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The sun rose in a hurry like I used to woke up 7am everyday but then today it is bouncing into the sky like a great fiery yo-yo and sending what was left of the moon packing. The sky was a brilliantly bright baby blue, and perched picturesquely on the leafy branches of the trees in the park below, wind are so-so and the birds sang. I woke up early today to attend a mass in the church. As I passed and walked through the street, I saw a lot of people holding a piece/ branch of palm and vendors selling a piece of palm in various design with a common motif. Then, I just realized that it is Palm Sunday today. I bought one and went inside the church and have it blessed by the priest. I usually put it outside the door of our home and I don't know the reason behind it not until I read some facts and information about how, why and what is Palm Sunday?
BRIEF HISTORY
Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified. Palm Sunday marked the start of what is often called “Passion Week,” the final seven days of the Son of God, Jesus’ earthly ministry. Palm Sunday was the “beginning of the end” of Jesus’ work on earth. In short, it is the day that we remember and celebrate the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem as Savior and King before he was crucified.
As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road, giving Jesus royal treatment. The hundreds of people shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (1320) by Pietro Lorenzetti: entering the city on a donkey symbolizes arrival in peace rather than as a war-waging king arriving on a horse.
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Palm Sunday began with Jesus and His disciples traveling over the Mount of Olives. The Lord sent two disciples ahead into the village of Bethphage to find an animal to ride. They found the unbroken colt of a donkey, just as Jesus had said they would (Luke 19:29–30). When they untied the colt, the owners began to question them. The disciples responded with the answer Jesus had provided: “The Lord needs it” (Luke 19:31–34). Amazingly, the owners were satisfied with that answer and let the disciples go. “They brought [the donkey] to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it” (Luke 19:35).
PRACTICE
Christians and parishioners often carry palms into church, commemorating Jesus’ journey into the Holy City before his death. They usually buy the palms outside the church and in the street. It has a various designs and different folding technique used to achieve a certain product yet all of these have a common motif.
Right after the mass, the blessings of palm leaves will be done with a prayer and a holy water.
Usually, Christians or Parishioners celebrate the feast in different ways. Like in the United Kingdom and Philippines, they celebrated it almost the same in such way that they will have a ritual or mass inside the church while holding branch of palms and then blessed with a holy water. The difference is that in UK the palms are distributed to the parishioners but in the Philippines it is being sold outside in a price of Php 15-50 (roughly around $0.30-1.00).
In countries where palms are unavailable, believers use pussy willow or other types of branches to mark the festival and others are using a donkey forms part of the Palm Sunday parade.
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SELECTION OF THE DAY FOR PALM SUNDAY
For the selection of the date or day of the feast changes every year but it always falls exactly seven days before Easter Sunday.
HIDDEN MEANING OF USING PALM
It is believe that palm branches are widely recognized as a symbol of joy or peace and victory, and were thrown before the feet of conquering heroes in biblical times. It is a sign of victory over the flesh and the world in Christianity. It is also associated in memory of Christian martyrs. They are sometimes placed in the fields to ensure that there will be good crops.
Gospel writers says crowds lay palm branches and clothes at his feet to honour Jesus as he arrived in Jerusalem.
RANDOM FACTS
Palm Sunday is known as:
- Passion Sunday
- Fig Sunday
- Willow Sunday
- Branch Sunday
- Blossom Sunday.
In fact, Willowis being used instead of a branch of palms in the European countries.
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For Christians and curious people, I hope I help you enlightened and open your minds. By the way, I want to say that it is good to be curious in life for us not to be ignorant and knows much more than what we see, touch and feel. Knowing the deeper, origin and hidden meaning helps us to understand the difference of religions, beliefs, traditions and people.
The second photo is mine and the others are from different sources.
References:
https://www.catholic.org/lent/palmsunday.php
https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/debbie-mcdaniel/5-things-about-palm-sunday-that-remind-us-christ-is-king.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/amp/Palm-Sunday.html
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5892002/palm-sunday-2018-easter-festival/amp/
Thank you for reading!
