Centennial Year Church Services

April 24, 2005 -   SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church observes the Entrance of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into Jerusalem - Palm Sunday - with Vigil and the Blessing of Willows on the eve of the Holy Day and with Divine Liturgy on the morning of the beginning of Passion Week which culminates in Pascha. Jesus had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish holiday of the Passover. The day before He had raised his friend Lazarus from the dead (icon below left). People lined the streets to see Jesus enter the city riding on an ass (icon below right). They cheerfully greeted Him as their perceived worldly leader, waving palm branches. Later in the week these same people would turn their backs on Jesus and call for the crucifixion of the Son of Man. During the Divine Liturgy for the day, the priest and parishioners hold willows to symbolically represent those who greeted Jesus with palms in Jerusalem. Willows are traditionally held instead of palms inasmuch as palms were unavailable in the colder climes of the Orthodox countries of Europe. The scenes below, presented in chronologic order, are from the Vigil and Divine Liturgy for Palm Sunday, accompanied by the Epistle and Gospel readings for the day.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

You may click on the photo above left to view an enlarged image.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9).

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, you king is coming, sitting on an ass's colt!" His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. (John 12:1-18).

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