The Archdiocese of Milwaukee celebrated Palm Sunday, the final Sunday before Easter, with a Mass to remember the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem.

"Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week," the diocese posted on Facebook this week. "Join us at Mass as we remember the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem—mere days before He was crucified on the cross."

Those who attend Palm Sunday Masses typically receive palm leaves, which many parishioners keep all year, until they are burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday the next year, a report from Britannica said.

A passage from Luke 22 was chosen by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for the Palm Sunday Gospel reading this year. 

The passage takes readers through the Last Supper, where Jesus broke bread with his disciples, to his crucifixion. 

At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, telling his disciples that the bread was his body and the wine was his blood, which would be shed for them.

Jesus then announced that he knew one of his disciples would betray him, the passage said. Jesus and the disciples went to the Mount of Olives, but the disciples fell asleep while Jesus was praying. He prayed so fervently that "his sweat became like drops of blood." 

The passage went on to describe Judas' betrayal, Jesus' arrest and trial before Pilate, and the crucifixion. 

In Rome, Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday Mass. 

In his homily, the pope pointed out that the people surrounding Jesus leading up to his crucifixion kept urging him to "save himself," a release on Vatican.va said.

"Against this self-centered mindset is God's way of thinking," Francis said. "The mantra 'save yourself' collides with the words of the Savior, who offers his self." 

The pope went on to emphasize the fact that as he was being crucified, Jesus asked God to forgive those who persecuted him, the release said. He connected that forgiveness to the way God is willing to forgive us for our sins.