► OBJECTION # 1:
[ Is this observance is Biblical or found in the Bible? ]
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ANSWER :
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YES, WE CAN READ IN THE SCRIPTURE THAT THE DAY JESUS ARRIVED IN JERUSALEM, A LARGE MULTITUDE GATHERED AROUND HIM. THIS CROWD UNDERSTOOD THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH, PEOPLE ARE DELIGHTEDLY GREETED HIM BY WAVING PALM BRANCHES AS HE RIDING ON A DONKEY. BIBLE SAYS:
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John 12:12 -15 (New International Version)
[12] The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that JESUS WAS ON HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM.
[13] THEY TOOK PALM BRANCHES and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
[14] Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
[15] Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.
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THE PASSAGE ARE SIMILARLY WHAT WE CATHOLICS DID IN THE PALM SUNDAY, BECAUSE WE JUST TRADITIONALLY COMMEMORATE AND RE-ENACT THE EVENT DURING JESUS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM WITH THE PEOPLE HOLDING PALM BRANCHES WAVING AS WELCOME GREET FOR HIM.
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THAT IS WHY WE GIVING HIM A HONOR AND PRAISE WITH THE USED OF THIS PALM, WE CAN READ THIS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, IN HIS VISION IN HEAVEN, BIBLE SAYS:
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Revelation 7:9-10 (New International Version) [9] “After this I looked and there before me was A GREAT MULTITUDE THAT NO ONE COULD COUNT, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. THEY WERE wearing white robes and WERE HOLDING PALM BRANCHES IN THEIR HANDS.” [10] “And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
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WE CAN SEE ALSO IN THIS PASSAGE THAT A PEOPLE OF MULTITUDE IN NUMBER THAT COULD’T BE COUNT HOLDING THEIR PALM BRANCHES AND PRAISING THE GOD WHO SITS ON THE THRONE,
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IF WE ANALYZED, THIS PASSAGE POINTING IT OUT TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT NATION AND RACE, AS SEEN IN THE VISION OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE, SO, WE CHRISTIAN CATHOLICS JUST FULFILLED HIS VISIONS, TOGETHER WITH ORTHODOX, ANGLICANS, LUTHERANS WHO ARE ALSO OBSERVED THIS PALM SUNDAY TRADITIONALLY.
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WHILE MANY NEWLY FOUND CHRISTIAN RELIGION, MOST OF THEM EVANGELICALS, “BORN AGAIN”, “PENTECOSTALS” AND RESTORATIONIST RELIGIONS LIKE “IGLESIA NI CRISTO”,”JEHOVA’S WITNESSES” AND “SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST” DON’T SEE AS IT NECESSARILY TO DO, THEY REJECT IT, SINCE THEY REASON OUT THAT IT IS NOT INSTRUCTED BY JESUS OR APOSTLES FOR US TO PRACTICE IT.
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ADDITIONALLY, NOT JUST TAKING PART IN THIS CELEBRATION FOR TRADITIONALLY COMMEMORATING JESUS ENTRY IN THE JERUSALEM, BUT ALSO AS A FESTIVAL HONORING THE LORD THAT INVOLVES PALM BRANCHES, PLEASE READ:
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Leviticus 23:40 (Good News Bible) On that day take some of the best fruit from your trees, TAKE PALM BRANCHES and limbs from LEAFY trees, and BEGIN A RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL TO HONOR THE LORD YOUR GOD.
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Leviticus 23:40 (New International Version) On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and PALM FRONDS, LEAFY BRANCHES and poplars, and REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD for seven days.
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SEE? EVEN THE OLD TESTAMENT SAYS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL WHICH INVOLVES PALM BRANCHES IN HONORING THE LORD GOD, THE SAME WITH THE CATHOLICS CELEBRATION OF PALM SUNDAY.
