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Palm Sunday

  • Palm Sunday: CAN appeals for peace, condemns Plateau killings

    Palm Sunday: CAN appeals for peace, condemns Plateau killings

    Christians around the world mark Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called for peace and unity in the country.

    Extending warm greetings to all the faithful and people of goodwill across the nation on Palm Sunday, CAN said the sacred occasion invites citizens to reflect deeply on the life and mission of Jesus Christ, whose message of peace, humility, and sacrificial love remains as urgent today as it was over two thousand years ago.

    This was contained in a statement released by the Christian body on Sunday, and signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh.

    The umbrella body for Christians in Nigeria also strongly condemned the recent wave of brutal killings in Plateau State, particularly the April 4, 2025 attacks that claimed dozens of innocent lives in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas.

    It added that the acts of violence represent not only a gross violation of human dignity and the sanctity of life but also a serious threat to our national unity and peace.

    CAN called on the security agencies to act swiftly and decisively in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

    The statement read in part, “Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where He was welcomed with palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna!”—a powerful symbol of peace, humility, and hope.

    “This moment, recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19), offers enduring lessons for our nation as we navigate these uncertain and challenging times. These lessons are especially pertinent as we are once again confronted with a painful reminder of the fragility of peace in our land.

    With deep sorrow, CAN strongly condemns the recent wave of brutal killings in Plateau State, particularly the attacks of 4 April 2025, which claimed the lives of dozens of innocent citizens in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas. These senseless acts of violence represent not only a gross violation of human dignity and the sanctity of life but also a serious threat to our national unity and peace.

    “We call on the security agencies to act swiftly and decisively in bringing the perpetrators to justice. We also urge the government—at all levels—to intensify its efforts to secure all communities and prevent further bloodshed. The continued loss of lives in such tragic circumstances is simply unacceptable.

    “We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families and the people of Plateau State. May God grant comfort to the grieving, healing to the wounded, and peace to every troubled heart. In times like these, we are reminded that true leadership is most vital when lives are at risk and communities are in distress.

    “In this critical moment, we call on our leaders to rise to the occasion with humility and a clear sense of purpose. Jesus’ choice to enter Jerusalem on a donkey—symbolising peace and servanthood—remains a timeless example. Our leaders must embrace the principles of servant leadership, placing the welfare of the people above personal or political interests. Amidst insecurity, economic hardship, and displacement, let their actions be marked by compassion, justice, and a steadfast commitment to national healing.

    In the same spirit, we appeal to all Nigerians—regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation—to rise above division and embrace our shared identity as one people under God. Just as the diverse crowds in Jerusalem were united in hope, so too must we come together with a common purpose: to heal our land and build a future grounded in mutual respect, compassion, and solidarity.

    “Palm Sunday reminds us that even in times of trial, there is hope. The journey to national renewal begins with each of us. Let us be mindful of our words and actions, choosing to be peacemakers in our homes, communities, and workplaces. Through a shared commitment to truth and justice, we can overcome the pain of the present and help shape a Nigeria where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive.

    “As we lift our palm branches today, let them serve not only as symbols of worship but as signs of our collective resolve to work for a peaceful and united Nigeria. May God grant us wisdom, courage, and grace in these trying times. We pray for our leaders, that they may be guided by divine insight; for our people, that they may draw strength from unity; and for our nation, that peace may reign in every corner.

    “God bless you all, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

  • Palm Sunday: Faithful mark feast with procession, fanfare rekindle faith

    Palm Sunday: Faithful mark feast with procession, fanfare rekindle faith

    Catholic Faithful in Lagos on Sunday joined others across the world to mark the Palm Sunday with procession, fanfare, to rekindle faith in God.

    The feast, which is a symbolic reflection of Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, marks the beginning of the Holy Week in anticipation of the Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    The feast, an important one in the celebrations of the church, reminds faithful of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the confidence of faithful in the sonship of Jesus Christ.

