CHARLOTTE — Churches across the Diocese of Charlotte were filled with worshipers April 10 to celebrate Palm Sunday – ushering in Holy Week and the commemoration of the days leading up to Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection at Easter.
At St. Patrick Cathedral, Bishop Peter Jugis blessed palms and led parishioners in prayer before everyone took part in a traditional Palm Sunday procession from the outdoor Marian Grotto into the church – the first held without restrictions since before the pandemic.
In ancient times, palms were used to welcome a king and celebrate his victory in battle, the bishop noted in a brief homily before the palm procession.
“We carry palm branches today because we also proclaim Jesus to be our king, King of the Universe, who also has won a battle for us. We celebrate His victory in battle – the battle for our salvation.”
During his homily at Mass, the bishop continued, “The Lord gives us these days of Holy Week so that we can draw close to Him. You might say that this week is like a retreat that the Church provides for us so that we can spend time with Jesus, to deepen our relationship with Him. Our focus is on Jesus this week, as always.”
The past 40 days of Lent have offered us the opportunity to purify our hearts, minds and souls and to prepare for the celebration of Holy Week, he said. “So now, we have arrived.”
Holy Week is the culmination of our preparations, when we commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our salvation.
“Jesus offers His life for us, purely and simply because of His great love for us," the bishop said. "He considers our salvation to be worth the tremendous cost that He is paying. In His eyes, we are certainly worth it.”
“Let us enter into the celebration of this week, acclaiming Jesus our King, and draw close to Him in love, that we might exercise His charity in our dealings (and) in our relationships with others.”
— Catholic News Herald. Photo by James Sarkis of St. Patrick Cathedral.
Pictured above: Bishop Peter Jugis blesses palm branches before the start of Palm Sunday Mass April 10 at St. Patrick Cathedral.
