March 29th, 2026
Palm Sunday always begins with noise—hosannas, branches waving, crowds shouting. But the story quickly pivots us toward the Passion, where the noise fades and the story slows. And in Mark 14, we find Jesus in a garden where the silence feels overwhelming. Not the peaceful silence of contemplation. Not the centering silence of prayer. But the heavy, aching silence of absence—the silence of disciples who cannot stay awake, cannot stay present, cannot stay with him. Palm/Passion Sunday invites us to hold both realities: the celebration of the King who comes, and the silence of those who abandon him. And in that tension, we discover a spiritual discipline we desperately need. When we practice being silent, we can deepen our connection with God.