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Wonder Trail Explanations
The Palms on Palm Sunday
Palm branches have been used by all nations as an emblem of joy and victory over enemies; in Christianity as a sign of victory over the flesh and the world according to Psalm 91:13. The palms blessed on Palm Sunday were used in the procession of the day, then taken home by the faithful and used as a sacramental. They were preserved in prominent places in the house, in the barns, and in the fields, and thrown into the fire during storms.
The blessed palms we receive on Palm Sunday are later burnt and turned into the ashes we use on Ash Wednesday. In places where palms cannot be found, branches of olive, box elder, spruce or other trees are used. In Rome olive branches are distributed to the people, while the clergy carry palms frequently dried and twisted into various shapes.
Prayer: Lord, we thank for the Passion you endured and we will carry these palms with us as a reminder of what you did for us. On this Palm Sunday we prepare ourselves for Holy Week and look forward to your resurrection on Easter!
The Cross and Hot Cross Buns
No Christian symbol is more common or speaks more clearly than the cross. It preserves the fundamental belief of Christianity: Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead. It is, therefore, a sign of victory!
When the Roman Empire became Christian in the 4th century, the cross became public and very popular. Crosses took on different shapes throughout the centuries. It was also popular to decorate it with precious jewels to represent its great value.
Every year when Lent begins, a delicious spicy bun with raisins inside and a shiny brown top decorated with a cross of white icing appears again. The story goes that small spiced cakes marked with a white cross – what we know as Hot Cross Buns today – were distributed to the poor by monk in England on Good Friday in 1361, more than 600 years ago.
All sorts of ideas grew up about the magic powers of Hot Cross Buns. If you ate them on Good Friday, people said, your home would be safe from fire all year. People used Hot Cross Buns as charms against lightening and sailors took them to sea to keep their ships from being wrecked.
Prayer: Lord, let us never forget how you died on the cross to save us and open the gates of heaven for us. We will praise you always, and celebrate your glorious victory on Easter Sunday!
The Egg and the Chick
Early man stared in wonder at an egg. It looked like a stone. Then --- CRACK! Out of this lifeless, hard thing poked a tiny beak, a head, and the soft warm body of a living bird. It seemed a miracle – the miracle of new life. This is the meaning of the Egg and the Chick. . They are symbols of hope and resurrection. Just as Christ came forth from the tomb, so a chick at birth breaks through from its shell.
During the Middle Ages, winters in northern Europe were very hard. Little food was left by spring. During Lent, besides giving up meat, people also had to do without eggs as a way of stretching meager food supplies a little further. By Easter, a fresh hen, duck or goose egg was a precious thing indeed. Decorating eggs for Easter became an art. The eggs were blessed at church and given to friends and relatives.
There is a charming Ukrainian folk tale that tells how Mary, carrying in her apron a gift of fresh eggs, appeared before Pilate to plead for her Son's life. When she heard Pilate's refusal of mercy, she fell to her knees in anguish. Her gift of eggs, spilling from her apron, rolled across the palace floor and out to the remotest corners of the world, as heralds of the coming Resurrection, bidding men to live by Christ's teachings of peace and love. Mary's tears, which had fallen upon the eggs, formed brilliant dots of color and pattern, much like we see on today’s Easter Eggs.
Prayer: Jesus, we thank you for eggs and chickens and all the other wonderful foods that you have given us to nourish our bodies, and for the new life that you have given us to renew our spirits.
The Bunny
Almost anywhere that Easter is celebrated there is an Easter bunny. Children in different parts of the world often make pretty nests of leaves, moss or grasses for the Easter hare. Country children of Yugoslavia put their bunny nests in the stable, while in England they hide them in the garden or around the house. In the U.S., the Easter Bunny brings children Easter baskets filled with “nests” of Easter Eggs, chocolates and jelly beans and other surprises.
Everyone knows what large families rabbits have, and how fast the little bunnies grow up and have baby bunnies of their own, until there are more and more and more. In this way the Bunny is also a symbol of new life.
Prayer: Lord, what joy we find in a life where you are the center. You have given us bunnies, chicks and all the animals to take care of and enjoy. Teach us to be kind to all your creatures on the land, in the air and in the water.
StLukesYM |
Latest page update: made by StLukesYM
, Apr 8 2009, 5:26 PM EDT
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