A Retired Rector's Reflections

The people were given palm crosses, they were blessed and a procession into church started. So the Palm Sunday Mass which I attended began. This was in a small rural setting, but the action would have been the same in a larger church. In this way the Mass for many churches would have begun as christian communities around the world came together to begin Holy Week.

Holy Week liturgy is full of images, sounds, actions and words. They flood the imagination and encourage response in prayer, in silence, in wonder and in action too. This is how it should be, and it is good to let this happen.

Being together with others in the journey throughout Holy Week is important too, together, physicaly in the liturgy, or, for some, present with others in spirit. Such actions and liturgies form and enhance Christian community.

The palm crosses are taken home. Then what do we do with them? Some use them as bookmarks. Some place them with others of previous years behind a cross or religious image. Today, at Mass we were encouraged to think careefully about what we do with our blessed crosses and it was suggested that we could place them, in Holy Week, in a place where they could be seen in the home, or indeed in a house window for others to see too. In this way the crosses become a blessing to the home, and also to those who pause and look.

In churches where I have ministered people frequently asked if they could take a palm cross for a friend. Of course they can. What a kind thing to do. Similarly many churches offer palm crosses in schools, care homes or hospitals. We share the blessing, and in this way draw others into our Christian community.

A Facebook post of a friend reminded me how, five years ago, we were doing things differently in the Covid lockdowns. At the church where my friend was vicar blessed palm crosses in lockdown were placed on railings outside with an attached card, and passers by were invited to take one. A comforting generous action. It was a creative way of showing we still travel together through Holy Week, though apart. A simple but significant action and one, indeed, which could also be done any year, not only in lockdown days.

(This is the first in a short series of personal reflections on some aspects of Holy Week)