Khaberni - The churches in Jordan, all following the Eastern calendar, celebrated the blessed Palm Sunday, where the churches have been filled since the early hours of Sunday with believers carrying palm fronds and olive branches, to commemorate the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
At St. George the Martyr Church in Irbid, Bishop Eyad Twal, the Patriarchal Vicar for the Latins in Jordan, presided over the Palm Sunday Mass in the presence of the parish priest, Father Firas Arida.
In his sermon, the Bishop emphasized the humility with which Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem, urging believers to emulate this humility and to work towards fostering a spirit of brotherhood instead of enmity.
The Bishop also recalled what His Holiness Pope Leo XIV said during last week's Palm Sunday celebration, noting that "Jesus Christ is a leader of peace and a messenger of love and peace, and for this reason, he wants his followers to be messengers of meekness and peace," praying that the voices of war in the Middle East and the Holy Land be quelled, and that the glorious Easter return with peace, tranquility, and stability.
Bishop Eyad Twal also led the prayers with the believers, asking God Almighty to keep Jordan a haven of security and dialogue, and a haven of peace, prosperity, and stability, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein, and His Highness the Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II.
In the capital Amman, at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Father Rifat Badr, General Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media and a parish priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, presided over a crowded Mass.
He said in his sermon that this Sunday is special in the liturgical calendar, as the Catholic Church and other churches following the Western calendar celebrate the Glorious Easter, while in Jordan, following the Eastern calendar, we celebrate Palm Sunday, in a religious and national scene that reflects the uniqueness of this great and holy country that unified the holidays more than fifty years ago, allowing believers from different churches to walk together on the same path towards Holy Week.
Father Badr praised the efforts of His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Highness Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II in reducing tensions and pushing for fair political solutions, through a peace-driven diplomacy that calls for calm and rationality, responding to the needs of citizens and meeting the aspirations of all people in this volatile region. He also extended greetings to the security forces deployed during Holy Week at the gates of churches to accompany the worshippers and ensure a celebratory atmosphere for the festival.
