Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday

Q: What is Passion (or Palm) Sunday?

A: Passion (or Palm) Sunday signals the beginning of the Holy Week, which commemorates Christ's regal triumph and the proclamation of the passion.

Q: What happens on Palm/ Passion Sunday?

A. First Part [First Form of Solemn Procession]

-        The Eucharistic celebration with solemn procession starts outside the Church with the proclamation of the Gospel and the singing/ recitation of the Psalms. 

-  The congregation should assemble in a secondary church or chapel or in some other suitable place distinct from the church to which the procession will move. A homily may be delivered by the priest or deacon after the Gospel.

-         The procession may take place only once, before the Mass that has the largest attendance. In this procession, the faithful carry palm or other branches. The priest and the ministers, also carrying branches, precede the people.[1]

-         Some parishes in the Philippines observe the practice of laying of cloaks on the ground for the priest’s donkey to walk upon during the solemn procession.

-         The palms or branches are blessed so that they can be carried in the procession. 

-  The choir and people should sing the chants proposed in the Roman Missal, especially Psalms 23 and 46, as well as other appropriate songs in honor of Christ the King.

-         The Roman Missal provides two other forms for those situations when it will not be possible to have the procession. The second form is that of a solemn entrance, when the procession cannot take place outside of the church. The third form is a simple entrance such as is used at all Masses on this Sunday that do not have the solemn entrance. [2]

B. Second Part

 The Holy Eucharist is celebrated with the dramatization of the passion narrative. A homily is delivered afterwards.

Q: What will happen to the Palms?

A: The palms should be taken home, where they will serve as a reminder of the victory of Christ, which they celebrated in the procession. Many Filipinos bring them home after the Mass and place them above their front doors or windows, in the belief that doing so can ward off evil spirits and avert lightning.

READINGS 

	Liturgy of the Palms		Liturgy of the Passion
	Gospel	Psalm	First Reading	Psalm	Second Reading	Gospel
YEAR A	Luke 19:28-40	Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29	Isaiah 50:4-9a	Psalm 31:9-16	Philippians 2:5-11	Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49
YEAR B	Matthew 21:1-11	Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29	Isaiah 50:4-9a	Psalm 31:9-16	Philippians 2:5-11	Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54
YEAR C	Mark 11:1-11 or John 12:12-16	Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29	Isaiah 50:4-9a	Psalm 31:9-16	Philippians 2:5-11	Mark 14:1-15:47 Mark 15:1-39, (40-47)

MATERIALS NEEDED:

1.     Palms (it must be available a day before)

2.     Missalette (The Gospel is dramtized)

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[1]  Caeremoniale Episcoporum, n. 270.

[2] Cf. Roman Missal, "Passion Sunday," n. 16.