Palm Sunday marked in Manila and NE India

By Robin Gomes

The Philippines - Manila

Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle celebrated Palm Sunday with hundreds of faithful in Manila, urging them to fight evil with love, humility and sacrifice, never with violence. 

Commemorating the triumphant entry of Jesus in Jerusalem before his passion and death on the cross, the Archbishop of Manila told those gathered in the capital’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception that Christian living can only be achieved when founded on humility exemplified by Christ.

“What did Jesus say? Don’t use violence. Instead, his response to those arresting and will maltreat him was healing,” Card. Tagle said in his homily.  He noted that it’s almost impossible for people to follow Jesus who emptied himself “because that’s not the way of the world.” “But for the Lord, that’s not impossible,” the cardinal said. According to him, it is by staying humble that the Christian can enter into a relationship with Jesus. 

During the Holy Week, he said Christians should meditate on the suffering of Jesus and recognize that “He humbled himself for us”.  According to him, the celebration is not just about taking a vacation but an occasion to get to know Jesus.

“I’m asking you, look at Jesus. Even if his words are hard to understand and his deeds are hard to follow, let’s not avoid him. Instead, let’s look and listen to him intently,” Card. Tagle urged.

India – Miao Diocese

Meanwhile, in a remote corner northeast India, some 3000 km northwest of Manila, a group of young people on Palm Sunday went on a walking pilgrimage as part of their Lenten penance at the start of the Holy Week.

Some 200 youth from the Diocese of Miao, in the easternmost state of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China and Myanmar, went on a 17-kilometre pilgrimage from the Sacred Heart Church in Neotan , the biggest Church in the state, to the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Miao.

It was the initiative of the Catholic youth of the diocese to prepare for the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ that marks the final Holy Week that concludes the 40-day Lenten period.

During the 4-hour hour walk, the youth recited rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet interspersed with hymns and short prayers for a better government in India’s ongoing parliamentary election. 

About 100 men, women and children from nearby villages also joined the youth in the pilgrimage that concluded with Holy Mass led by Father Joy Manickathan, the Rector of the Christ the Light seminary in Miao.

The youngest pilgrim was 7 years old and the eldest was 76.

Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao Diocese commended and blessed the youth for their novel initiative.

At the start of the march, Junem Langching, the youth leader and the chief organizer of the initiative, explained that the pilgrimage served 2 purposes.  While being a part of their Lenten penance to prepare well for the Holy Week, it was also meant to pray for the nation during the current general election.