus," he says -- but the cross has already given us the greatest gift. The call of Holy Week is to lift our eyes to the larger picture.

Scripture Readings

• Isaiah 50:4-9a -- The Suffering Servant: "I gave my back to those who struck me"
• Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 -- "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"
• Philippians 2:5-11 -- "He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death"
• Matthew 21:1-11 -- The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
• Matthew 26:14 -- 27:66 -- The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Holy Week & Easter at St. Peter's

• Maundy Thursday, April 2 -- Shared meal 5 PM + Holy Eucharist 6 PM at St. Augustine's, Kingston
• Good Friday, April 3 -- Stations of the Cross 12 PM; Liturgy 7 PM (joint service with St. Augustine's)
• Easter Vigil, April 4 at 7 PM -- Deanery-wide event; Bishop presiding and preaching
• Easter Sunday, April 5 -- Festival Eucharist with brass and timpani

St. Peter's by-the-Sea is an Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Sunday worship rooted in Anglican liturgy, scripture, and thoughtful preaching. Plan a visit: https://www.stpetersbythesea.com