Palm Sunday gets its name from the palms that were spread before Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. The peoples’ cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, clearly showed their excitement and anticipation over Jesus as the long-awaited Messianic King, come to deliver God’s people. Yet only days later, our Lord would hear a very different cry, “Crucify him!” Today’s service takes us along on that journey from joyful expectation to somber contemplation, highlighted by our responsive reading of the Passion narrative from Luke’s Gospel. Thus, we are prepared to enter Holy Week — the most important week of the entire Church Year!