Palm/Passion Sunday

The holy week is here again and today marks it's beginning. It is yet another time when the palm trees in different parts of the word sends out their cries for help. This is because of the Palm Sunday celebration which is always held on Sundays before Easter.

In most liturgical churches especially in my part of the world, Palm Sunday is celebrated by the blessing and distribution of palm branches in or the branches of other native trees. The difficulty in obtaining palms in unfavorable climates led to their substitution with branches of native trees,

Last night, I embarked on a rather fruitless journey to to cut some tender palm frond for today's celebration. This is so because in this part of Africa, you will have to obtain the palm yourself and take it to the church to be blessed. I was unable to obtain any palm so i had to make do with some guava branch.

The Palm Sunday is significant to Christian's all over the world. This is because it represents the palms spread on the pathway for Jesus during his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The palm was used by the people to show respect to Jesus the king of peace when he rode on a donkey into Jerusalem.

Today, just like every other Palm Sunday, the priest blessed the palms brought to church. After this, every one proceeded outside for the procession in commemoration of receiving Jesus into Jerusalem. The gospel for today was that of the passion of Christ.

After the church service, you are expected to take the blessed palm to your house and hang or keep it near holy images. The e palms are kept till the next year Lenten season when it will be gathered and burnt in the church in preparation for Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. And so the cycle continues.