Palm Sunday 2011
April 17. This week Christians begin the remembrance of Our Lord's final days - Holy Week. Today was Palm Sunday - Passion Sunday. To celebrate this day the Salesian community began in the house garden on a warm and sunny morning. Fr. Stephen Kuncherakatt celebrated the introductory rites and then, singing hosannas and carrying palm and olive branches, the community processed into the chapel. Several of the brothers read various parts of the Passion narrative.
In the afternoon most of the community took a coach up to Bethphage for the Jerusalem celebration of the entrance into Jerusalem. Led by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, hundreds of Christians followed, singing, dancing and praying processed into the Jerusalem through Lion's Gate. The Salesian community was far from being an invisible presence. A number of the brothers played guitars, drums and an accordion and led songs of praise the length of the walk. It was a beautiful witness to Christian faith in the Holy City.
In the evening a few of the brothers made the trip to Mt. Garizim, the region of the Samaritans. There remains less then 1000 Samaritans in the country, however, they still practice the Passover slaughter of lambs as it is written in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, and the only one's they acknowledge as scripture). As it says in scripture, the lambs are led before the priests, after 20 minutes of enthusiastic prays after which they are killed - without uttering a sound of complaint. Very striking when we compare this event to the fulfillment in Jesus Christ.