Here at The Little Rose Shop, liturgical living is part of our everyday lives. If you are new to living liturgically, Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday, is a beautiful way to start.
First off, what is Palm Sunday? We begin Palm Sunday by reading the gospel according to Matthew 21:1-11. We listen to the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey and being greeted by the crowd placing their palms down and crying out, “Hosanna in the highest”!
The priest and deacon process in, Mass continues, then for the gospel, we proceed to read the Passion of Christ (Mt. 26:14-27:66). We hear of Judas’ betrayal, Peter denying knowing Christ, we cry out “Crucify him!” and lastly kneel in silence as Jesus’ breathed His last. Whoa.
What a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, and events all in one Mass. Our Jewish brothers and sisters greeted Christ as a king, as we do, and our sins and the sins of all humanity placed him on the cross. And He died for us.
It is worth sitting with this uncomfortable feeling, the feeling of sadness, disappointment, and humility and not skip forward to the Resurrection.
Here is how you can observe Palm Sunday:
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Read the Passion before attending Mass with your children. Talk about the different characters, their actions, and the ultimate lessons from the Passion.
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Cover your religious images and statues in purple. The statues in your church will also be covered. It is a bit unnerving to not see your favorite picture of Mary or family Crucifix when you walk into the room.
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Make a Middle Eastern meal for supper
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Print off our free coloring page!
May you enter into Holy Week with God’s peace and grace in your hearts.