The Brevity of the Palm on Palm Sunday Signifies What Appears Brief Earthly Victory . . . But That is Not What Christians Celebrate!

Fr. Hugh Gillespie, SMM

The Brevity of the Palm on Palm Sunday Signifies What Appears Brief Earthly Victory . . .

The brevity of the palm, handed out to Christians around the world on Palm Sunday, is important on this day.

Palms will dry out in a manner of days. They will be lifeless very soon. They do not last long, lose their flexibility and their green color. So why do we collect palms on Palm Sunday? Why are they important to Christians?

Palms mirror what happens on Palm Sunday and within the day’s Gospel. Christians receive the palms, they are blessed . . . and wave them greeting the arrival of Our Lord! We experience the joy of the day . . . the joy of His presence! We then are confronted with the majesty of His death on the Cross for us! The joy is brief before we enter the Passion.

Joy quickly will turn into sorrow. Victory turns . . . it would appear . . . into defeat. The Palm and the Lord loses their life. Palms are waived because they are the symbol of victory . . . not just honor . . . but victory!

. . . But That is Not What Christians Celebrate!

The Victor is hailed . . . then we see Him in what appears to be defeat. Those that hailed Him with Palms . . . would soon yell “Crucify Him”. Those that reach out for Palms . . . would soon reach out for rocks to throw at Him. They would reach out and nail Him to the Cross. How brief the Victor appears on Palm Sunday . . . or does it?

Listen to this Mediation (13 minute) Media on the importance of Palm Sunday!