The 3 Pillars of Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. On this day, we commemorate the Lord’s triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem.

Jesus left Bethany very early. Many fervent disciples had gathered there since the previous evening. Some were from Galilee, arriving on pilgrimage to celebrate Passover. Others lived in Jerusalem. Recently, they had witnessed the impressive resurrection of Lazarus and were convinced that the Lord was the promised Messiah. Accompanied by this large retinue, along with others who joined him along the way, Jesus once again took the old road from Jericho to Jerusalem, towards the small summit of the Mount of Olives.

A grand reception was expected, because it was customary for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go out to meet pilgrim groups and enter the city with songs and expressions of joy. The Lord did not object to the preparations for this joyful entry. He himself chose the mount: a simple donkey that he sent for from Bethphage, a village very close to Jerusalem.

In ancient times, when a king arrived mounted on a horse, it meant he was seeking war or returning victorious from it. If he entered on a donkey, it was a sign of peace. By choosing this humble animal, Jesus presents himself as the “Prince of Peace” and not as a warrior messiah of imperial stature, as the Jews of his time expected.

As Jesus advanced, some spread their cloaks over the animal’s back and helped the Lord to mount; others, going ahead, spread their cloaks on the ground for the donkey to pass over them as if on a carpet. Others ran along the road as the procession advanced towards the city, scattering green branches along the way and waving olive and palm branches plucked from nearby trees.

And, as they approached the city, already on the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd, full of joy, began to praise God aloud for all the wonders they had seen, saying:

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Mt 21, 19)

Thus Jesus makes his entry into Jerusalem as Messiah on a donkey, as had been prophesied many centuries before:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout aloud, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zech 9:9)

And the people’s songs are clearly messianic.

On this day, we too carry palms as a sign of our loyalty to the Lord and our readiness to pay him homage. During this day, he is offered a welcome worthy of a king. In a few days, this crown of glory will be replaced by one of thorns.

Do you want to begin Holy Week with fervor? In this article, we tell you about the 3 pillars of the Palm Sunday liturgy. And we also share a text by Saint Andrew of Crete for you to meditate on and prepare your heart for the celebrations of this day.

The 3 Pillars of Palm Sunday

1. The Blessing of the Olive Branches

According to the rubrics of the missal, at the appointed time, the people gather in a church or other suitable place, but outside the temple towards which the procession will proceed. The faithful hold the branches in their hands.

The priest and ministers, vested in the red vestments required for Holy Mass, proceed to the place where the people are gathered. The priest may wear the red cope, which he will remove, once the procession is concluded, to put on the chasuble.

Meanwhile, the following antiphon or another suitable hymn is sung:

Hosanna to the Son of David.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.
Hosanna in the highest.

The priest and the faithful make the sign of the cross. Then he greets the people in the customary manner. Next, he invites the faithful to participate actively and consciously in the celebration of this day. He may do so with these or similar words:

Dear brothers and sisters:
After having prepared our hearts since the beginning of Lent, through penance, prayer, and works of charity, today we gather to begin with the whole Church, the celebration of the paschal mystery of our Lord. This sacred mystery is accomplished through his death and resurrection; for this, Jesus entered Jerusalem, the holy city. We, full of faith and with great fervor, remembering this triumphant entry, follow the Lord so that, by the grace flowing from his cross, we may come to share in his resurrection and in his life.

Next, the priest blesses the branches:

Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God,
sanctify with your blessing + these branches
so that all who follow Christ the King with acclamations,
may through him reach the heavenly Jerusalem.
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
R. Amen.

Then the deacon, or in his absence the priest himself, proclaims the Gospel of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The text corresponding to the current Sunday cycle is used. After the Gospel, if deemed appropriate, a brief homily may be given.

The Church considers blessed palms and branches as sacramentals. These objects do not have magical value, but are signs of the faith and adherence of Christians to the victory of Christ. Furthermore, they predispose us to receive the grace of the sacraments. On the other hand, they help us to live Holy Week with fervor.

Historically, the palm symbolizes victory and martyrdom, while the olive represents peace and messianic anointing. In regions where these plants are not native, the regulations permit the use of branches from other local trees, such as laurel or willow.

The faithful may keep them in their homes as a sign of blessing and protection. They are usually placed on doors or behind a crucifix. These branches must eventually be burned to produce the ashes for Ash Wednesday of the following year.

2. The Entrance Procession

The origin of Palm Sunday processions dates back to the 4th century. The pilgrim Egeria describes in her Itinerarium how the faithful gathered on the Mount of Olives and, after reading the Gospel passages, descended into the city carrying palm or olive branches, escorting the bishop in the same way that the crowd accompanied Christ.

Currently, after the reading of the Gospel of the Triumphal Entry, the priest, deacon, or a lay minister invites the procession to begin with these or similar words:

Dear brothers and sisters:
Let us imitate the crowd that acclaimed Jesus
and walk singing and glorifying God,
united by the bond of peace.

And the procession towards the church where Holy Mass will be celebrated begins. If incense is used, the thurifer goes ahead with the smoking censer; he is followed by an acolyte or another minister with the cross, adorned with branches according to local custom, between two ministers with lighted candles. Then follows the deacon with the Book of Gospels, the priest with the other ministers, and behind them the faithful with branches in their hands.

