Palm Sunday.....

Few days before Palm Sunday, I was frantically looking for the right tv channel and church instructions on how to attend and participate the Palm Sunday mass on air.

Every Sunday, I usually follow the schedule of the Manila Cathedral mass at 10 o'clock in the morning which is done in Tagalog. But since it is the Palm Sunday, I am hoping to look for something that is in English instead. So far, my archdiocese and parish here in Cotabato are not able to live stream their masses yet. Sometimes they do, but they don’t have previous announcements and schedules to follow regularly.

So just then while browsing the net, our parish priest Father Simeon Samson sent feelers for those who wanted to have their palm leaves blessed, to forward them to the church. I had palm leaves at my lot, so I sent some to be blessed. But they could be retrieved back on Tuesday yet. In the mean time, what was I supposed to do while attending Palm Sunday mass on tv? Shouldn’t I have some palms with me as well? In anticipation though, I brought down three potted palmeras plants from my roof top garden to my living room. And then, thankfully, on the eve of Palm Sunday, our retired Cardinal Orlando Quevedo notified the faithful, that we can have palm leaves or any green leafy branches ready at hand while attending masses on air or online. The blessing of the palms accordingly is done during the reading of the gospel. We can hold them in our hands during the blessing which is done before the start of the mass. After learning about it, I went to the group chat of the MMLC ladies and other friends to help them out, (specially my sister Jeannette Yu) regarding the processes of the mass. For the Catholics, this Palm Sunday begins the observance of the Holy Week season, until Easter. So I happily cut the branches of my potted palmeras plants for this event, even distributed it among my house helps who joined us. Thankfully the mass at the Manila Cathedral that Sunday was in English.

The palm if you must know is a symbol of our joyous welcoming of Jesus Christ as our king. This time it is even made more meaningful, as we faithfully welcome Jesus to come into our homes and into our lives.

In preparation for my Palm Sunday mass.

 We joyfully welcome you Jesus to our homes.

 Martha’s palm leaves put together with the Lourdes’ mementos in Manila.

Marion’s palm leaves in New Zealand.

We attended the Manila Cathedral’s on air and on line mass at the same time.