welcome to canterbury cathedral as holy week begins on this palm sunday morning of course we cannot at this time of coronavirus and crisis for our whole human world go into the cathedral church itself but in our homes and gardens we've been able to share worship with you and we shall continue to do that throughout the week this morning though i've come into the garden to stand in front of our own palm tree which is here behind me it's a sign of this particular day and later i shall be blessing palms sometimes some of you will have one of these palm crosses but traditionally anyone can go out and pick up a sprig or a branch and treat that as their english palm at this time or whatever grows in your garden across the world it's a sign of receiving the cross and invitation to follow christ through holy week on the way of the cross so i'm using as our morning prayers the traditional liturgy worship for this day later in the morning at 12 o'clock we shall be broadcasting our communion service but for the moment we concentrate on jesus's entry into jerusalem riding on a donkey grace mercy and peace from god our father and the lord jesus christ be with you dear brothers and sisters in christ during lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our lord's death and resurrection today we begin this solemn celebration in union without with the church throughout the world christ enters his own city to complete his work as our savior to suffer to die and to rise again so let us go with him in heart and mind in faith and love so that united with him in his sufferings we may share his risen life so a blessing over palms god our savior whose son jesus christ entered jerusalem as messiah to suffer and to die bless these palms that they may be for us signs of his victory and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our king and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit now and forever amen a reading from the gospel according to matthew when they had come near jerusalem and had reached best fiji at the mount of olives jesus sent two disciples saying to them go into the village ahead of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a coat with her untie them and bring them to me if anyone says anything to you just say this the lord needs them and he will send them immediately this took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet saying tell the daughter of zion look your king is coming to you humble and mounted on a donkey and on a cult the foal of a donkey the disciples went and did as jesus had directed them they brought the donkey and the cult and put their cloaks on them and jesus sat on them a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road the crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting hosanna to the son of david blessed is the one who comes in the name of the lord hosanna in the highest heaven when he entered jerusalem the whole city was in turmoil asking who is this the crowds were saying this is the prophet jesus from nazareth in galilee this is a time of year when we move from lent and begin our journey towards easter time here in the northern hemisphere easter tide is the time of spring indeed behind me here behind the palm tree are bananas trees wrapped almost in lenten sackcloth to keep them protected from winter frosts they will begin to come out into the sunshine and feel hope for the future it's hope at this present time that our world so badly needs and we can give it to each other we give great thanks for all those who are combating the coronavirus disease those at risk to their own health as they do so but at the same time we take on the burden of caring for one another in a multitude of different ways of giving companionship even by telephone or by leaving parcels outside their door to those who are house bound isolated and lonely we think of all these things as we say the prayer our savior taught us on this palm sunday morning in whatever words you would like to use our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever are men a moment of silence for you to make your own prayers for those on your heart this morning almighty god as we prepare to remember our redeemers entry into jerusalem grant that the king of glory may enter into our hearts and our lives and that we may lay ourselves and all that we are in homage before him praising jesus our messiah amen [Music] is [Music] is oh [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]