    At the St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Okokomaiko, faithful began the feast with a procession, Mass, and street evangelism,  to draw people to Jesus Christ.

    The members all marched in jubilation within the area to register God’s presence in the place, while some used the medium to reach out to people to turn to Jesus Christ and heed the good news of salvation.

    It was a spectacular scene at the Saints Peter and Paul, Tedi, Ojo Lagos parish, where the priest in charge, Rev. Fr. Anthony Thompson,  asked faithful to physically present a written petition to God to heal the nation.

    The followers, professing Jesus Christ as King of Kings approached the altar with their petitions.

    The event, which aroused public interest in the environs also had faithful display varying attractive craft made of Palm fronts to signify the day.

    Speaking during the homily (sermon), Thompson, said that before Jesus was crowned King, He showed perseverance and good character.

    “It is expected of us to toe the line of Christ, for us to make it as a people and a nation.

    “The decorations in the church with the palm fronts is a sign of victory, therefore our hope in the nation need not be dampened.

    “The anxieties of today will not last but has come to an abrupt end with the triumph of our Lord today,” he said.

  • PALM SUNDAY: Pope presides over mass after hospital stay

    PALM SUNDAY: Pope presides over mass after hospital stay

    Pope Francis presided over mass in St Peter’s Square, Sunday, as he kicked off events leading to Easter, just a day after leaving the hospital following a bout of bronchitis.

    The 86-year-old’s admittance to the hospital on Wednesday with breathing difficulties sparked concerns he may not be well enough to attend a series of rites in the most important week in the Christian calendar.

    But Francis had promised to be present, and he waved briefly to some 30,000 people as he rode in his popemobile through the square, which was adorned with over 35,000 plants and flowers.

    He looked serious as he followed the procession through St Peter’s Square of religious figures, including red-robed cardinals, carrying large palm leaves and olive branches.

    PALM SUNDAY: Pope presides over mass after hospital stay

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Palm Sunday marks the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Easter Sunday, which this year is on April 9, celebrates his resurrection from the dead.

    As a smiling Francis had left Rome’s Gemelli hospital Saturday after a three-night stay, he quipped to well-wishers who asked how he was “I am still alive!”

    The head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics has suffered from increasing health issues over the past few years, including knee problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair and walking stick.

    Francis was expected to remain seated throughout the mass, while a cardinal conducts the ceremony at the altar.

    The Vatican said this was an arrangement adopted prior to the pope’s latest illness, as he is no longer able to stand for long periods.

    Francis felt unwell Wednesday following a general audience in St Peter’s Square, but his condition improved after he was given antibiotics.

    The hospitalization was his second since 2021, when he underwent colon surgery, also at Gemelli.

    His increasing health issues over the past year have sparked widespread concern, including speculation that he might choose to retire rather than stay in the job for life.

    Francis marked 10 years as the head of the worldwide Catholic Church earlier this month.

    He has pushed through major governance reforms and sought to forge a more open, compassionate Church, although he has faced internal opposition, particularly from conservatives.

    He has repeatedly said he would consider stepping down were his health to fail him — but said last month that, for now, he has no plans to quit.

    Francis’ previous stay at Gemelli in July 2021 lasted 10 days. He was admitted after suffering from a type of diverticulitis, an inflammation of pockets that develop in the lining of the intestine, that required surgery.

    In an interview in January, the pope said the diverticulitis had returned.

  • The Week of weeks, Stephen Ojapah

    The Week of weeks, Stephen Ojapah

    Stephen Ojapah MSP

    Today we begin the sacred week of the Lord’s Passion, death and resurrection. For my non Catholic readers. This Sunday is referred to as Palm Sunday. A we recall Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem that will lead to his eventual death, and the entire week is referred to as a Holy Week, because of the re-enactment of the Lord’s Supper, where Jesus gave us his Most Precious Body and Blood as an everlasting Covenant; thereby instituting the Sacrament of Holy Orders (Priesthood) and the Institution of the Holy Eucharist. On Good Friday we will recall his supreme sacrifice on the cross, his eventual death and the salvation he brought for humanity. By Holy Saturday, we will still be around the grave with tears and sadness in our hearts.

