Palm Sunday

The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceded him and those following kept crying out and saying:
"Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."
-Matthew 21: 6-9

Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, is celebrated one week before Easter Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week. It celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as found in all 4 gospels. (Mark 11: 1-11, Matthew 21: 1-11, Luke 19: 28-44, and John 12: 12-19). Traditionally, churches distribute palms to their parishioners during Palm Sunday to symbolically mark Jesus' procession into Jerusalem. Often, the palms are tied into a cross shape, but not all churches follow this tradition. These palms have been blessed by the priest, and following the ceremony, they are often recollected and saved to be burned the following year to supply the Ashes for Ash Wednesday.

Palm Sunday will be on March 28 this year.

What is a Paschal Candle?

The tradition of the Paschal candle may go back as far as the 4th century. We find in the letters of St. Jerome a description of the custom and tradition surrounding the Paschal candle. The practice probably stems from the Lucernarium rite as well as an old Jewish tradition. In the early church, after the candle had been used on Easter Sunday, they would break the candle up into fragments and pass out the pieces to the faithful in the community. Starting in the 10th century, however, the Paschal candle began to have a more prominent position within churches. By the 12th century, they were inscribing the current year on the candle which is a practice that continues to this day.

Paschal candles are the largest candles in the worship space. The candle will prominently feature a cross, and also displays the Greek letters alpha and omega to signify that God is the beginning and the end. The year is added as a reminder of God's immediate presence among the religious community. Five grains of incense (most often red) are embedded in the candle (sometimes encased in wax "nails") during the Easter Vigil to represent the five wounds of Jesus: one in each hand, one in each foot, and the spear thrust into his side.

Every year during the Easter Vigil, a new Paschal candle is blessed. Each parish should have a new candle every year as a sign of each community's participation in the Easter mystery. The candle is lit for all religious services throughout the 50 days of the Easter season. For the remainder of the year, the candle may be lit for baptisms, funerals, or weddings.

Check out some Paschal Candles at St. Patrick's Guild. Click here.

Dead Sea Scrolls at the Science Museum of Minnesota

For the first time ever, Minnesotans are getting a chance to view the legendary Dead Sea Scrolls. These documents, discovered between 1947 - 1956, are the oldest known copies of biblical texts dated from around 150 BCE to 70 CE. Discovered in caves by a young shepherd boy, they are generally attributed to a Jewish sect known as the Essenes. These documents are considered by many to be the most historically significant find of the 20th century, so this opportunity to see them first hand is remarkable. The exhibit will be open from March 12 - October 24, and there is an accompanying Omnitheatre movie.

History of St. Patrick

With less than 2 weeks until St. Patrick's Day, now is the perfect time to take a look at one of the most well known saints - St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Considering how loved and honored St. Patrick is, we know very little concrete facts about his life. It is thought that Patrick was born in 385 AD. He was born a Roman citizen in Britain (his Latin name was Magonius Sucatus Patricius). His grandfather was a priest (it was still common for priests to marry at this time), and his father was a deacon. However, most scholars believe that his father became a deacon for tax reasons, so there is no indication that Patrick was particularly religious at an early age.

When he was 16, he was captured by Irish raiders who were attacking his family estate, and he was sold into slavery in Ireland. During his 6 years of servitude working as a shepherd in County Mayo, he underwent a religious transformation. In 407, God came to Patrick in a dream and told him it was time for him to leave Ireland, so he walked 200 miles to the Irish coast and escaped by boat to Gaul. Although many like to believe that Patrick received his religious education in Britain, it was more likely that his education was received from monastic institutions in Gaul (modern day France). After 15 years of training, he was consecrated a bishop was was sent as a missionary to Ireland.

Tradition has it that St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, but this is not entirely true. Although he was the first successful missionary to Ireland, a man named Palladius went before him in 431. However, it is thought that he either died or went to Scotland, and there is no record of him in Ireland after 431.

There are many popular legends surrounding St. Patrick (such as the story of him driving the snakes out of Ireland), but there is little historical evidence to support any of the iconic stories. Our only definite information comes from 2 Latin letters that are generally accepted to be written by Patrick. They are the "Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus" and "Declaration". It is in "Declaration" that Patrick provides a bit of autobiographical information. So, Patrick remains one of the most well known and yet mysterious Saints in the Catholic Church. A fascinating character, St. Patrick will remain a favorite of the Irish and Catholics around the world.