
Addoliad ar Sul y Bloadau
Yn ystod y pandemig, mae'r Esgob yn darparu deunydd i gefnogi addoliad ar yr aelwyd ar brif wyliau. Mae hyn yn cynnwys trefn o wasanaeth ar gyfer Litwrgi'r Gair, a myfyrdod wedi'i recordio. Mae testun y myfyrdod hefyd ar gael yma.
Darlleniadau
Philipiaid 2:5-11
Amlygwch yn eich plith eich hunain yr agwedd meddwl honno sydd, yn wir, yn eiddo i chwi yng Nghrist Iesu. Er ei fod ef ar ffurf Duw, ni chyfrifodd fod cydraddoldeb â Duw yn beth i'w gipio, ond fe'i gwacaodd ei hun, gan gymryd ffurf caethwas a dyfod ar wedd ddynol. O'i gael ar ddull dyn, fe'i darostyngodd ei hun, gan fod yn ufudd hyd angau, ie, angau ar groes. Am hynny tra-dyrchafodd Duw ef, a rhoi iddo'r enw sydd goruwch pob enw, fel wrth enw Iesu y plygai pob glin yn y nef ac ar y ddaear a than y ddaear, ac y cyffesai pob tafod fod Iesu Grist yn Arglwydd, er gogoniant Duw Dad.
Marc 11:1-11
Pan ddaethant yn agos i Jerwsalem, at Bethffage a Bethania, ger Mynydd yr Olewydd, anfonodd ddau o'i ddisgyblion, ac meddai wrthynt, “Ewch i'r pentref sydd gyferbyn â chwi, ac yn syth wrth ichwi fynd i mewn iddo, cewch ebol wedi ei rwymo, un nad oes neb wedi bod ar ei gefn erioed. Gollyngwch ef a dewch ag ef yma. Ac os dywed rhywun wrthych, ‘Pam yr ydych yn gwneud hyn?’ dywedwch, ‘Y mae ar y Meistr ei angen, a bydd yn ei anfon yn ôl yma yn union deg.’ ” Aethant ymaith a chawsant ebol wedi ei rwymo wrth ddrws y tu allan ar yr heol, a gollyngasant ef. Ac meddai rhai o'r sawl oedd yn sefyll yno wrthynt, “Beth ydych yn ei wneud, yn gollwng yr ebol?” Atebasant hwythau fel yr oedd Iesu wedi dweud, a gadawyd iddynt fynd. Daethant â'r ebol at Iesu a bwrw eu mentyll arno, ac eisteddodd yntau ar ei gefn. Taenodd llawer eu mentyll ar y ffordd, ac eraill ganghennau deiliog yr oeddent wedi eu torri o'r meysydd. Ac yr oedd y rhai ar y blaen a'r rhai o'r tu ôl yn gweiddi:
“Hosanna!
Bendigedig yw'r un sy'n dod yn enw'r Arglwydd.
Bendigedig yw'r deyrnas sy'n dod, teyrnas ein tad Dafydd;
Hosanna yn y goruchaf!”
Aeth i mewn i Jerwsalem ac i'r deml, ac wedi edrych o'i gwmpas ar bopeth, gan ei bod eisoes yn hwyr, aeth allan i Fethania gyda'r Deuddeg.
Dyfyniadau o’r Beibl Cymraeg Newydd a’r Beibl Cymraeg Newydd Diwygiedig 2004 hawlfraint Cymdeithas (Brydeinig a Thramor) y Beibl. Cedwir pob hawl.
Testun myfyrdod yr Esgob
Marc 11:1-11
When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born.With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
On all four-footed things.The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
Rwy’n siŵr bod llawer ohonom yn gyfarwydd â cherdd hyfryd G K Chesterton, The Donkey, adferiad teilwng i greadur oedd wedi cael ei bardduo lawn cymaint ag y mae’n denu sylw yng nghanol ein darlleniad heddiw. Heddiw rydym yn nodi Mynediad Buddugoliaethus Iesu i mewn i Jerwsalem ar Sul y Blodau a daw ein darlleniad o Sant Marc er bod efengyl Sant Ioan hefyd yn cynnwys yr un stori. Ac mae’r stori mor gyfarwydd i ni, os nad o ddyddiau’r Ysgol Sul, yna oherwydd ei bod yn ein harwain i’r Wythnos Fawr, yr adeg mwyaf arwyddocaol i Gristnogion.
Rwyf eisiau ail edrych ar rai agweddau o’r stori hon mewn ffordd sy’n ffres ond sydd hefyd yn ein cysylltu ni â’r oes bresennol, pan mae bywyd yn llawer mwy heriol nag allen ni fod wedi’i ddychmygu ddeuddeg mis yn ôl. Ac fe hoffwn i ddechrau gydag un agwedd o fynediad Iesu rydym yn aml yn ei anghofio: Roedd Iesu’n teithio ar lwybr y pererinion fel llawer a oedd, dros y blynyddoedd, wedi dod i dathlu’r Pasg yn Jerwsalem. Wrth deithio yno gydag eraill, fe fydden nhw wedi canu Salmau Hallel a oedd yn cael eu defnyddio ar gyfer yr achlysur. Fe wyddom ni fod dail palmwydd yn ffurfio rhan o'r ddefod wrth nesáu at Ddinas fendigaid Dafydd. Ac wrth nesáu, eu cân oedd 'Hosanna', wedi'i chyfieithu'n llythrennol fel gweddi, 'Achub' neu 'Achub ni' ond a oedd yn cael ei bonllefain fel Haleliwia. Ac nawr mae’r gân yn atseinio i gyrhaeddiad Iesu. Mae’r dorf yn talu gwrogaeth i’r proffwyd sy’n dod fel etholedig Duw.
Mae’n hawdd i ni golli’r pwynt. Maen nhw’n talu gwrogaeth erbyn hyn i Iesu. I gynnig y math yma o glod, mae’n rhaid rhagweld rhywbeth angerddol. Mae’n edrych bron iawn fel gweithred o addoliad er eu bod nhw’n gwybod mai eiddo Duw yn unig yw addoliad. Felly, mae’n dangos rywbeth, mae’n awgrymu beth rydym ni’n ei wybod sydd mor wir nes Ei fod yn deilwng o hyn oll, y clod pennaf a’r addoliad mwyaf parchus. Ychydig o syniad oedd gan y dorf, wrth gwrs, beth fyddai’r meseia’n ei wneud a beth oedd yn ei olygu i floeddio’r geiriau hyn ond pan oedd Marc yn ysgrifennu roedd yn gwybod yn iawn beth oedd arwyddocâd eu geiriau. Hwn yn wir yw’r Un i’n hachub ni, a fydd yn dod â’r Deyrnas ac oes newydd o ras Duw. Mae’r hyn a ddechreuodd gydag Abraham (neu hyd yn oed yn gynt gyda Noa) erbyn hyn yn cyrraedd ei gyflawniad ar yr asyn hwn a’r Gair a wnaethpwyd yn gnawd, trwy’r hwn y cawsom ni i gyd ein gwneud, erbyn hyn yn eistedd ar gefn anifail diniwed.
Mae Marc yn dweud wrthym fod yr achlysur hwn yn ein gwahodd i addoli Iesu yn y ffordd ddyfnaf posibl. Ac i ni, sy’n gweld y cip lleiaf o obaith a diwedd cyfnod clo, mae’n dod fel gwahoddiad newydd. Yr wythnos hon mae’r eglwys, yr holl bobl Gristnogol, yn cael eu galw i addoli Iesu ac i ganolbwyntio’u holl feddyliau ar sut i wneud hynny orau. Felly, ble bynnag y byddwch chi, ar Zoom neu yn bersonol, gadewch i mi eich gwahodd chi i ychwanegu eich hosanna chi at eu rhai nhw ac i’w addoli ef.
Yr ail beth mae Marc yn ei osod o’n blaen yw’r ffordd mae hyn yn dangos fod Iesu’n dod adref. Wrth i’r dorf weiddi Hosanna ac yntau’n cyrraedd Dinas Dafydd, y mae, wrth gwrs, yn cyrraedd fel y Meseia. Efe yw'r Brenin sy'n dod, yn iaith y brenhinoedd a’r tywysogion, i 'hawlio ei orsedd'. Wrth gwrs, fe wyddom pa mor hollol wahanol yw’r teyrnasiad sy’n ymddangos, yn cael ei ddangos mor glir gan yr asyn a’i eiriau ef ei hun. Ond peidiwch â chael eich twyllo, Iesu yw’r gwir frenin yn dod i’r lle ble mae eneiniog Duw wastad wedi bod. Ond mae yna ddimensiwn pellach i hyn hefyd. Mae’n dod yno i farw. Mae cysgod hir dros y dod adref – cysgod y groes. Allwn ni ddim gwybod yn iawn faint oedd Iesu’n ei ddeall am bopeth yr oedd Duw wedi’i alw i’w wneud a’i gynnig ond mae’n glir o’r efengylau, roedd Iesu’n gwybod ei fod yn dod i farw. Ei daith i ddinas y brenhinoedd oedd dod yno i farw.
Mae yma rywbeth eithriadol o ingol am hynny: a yw'n ormodiaeth dweud fod Iesu’n gwybod bod yna gartref gwell y byddai’n dychwelyd iddo? Oedd ganddo unrhyw syniad fod yna Jerwsalem nefol yn disgwyl amdano? Fe wyddom ei fod yn ymddiried ei hun i’r un a oedd wedi’i anfon i ddatgan rhyddid i’r caethion a golwg i’r deillion ac y byddai ei fywyd yn cael ei ddal yn wystl dros lawer.