    Holy Week, in the Christian church, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, is observed with special solemnity as a time of devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ. In the Greek and Roman liturgical books, it is called the Great Week because great deeds were done by God during this week. The name Holy Week was used in the 4th century by St Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, and St Epiphanius of Constantia. Originally, only Good Friday and Holy Saturday were observed as holy days. Later, Wednesday was added as the day on which Judas plotted to betray Jesus, and by the beginning of the 3rd century the other days of the week had been added. The pre-Nicene church concentrated its attention on the celebration of one great feast, the Christian Passover, on the night between Saturday and Easter Sunday morning. By the later 4th century the practice had begun of separating the various events and commemorating them on the days of the week on which they occurred: Judas’s betrayal and the institution of the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday; the Passion and death of Christ on Good Friday; his burial on Holy Saturday; and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

    The intense human drama of this week leaves us all with great lessons. There are a lot that we can draw from the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. How the people welcomed him, spread their clothing on the ground for Jesus to walk on, and how the same people turned against him. For millennia now, the world has been grabbling with such a human change of mode and attitude towards an institution or persons they once revered. We can ‘understand’ when such a change happens in the life of brutal and oppressive leaders or systems. But what could have caused that change in the situation of Jesus? The only plausible reason is what we find in (Proverbs 1:11). If they say, “Come with us, let’s lay in wait for blood; let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause. For they don’t sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall. (Proverbs 4:1). I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” (Jeremiah 11: 19).

    In this week also the personally of Judas Iscariot will be analyzed, and talked about a great deal. The role he played in the betrayal of Jesus, will be a much talked about topic. Judas will be dramatized in history in different ways. But one of the most ‘cherished’ history to philosophize about will be likened to the ‘wonderful’ story of Brutus. A lesson to show how enemies from within always constitute a greater threat to our collective humanity and nationhood especially in the case of our dear country Nigeria. On the 20th of September the Daily Trust Newspaper published an article I wrote titled: The Nicolaitans In Our Systems: “A group of senators saw Caesar as a tyrant. His friends Brutus and Cassius, decided to plot his death on March 15, 44 BC. Brutus, Cassius and other angry senators, stabbed Caesar to death in the Forum. Brutus the man who stabbed Caesar last apparently was his confidant and his most trusted friend. I have always used this example to analyze the enemies from within, doing more harm to our collective friendship and communion than the ‘enemy’ from without. With all that Christianity is going through in Nigeria. It will be a total disservice to the body of Christ to engage in internal strife that will present us as lacking in moral clarity and the common goal of salvaging our people from oppressive regimes and religious bigotry.

    Upon the many allegations and smear campaign and personal attack By Dr Nwaezigwe on some Catholic and Christian leaders a formal response to Dr Nwaezigwe a professor in the Department of History in the University of Nsukka Nigeria was written by Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto Titled: Goodluck Jonathan, The Caliphate Ritual Cow, and Ayo Oritsejafor Metaphor. It’s a very long and interesting response, which became necessary as a result of the harm that is been done to the body of Christ by its members. The few take away from the long read is what I would like to share with you depending on when you read the entire article.

    “Dr Nwaezeigwe is right that the Catholic Church distanced itself from the affairs of CAN during the times of Pastor Ayo but the reasons were largely reasons based on the moral choice between the mission of CAN, which is uniting Christians and the decision to pawn that association for a seat on the table of mammon. The Catholic Church drew from its rich History knowing that the Church’s duty was not to seek a place on the bed of Caesar but to continue to prophesy to Caesar about his duty to his citizens. The Catholic Bishops Conference had a great relationship with President Jonathan, but he himself would testify that this relationship was based on respect and at no time did the Catholic Church seek special favours beyond the common good of our people.Continuing with his bizarre and muddled up conspiracy theories, Dr Nwaezeigwe blames the Catholic Church and accuses it of conspiring with Col. Sambo Dasuki and the caliphate in the disgraceful debacle over the botched lease of Pastor Ayo’s private jet to purchase arms in South Africa. First, Pastor Ayo had turned his plane into a commercial enterprise and must have landed a good financial deal when he heard it was going to be on lease by the Presidency. Their business went wrong and had the plane been used for drugs, this strange student of History would argue that the body of Christ should come out in sack cloth and ashes because their President was being framed. This phase of our history is disgraceful and its memory should conjure penance. Pastor Ayo’s plane was not on a missionary journey but a commercial enterprise. This alone was a slap on the face of Christians.

