The entry of Christ into Jerusalem is a celebration of triumph! This icon brings us to the moment of glory, coming at the close of Great Lent, at which time we receive a preview of the Paschal joy.
In the icon, our attention is focused on Christ. The people of Jerusalem come out to greet the Lord. Children can be seen in this icon representing the Biblical reference: "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you have fashioned praise" (Psalm 8:3). In the Palm Sunday Vespers we sing: "Wherefore, like babes, rejoice, carrying branches in your hands, and praise Him, singing, ‘Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He Who comes, the King of Israel’."
We see in this icon Christ’s journey to His voluntary passion and death. At the same time, it gives us a preview of His installation in the Kingdom of His glory, the Kingdom of the New Jerusalem, a confirmation of the resurrection of all into the Heavenly Church.
In remembrance of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the priest distributes palms, shaped in the sign of the cross, to the faithful attending the Divine Liturgy. The palms are a symbol of victory. Taking up the palm cross we must follow the Lord into the coming days of His passion.
Entering Holy Week we are stirred emotionally: we see the joyous entry into Jerusalem; we encounter the moment of betrayal; we partake of the Last Supper; we deplore the arrest, scourging, and mocking of Jesus; agonize at the Crucifixion of the Lord; lament at the Tomb; and celebrate the glorious Resurrection! It is a reaffirmation of our baptism where we die with Christ and share in His Resurrection.
STEWARDSHIP is the means by which we express our Orthodox Christian Faith by bearing the cross with Christ. Our whole life is centered in Him as we commit ourselves from today to the last breath we take as members of the earthly Church. Without the Cross, without a commitment to sacrifice, we cannot enter into the joy of Pascha. Our STEWARDSHIP participation is the Christian reality of love, sacrifice, and eternal life!
See: Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-18
To learn more, visit the Department of Stewardship.