2024

On Sunday | April 28

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Palm Sunday

From Triodion - - -

Gn 49:1-2, 8-12

Now Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father. Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub; from being a shoot, my son, you have grown up. He bows down, and slept as a lion and a cub; and who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from his loins, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the expectation of the nations. Binding his colt to a vine, and his donkey’s colt to its branch, he will wash his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are gladdened from the wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.” [SAAS]

Zep 3:14-19

Thus says the Lord: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Cry aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Be glad and rejoice with your whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your iniquities and ransomed you from your enemies. The Lord, the King of Israel, is in your midst; you will no longer see any evil. At that time the Lord shall say to Jerusalem, “O Zion, be of good courage; do not let your hands grow slack. The Lord your God is with you. The Mighty One shall save. He shall bring gladness upon you and will renew you with His love. He will delight over you with joy as in a day of feasting. I shall gather together your broken ones. Alas! who has taken up a reproach against her? Behold, at that time I will act among you for your sake,” says the Lord. “I will save the oppressed and welcome those being rejected. I will make them a praise and renowned throughout the whole earth.” [SAAS]

Zec 9:9-15

Thus says the Lord: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Proclaim it aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is righteous and saving; He is gentle and mounted upon a donkey, even a young foal. He will utterly destroy the chariots out of Ephraim and the horse out of Jerusalem. The bow of war shall be utterly destroyed, and there shall be abundance and peace among the nations. He shall rule over the waters as far as the sea and over the rivers to the ends of the earth. And by the blood of your covenant, you freed your prisoners from the pit having no water. you prisoners from the congregation, you shall live in the fortress, and for one day of your exile, I will repay to you double. For I have bent you, O Judah, for Myself as a bow; I have filled Ephraim. And I will arouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of the Greek, and I will handle you as the sword of a warrior.” And the Lord will be over them, and He shall go forth like a lightning bolt. The Lord Almighty shall sound with the trumpet and shall go forth with the tumult of His threat. The Lord Almighty will shield them. [SAAS]

The Readings from the Liturgy

The Epistle

Palm Sunday

The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

Phil. 4:4-9

Brethren, 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. 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. [RSV]

The Gospel

Palm Sunday

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.

Jn. 12:1–18

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, Simon's son, 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 donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’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. [RSV]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On April 28 we commemorate the holy nine Martyrs of Kyzikos: Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichos, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotos, Thavmasios, and Philemon.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Memnon the wonder-worker.

Our devout father Afxivios died in peace.

Today a story is told about a miracle that took place in Africa, in the city of Carthage.

From the Triodion.

On this day, Palm Sunday, we celebrate the resplendent and glorious feast of the entry of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

Verses

Mounting a brute, He who waters the mountains

Seeks to release humankind from bruteness.

In Your ineffable compassion, O Christ our God, make us victors over the irrational passions, and make worthy to see Your manifest victory over death and Your joyous, life-giving Resurrection, and have mercy on us. Amen.

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Fasting Rule

Fish: fish, oil and wine are allowed. Refrain from meat, dairy and eggs.

It is a major feast.