    Dr. Nwaezeigwe’s failed attempt to besmirch the reputation of the Catholic Church through its leaders such as Cardinal Onaiyekan and Archbishop Kaigama is evident that there are many who are really making the devil’s work very easy. My name was mentioned but nothing was ascribed to me. Just as well because I would have like to know where they would draw their foul inspiration from. To be sure, the Presidency of Pastor Ayo was at best a period of unnecessary tumult even within the body of Christ and there are lessons for us to learn in the urgency of dialogue with our brothers of other faiths and how to guide our nation morally”.

    In all of this, may we learn something about Jesus’ patience’s in the face of outright betrayal and injustice.

    Fr Stephen Ojapah is a priest of the Missionary Society of St Paul. He is equally the director for Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism for the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, a member of IDFP. He is also a KAICIID Fellow. (omeizaojapah85@gmail.com)

     

  • Palm Sunday: Christians mark first day of holy week

    Palm Sunday: Christians mark first day of holy week

    Today is Palm Sunday, an annual feast in the Christian calendar that marks the transition from Lent into the Holy Week that leads up to Easter.

    Palm Sunday symbolises the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where he triumphantly rode on a donkey a week before his resurrection. The event is recounted in each of the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

    According to the Holy Bible, as he entered the city of Jerusalem, people laid down their cloaks, palm leaves and small tree branches on the ground before him, singing “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.”

    This tradition is still practised by Christian to date, this time churches commemorate this high point in Christ’s public life at a divine liturgy in the church decorated with palms and laurel leaves. A procession through the church re-enacts Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

    Children often carry lit candles they have decorated. Small crosses are made of palm and handed out to everyone who attends the service.

    For many Christians, palm branches symbolises goodness and victory.

    Meanwhile, Pope Francis has asked Christians to imbibe the virtues of Jesus Christ.

    The Pope in his tweet on Sunday said: “God triumphs, but the palm of victory passes through the wood of the cross. For the palm and the cross are inseparable.”

    “We are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s eyes: by their mere existence they bless him and give him glory, and indeed, the Lord rejoices in all his works.”

  • Palm Sunday: Cleric urges Christians to promote Christ’s virtues

    Palm Sunday: Cleric urges Christians to promote Christ’s virtues

    Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo, the Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, has urged Christians to promote the virtues of Jesus Christ in their service to God.

    Badejo, who made the call in an interview on Sunday in Ibadan, said that as Christians all the world celebrated the Palm Sunday, it was important for faithful to stand up for the teachings of Christ.

    According to him, the story of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem as narrated in Matthew’s gospel should spur Christians to open their hearts to God.

    “As Christians, we need to open our lives to God, promote the things that Christ did and aspire to live in holiness.

    “We should show deep commitment to service, knowing that through Christ, we shall get salvation,” he said.

    He said that Palm Sunday celebration should challenge Christians to take a stand for Christ, adding that believers should be consistent in their commitment to the truth.

    “Palm Sunday represents dignity, beauty, well being and victory, it should never be jettisoned for sin and evil.

    “It holds a lot of significance for the youth, young people must never lose hope, they must believe in their dreams,” Badejo told NAN.

    The Cleric described Palm Sunday as remarkable because it marked the beginning of the Passion Week.

