Greetings to all and sundry.

It's @barnabie with the pen and paper, once again to narrate how I spent today's day.
Hello Diary,

^{Edited on Flyer maker app}

Intro

Just like normal Sabbath day but very unique is today's day. This Sunday is always very unique in the sense that we remembers Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Today's Sunday is called Palm Sunday, or passion Sunday.

Christians started the Lenten season on Ash Wednesday, 2nd of the month of march and it has been running through all these while.
Like I published in my diary post on that day, the Lenten season is all about 40 days observations which Christians observe to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
During this period, Christians are called to fast and pray, and also give alms/show love to the needy.

More so, Palm Sunday is a Sunday before Easter Sunday in which Christians celebrate Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
The procession usually begins on the road where Christians sprays their branches of olive on the road after abrief gospel reading followed by homily (preaching) and chant Hosanna, sing praises to the lord Jesus Christ saying "Blessed is he who comes in the highest's name."

• For the sake of non-Christians and Christians who doesn't celebrate palm Sunday, neither know what it is, hope you understand now?

My today's day went thus:

Waking up

My alarm rang today also at 6. Ohhh, o ye poor alarm! only if you could ask me wheather to ring or not. Well, I did the needful (snooze it asap 🧐😁) and continued snoring, yeah.. that's how comrades do.

I heard my alarm whispered, Comrade, you shouldn't be doing this to me well, I pretended not to hear as per, I ignored successfully.

I later woke up 20 minutes after 7 meanwhile, the church service was scheduled to commence at exactly 8. I had to rush in order to meet up😁.
I had my bath in a blink of an eye, roughly 2½ minutes.
After drying myself with a towel, I got hold of the cream, rubbed it on some parts of the body that deserves to (not all), I then put on my cloths , combed my hair and saw myself on the road withing minutes 😎🤣.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't find a bike to climb since an ugly incident occurred yesterday which lead to the death of a motorbike rider. On this, the association banned movement of bikes till further notice; that's by the way. I actually trekked as fast as I can and I was able to get to church just 2 minutes after the scheduled 8 o'clock for mass to commence and the the priest was yet to arrive.

While waiting, I was making a sign of cross with the already available branches which were there. I finished it before the priest arrived at about 10 minutes after 8.
Because he was already late, he dressed up and the procession on the road commenced immediately.
There on the road, all the activities as per the Catholic missal where carried out of which include the blessing of the branches, reading of the gospel and brief introduction of why we are there as well as a short homily (preaching).

The Triumphal Entry

Blessing the olive branches	Entry to church

The procession on the road to the church commenced shortly after the homily by the parish priest Rev. Fr. Dr. Godspower Amele.
Today also, I worshiped with the Christian family of Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church Akiama Bonny Island Rivers State What3words

People where spraying their branches and singing Hosanna in the highest just as we heard it was done in the Bible.

In the Church

^{In the Church}

Inside the church, the regular churches activities started when all the congregations settled down.
During today's mass also, all the activities were carried out as according to the daily missal of which to mention but a few are The readings, offering of gifts from people to God, receiving of holy communion by communicants and today happened to be tithe Sunday and so, it was carried out also.

A tabular form of today's readings below;

Readings	Bible verses
At the procession	Luke 19:28—40
FIRST READING	Isaiah 50:4—7
RESPONSORIAL PSALM	Psalm 22:8—9, 17—18, 19—20, 23—24 (2a)
SECOND READING	Philippians 2:6—11
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL	Philippians 2:8—9
GOSPEL	Luke 22:14—23:56

A brief summary of the readings

• The gospel read at the procession from the book of Luke 19:28-40 tells us about how Jesus sent two of his disciples to go and bring to him a colt of which they did exactly as they were directed. Jesus then sat on it and journeyed to Jerusalem while people were Hailing him.

• The first reading is from the book of Isaiah 50:4-7. Prophet Isaiah prophesied how the Lord has given him a very well trained tongue to speak to the weary. Telling is how he do not turn his back, giving his back rather to those that beat him neither did he hide his face from spitting for he know he shall not be out to shame.

• The responsorial psalm "My God my God , why have you forsaken me" laments the suffering involved in his (Jesus's) suffering

• The second reading from Philippians 2:6-11 tells us how Christ though was in God's form but did not regard his equality with God, he humbled himself till death and as such, God gave him a name that's above all, and by the mention of his holy name, all the knees most bow.

• And the very long gospel reading gives an account of Jesus arrest, trial , crucifixion and death on the Cross.

The Homily

The homily as called in the Catholic church refers to the preaching from the officiating minister which is fondly called by other denominations "Sermon or preaching".

Beginning his homily with a story at 8:58am, the priest said: There was a priest who proposed his toast on his ordination which to many was confusing weird or rather unique. The priest's toast was that "The Lord needs it"
To him (the ordaining Priest) the lord has need of him that's why he called him to serve as a priest.

This story or rather illustration caved today's theme "The Master needs it".
The priest said, Jesus did not suffered because he deserved it, but because the master has need of his suffering.
He lingered, "This week is the last week of Jesus humanity on earth"... it is so important to us Christians because without it, we would have been in the darkness"
He continued that, the salvation of anyone's place of work and what he/she has needs Jesus because the master need it .

"We can not rejoice for Easter unless we give what the master needs it. A lot of persons are hungry, As such, we are called to give alms"
No matter your tribulations, remember the lord said I know I shall not be put to shame..., The Lord Jesus will not out you to shame" this were the priest's words.

He concluded his homily at 9:17am by praying this; may your journey to live a good life not end in shame, may we celebrate Easter with joy in Jesus name.

Other activities of my day

The mass later ended at about 12 minutes after 10 and I returned home. I never bothered after eating after changing rather, I grabbed my phone and started going through it. I started getting bored and decided to sleep. I woke up at some minutes after 4 , had by bath and started cooking rice.
As of the time of writing this post, the time is 5:21pm and I've eaten, I'm currently enjoying the cool breeze outside.
Thanks to all.

Special regards:
@steemalive @steem-alive #steemalive #krsuccess #life

I wish us all the very best this week can offer