And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
-Matthew 21:8-9
Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, leading up to Easter.
Palm Sunday is a Christian feast day which commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, a mere week before the Resurrection.
According to the Gospels, Jesus rode into the city on the back of a donkey, and the people laid down their cloaks and small branches (or palm fronds) while singing Psalms. It was customary to cover the path of someone worthy of the highest honor. In Greco-Roman culture, the palm symbolized triumph or victory.
The day before Palm Sunday is often referred to as Lazarus Saturday -- the day Christ raised Lazarus from the dead. Many Christians use this day to prepare palm fronds by knotting them into crosses. These are then used for the processional on Palm Sunday itself.
There are many fascinating traditions of Palm Sunday across Christendom in different parts of the world.
I hope and pray that people find peace in this tumultuous world as we head towards the glorious day of Easter.
(Photos here are from the Marie Treu Kirche in Vienna, Austria -- a truly beautiful baroque church!)
