The Entrance into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)
At Vespers, on the Eve.
The Stanzas (Stikhiry) for: Lord, I have cried: In Tone VI. To-day hath the grace of the Holy Spirit assembled us together, and taking up thy cross let us all say: Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
He who hath the heavens for his throne, and the earth for his footstool, the coeternal Word and Son of God the Father, to-day is come to Bethany, and humbled himself on the dumb foal of an ass. For which cause the Hebrew children, bearing branches of trees in their hands, exalted him with the shout: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
To-day hath the grace of the Holy Spirit... (See above.)
The Parables (Paremii). Genesis xlix. 1-12; Zeph. iii. 14-19; Zech. ix.
At the Litiyd, in Tone I. The all-holy Spirit, which taught the Apostles to speak in other and strange tongues, the same commandeth the Hebrew children devoid of guile to cry aloud: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the King of Israel who cometh.
The Hymn for the Day (Tropar). Thou didst raise Lazarus from the dead, O Christ-God, making certain the universal resurrection, before thy Passion. For which cause we also, like unto the children, bearing the emblems of victory, cry aloud unto thee, the Conqueror of Death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
Another. Having been buried with thee in baptism, O Christ our God, we have been vouchsafed life immortal through thy Resurrection, and singing praises unto thee, we cry: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
The Exaltation. We magnify thee, O Life-giving Christ! Hosanna in the highest! And we cry aloud unto thee: Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
The Gradual (Prokimen), in Tone IV. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained praise.
Verse: O Lord, the Lord our God, how wonderful is thy Name in all the earth.
The Gospel. Matt. xxi. 1— 11, 15-17.
After the Gospel, Psalm li., and the Prayer at the Blessing of the Palms. Priest. O Lord our God, who sittest upon the Cherubim, who didst restore the might of thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that through his Cross and Grave and Resurrection he might save the world; whom, also, when to-day he was come into Jerusalem, unto his voluntary Passion, the people who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, taking the symbols of victory, even boughs of trees and branches of palms, emblematical of the Resurrection, did go forth to meet: Do thou, the same Lord, preserve and keep us also who on this eve of the feast in imitation of them do bear in our hands palms and branches of trees. And like unto those multitudes and children who offered unto thee Hosanna! may we also in hymns and spiritual songs, attain unto the life-giving Resurrection on the third day, through the same Christ Jesus our Lord; with whom thou art blessed, together with thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Priest distributeth the palms to the People, after they have saluted the Gospels and received his benediction. The people then light their tapers and so stand until the end of the service, holding their palms.
The First Canon. In Tone IV. (St. Cosmas of Maium.) ThemeSongs (Irmosi). I. The springs of the deep were seen to be bereft of water, and the foundations of the sea surging with a tempest were laid bare. For thou, by a sign, didst lay thine interdiction upon it, and didst save thy chosen people, who sang a song of victory unto thee, O Lord.
III. The Children of Israel drank from the solid rock which, when iu edge was cleft at thy command, poured forth water abundantly. But that rock and that life art thou, O Christ, upon whom is founded the Church which crieth: Hosanna! Blessed art thou who comest.
IV. Christ our God, who cometh visibly, shall come and shall not tarry, from the Mount grove-shadowed, born of a Maiden without husband, saith the Prophet of old: wherefore, let us all cry aloud: Glory to thy might, O Lord!
V O thou who announcest the good tidings, get thee up into the Mount Zion, and lift up thy voice with strength, thou who proclaimest unto Jerusalem: Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God; peace upon Israel, and salvation unto the nations.
VI. The spirits of the righteous have cried aloud with joy: Now is a new covenant appointed unto the world, and all people shall be renewed through sprinkling with the blood divine.
VII. Thou who didst save thy children of Abraham in the fire, and didst annihilate the Chaldaeans, who were overtaken by that righteous judgment: O Lord and God of our fathers, exceedingly praised, blessed art thou!
VIII. Rejoice, O Jerusalem! Keep high festival, O ye who love Zion! For the Lord of Hosts is come, who reigneth throughout the ages. Let all the earth fall down in adoration before his presence, and cry aloud: O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord!
IX. God is the Lord, and hath revealed himself unto us. O come, let us make ready a feast, let us magnify Christ with gladness and with palms and branches of trees, crying aloud unto him in hymns: Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord our Saviour.
The Benediction. May he who, for the sake of our salvation, did deign to sit upon the foal of an ass, Christ our true God: and the rest, as usual. (See page 122.)
At the Liturgy.
Antiphon I., Tone II.
Verse 1: I am well pleased that the Lord hath heard the voice of my prayer.
Refrain. Through the prayers of the Birth -giver of God, O Saviour, save us.
2: He hath inclined his ear unto me: therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3: The snares of death compassed me round about, and the' pains of hell gat hold upon me.
4: I found trouble and heaviness, and I called upon the Name of the Lord.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Antiphon II., Tone II.
Verse 1: I believed, and therefore have I spoken; but I was sore troubled.
Refrain. Save, O Son of God, who didst sit upon the foal of an ass, us who sing unto thee: Alleluia.
2: What reward shall I give unto the Lord, for all the benefits he hath done unto me?
3: I will receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord.
4: I will pay my vows unto the Lord now, in the presence of all his people.
Glory... now, and ever,
O Only-begotten Son and Word of God!. (See page 170.)
Antiphon III., Tone I.
Verse 1: O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, because his mercy endureth forever.
Refrain: The Hymn for the Day (Tropdr). Thou didst raise Lazarus... (See page 204.)
2: Let the house of Israel now confess that he is gracious, and that his mercy endureth forever.
3: Let the house of Aaron now confess that his mercy endureth forever.
4: Yea, let all that fear the Lord confess that his mercy endureth forever.
The Introit. Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord: we have blessed ye from the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, and hath revealed himself unto us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. (Tone
Having been buried with thee in baptism,... (See page 204.)
Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Collect-Hymn (Kondak). O Christ-God, who in heaven art borne upon the throne, and on earth upon the foal of an ass, thou didst accept the praises of the Angels, and the hymns of the children that cried unto thee: Blessed art thou who art come to recall Adam from the dead!
The Epistle. Phil. iv. 4-9.
The Gospel. John xii. 1-18.
In place of: Meet is it: The Ninth Theme-Song of the Canon.
The Communion Hymn. Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. God is the Lord, and hath revealed himself unto us.