Every year, the Catholic Church goes through a liturgical
calendar. We start in November or December with Advent, during which we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas. After the Christmas season, we move on to Ordinary Time until Ash Wednesday, which is when the Church begins Lent.
Lent is a time of penance for our sins leading up to Easter Sunday. The most important part of Lent is Holy Week or Passion Week, which extends from Palm Sunday until Holy Saturday. The week before Palm Sunday is known as Hosanna Week. The Gospels during that week focus on the spirit of Lent and forgiveness.
On Palm Sunday, we commemorate the events of the Sunday before the Resurrection in AD 33. On that day, the evangelists report that Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by the Jews. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ entry is described in Chapter 12:
On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches* and went out to meet him, and cried out: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel.” Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written: “Fear no

more, O daughter Zion; see, your king comes, seated upon an ass’s colt.” His disciples did not understand this at rst, but when Jesus had been gloried they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done this* for him. So the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death continued to testify. This was also why the crowd went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after him.” (NABRE, Jn 12:12-19).
In this Gospel, we see how ckle the Jews were. The common people welcomed Jesus triumphantly on this Sunday, but the leaders almost immediately began conspiring to kill Jesus. By Good Friday, the masses were clearly on the Pharisees’ side, shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Palm Sunday is a day to welcome Jesus into our lives and give him glory. Many churches have outdoor processions or distribute palms and olive branches to remember this great feast. However, the fasting of Holy Week is about to come. We must be not like the Jews and instead follow Christ with all our hearts.

This year we are also blessed to celebrate other feasts during this time of Lent. 19 March is the feast of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. He is an example to all fathers today. His feast is traditionally exempt from penitential practices. 25 March is the Feast of the Annunciation, when we celebrate the at of Our Lady and the Conception of Christ. It falls this year on Holy Monday – we get two feast days back-to-back. In the words of St. Jacob of Serugh:
O son of God, by your fasting you saved your Church. Accept our prayers, and our fasting, we ask of you.
O Lord of Peace, Heaven and Earth you reconciled. Grant us your peace and protection throughout this fast. The fathers, like Moses, fasted and pleased you, Lord. Accept our prayers and our fasting, we ask of You.
Exalt the name of your Mother and all the saints, and, through their prayers, pardon us and those who have died.

And remember NO MEAT ON FRIDAYS!