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► OBJECTION # 2 :
[ Jesus never tell us it to practice it, even apostle did not instruct us to do it. ]
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ANSWER:
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THEY NEVER INSTRUCT NOR TAUGHT THIS TO DO, BUT WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE HAD IT DONE ALREADY WHEN JESUS ENTERED IN THE CITY THE FACT THAT HE NEVER INSTRUCTED THEM.
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AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE APOSTLE TAUGHT US TO CONTINUE (HANDED) DOWN OF WHAT THE PEOPLE DO IN THE SCRIPTURES THROUGH GENERATION COMES, AS TRADITION
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2 Thessalonians 2:15 (New American Standard Bible) “So then, brethren, stand firm and HOLD TO THE TRADITIONS which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.”
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1 Corinthians 11:2 (New American Standard Bible) “Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and HOLD FIRMLY TO THE TRADITIONS, just as I delivered them to you.”
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THAT IS WHY PALM SUNDAY IS AN OLD CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC TRADITION, THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE DOWN AS GENERATION PASSED.
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IF WE ACCEPT THE ILLOGICAL ARGUMENT OF THE NEWLY FOUNDED RELIGIONS THAT FOR THEM IT IS NOT NECESSARILY SINCE JESUS AND THE APOSTLE DID NOT INSTRUCT US TO DO.
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1. THEN THE VISION OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE IN (Revelation 7:9-10) WILL BE VOID, OR INVALID SINCE NO ANY CHRISTIANS WHO HOLD THEIR PALM DURING PALM SUNDAY? HE WILL BECOME A LIAR TOO.
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2. THEN WHY THE PEOPLE IN (John 12:12 -15) PREPARED A PALM TO WELCOME AND GREET JESUS COMING IN THE CITY WHICH IN FACT JESUS NEVER INSTRUCT THEM?, DOES JESUS CORRECTED THE PEOPLE THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE WHEN HE SAW IT IN THE CITY?
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3. THEN WHAT ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE TAUGHT US IN (1 Corinthians 11:2) AND (2 Thessalonians 2:15 ) FOR TRADITION WILL BE VOID AND INVALID ? SINCE THERE WILL BE NO CHRISTIAN WILL CONTINUE THIS TRADITION?
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► OBJECTION 3 :
[ Why we use Palm ? instead the other things ]
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ANSWER:
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BECAUSE THE PALM BRANCH WAS A SYMBOL OF TRIUMPH AND VICTORY IN THE GRECO-ROMAN CULTURE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND LATER BECAME A SYMBOL OF CHRISTIAN MARTYRS AND THEIR SPIRITUAL VICTORY OR TRIUMPH OVER DEATH.
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Psalms 92:12 (Good News Bible) “The righteous will flourish like palm trees; they will grow like the cedars of Lebanon. ”
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► OBJECTION # 4:
[ Why the date of a Palm Sunday is movable, or no exact date to celebrate?]
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ANSWER:
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WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY FIRST OF EASTER SUNDAY FIRST BEFORE THE PALM SUNDAY.
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THE EARLIEST BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH WISHED TO KEEP THE OBSERVANCE OF EASTER IN CORRELATION TO THE JEWISH PASSOVER.
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BECAUSE THE JESUS DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION HAPPENED AFTER THE THE JEWISH PASSOVER,
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THUS THEY WANTED EASTER TO ALWAYS BE CELEBRATED SUBSEQUENT (next) TO THE PASSOVER.
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AND, SINCE THE JEWISH HOLIDAY CALENDAR IS BASED ON SOLAR AND LUNAR CYCLES, SO EACH FEAST DAY IS OBVIOUSLY MOVABLE, WITH DATES SHIFTING FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
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SO EASTER SUNDAY (day of resurrection) JUST GO BACKWARD 7 DAYS WE WILL FALL TO SUNDAY, AND THAT WILL BE THE PALM SUNDAY.
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THUS THE DATE MORE ON BASING ON THE JEWISH CALENDAR OF “PASSING OVER” IN ORDER TO BASE IN AN ACTUAL BIBLICAL EVENT WHEN JESUS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM HAPPENED DURING JEWISH PASSOVER.