During the procession, the choir and the people sing hymns in honor of Christ the King.

The procession is a joyful testimony of Jesus Christ. The faithful physically participate in the Lord’s movement towards his Passover.

Upon entering the main church, the priest venerates the altar and, if he deems it appropriate, incenses it, symbolizing the arrival of the King at his sanctuary.

• You might be interested in: 7 Holy Places to See in Jerusalem

3. The Reading of the Passion

The third pillar of the Palm Sunday liturgy is the reading of the Lord’s Passion according to the synoptic accounts (Matthew, Mark, or Luke, depending on the year).

The rubrics of the Missal specify that, for the reading of the Passion, no candles are carried nor is incense used. The greeting and the signing of the book are omitted. The reading is done by a deacon or, in his absence, by the priest himself. However, it is advisable to entrust the different parts to other readers as indicated in the Lectionary and reserve the part corresponding to Christ for the deacon or priest. Only the deacons involved in the proclamation ask for the priest’s blessing, as is done before the Gospel.

Liturgical tradition and the norms of the Roman Missal allow the Passion to be proclaimed by three readers, traditionally deacons or priests, although in their absence, the participation of suitable laypersons is permitted. This division —Christ, the Narrator (Chronicler), and the Synagogue (the people and other characters)— aims to help the faithful immerse themselves in the narrative of the Lord’s sufferings.

When the moment of the Lord’s death arrives, all kneel in adoration and respectful silence. These ritual silences show that at the moment of the Passion, Christ is the sole protagonist, and the Church observes a reverential silence before the absolute self-giving of her Lord. At the conclusion of the reading, the Missal prescribes a moment of silence before the homily.

Sermon by Saint Andrew of Crete, Bishop

Come, let us ascend together to the Mount of Olives and go out to meet Christ, who returns today from Bethany, and who willingly sets out towards that venerable and blessed passion, to bring to completion the mystery of our salvation.

He comes, indeed, willingly to Jerusalem, the same one who, for love of us, descended from heaven to exalt us with him, as Scripture says, above every principality, power, might, and dominion, and every being that exists, us who lay prostrate.

He comes, but not as one who takes possession of his glory, with pomp and ostentation. He will not cry out—says Scripture—he will not shout, he will not raise his voice in the streets, but he will be meek and humble, with an insignificant appearance, although a sumptuous entry has been prepared for him.

Let us run, then, with him who hastens to his passion, and let us imitate those who went out to meet him. Not to carpet his path with olive branches, tapestries, cloaks, and palm branches, but to place ourselves under his feet, with a spirit utterly humbled, with a sincere mind and purpose, so that we may thus receive the Word who comes to us and make room for God, whom no one can contain.

Let us rejoice, therefore, that he who is meek has been shown to us with such gentleness, and that he ascends upon the setting of our smallness, to such an extent that he came and lived with us, to raise us up to himself, becoming of our family.

The psalm says: He ascended on high, towards the east (towards his own glory and divinity, I interpret), with the firstfruits of our nature, to which he had humbled himself, impregnating himself with it; yet, he does not abandon his inclination towards humankind, but will continue to care for it, raising it from glory to glory, from the lowest of the earth, until it partakes in his own sublimity.

Thus, instead of inanimate tunics or branches, instead of branches from shrubs, which soon lose their greenness and briefly delight the eye, let us place ourselves under Christ’s feet, clothed in his grace, or rather, in his whole person, for all of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ; let us spread ourselves out at his feet, like tunics.

We, who were once scarlet with the filth of our sins, but who have since become white as snow with the cleansing bath of baptism, let us offer to the victor over death not palm branches, but the spoils of his victory, which are ourselves.

Let us also acclaim him, as the children did, waving the spiritual branches of the soul and saying to him day after day:

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.

• You might be interested in: Palm Sunday Liturgy

What are the lessons of Palm Sunday?

• The Lord wants to enter triumphantly into our own lives:

He wants us to bear witness to Him, in the simplicity of our work well done, with our joy, with our serenity, with our sincere concern for others. He wants to be present in us through the daily circumstances of our existence.

• The Lord’s true triumph:

The tension between the joy of real triumph and the pain of the Passion constitutes the essence of Palm Sunday. The human heart is capable of acclaiming the Lord as Messiah and, shortly after, rejecting him, even to the point of desiring his crucifixion. We must be attentive to the movements of our heart and love Jesus in all circumstances.

The central message that Mother Church wishes to convey is that Christ’s triumph is not temporal or political, but a triumph consummated in total obedience to the Father through suffering. This triumph conquered sin and death and obtained for us salvation and eternal life. The only way to triumph with Christ is to die with Him to live forever in his presence.

• Jesus offers himself to die for our salvation:

The liturgy presents a Jesus who is not a passive victim, but who freely and voluntarily offers himself to bear the consequences of sin. And thus restore the covenant between God and men, broken by Adam and Eve.

Do you want to live Holy Week with devotion? Here are some articles that may help you do so:

• Holy Week Celebrations Guide: Discover what Holy Week is, what is celebrated each day, and how to live the Paschal Triduum according to the Catholic Church. Clear and complete guide.