    “This is the most holy week in Christendom, it is the week in which the key events of the history of salvation are celebrated.

    “During Holy Week, the Catholic Church commemorates the institution of the priesthood, the sacraments and the Eucharist.

    “The Good Friday is also celebrated during the week to commemorate the death of Christ on the cross,” he said.

    Palm Sunday is celebrated around the world by Christians to mark Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

  • Palm Sunday: Archbishop urges Christians to emulate, share Christ’s love

    Palm Sunday: Archbishop urges Christians to emulate, share Christ’s love

    As Christians marked Palm Sunday, the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, has urged them to relive, emulate and share the love of Jesus Christ with their neighbours.

    Abegunrin, who made this known in an interview on Sunday in Ibadan, said Christians should show Christ’s love to all, irrespective of their religion or race.

    According to him, God loves humanity because humans were created in His image and likeness, and out of love, He sent His only begotten son to die for them.

    The archbishop said: “Jesus Christ loves mankind so much that He willingly died for man shamefully on the cross.”

    He urged leaders and stakeholders in government to be humble in the discharge of their duties towards the citizenry, saying that their humility should be accompanied with truthfulness.

    “There is so much distrust in our land because our leaders, including religious ones, are not humble, truthful and loving.

    “Jesus Christ rode the donkey among the people; he did not bully them. Those in government should respect the citizens and keep the promises of protection of lives and property.

    “There is terror everywhere. So I advise government at all levels to learn from Jesus Christ on how to be close to the people and not to abuse their power over them.

    “Rather, they should use their power to maintain peace in the land,” he told NAN.

    According to him, Palm Sunday signifies the day Christians celebrate the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem in order to suffer, die and resurrect for the sake of humanity.

    He added that Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week in Christendom.

    “The holy week is the one leading to Easter. The high point of the week is the Sacred Triduum, which comprises the celebration of Institution of Sacred Priesthood and the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday.

    “It comprises the Veneration of the Wood of the Cross and the commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and lastly, the celebration of the Vigil of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave on Holy Saturday.

    “All these spiritual and redeeming activities culminate in the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday,” he said.

    Abegunrin, therefore, maintained that Palm Sunday afforded everyone, particularly Christians, the opportunity of total liberation from sin and death by uniting mankind with the crucified Jesus.

    He said that Palm Sunday also emphasised the supremacy and lordship of Jesus Christ on humanity.

    A faithful, Mr Toochi Chima, said that Jesus came to save mankind, as prophesied by Zechariah.

    Chima emphasised that the one and only sacrifice made by Christ could take away sin and cause death to pass over mankind.

    “Jesus was matching to His death that brought salvation to us. Thus, without Palm Sunday, there would be no passover, no Good Friday, no Easter Sunday and perhaps no resurrection.

    “This would have made our belief and faith as Christians baseless, futile and hopeless,” he said.

  • Two suicide bombers strike in Catholic church on Palm Sunday

    Two suicide bombers strike in Catholic church on Palm Sunday

    Fourteen people were wounded Sunday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar.

    The attack at Sacred Heart Cathedral came on Palm Sunday, the first day of the Easter Holy Week.

    According to the police, the congregation had been inside the church on the island of Sulawesi at the time of the explosion.

    The bombers struck just as the mass was ending. Local police had previously said the bombers had acted alone.

    National police spokesman Argo Yuwono said authorities were looking into which radical networks the bombers came from.

    They were also probing whether the attack was linked to recent arrests of suspected militants.

    In January, a counter-terrorism unit raided a militant hideout in Makassar and killed two men suspected by police of involvement in twin bombings at a Philippine church in 2019 that killed more than 20 people.

    Father Wilhemus Tulak, a priest at the church, told Indonesian media that a suspected bomber tried to enter the church grounds on a motorbike, but had been stopped by a security guard.

    Security camera footage showed a blast that blew flame, smoke and debris into the middle of the road.

    Police did not say who might be responsible for the attack and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

    Police blamed the Islamic State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah group for suicide attacks in 2018 on churches and a police post in the city of Surabaya that killed over 30 people.

    Boy Rafli Amar, the head of the country’s National Counterterrorism Agency, described Sunday’s attack as an act of terrorism.

    Makassar Mayor Danny Pomanto said the blast could have caused far more casualties if it had taken place at the church’s main gate instead of a side entrance.

    Makassar, Sulawesi’s biggest city, reflects the religious makeup of Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country with a substantial Christian minority and followers of other religions.

    “Whatever the motive is, this act isn’t justified by any religion because it harms not just one person but others, too,” Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Indonesia’s religious affairs minister, said in a statement.

    Gomar Gultom, head of the Indonesian Council of Churches, described the attack as a “cruel incident” as Christians were celebrating Palm Sunday, and urged people to remain calm and trust the authorities.

    Indonesia’s deadliest Islamist militant attack took place on the tourist island of Bali in 2002, when bombers killed 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.

    In subsequent years, security forces in Indonesia scored some major successes in tackling militancy.

    But more recently there has been a resurgence of militant violence.

  • COVID-19: Southern Kaduna Christians mark Palm Sunday from home

    COVID-19: Southern Kaduna Christians mark Palm Sunday from home

    Christians in Southern Kaduna on Sunday marked the solemnity of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem also called the Palm Sunday discreetly at homes because of the Covid-19 lockdown.

    TNG gathered that as early as 5am on Sunday Christians were seen gathering at different homes of their fellow church members with clergy men leading in the various gatherings.

    The Palm Sunday is the last Sunday before Easter which also marked the beginning of the holy week in the Roman Catholic Calendar.

    The Kaduna State government had banned public gathering including, religious gatherings in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel Covid-19.

    According to a church elder who pleaded anonymity; “….we are not breaking the law….we have to partition in fiftys(50s) and celebrate the Palm Sunday in different homes so as to avoid over crowding… you know how the crowd use to be during Palm Sunday….” He said.

    It could be recalled that two Islamic clerics were arrested two weeks ago and charged to court for holding Ju’maat prayers.

  • Palm Sunday: Clerics task Christians on reconciliaton

    Monsignor Gabriel Osu, Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, on Sunday urged Christians to reconcile with God and fellow human beings, as the 2018 Lenten season draws to an end.

    Osu told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday that Christians should also use the opportunity of the 2018 Palm Sunday to make Jesus their true king.

    The cleric said that Christians should show love to one another and live in unity as demonstrated by Jesus Christ through His death on the cross to be celebrated on Friday.

    He said that humility and selfless service made Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the salvation of mankind.

    Osu said that Lent was a season for repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation and love.

    He noted that Christians worldwide marked the beginning of the Holy Week with Palm Sunday.

    “Palm Sunday is the beginning of the Holy Week which contains the three most important days in the life of the church.

    “It introduces Holy Thursday – institution of priesthood, institution of the Eucharist – the body of Christ; Good Friday – the suffering and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ; Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    “We have been coming from lent, emphasising intensive prayers; if any nations need prayers, Nigeria should be one of them.

    “We are going through stress; hence, we need prayers against bribery, corruption, inordinate ambitions and so many other things bedeviling us.

    “Lent is not just to pray, but to fast; fasting is not just to punish yourself from not eating; the things we saved from fasting, we should use to help the poor.

    “ Rev. Canon Okey Obodozie of Saint Mary’s Anglican Church told NAN that Christians should allow Christ to reign in their lives to conquer all their challenges.

    “Palm Sunday is actually used to mark His entrance into Jerusalem as a king;

    “I know that when we honour Him and allow Him to ride us as asses, surely, the will of God will be done in our lives,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that Palm Sunday is the Sunday preceding Easter Sunday. It begins the Holy Week. It is the day that Christians celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem as Savior and King.

    As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem, a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road. This is why Christians go to church on Palm Sunday with palm branches.

    Palm Sunday is celebrated in many churches with processions carrying branches of palms.