29th March, 2012
Christians worldwide will on April 1 celebrate this year’s Palm Sunday, to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
Monsignor Gabriel Osu, spokesperson of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Palm Sunday, would kick-start a weeklong activities leading to the commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
“On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem before his arrest on Holy Thursday. Jesus was acclaimed by excited crowds who threw cloaks and palm branches onto the road in front of him.
“They sang Hosanna in the highest. Jesus, therefore, became the paschal lamb, the one and only sacrifice that can take away sins and cause death to pass over us. Jesus entry into Jerusalem on a donkey symbolised his entry as the Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king,” said the Catholic cleric.
He noted that millions of Christian faithful in Nigeria would join the rest of the world to mark the day by attending special masses at various churches across the country.
“They will also affirm and proclaim their faith by going on processions round some selected major streets, waving their palm trees in reenactment of Christ’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago,” he added.