It's the Feast of
Palm Sunday,
1st Class, with the color of
Violet. In this episode: the meditation: "Palm Sunday", today's news from the Church: "Where Is the Schism?", and today's thought from the Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
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Sources Used Today:
- "Palm Sunday" — Toward Easter
- "Where Is the Schism?" (FSSPX.news)
- The Spiritual Life — Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (Angelus Press)
Palm Sunday, in the traditional 1962 liturgy, is one of the most rich and dramatic ceremonies of the entire Church year, marking the solemn entrance into Holy Week. What makes it especially fascinating is that its structure comes, in part, from the ancient Gallican Rite, particularly in the blessing and procession of palms, which were later incorporated into the Roman liturgy and preserved in this older form.
The ceremony begins not with the Mass itself, but with the blessing of palms, which has the character almost of a separate liturgy. The prayers are lengthy, solemn, and filled with Old Testament imagery, recalling how God’s people were delivered, protected, and led to victory. The palms themselves are not just symbolic decorations. They represent triumph and kingship, recalling how the crowds welcomed Our Lord into Jerusalem as their King, even though they did not yet understand the kind of kingdom He came to establish.
After the blessing, the faithful take part in a procession, which is one of the most striking features of the day. This procession reflects the actual event of Christ entering Jerusalem, but it also carries a deeper meaning. The Church reenacts the moment not simply as history, but as a present reality. We go out to meet Christ, acknowledging Him as King, and accompany Him toward the place of His sacrifice.
One of the most distinctive elements, inherited from Gallican practice, is the ceremonial stop at the church door. The doors are closed, and the cross is used to strike them, symbolizing how heaven was closed by sin and reopened by the Cross of Christ. Only after this symbolic act are the doors opened, and the procession enters the church.
Then, the tone shifts. The Mass that follows includes the chanting of the Passion, without incense or lights, emphasizing that the Light of the world is about to be extinguished. In a single liturgy, the Church holds together both triumph and suffering. Christ is welcomed as King, and yet He enters Jerusalem to die.
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