Sunday, March 24, marks the beginning of Holy Week for the Catholic Church, with the commemoration of Palm Sunday, a day that evokes the moment when Christ triumphantly entered Jerusalem.
Catholics are invited to join this celebration, the meaning and practices of which are detailed in the Vatican Letter of Easter Feasts (1998) and in the book Jesus of Nazareth: From the Entry into Jerusalem to the Resurrection by Pope Benedict XVI.
Below we present 9 key points about this liturgical day.
- Palm Sunday is also called “Passion Sunday.”
The term “Palm Sunday” derives from the event that commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when the crowd welcomed him waving palm branches (John 12:13). The second name, “Passion Sunday,” is attributed to the Passion story read on this day. If not, this Gospel passage would not be read on a Sunday, since the next Sunday will focus on the Resurrection.
According to the “Letter of Easter Feasts,” Palm Sunday “encompasses both the harbinger of the royal triumph of Christ and the announcement of his Passion.” Furthermore, he adds that “the relationship between both aspects of the paschal mystery must be evident both in the celebration and in the catechesis of the day.”
- On Palm Sunday a procession takes place before Mass
The procession takes place once, usually before the most attended Mass, either on Saturday or Sunday.
“During the procession, the faithful imitate the acclamations and gestures of the Hebrew children who came out to welcome the Lord, singing the fervent ‘Hosanna!’” describes the Letter of Easter festivities.
- Palms or other plants can be carried during the Palm Sunday procession
It is not necessary to use exclusively palm leaves in the procession. Other local plants such as olive, willow, fir and other trees can also be used.
According to the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: “The faithful like to keep in their homes, and sometimes in the workplace, branches of olive trees or other trees, which have been blessed and carried in the procession.”
- The faithful must understand the meaning of the celebration and receive instruction
According to the same Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, “the faithful must be instructed about the meaning of this celebration so that they can grasp its meaning.”
“It should be timely remembered that what is important is participation in the procession and not only in obtaining palm or olive leaves,” which should not be kept “as amulets, nor for therapeutic or magical reasons to dispel evil spirits or to avoid the damage they cause in the fields or in homes,” indicates the text.
- Jesus claims the right of kings in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem
In his book Jesus of Nazareth: From the Entry into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, Pope Benedict XVI explained that Jesus Christ claimed the right of kings to demand particular modes of transportation. The use of an animal (the donkey) that no one had yet sat on signals this royal right.
Jesus desired his path and actions to be understood in terms of the Old Testament promises fulfilled in his person.
- The pilgrims recognized Jesus as their messianic king
Benedict XVI points out that the act of pilgrims placing their cloaks on the ground so that Jesus can walk on them “belongs to the tradition of Israelite royalty (2 Kings 9:13).” The gesture made by the disciples represents an enthronement in the tradition of the Davidic monarchy, pointing to the messianic hope that arose from it, the text indicates.
The pilgrims, he continues, “take branches from the trees and sing verses from Psalm 118, words of blessing from the liturgy of the pilgrims of Israel that on their lips are transformed into a messianic proclamation: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed be the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna on the highest!’ (Mc 11,9-10, see Ps 118,26)”.
- Palm Sunday: “Hosanna” is a cry of joy and a prophetic prayer
In the time of Jesus this word had messianic overtones. In the acclamation the emotions of the pilgrims who accompany Jesus and his disciples are expressed: the joyful praise to God at the moment of the processional entry, the hope that the hour of the Messiah had arrived.
At the same time it was a prayer indicating that the Davidic reign, and therefore God’s reign over Israel, would be reestablished.
- The story of the Passion enjoys a special solemnity in the liturgy
The Letter of Easter festivities states in paragraph 33: “It is advisable that the tradition be maintained in the way of singing or reading it, that is, that there be three people who act as Christ, the narrator and the people. The Passion must be proclaimed either by deacons or priests, or, failing that, by readers, in which case, the part corresponding to Christ is reserved for the priest.
In the proclamation of the Passion neither lights nor incense are brought, nor is the greeting to the people at the beginning as usual for the Gospel, nor is the book signed. Only deacons ask the priest for a blessing.
For the spiritual good of the faithful, it is advisable that the narrative of the Passion be read in its entirety, and that the readings that precede it not be omitted.
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2024-03-25 17:47:40
