Did you know palms become sacramentals after they are blessed each Palm Sunday? Sacramentals are objects made holy, or set apart for a special purpose, after a cleric’s blessing. Palms are traditionally a symbol of victory, which the disciples of Jesus laid before him as he entered Jerusalem before his Passion. For even the earliest Christians, palms historically signified a deeper victory of the spirit over enemies of the soul.
So what do you do with your blessed palms from Palm Sunday? Philip Kosloski, a writer from Aleteia.org says “Whatever you do, don’t throw them away!” According to the Catholic Code of Canon Law, blessed items should not be thrown away as if they were normal objects. Once you take them home, adorning areas of your home is a fitting use for palms. Set them behind a religious painting or crucifix on a wall, place them on a home altar, or craft them into a palm rose! They can serve as reminders of Palm Sunday and Jesus’s victory over sin throughout the year.
Over time, you may end up with more blessed palms than you can handle. Never fear, because you have options! Blessed items may be respectfully burned, if appropriate, or buried in the ground. In a beautiful way, we, God’s blessed people, are constantly called to repentance and triumph over sin just like the symbols of the palms and their ashes!
“Did You Know” written by parishioner, Rick Frantz
Due to the pandemic and our inability to have Masses on Ash Wednesday 2020, we have an ABUNDANCE of ashes to distribute. Please dispose of your previous palms as suggested above. Thank you!