Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, when we remember and celebrate the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified.
The Gospels, tell us about Jesus entering Jerusalem riding a donkey. The people welcomed him by laying clothes and small branches in front of him as a sign of respect and shouted "Hosanna!" hailing Christ as King.
In Biblical times, it was common for kings or important people to arrive by a procession riding on a donkey. The donkey symbolized peace, so those who chose to ride them showed that they came with peaceful intentions. Jesus reminds us here that He is the Prince of Peace.The Palm branch is a symbol of peace and victory. During Palm Sunday Mass, palms are distributed to parishioners who carry them in a procession into church. The palms are blessed and many people fold them into little crosses. These palms are kept for the year.
This year we will be celebrating Palm Sunday differently. There will be no blessing and distribution of palms at church. But we can make our own palms at home and participate in the mass and prayers through livestream on the internet or on T.V. Sing Hosanna in the highest to Christ the King and welcome the Lord into our hearts.
Click here to download and make your own palm branch. You can also download this coloring page and create the scene of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.
Happy Palm Sunday!
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