Passion Sunday and Palms

Next Sunday, Christians throughout the world celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the week before His death and resurrection. The biblical account of Palm Sunday can be found in each of the four gospels, but it is in the gospel of John that we find the reference specifically to palm branches.

Carrying palms or other branches in procession goes back to the Old Testament, where it was not only practiced but commanded by God. After the fall harvest, when the people gathered for the Feast of Tabernacles, God said in the book of Leviticus “On the first day, you shall gather foliage from majestic trees, branches of palms and boughs of myrtles and of valley poplars, and then for a week you shall make merry before the Lord, your God.” In the second book of Maccabees, the Jews celebrate Hanukkah in the same way.

The New Testament book of Revelation has John describing a vision in Heaven, where “a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation…stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.”

An ancient practice in Christianity involves gathering leftover palms, drying them, and then burning them. The burning is conducted carefully, using special equipment, so that the ashes remain and do not fly up and blow away. After being burned and cooled, the ashes are used on Ash Wednesday. The palms, which symbolize triumph, and the ashes, which symbolize death and penitence, form a great symbolic connection between suffering and victory.

So what are we supposed to do with the blessed palms we receive? It is considered disrespectful to tear or shred the palms and leave the “strings” in the pews or on the floor; it is also very messy! Most of us will take our palms, some having folded them into crosses, and reverently place them in our homes. Our faith reminds us that the palms do not possess any power or virtue of their own, but they do serve as a reminder of the kingship of Jesus in our lives. An Italian and French custom is to break off a piece of the palm and burn it during fierce storms or natural disasters, while praying to St. Barbara, the patron saint of storms.

Few churches have the necessary equipment and resources to burn the palms properly: this includes Risen Savior. For that reason, you are asked not to bring your palms back to the parish; rather, you should dispose of them by carefully and respectfully burying them in the ground.