Wishing you all a good Holy Week, with the spiritual blessings that the message of our salvation brings during this time.

I’ll be assisting at Mass in a Russian Rite Catholic Church tomorrow, (Palm Sunday) As there are no Palm Trees in Russia, the custom is to use Pussy Willows. The symbolism is that the branches at this time of year have the first little furry buds, a symbol of the hope we find in the resurrection of our Lord, which will be celebrated next week, and of the hope we have of our own resurrection into eternal life.

The use of pussy-willows is also found among the Armenian, Ruthenian and Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches.