Here you go, for Passion Sunday.

Remember, this isn’t a discussion thread, unless you have a question about what someone else wrote that absolutely must be answered. It is also, as much as possible, a reporting thread rather than a critiquing thread. I do this simply because I’m curious. I go to one (or two) Catholic parishes here in the NE corner of Indiana. I’m quite interested in how Catholics throughout the country and around the world are experiencing the liturgy on this Passion Sunday, what preachers are doing with the texts, and what music is being sung.

I’ll begin:

Blessing of Palms in school gym. Procession to church with every member of the choir grouped in front (along with the priest, who should be in the rear, correct? ( – no – I’m duly corrected in the comments!) so that no one after the choir, and after about the 6th row of processors was singing.

Gospel read in dialogue, two females and the priest, congregation remained standing. Homily – and yes there was a homily – about ten minutes at least, I think – was about how important it will be to make time to come to church this week.  No allusion to the Scripture readings. Music was the typical Lenten oddities. The Bernadette Farrell Mass of Hope. The choral solos at Offertory and Communion which I am almost certain, simply from listening, are marvelous for most contemporary Protestant bodies, but do not speak any discernible Catholic lyrical language – none of this music minister’s selections ever do mostly, I’m assuming because he’s not Catholic.

And palms! That are not swords! As we had to remind someone many times during Mass…