Palm Sunday ushers in solemn Holy Week rites

Palm vendors from Carcar City display palm crosses at the front of Sto. Rosario Church.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Palm Sunday signals the start of  Holy Week, the year’s most somber period of prayer, penitence  and reflection  on the ultimate  sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Catholic faithful will bring palm fronds to be blessed  in church today, also called Passion Sunday, which  commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry in  Jerusalem to fulfill his destiny.

Scripture says people welcomed him like a king,  laying down their cloaks and small tree branches on the ground,  chanting, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Holy Week caps the 40-day season  of Lent leading up to a  joyful celebration on Easter Sunday.

“Always remember that Jesus, though he was rich, became poor for our sake. He died poor on the cross, and in his poverty, we became rich,” said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma in his Palm Sunday messag.

“May the Holy Week become an occasion for us to say thank you to our Lord for everything He has done for our sake.”

Activities this week relive the suffering,  death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago.

At dawn today, Palma will lead a Mass to culminate the 30th Local World Youth Day, an annual gathering of young people in the archdiocese. It will be held at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation grounds in Lahug, Cebu City.

He will also celebrate  Palm Sunday Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 8 a.m.

Before Mass, the priest will bless palms brought by the faithful.

The palms will later be burned and its  ashes  used in next year’s Ash Wednesday.

Palma on Friday enouraged people to spend the week in prayer and reflection, and to particpate in church activites, instead of a vacation.

“Let us open our hearts for God’s love. He has invited us to have new life in him. By appreciating in Church’s activities, may we reflect on his passion, death, and resurrection so we will be able to appreciate His love,” he said.

On Maundy Thursday, the priest reenacts the washing of the feet of the apostoles as Jesus’ symbol of humble service and love for each other.

The Blessed Sacrament will be transfered to an altar of repose, usually decorated with flowers.

By tradition,  Catholics visit various churches to  pray before these altars as part of the Visita Iglesia.

On Good Friday, the Lord’s passion will be played out in the street drama Buhing Kalbaryo in V. Rama Street  with volunteer actors and singers.

In the Metropolitan Cathedral,  priests and selected lay persons will give meditations on the the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ or Siete Palabras from noon till 3 p.m.

An Easter Vigil starts on Black Saturday and ends with evening Mass in all chruches.

Church rituals include the blessing of water and fire, to commemorate Christ’s passing from death to life.

Adult baptism is also conducted in parishes for candidates who finished catechetical instructions in previous months.

At dawn of Easter Sunday , religious processions will re-enact the meeting of the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ in the “Sugat” which means “meeting” in Cebuano.