Catholics in the country have their palm crosses blessed on Palm Sunday to mark the start of the Holy Week celebration. | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS FILE
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Palm fronds or lukay is commonly used to produce hanging rice or puso – an iconic Cebuano staple.
But in Roman Catholicism, this symbolizes peace and victory.
In most liturgical churches, it is believed that palm fronds were used to celebrate Christ’s entry into the holy land of Jerusalem.
Catholics would normally adorn their homes with crosses that are made from palm fronds to celebrate Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week celebration and last Sunday of lent or the season of abstinence and fasting.
Palm crosses that are blessed with holy water during Palm Sunday Masses are not discarded after use. These are burned and its ashes kept for use during the observance of Ash Wednesday in the next calendar year.
With the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) here, Cebuanos were unable to go out of their homes to hear Mass, secure palm crosses and have these blessed.
Church officials instead asked Catholics to stay at home and hear Masses that were aired live on radio, television or through the social media pages of the different Churches here.
For the first time in recent history, the Archdiocese of Cebu had to improvise means to reach as many devotees they can while the ECQ remains in effect.
The Palm Sunday Mass officiated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma was aired live from the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral this morning, April 5, 2020.
In his homily, Palma reminded Cebuano faithful to value life as most parts of the world face the threats of COVID-19 which has already claimed four lives in Cebu.
Read: Palma to Cebuano faithful: Value life amid the COVID-19 threat
/ dcb