Day to remember the “triumphal entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem, exactly one week before his resurrection (Matthew 21: 1-11). Some 450-500 years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had prophesied: “Rejoice very much, daughter of Zion, shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king will come to you, righteous and savior, humble, and riding on an ass, on a colt, son of an ass. "(Zechariah 9: 9).
Matthew 21: 7-9 records the fulfillment of this prophecy: “And they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their clothes on them, and he sat on it. And the multitude, which was very numerous, spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut off branches from the trees and put them on the road. And the people who went ahead and those who followed him applauded, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! “This event took place on the Sunday before the crucifixion of Jesus.
The liturgical ceremonies of Palm Sunday are the blessing of the palms, the procession and the mass. During mass, the priest recalls the story of the passion of Jesus Christ. Believers who are part of this ceremony must carry olive palm branches or other trees in their hands. At the same time, during the procession songs of praise are sung and the priests must lead the procession and lead the faithful.
The blessing of the branches or palms takes place before the procession. Among Christians, it is customary to keep blessed bouquets in homes, because they symbolize the Easter victory of Jesus Christ.
This holiday commemorates the entrance of Jesus Christ into the temple in Jerusalem, on the back of a donkey and it is remembered that the people cheered him on. The Eucharist on Palm Sunday experiences two important moments: at the beginning, with the procession of the palms and, the blessing of them by the priest as soon as he leads the procession and, finally, the word that evokes the Passion of the Lord, in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The liturgical color of Palm Sunday is red, since the Passion of the Lord is commemorated.
Palm Sunday should be seen by Christians as the time to proclaim Jesus as the fundamental pillar of their lives, as demonstrated by the people of Jerusalem by following Christ. In the same way, the olive or palm branches represent the church's faith in Christ, the proclamation of Jesus as the King of Heaven and Earth and, above all, the life of the Christian.
