This Palm Sunday, we begin Mass with a procession with palms and a Gospel reading regarding Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem as He is hailed as the Son of King David. The tone shifts quickly with the Scripture readings during Mass as the plot unfolds to arrest and condemn Jesus to death. The same crowd that hailed "Hosannah to the Son of David!" would days later shout "Crucify Him!" Even the Apostles who testify adamantly that they would never betray or deny Him find their faith shaken and abandon Him during His Passion.

One of the great themes in these Scrutiny Gospels for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of Lent, as well as for the Passion Narrative next Sunday is the theme of substitution. Jesus takes the place of the sinner (the woman at the well), the outcast (the man born blind), and the one who is dead (Lazarus). In the Passion Narrative, Jesus is condemned to die although He is innocent. Barabbas, who is guilty and whose name means "son of the father", is freed while Jesus, who is innocent and who is the Son of the Father, is condemned to die in his place.

"What do you see?" The question of perception is paramount in our Scriptures this Fourth Sunday of Lent. I find it interesting how people can perceive the same reality in different ways. Like a Rorschach inkblot test, or the interpretation we give to a work of art, our minds capture an image and likeness that corresponds to some aspect of reality that reveals itself to us. Sometimes our perceptions grasp a deeper spiritual reality than what appears on the surface, while other times our perceptions miss the deeper meaning.

We hear today about the Israelites grumbling against Moses in the desert because of their thirst for water. Now, this would not be the first nor the last time Moses had to deal with the people's grumbling! They grumble for food and God gives manna. They grow tired of manna and grumble for meat, so God gives quail. They get sick from greedily hoarding the quail and complain about their misery to the Lord!