Dubai – The Syro-Malabar Community celebrated Palm Sunday with procession and the traditional Kozhukatta.
Rev Fr. Varghese Kozhippadan led the Palm Sunday Liturgy was celebrated during the Syro-Malabar Catechism on Saturday, 24th March in St Mary’s Church, Dubai.
The Liturgical Celebrations began with the blessing of Palm leaves in the Church premises.
Blessed Palm leaves were distributed to the Catechism children and parents.
Catechism children and teachers sang ‘Hosanna to the King’ during the procession to the Church for the Holy Qurbana.
Fr Varghese knocked at the traditional Palm Sunday rite of knocked at the main door of the Church with the shaft of the palm leaves while reciting “Oh gates, lift high your heads; Oh eternal gates, open; the glorious King is entering”
The Syro-Malabar Church follows the traditional rite also called as the ഓശാനമുട്ട് (oshana muttu) for Palm Sunday Liturugal celebrations.
Late Pope Benedict XVI explained the significance of this ritual: "In the old liturgy for Palm Sunday, the priest, arriving in front of the church, would knock loudly with the shaft of the processional cross on the door that was still closed; thereupon, it would be opened. This was a beautiful image of the mystery of Jesus Christ himself who, with the wood of his Cross, with the power of his love that is given, knocked from the side of the world at God's door; on the side of a world that was not able to find access to God. With his Cross, Jesus opened God's door, the door between God and men. Now it is open." -- Homily of Benedict XVI, Palm Sunday, 2007
The traditional ‘kozhukatta’ was also blessed before the final blessing of the Holy Qurbana. The celebrant explained to the children the significance of this sweet.
The sweet dish is prepared to end 40 days of fasting and to remind the faithful that they are entering into the Holy Week, 10 days of ardent abstinence and fasting. Syro-Malabar faithful fast for the first 40 days of Lent in memory of the Lord fasting and the last ten days for the suffering of the Lord. Just as the Lord fasted for forty days, ancient Christians also fasted for forty days. Kozhukatta (‘Kozhu’ means 'mazhu' or axe) is made to break the fast on the 41st day, without reducing the fervour of the fast that has been observed till then, remembering the suffering of the Lord.
The Palm Sunday Celebrations helped both the children and parents alike to recall their traditions and brought about a nostalgic feeling in the minds of the expatriate community.