Indeed, the all-night vigil, or Vespers Palm Sunday – evening service on the eve of the resurrection differs extraordinary beauty. Temple like blossoms: here and green festive vestments of the clergy, and a forest, no, there! – stubborn thicket of twigs with fluffy balls of buds in the hands of the parishioners. And then, after the consecration of pussy willows, after the vigil, fluffy branches are home, and the lights of the temple is seen as the streams of the faithful with the pussy willows have not spread across the sleeping city. Nicely, it is no coincidence that poets and Block, Bryusov, Pasternak, Solodovnikov dedicated Palm poems. Only here today the crowd is dangerous. And spread then around the city completely irresponsible. But the feast of palm Sunday, if you think about it, not about willow. It’s about sacrificial love. About the voluntary sacrifice of love. That is about genuine love for the middle and far… And is to deprive yourself of the beauty of the holiday in order that the virus didn’t kill the middle and far, is such a big sacrifice?
Easter service will be held with a limited number of parishioners
And palm Sunday about loneliness, misunderstanding, betrayal, the fickleness of the crowd… And the fact that the heroism of love is not in vain. Let’s get started.
In the Church of the Palm is called the “Entry into Jerusalem”, in memory of how six days before the Jewish Passover Jesus triumphantly entered the capital of Judea.
a Strange and unusual events preceded this exalted procession. 30 ad, the surroundings of Jerusalem are abuzz with rumors: “there was a Messiah – Savior, he heals the sick. Blind at his word the light, the lepers are cleansed from the scabs, the dead come to life! Didn’t you hear him last month.TSE raised his friend Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, already four days buried in the tomb? Shouted: “Lazarus, come forth!”, and Lazarus came out of the tomb bound with wrappings! The dead man untied and he went! Who would do such a thing! Jesus Is The Messiah! Savior! It works wonders for him now are the crowds of disciples and followers! He will finally bring to Judah, enslaved by the Romans, freedom! Will set up a new Kingdom!” – rejoiced in the environs of Jerusalem.
Patriarch Kirill: the Times of global adversity give us a chance to return to God
But that had hopes of ordinary people, could not frighten the government. Alarmed, Church leaders: Jesus was a troublemaker, an Iconoclast of the basics. But the fame of the miracles worked by the word of Jesus was spreading through towns and villages, and nothing to do with it was impossible. The ecstasy of that victory over all the darkness and injustice of the world already near, seized and disciples of Christ, they did not seem to hear the bitterness in the words of the Savior. They miss His sorrowful warning on deaf ears. Such sensitive and attentive, they did not seem to notice His bitter contemplation – what sorrow, all want to be winners! All eager to reign the Kingdom of justice, love and joy. Especially if you’re in this Kingdom is prepared for not the last place, and rightly, and deservedly so – because you were at the origins of its creation, you’re sitting there, literally at the same table with the future king!..
This atmosphere was accompanied by the event of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem six days before Passover. It’s amazing, Jesus usually traveled on foot. But, this time only! Jesus decided to enter the capital of Judea, on horseback, through the main thiefOTA. Perhaps for students it is an additional signal that “the King is coming”. But, knowing this, Jesus chooses for His entering of the horse is a symbol of Royal power, a symbol of the warrior-winner.
No, the Savior asks His disciples to go to the nearest village, find there a colt tied, on which none of the people have not sat down to untie it and lead to it. “And if anyone says to you: what are you doing, continues Jesus, ‘tell him, the Lord has need”. Indeed, after these words, the owners of the animal unconditionally give that to the disciples of Christ, those lead the colt to the Teacher, and after him, instead of a saddle, bed clothes of Jesus, the Savior enters Jerusalem. Enters “on an ass” – the symbol of peace in the East.
It was a Grand entrance. The only case in the earthly life of Christ, when people are clearly, openly, loudly, with joy of the glorified Jesus. Enthusiastically shouting, “Hosanna!”, which translated from Hebrew means, “Save! Grant salvation.” The analogue of this sublime greetings can be considered our “long live!”
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Praises chanted not a separate group of followers, no, in joyous ecstasy cheered the whole crowd in Jerusalem on the eve of Easter flocked by huge number of people from all over Judea. “Hosanna! Blessed is he that Cometh in the name of the Lord! Blessed is that cometh in the name of the Lord!” The highest word of praise, the crowd chanted sincerely. The road on which he trod of hooves of a young colt, bearing the Savior, the people of Jerusalem covered their garments and palm shoots, children and women fled, following Christ, waving palm branches – a sign of the highest honors in the East. The people were sincere in their worship and rejoicing. It will take only four days, and the same crowd that today enthusiastically welcomed Jesus shouting “Hosanna!”, will require Pilate: “Crucify Him!”
Why? To understand this, we need to understand what people expected from the Christ. Some saw in it a new political Messiah, the king, organizer of the new Kingdom. Others who will feed them. Still others may expect new miracles and healings.
But that day almost two thousand years ago, the day of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem is not a ceremonial entry in the Kingdom, no other: Jesus is coming for voluntary suffering. He does it for the love of man – will be held just a few days, and there will be another procession – the procession of Christ to Calvary.
that’s exactly it – the entry of our Lord Jesus Christ on the path of sufferings on the Cross and remember on palm Sunday. The adoption sufferings on the Cross for the salvation of all of us, out of love to man.
we Have no palm branches to greet the coming of Christ to meet us, so at the morning service the people usually come from willow branches, which was consecrated the day before, on the vigil. These consecrated willow branches then a whole year to keep the house, decorate their icon.
Archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church: In the temples is service, and the congregation is praying at home
the Morning’s divine Liturgy today, too many people unavailable, and is a special pain for the believers, but the clergy explains – is also a victim of love, our sacrifice of love for the sake of no one ill, including priests and older parishioners that so many in our churches. The Mystery Atchamania, of course, nothing can replace. But come, the time will come when you can partake safely. Well verboczky itself can sanctify even now. With the blessing of Patriarch Kirill lay people can consecrate the willow, reading the troparion of the feast of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem, and then sprinkled them thrice with Holy water, saying: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit. Amen.
Troparion, i.e. motet, revealing the primary meaning of the feast, the day of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem reads: “the General resurrection before Thy Passion assuring, / from the dead, thou hast built a Lazarus, Christ God. / Wherefore, we, thou otrotsy victory signs wearing, / You the winner of the death cry: / Hosanna in the highest, / blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” And here is the translation: “In the General resurrection before Thy passion identifying from the dead, You raised Lazarus, o Christ God. Because we, as children, holding the symbols of victory, You, the Victor over death, let us cry out: “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he that Cometh in the name of the Lord.”
the practice of love is not useless – soon Easter, the feast of the Resurrection (April 19), but first Holy week (13 – 18 April). A time when we remember Christ’s suffering that He went out of love to us, people.
“the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem,” icon painting workshop at Holy Trinity Church in Kursk.
