Palm Sunday is the last Sunday of Lent. The liturgy has a peculiar mix of emotions. It begins with the commemoration of the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem in the form of a procession. The people of Jerusalem took what was near at hand, namely palm branches from their local trees. Many countries have splendid customs of creating elaborate "Palms" which are clusters of branches decorated with strings of red berries, ribbons, even coloured eggs, a sign of anticipation of the resurrection. These "Palms" form a wonderful bond between home and church.
After the liturgy, the blessed palms receive a place of honor in our homes, usually by a cross. For the entrance rites on Palm Sunday, the processional cross is also suitably decorated.
The liturgical colour for this Sunday is RED. Red is associated with blood, with sacrifice, with the cross, the passion and death of the Lord on which we focus after the procession. However, since Lent is not over yet, we need to show both purple and red.
The wallhanging on left side of the wooden doors in the Welcome Area challenges us with one question: What have you done to me, your nurturing Mother Earth ? I am in great distress with catastrophic consequences.
Pope Francis in ‘Laudato Si’’:on care for our common home’ quotes the bishops of Southern Africa as stating: “Everyone's talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God's creation”. All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents.
