Palm Sunday and Holy Week with Geraldine Creaton - 20th March 2016 (S06E18b)(SS102fm podcast excerpt)

On this week's programme John, Ann and Shane are joined by Geraldine Creaton from the Emmanuel Community. The focus of our programme this week is to spend a little time reflecting on Palm Sunday and Holy Week

Geraldine shared her experience of being in the Holy Land for Holy Week and she spoke of how if you are in Galilee you go up to Jerusalem, which is the same with our journey with Jesus. When we are journeying with Jesus, we are ascending, going higher with our hopes and dreams.  Holy Week is precisely that a holy week: a solemn, thought-provoking, precious week that invites us to reflect upon the great mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

The liturgy of Palm Sunday begins with the Gospel account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (cf. Luke 19:28-40) where the people cried out 'Hosanna' to Jesus. We do the same at every Mass. We use the same prayer of praise and intercession during the 'Holy, holy' prayer at Mass. Geraldine reminds us that when we call on Jesus, He does come to us, most especially when we receive Him in the Eucharist.

Shane shared with us how Holy Week is 'adult week' for Catholics, whereas Christmas is often seen as a time for children. Holy Week is not just something that engages the intellect, it also engages the senses: the smell of palms and incense, the silence of Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the light of the Risen Christ that banishes the darkness during the Easter Vigil. 

Shane also reminded us about some traditional prayer devotions we can try during Holy Week to enter more deeply into this great mystery: the Stations of the Cross, meditating on the seven last words or the wounds of Christ.

Text us at +353 874668950 or email at [email protected]