Palm Sunday..."Bendita sa Lukay"

Devoted Catholics in Bansalan had joined the Palm Sunday Celebration yesterday, April 5, 2009. People were bringing palms and cococut leaves to be sprinkled and blessed with holy water as a sign of welcoming and accepting Jesus as the King and Messiah. In the Filipino culture, cathlolics used coconut leaves formed into small crosses as the most common shape to be blessed during Palm Sunday rite. These leaves are commonly placed in the altar and in the doors of the houses, offices and even in commercial establishments.

According to the Gospels, before entering Jerusalem, Jesus was staying at Bethany and Bethphage, and the Gospel of John adds that he had dinner with Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha. While there, Jesus is described by the Synoptic Gospels as sending two unnamed disciples to the village over against them, in order to retrieve a donkey that had been tied up but never been ridden, and to say, if questioned, that the donkey was needed by the Lord but would be returned in a short period of time. Jesus then rode the donkey into Jerusalem, with the Synoptics adding that the disciples had first put their cloaks on it, so as to make it more comfortable. The Gospels go on to describe how Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and how the people there lay down their cloaks in front of him, and also lay down small branches of trees. The people are also described as singing part of Psalm 118 - ...Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David. ... (Psalms 118:25-26).

Rev Fr. Diomedes “Bobong” Templa , DCD, the parish priest of Immaculate Conception Parish Bansalan, had officiated the Sunday rite which started infront of the parish convent and was followed by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Bansaleños continued to pray for peace while waving their palms and coconut leaves sprinkled with holy water. Palm Sunday is also called “Bendita sa Lukay” . It is the Sunday wherein the gospel of the Passion of Christ is read by way of dramatizing the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord.