By Sunmola Olowookere, SadeAdewale & Folasade Afe

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Christians yesterday worldwide celebrated the Palm Sunday to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday is one of the rites observed preceding Christ’s crucifixion in the Christendom.
In Ondo State and particularly in Akure, the state capital, various denominations marked the day.
While some churches like Cherubim and Seraphin, Catholic danced round some major streets of the town holding Palm fronds and crosses, the Anglican, Methodists, Christ Apostolic Church, Celestial and the rest only marked the day with special services in their churches.
In his homily, Rev. Father Stephen Akinnuoye of our Lady of Lourdes in Ondo charged Christians to remember that what really matters in life is loving God and serve him with their whole heart.
He added that Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter celebration.
According to him, Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy week, the last week of the Christian solemn season of Lent that precedes the arrival of Eastertide.
“During this Holy Week, let us lift our eyes to the cross, in order to receive the grace of amazement,” he said.
At St Thomas’s Anglican Church, Akure Ven Francis Orogun (Rtd) admonished Nigerians always take refuge in God, saying only Him could guarantee absolute safety.
According to the clergy, the best place to take refuge is God, when you take your refuge in God you are sure of absolute safety. God is not a person that deny or reject whosoever comes to him for refuge.
Speaking further, he said Jesus riding on the ass to Jerusalem was a sign of humility, despite He is God in the image of man, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men.
He enjoined Christians to be humble as Jesus Christ humbled himself and God exalted him. He gave him name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus Christ every knees must bow.
Pastor of Christ Liberty Evangelical Ministry, Pastor Kayode Adedeji called on Christians and Nigerians to rededicate themselves to God.
Delivering a sermon titled “God has a use for you”, he said that God’s promise is to set people free from their bondages just as the Colt that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem was ordered to be set free by Jesus.
He said that God will set his people free because he wants them to have freedom citing Matthew 11:28 of the holy Bible where Jesus called his people to come unto God, lay down their heavy load and receive rest.
He called for joy while saying that this time last year, the whole country and the whole world were going through tribulation as the world was locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He said that this year’s Easter should be a time of thanksgiving to God for pulling the country through.