The PALM SUNDAY

What is Palm Sunday?

            Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, is the Sunday before Easter, when the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is celebrated in many Christian churches by processions in which palm fronds are carried.

                This year of our Lord 2015, Palm Sunday falls on March 29.

            It is the final Sunday in the Lenten Season, signifying the beginning of Holy Week. Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter and is held in remembrance of Jesus' time in Jerusalem before he died and, according to Christianity, was resurrected. 

How does it relate to the Bible?

            Based on the following biblical accounts: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19, Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem. It is foretold by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9), "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." As he rode into the city on a donkey, his followers spread palm branches at his feet and called him "Hosanna" or "savior." Palm branches were considered symbols of goodness, victory and triumph at the time. However people greeted Jesus not as the spiritual Messiah who would take away the sins of the world, but as a potential political leader who would overthrow the Romans. Hence, the days later, when the people of Jerusalem notice He was captured and tortured, they turn on against Jesus and demand the Romans to crucify him. According to Christianity, Jesus would actually be the savior of his people - as he would save them from their sins, conquering death in doing so. 

Do you do anything special?

            Catholic churches do have processions using the palms. It is usually done at a designated place outside the church. This is to emphasize the dramatic march of Jesus into Jerusalem. As the priest walks towards the church, he blesses the palms the congregation places before him. The branch is meant to serve as a reminder of Christ's victory over death. Hence, after the celebration those blessed palms are placed on the doors and altars in the houses, signifying our faith that death brought to us by sin has rendered powerless because Jesus conquered it - we are indeed saved by the Lord.

What happens to the unused palms?

            The palms have all been blessed by the priest, so they are therefore 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.

            Again at the end of the Bible, people from every nation raise palm branches to honor Jesus (Revelation 7:9). We remember Christ's sacrificial death on the cross, praise him for the gift of salvation, and look expectantly to his second coming. RAISE your palms!