Dechreuais y myfyrdod hwn gyda cherdd ac asyn ond rwy’n gorffen gyda syniadau am y nefoedd a beth oedd y daith hon yn ei golygu i Iesu. Hyd yn oed fel yr oedd ei ddyfodiad yn ennyn clod, yn haeddiannol, roedd ei daith yn golygu math gwahanol iawn o ddod adref. Y digwyddiadau hyn oedd y ffordd i ni gael ein hiachawdwriaeth a’n maddeuant ac felly maen nhw'n orlawn â ras a thrugaredd ac efallai mai dyma lle gallwn ni ganiatáu ein hunain i sefyll gyda'r dorf, clywed y synau a gweld y peth yma'n digwydd ond yn deall, i ni, mai arwydd yw o benderfyniad diysgog Iesu ac o gariad cyfoethocaf Duw.
Amen.
Worship on Palm Sunday
During the pandemic, the Bishop is providing material to support worship at home on the major festivals. This includes an order of service for a Liturgy of the Word, and a recorded meditation. The text of the meditation is also available here.
Readings
Philippians 2:5-11
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but 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.
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Mark 11:1-11
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
From The New Revised Standard Version (Anglicized Edition), copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
The text of the Bishop's meditation
Mark 11:1-11
When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born.With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
On all four-footed things.The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
I’m sure many of us will be familiar with GK Chesterton’s wonderful poem called The Donkey, a fitting piece of rehabilitation of a much maligned creature who has a key role in today’s reading. Today we mark the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on this Palm Sunday and our reading is that from St Mark although the gospel from St John also includes this story. And the story is so familiar to us if not from days of Sunday School then because it leads us into Holy Week, the most significant time for Christians.
And I want to revisit some aspects of this story in a way that is both fresh but connects us too to this present age when life has been a good deal more challenging than we might have imagined twelve months ago. And I want to begin with one aspect of Jesus’ entry we often forget: Jesus travelled the pilgrim route as had many across the years to keep the Passover in Jerusalem. As he journeyed with others, they would have sung the Hallel Psalms used for the occasion and we know that palm leaves formed a part of the ritual as one came close to the blessed City of David. And as they drew near their song was ‘Hosanna’ translated literally as a prayer, ‘Save’ or ‘Save us’ but which has become a shout of acclamation like Hallelujah. And now the song reverberates to the arrival of Jesus. The crows pay homage to the prophet who comes as God’s chosen one.
And we easily miss this point. They pay homage now to Jesus. To offer this kind of praise anticipates something profound. It looks almost like an act of worship even as they knew worship belongs to God alone. So it’s a signpost, it hints at what we know to be so true that He is worthy of just this of course, highest praise and most reverent worship. The crowds have little idea of course what the messiah will do and what it means to shout these words but when Mark is writing he knew full well the significance of their words. He is indeed the One to save us, to bring the Kingdom and new age of God’s grace. What began with Abraham (or perhaps even before with Noa) now finds its fulfilment on this donkey and the Word made flesh through whom all were now made sitting astride a humble beast.
Mark is telling us that this occasion invites the deepest worship of Jesus. And for us, seeing the barest glimpses of hope and the end of lockdown, it comes as a new invitation. This week the church, all Christian people are called to worship Jesus and to centre all their thoughts and minds on how to best do this. So, wherever you are, whether by zoom or in person let me invite you to add your hosannas to theirs and to worship him.
The 2nd thing Mark places before us is the way in which this marks a homecoming for Jesus. As the crowds shout Hosanna and he comes to the City of David, it is of course as the messiah. He is the coming King, in the language of kings and princes, to ‘claim his throne’. Of course we know how radically different is this coming reign, signalled so strongly by the donkey and his own words. But make no mistake, Jesus is the true king coming to the place where the anointed of God has always been. But there is a further dimension to this as well. He is coming to die. This homecoming is marked with a long shadow – the shadow of the cross. We cannot know exactly how much Jesus understood fully of all that God had called him to do and offer but it is clear from the gospels, Jesus knew he was coming to die. His journey to the city of kings was to lay down his life.
There is something terribly poignant about this: Is it too much to say that Jesus knew there was a better home to which he would return? Did he have some sense that a heavenly Jerusalem awaited him? We do know he entrusted himself to the one who had sent him to proclaim freedom to the captives and sight to the blind and that his life laid down would be a ransom foe the many.
I began this meditation with a poem and a donkey but end with thoughts about heaven and what this journey meant for Jesus. Even as his coming drew praise, rightly so, his journey meant a very different kind of homecoming. These events were the means of our salvation and forgiveness and so they are laden with grace and mercy and this could be the point at which we allow ourselves to stand with the crowd, hear the noises and see this thing unfolding but understand that it is for us and a sign of the unflinching resolve of Jesus and of God’s richest love.
Amen.