The main additions to the Mass that mark Palm Sunday are the blessing of the palms, the Palm procession around the inside or outside of churches, and the reading of the Passion. And thankfully all these pious devotions can easily be transferred to our homes.
The Palms
If like us you can't get your Palm branches, olive branches or other any plant leaves will do. Palms are not native flora to North Texas so we got creative. Because what is Palm Sunday without "accidentally" whacking your neighbor with a palm? You can also do some almost-crafting and make them from hand prints traced on green construction paper or by simply cutting long strips to be folded into crosses later. We just cut out 3 alternating handprints for each child and are holding them together with wooden clothes pins because I didn't have any popsicle sticks. I may or may not get around to laminating them depending if I can find my laminating sheets.
Some parishes are making their blessed palms available for pick up after Palm Sunday. These palms are still beneficial for our families to have, even after Palm Sunday, because blessed palms are a sacramental that help dispose our souls to receive grace.
If we can get our hands on some palm branches, our prayers as laity can NOT create sacramentals the way a priest’s blessing can. BUT we can pray for the Lord to bless them in the same manner we do for meals, our children, our advent wreath, and other things under our dominion in our home.
So with holy water, the father of the home or another leader may bless them using the following prayers from Palm Sunday or for putting blessed palms in a place of honor in our homes:
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Increase the faith of those who hope in Thee, O God, and in pity hear our humble petitions. Let Thy manifold mercy descend upon us: may these branches of palm or olive be blessed; and as Thou, foreshadowing Thy Church, didst multiply Noah coming out of the ark, and Moses going out of Egypt with the sons of Israel: so may we, with good works and bearing palms and olive-branches, go forth to meet Christ, and through Him enter into eternal joy: Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God.
V. For ever and ever.
R. Amen.
Then sprinkle the palms with holy water.
From the pre-1955 Liturgy of the Palms
Or
Blessed are you, God of Israel, so rich in love and mercy. Ley these branches ever remind us of Christ’s triumph. May we who bear them rejoice in His Cross and sing your praise forever and ever.
R. Amen
Then sprinkle the palms with holy water.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
From Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, USCCB
The Procession
For the procession, the hymn All Glory Laud and Honor is traditionally sung. The precession can be done outside or inside, however outside is the older practice. Just be sure to include shouts of "Hosanna" and the waving of your branches. And don’t forget the custom of knocking on the door three times before coming back inside to end the procession. The following prayer is traditionally prayed after the door is entered:
V. As Our Lord entered the holy city, the Hebrew children, proclaiming the resurrection of life, with palm branches cried out: Hosanna in the highest.
R. When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they went forth to meet Him with palm branches.
Since the early church of Rome, the Liturgy of the Palms had been a Dry Mass - Missa Sicca - because after all the readings the procession began at one church and ended at another where the full Sacrifice of the Mass was then offered.
The Passion
For the Palm Sunday Gospel, and Good Friday, the Passion is read. This is usually done as a dramatized, chanted version with up to 16 roles. There are 6 main characters with the other 10 smaller parts able to be combined. This is a family tradition that I had looked forward to since college! And I'm so excited to finally have readers that can join in on some parts this year instead of just us parents.
The parish we would attend every Saturday for Mass and confession at during our university days would have a glorious Palm Sunday procession with full costumes and live animals. And our dear friends would chant the Passion.
One year our friend who was chanting the part of Jesus accidentally sang, "I Thirsty," instead of the intended, "I Thirst," and it instantly became a fun memory we haven't let him forget. It also became a part of our family's lexicon for whenever someone says they need water. I've been working on a Family Passion Play with music etc, since Epiphany, but tomorrow we will be reading this traditional version. You can also plug it into the Gospel portion of your family's Dry Mass below.
Palm Sunday Supper Suggestions
Food wise, since the leaves of romaine lettuce resemble the shape of palm branches, we like to have a salad out of the boats of whole romaine lettuce leaves as part of our Palm Sunday supper. It's kind of like a wedge salad and canned hearts of palms can also be included.
Figs are another food associated with Palm Sunday and be incorporated in the form of fig preserves of fig newtons. However, we save our fig newtons for the next day, Fig Monday, and our traditional Sancti Tea held then.
There are two types of pasta that would be especially fitting for Palm Sunday. And both of these pastas could be paired with a red sauce to match the feast's liturgical color and vestments. Foglie d'ulivo pasta's name means "olive leaves" and that is exactly what them look like. Olive branches have long been a liturgical substitute for palm branches. Vermicelli, on the other hand, translates to "little worms in English and relates to the Palm Sunday Tract before the Gospel. (The Tract replaces the A**e*uia in the Mass propers during penitential seasons.) This Tract recalls the prophecy taken from Psalm 21 and reads:
"O God my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me. But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel. In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them. They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people. All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head. He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him."
Psalm 21:2-9
Lastly, time for dessert! A Palm Sundae can be made out of your families favorite flavor of green ice cream: lime sherbet, mint chocolate chip, pistachio etc. green or red sprinkles, or other colorful candy, and a fresh mint leaf cut to look like a palm branch can be added if you have them on hand.
Palm Sunday Liturgy at Home
You can find both the prayers and readings for The Best Palm Sunday Dry Mass in both Latin and English here. If there are any leftover palms from last year in your home, they can be burned as incense for your Family Dry Mass.
And you can read all about how our family prays a Dry Mass in this post.
Our super simple, 3 step guide to setting up a home alter is here.
This Week's Hymn Suggestion: All Glory Laud and Honor
All glory, laud, and honor
to you, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
You are the King of Israel
and David's royal Son,
now in the Lord's name coming,
the King and Blessed One.
The company of angels
is praising you on high;
and we with all creation
in chorus make reply.
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before you went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before you we present.
To you before your passion
they sang their hymns of praise;
to you, now high exalted,
our melody we raise.
As you received their praises,
accept the prayers we bring,
for you delight in goodness,
O good and gracious King!
Our Family Free Listening for Today's Sunday Concert Hour is our Playlist "Hosanna in Excelsis!," a compilation of classical music and chant inspired by the Palm Sunday Mass propers and readings.
The Donut Man also has a few Children's Bible Songs for today that my Bairns LOVE!
What is you family's favorite Palm Sunday tradition? I'd love for you to share about it in the comments!
Pax,
Genie