welcome to canterbury cathedral on this sunday afternoon of palm sunday we are of course outside because our buildings are locked because of the coronavirus but we can say some evening prayers together it's not quite choral even song but it is using the words of the prayer book in the same way as we would in the cathedral church the shadows are beginning to lengthen as we say our prayers we remember those across the world most in need those who are fearful those who are sick those who are caring for them and those who have hard decisions to make this has been a day of joy as our lord entered the holy city the prophet zechariah says in the ninth chapter of his prophecy rejoice greatly o daughter of zion shout aloud o daughter of jerusalem for lo your king comes to you triumphant and victorious is he humble and riding on a donkey riding on a donkey gives a strange picture of being triumphant and victorious and yet that humility is the whole key to the ministry of jesus as he comes into the holy city for him and for the citizens of jerusalem it was a working day the sabbath had been the day before the day of rest but the city was filling up with pilgrims for this was the week before the great passover festival and that meant many many pilgrims coming to the holy city i'm going to read as our psalm this evening some of the verses from the first psalm for this fifth evening of the month psalm 27 the lord is my light and my salvation whom then shall i fear the lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall i be afraid one thing have i desired of the lord which i will require even that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the lord and to visit his temple for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his tabernacle yea in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me and set me up upon a rock of stone therefore will i offer in his dwelling and oblation with great gladness i will sing and speak praises unto the lord hearken unto my voice o lord when i cry unto thee have mercy upon me and hear me my heart has talked of thee seek ye my face thy face lord will i seek thou hast been my sucker leave me lord neither forsake me o god of my salvation teach me thy way o lord and lead me in the right way because of mine enemies i should utterly have fainted but that i believe verily to see the goodness of the lord in the land of the living o tarry thou the lord's leisure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart our lesson this afternoon continues from where jesus has entered the city we remembered that early this morning when palms were blessed we remembered the cheering crowds around his donkey waving branches of palms that they had taken from the sides of the road and here in matthew's gospel chapter 21 and starting at verse 10 we continue that story when jesus entered jerusalem all the city was stirred saying who is this and the crowd said this is the prophet jesus from nazareth of galilee and jesus entered the temple of god and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons saying to them it is written my house shall be called a house of prayer but you make it a den of thieves and the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them but when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying out in the temple hosanna to the son of david they were indignant and they said to jesus do you hear what these are saying and jesus said to them yes have you never read out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou has brought perfect praise and leaving them jesus went out of the city to bethany and lodged there this will throughout the early days of this week become a regular event jesus coming into the city teaching in the temple and then going back to bethany it's not often we have a sense of jesus feeling at home in a regular way somewhere but if anywhere other than his early days in nazareth and perhaps a home at capernaum if anywhere was a place you felt at home then the bethany household of mary and martha and lazarus the two sisters and the brother whom we are told jesus loved was a home that he felt comfortable in and at the end of each day they would go back there and come again to the city through this holy week of preparation for the pilgrims but for him a preparation for the fulfillment of his own vocation we read earlier this week of the supper given at bethenny which sin john tells us was about two miles from jerusalem given by his friends mary martha and lazarus and were told martha served lazarus sat beside jesus at table and mary took costly ointment and anointed jesus and jesus saw that as a precious gift giving him encouragement for the vocation he had to achieve and of which like any human being he was fearful but needed courage to go on so day by day from bethany the little group would come back to the temple and jesus would teach that we shall see that again and again throughout the days of this week but for now we continue our evening prayers as we pray for one another and we use first the song of mary as is traditional at even song my soul doth magnify the lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in god my savior for he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed for he that is mighty has magnified me and holy is his name and his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations he has shared strength with his arm he has scattered the pride in the imagination of their hearts he hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek he has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent empty away he remembering his mercy hath opened his servant israel as he promised to our forefathers abraham and his seed forever glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen so first a prayer for this day and at this time of crisis for our whole human world and for all those who are combating that crisis and attempting to keep us safe loving god bless with your compassion all those who care for family members and friends give them strength in times of tiredness give them calm in times of anxiety give them courage in times of despair that through their love and the skill of those who heal the sick would be comforted relationships deepened and hope restored through jesus christ our lord amen so we pray the special prayer the collect for this holy week almighty and everlasting god who of thy tender love towards the human race has sent thy son our savior jesus christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross that all the world should follow the example of his great humility mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience and also be made partakers of his resurrection through the same jesus christ our lord amen so we say each in our own language and in our own way the prayer that jesus taught us asking as we do so for the grace of humility as our colleagues said in our daily life and in all our relationships 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 amen so in a moment of silence we make our own prayers at this time of even song christ crucified draw you to himself to find in him a sure ground for faith a firm support for hope and the assurance of sins forgiven and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be among you and remain with you and all whom you love this night and always amen