Once there was a beautiful garden. Of all the plants in the garden, the one that the master regarded as the most beautiful was a splendid and noble Bamboo. Year after year, Bamboo grew yet more beautiful and gracious. He was conscious of his master's love, yet he was modest and gentle in all things.

One day the master looked at Bamboo and said: "Bamboo, I want to use you." Bamboo flung his leafy head to the sky in utter delight. This was going to be the day in which he would find his completion and destiny! His voice came low: "Master, I am ready, use me as you want."

"Bamboo," the master’s voice said seriously, "I want to take you and cut you down."

A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo. "Cccut – me - down? Me whom you, master, have made the most beautiful in all your garden? Cut me down? Ah, not that, not that."

"Beloved Bamboo," the master’s voice grew even more serious. "If I don’t cut you down, I can’t use you."

The garden grew quiet. Then came a whisper. "Master, if you cannot use me unless you cut me down, then do it."

"Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I also want to cut off your leaves."

"Master, master, spare me. Cut me down and lay me in the dust, but will you also take from me my leaves?"

"Bamboo alas! If I don’t cut them away, I can’t use you."

Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low. "Master, cut away." "Bamboo, Bamboo. I will also split you in two and cut out your heart, because unless I do this, I can’t use you."

"Master, master, then cut and divide."

So the master of the garden took Bamboo and cut him down and hacked off his leaves and divided him in two and cut out his heart. He carried him to where there was a spring of fresh, sparkling water in the midst of the master's dry fields. Then putting down one end of broken Bamboo into the spring he gently laid the other end into the water channel in his field.

The clear sparkling spring water raced joyously down the channel of Bamboo's torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted and the days went by. The shoots grew. The harvest came. In his brokenness Bamboo became a channel of abundant life to his master's world.

This is not just a story about Bamboo, but also of Christ. He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.

The prophet Isaiah talked about God’s servant who "had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him. We despised him and rejected him; he endured suffering and pain" (52:2,3).

Bamboo was stripped of all his beauty, split and laid down in the dirt so that he could serve his master. He served not just his master but also the plants in the field. He gave his life in order to give abundant life to the field. In a similar way, Christ was stripped and beaten, raised on a cross and died in agony, so that he could bring to us abundant life.

© Pastor Vince Gerhardy

Palm branches have been used by all nations as an emblem of joy and victory over enemies; in Christianity as a sign of victory over the flesh and the world according to Psalm 91:13, "Justus ut palma florebit"; hence especially associated with the memory of the martyrs. The palms blessed on Palm Sunday were used in the procession of the day, then taken home by the faithful and used as a sacramental. They were preserved in prominent places in the house, in the barns, and in the fields, and thrown into the fire during storms. On the Lower Rhine the custom exists of decorating the grave with blessed palms. From the blessed palms the ashes are procured for Ash Wednesday. In places where palms cannot be found, branches of olive, box elder, spruce or other trees are used and the "Cæremoniale episcoporum", II, xxi, 2 suggests that in such cases at least little flowers or crosses made of palm be attached to the olive boughs. In Rome olive branches are distributed to the people, while the clergy carry palms frequently dried and twisted into various shapes. In parts of Bavaria large swamp willows, with their catkins, and ornamented with flowers and ribbons, were used.

Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen Little Hearts Ministry Presents

(Enter at 125 Summit St.)

Hot Buffet, Face Painting, Music,

Join us this Sunday

March 25th

at 10AM Mass as Bishop Guy Sansaricq celebrates Mass at

Sacred Hearts - St. Stephen Church for the

Annual Blessing of

the Children