Palm Sunday

Today we're going to learn about a very special day called Palm Sunday, or أحد الشعانين in Arabic. This is when Jesus entered Jerusalem and everyone was so happy to see Him! Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem with His disciples. When they got close to the city, Jesus asked two of His friends to bring Him a young donkey that had never been ridden before. Jesus climbed onto the donkey and rode toward Jerusalem. This was very special because long ago, the prophets said that the King of Peace would come riding on a donkey. When the people of Jerusalem saw Jesus coming, they became so excited! They had heard about all the wonderful miracles He had done. Can anyone tell me what miracles Jesus did? That's right - He healed the sick, helped the blind to see, and even brought people back to life! The people were so joyful that they cut palm branches from the trees and laid them on the road like a carpet for Jesus. They also took off their coats and put them on the ground. Everyone was shouting 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' They were praising Jesus as their King. Can you imagine how beautiful this must have looked? All those green palm branches and people singing and celebrating! The whole city was filled with joy because Jesus, their Savior, had come to them. In our Maronite Church, we remember this special day every year. We hold palm branches and sing 'Hosanna' just like the people did long ago. We remember that Jesus is our King of Peace who loves us so much. The message for us today is that Jesus deserves all our praise and worship. Just like the people welcomed Him with joy, we should welcome Jesus into our hearts with happiness and love every single day.