Palm Sunday also known as Passion Sunday is the first day of the Holy Week. It is signified in churches with the waving of palm branches and singing of “Hosanna!” It commemorates the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, when they took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (John 12:13).
What does the palm symbolize?
The Palm is a symbol of victory. For the Romans and the Jews it was carried in joyful and triumphant procession. Again, victorious soldiers bore palm branches when parading. Palm was given as an emblem of victory at public games. It was used to decorates graves as a sign of the triumphant death of a martyr. These practices are still there in many of our cultures today. We carry palms as a sign of peace, peace with God and our brothers and sisters. Lastly, it signifies Christ’s victory over sin and death.
What happens to the Palm on Sunday?
The palms are blessed and distributed. So they are sacramentals -holy. With that status, you don’t simply throw them away. The palms are held till the next year, where they are burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday. Some parishioners weave this palm into different symbols in the Church. More often, some are made into crosses which serve as a reminder of the Christ’s victory over death.
Application:
Let us welcome Jesus into our hearts and be willing to follow him.
Let us renew our pledge to conquer sin and evil.
Relive the emotions of Christ’s passion with a deep desire for rebirth.
What is the Holy Week? Wait for the next post
#witnessline
Father Daniel
📸 Some parishioners at, Uneme-Nekhua Akoko-Edo, Igarra (2022).
