In Jerusalem, Palm Sunday festivities began this morning in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Like every year, the blessing of the palms took place before Mass was celebrated in front of the tomb. The two key features of the celebration were the procession around the aedicule of the Holy Sepulchre and the reading of the Passion Gospel during Mass. The Coptic faithful broke out in ululations, a typical expression of joy in Arab culture, which were somewhat shocking to some of the western Pilgrims. The Latin faithful expressed their joy in a more reserved way, but it was nevertheless palpable during the procession.
During Mass, the reading of the Passion Gospel, which is always accompanied by chants by our Coptic brothers, symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ. It could not be more solemn, but it can’t be considered sad when we think of it in the context of the empty tomb.
The thousands of pilgrims that gathered at Bethpage, the starting point of the Palm Sunday procession that then went on down the slopes of the Mount of Olives to St. Anne’s Church, expressed their joy through chants, music, and dancing. Some of them kept their joy inside, especially while admiring the beautiful and moving view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. The police did not give an estimate of the number of faithful who were there. The most that was said was that there were “at least hundreds, but most likely several thousand.” There would have been even more – in particular, more Arabs – had certain parishes in the Palestinian Territories obtained the permits they had requested.
The beautiful weather slowly began to get somewhat gloomy, and as soon as his Beatitude Patriarch Mgt. Fouad Twal gave his blessing, large raindrops quickly scattered pilgrims everywhere.
Fortunately, the sun came out again shortly thereafter, to the joy of the residents of Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter who were able to attend the big parade.
As the Palm Sunday festivities ended, everyone went home and entered into the silence of Holy Week.
Mab
Homily for Palm Sunday 2009 of H.B. Fouad Twal Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
During Mass, the reading of the Passion Gospel, which is always accompanied by chants by our Coptic brothers, symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ. It could not be more solemn, but it can’t be considered sad when we think of it in the context of the empty tomb.
The thousands of pilgrims that gathered at Bethpage, the starting point of the Palm Sunday procession that then went on down the slopes of the Mount of Olives to St. Anne’s Church, expressed their joy through chants, music, and dancing. Some of them kept their joy inside, especially while admiring the beautiful and moving view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. The police did not give an estimate of the number of faithful who were there. The most that was said was that there were “at least hundreds, but most likely several thousand.” There would have been even more – in particular, more Arabs – had certain parishes in the Palestinian Territories obtained the permits they had requested.
The beautiful weather slowly began to get somewhat gloomy, and as soon as his Beatitude Patriarch Mgt. Fouad Twal gave his blessing, large raindrops quickly scattered pilgrims everywhere.
Fortunately, the sun came out again shortly thereafter, to the joy of the residents of Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter who were able to attend the big parade.
As the Palm Sunday festivities ended, everyone went home and entered into the silence of Holy Week.
Mab
Homily for Palm Sunday 2009 of H.B. Fouad Twal Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem