Palm (Flowery) Sunday

Today is not a day of fast

Bright Vestments

Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom

(Palms and Pussywillows blessed before the liturgy: priest incenses them while the faithful sing a sticharion)

Priest carries a branch during the liturgy except for the gospel, the great entrance, the anaphora, and the distribution of holy communion

Ambon Prayer 19 or 20 or 21

Title

Receive Your King in Peace

Outline

There are two themes in the life of Jesus that confuse us

They confuse us because they are mixed together and one is split in time

The confuse us because we are tempted to try to use force to make the second come on earth forgetting that Jesus has already died for that same purpose

They also confuse us because they are a thin place, a place where the timeless spiritual world and the historical physical world come together

The first theme is that of the death of Jesus

Passover is 6 days away, pilgrims are already in Jerusalem for purification, and Jesus is at the house of Lazarus whom he has raised from the dead. Passover commemoration freedom from Egypt through the protection of the blood of the many “Lamb of God”s.

Mary anoints Jesus with what may have been her dowry, an act of love which Jesus interprets as a loving preparation for his burial before the fact of his death

We also get the hostility that will lead to his death: Judas Iscariot’s hostility piously expressed but triggered by his love of money, an idol; and the hostility of the chief priests (“the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death” - note the “also” for they already planned to kill Jesus) because of the threat of the Jesus movement to their power and arrangement with Rome.

Everything points to the death of Jesus as the Lamb of God, whom John the Baptist has already announced

The second theme is that of the rule of Jesus

“The next day” Jesus processes into Jerusalem seated on a donkey (like Simeon Maccabeus did when entering to be crowned) and is celebrated and received by the Galilean pilgrims and by believing Jerusalemites as king, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” Note that “Hosanna” is found in the Hallel Psalms and is a call to God to “Save, now” - but that would need a battle, a war horse, yet it is a recognition of divine kingship.

Here the coronation is coming before the battle, a battle that would culminate, not in a mighty cavalry charge, but on the cross. Yet because it was a victory Jesus had continually referred to it as a glorification.

Paul draws out the point of all of this

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand.” This is not be happy all the time, but continually turn with rejoicing to the fact that Jesus is Lord, Jesus is victor, and Jesus is “at hand.” Therefore we can live with “forbearance,” for we do not need to defend ourselves since the king himself is “at hand.”

Have no anxiety, but rather pray - which makes sense since the king is at hand

Spend time in quiet meditation so that “the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God stills our anxiety.

Meditate on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,” for these are part of the deeper reality.

And then he sums up with an instruction to copy what they have seen in his life which will lead to God’s peace being in theirs.

Brothers and Sisters, we are called to live this way

Rejoice - all the world can do is kill you, and all that does is identifies us more closely with Jesus in his victory and leads to our resurrection rule with him.

Watch your minds - some, like me, may have to fight chemical stimulation of anxiety, but it can be done with nepsis, as Evagrius of Pontus says, and “talking back” and “fasting” (in our days especially from media) and meditation. The peace of God can rule in you.

Christ has won the victory and the last battle splits his triumphant ride to his coronation from his return to rule, with an interlude during which we get to entering into his honorable status and others are invited to pledge their allegiance to him.

May the peace of God rule in you too, even in Holy Week.

Readings

Matins Gospel

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 4-9-2023: The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday

21  And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,

Behold, your king is coming to you,

humble, and mounted on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat on them. 8  Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9  And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11  And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”

15  But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant; 16  and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

‘Out of the mouths of babies and infants

you have brought perfect praise’?”

17  And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 4-9-2023: The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday

EPISTLE

Philippians 4:4–9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. 6  Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 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. 9  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 4-9-2023: The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday

GOSPEL

John 12:1–18

12  Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. 3 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. 4  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6  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. 7  Jesus said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. 8 The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

9 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. 10  So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

12  The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13  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!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written,

15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,

sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

16  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. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

Notes

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) (4-2-2023: The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday)

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2023 | TRIODION AND GREAT LENT

Byzantine Lectionary (Revised Julian) 4-9-2023: The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem or Palm Sunday

THE ENTRY OF THE LORD INTO JERUSALEM OR PALM SUNDAY

Bright Vestments

Matins Gospel Matthew 21:1–11, 15–17

Epistle Philippians 4:4–9

Gospel John 12:1–18