Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday: Making Use of Your Palms

/ scbilder / 2 Comments
Photo by palm-cross

Yesterday Catholics everywhere celebrated Palm Sunday, announcing the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem. During this joyous mass we receive special blessings as well as blessed palm branches like the ones laid in Christ’s path as we welcome the start of Holy Week. Because these palms are blessed they cannot be disposed of like other foliage we might use to adorn our homes. They can be buried but ideally, we will save them to be burned for next year’s Ash Wednesday ashes. 

As such, I usually prefer to keep track of them by shaping them into small crosses which are then displayed on my bookshelves for the remainder of the year. You can learn how to do this yourself here. The key is to shape your cross before your palms have dried out. This can also be a fun Holy Week craft to share with the kiddos. Though this is a solemn week, I pray everyone can use it as an opportunity to grow in holiness and closeness to Christ as we approach the Easter season.

A Celebrity During Holy Week

/ scbilder / 6 Comments
Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger

Yesterday was Palm Sunday when we triumphantly celebrated Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem and the start of Holy Week. Although this is a joyous week for Catholics around the world as we all prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Christ next Sunday, it holds particular significance to me as it also marks the anniversary of my induction into the Church. Just a couple of short years ago I was passing out palms to parishioners before mass although I quickly discovered that they were the ones welcoming me. 

That week I felt almost like a celebrity as people I’d never met before stopped to chat and congratulate me on my imminent baptismal promises. I heard many conversion stories from my fellow parishioners as well as expressions of love for Christ and for me, a soon to be baby Catholic. I believe this was the Holy Spirit working in my life, softening my heart in a final preparation to receive Christ. 

Over the next six days our lenten fasting will come to an end as we remember the Last Supper on Holy Thursday. Here we will also participate in the Washing of the Feet as Christ washed the feet of his disciples who would become the first priests of the Catholic Church. We will commemorate the crucifixion and death of Christ on Good Friday and eagerly await His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

I pray that this week is a time of reflection for all Catholics to remember their baptismal promises and consider how they continue to hold true today. Why are you catholic? How do you give glory to God in your life?