Church Bulletin - April 20, 2003

Palm Sunday - April 20, 2003
[ Click here for the Bible readings: Phil 4:4-9; John 12:1-18]
[ Click here for the Bible readings in Greek and English ]

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PALM SUNDAY: A FORESHADOWING OF A VICTORY TO COME

Christ's Entrance into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday may well be called a "Victory March." In ancient times, palms were considered a sign of victory, and in the Troparion for this blessed day, we sing the following: "WE LIKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, CARRY THE SYMBOL OF VICTORY, AND CRY OUT TO YOU THE CONQUEROR OF DEATH: HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST." Yes, the branches of Palm Sunday symbolize a victory hoped for and a victory promised.

But on that first Palm Sunday, it was a victory not yet won. To enter Jerusalem, Christ had to pass through the Garden of Gethsemane - the place where He would be betrayed and arrested - and cross the Kidron Valley, which is fittingly referred to as the "Valley of Death." This valley, located right outside the walls of the city, had long served as a burial ground for the Jews. Before His great triumph over death, Christ had to pass through His own "valley of death." He had to suffer and face humiliation and abandonment. Before He could be the Conqueror of death, Christ had to die.

May the message of Palm Sunday not be overlooked by us. As we follow the Lord, we, too, will face a certain amount of suffering, rejection, loneliness and yes, even our own death. Still, we must walk with Christ without fear and reservation, for He will lead us through the "valley of death" to everlasting life in the Kingdom of Heaven. The branches we receive today - the symbol of OUR VICTORY as well as Christ's - are a constant reminder of this wonderful truth.

KURIAKH TWN BAI>WN
Qeodwvrou tou` Tricina
Apolutivkia th`~ JEorth`~

Thvn koinhvn jAnavstasin, prov tou` sou` Pavqou~ pistouvmeno~, ejk nekrw`n h[geira~ tovn Lavzaron, Cristev oJ Qeov~: o{qen kaiv hJmei`~ wJ~ oiJ Pai`de~, tav th`~ nivkh~ suvmbola fevronte~, soiv tw`/ Nikhth`/ tou` qanavtou bow`men: JWsannav ejn toi`~ uJyivstoi~, eujloghmevno~ oJ ejrcovmeno~ ejn ojnovmati Kurivou.

Suntafevnte~ soi diav tou` Baptivsmato~, Cristev oJ Qeov~ hJmw`n, th`~ ajqanavtou zwh`~ hjxiwvqhmen th`/ jAnastavsei sou, kaiv ajnumnou`nte~ kravzomen. JWsannav ejn toi`~ uJyivstoi~, eujloghmevno~ oJ ejrcovmeno~ ejn ojnovmati Kurivou.

PALM SUNDAY
Theodore Trihina

Apolytikia of the Feast Day

O Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common Resurrection for all. Therefore, we carry the symbols of victory as did the youths, and we cry out to You, the victor over death, "Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

O Christ our God, we have been buried with You through Baptism and by Your resurrection made worthy of life immortal. Praising You, we cry out, "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

Kontavkion

JJJJTw`/ qrovnw/ ejn oujranw`/, tw`/ pwvlw/ ejpiv th`~ gh`~, ejpocouvmeno~ Cristev oJ Qeov~, tw`n JAggevlwn thvn ai[nesin, kaiv tw`n paivdwn ajnuvmnhsin, prosedevxw bowvntwn soi: Eujloghmevno~ ei\ oJ ejrcovmeno~, tovn jAdavm ajnakalevsasqai.

Kontakion

In Heaven He is seated upon a Throne, and on earth He rides upon a foal. O Christ our God, accept the praise of the Angels and the hymn of the Children who cry out to You, "Blessed are You who comes to recall Adam.

jjApovstolo~
Filip. D j 4<9

jAdelfoiv, caivrete ejn Kurivw/ pavntote: pavlin ejrw`, caijrete. Tov ejpieikev~ uJmw`n gnwsqhvtw pa`sin ajnqrwvpoi~. JO Kuvrio~ ejgguv~. Mhdevn merimna`te, ajll j ejn pantiv th`/ proseuch`/ kaiv th`/ dehvsei metav eujcaristiva~ tav aijthvmata uJmw`n gnwrizevsqw prov~ tovn Qeovvn. Kaiv hJ eijrhvnh tou` Qeou` hJ uJperevcousa pavnta nou`n frourhvsei tav~ kardiva~ uJmw`n kaiv tav nohvmata uJmw`n ejn Cristw`/ jIhsou`. Tov loipovn, ajdelfoiv, o{sa ejstivn ajlhqh`/, o{sa semnav, o{sa divkaia, o{sa ajgnav, o{sa prosfilh`, o{sa eu[fhma, ei[ tiv~ ajrethv kaiv ei[ tiv~ e[paino~, tau`ta logivzesqe: a{ kaiv ejmavqete kaiv parelavbete kaiv hjkouvsate kaiv ei[dete ejn ejmoiv, tau`ta pravssete: kaiv oJ Qeov~ th`~ eijrhvnh~ e[stai meq j uJmw`n.

Epistle
Philippians 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.

Eujaggevlion
JEk tou` katav jIwavnnhn.
Kef. IB j1<18

Prov e{x hJmerw`n tou` Pavsca h\lqen oJ jIhsou`~ eij~ Bhqanivan, o{pou h\n Lavzaro~ oJ teqnhkwv~, o{n h[geiren ejk nekrw`n. jEpoivhsan ou\n aujtw`/ dei`pnon ejkei`, kaiv hJ Mavrqa dihkovnei: oJ dev Lavzaro~ ei|~ h\n tw`n ajnakeimevnwn suvn aujtw`/. JH ou\n Mariva, labou`sa livtran muvrou navrdou pistikh`~ polutivmou, h[leiye touv~ povda~ tou` jIhsou`, kaiv ejxevmaxe toi`~ qrixivn aujth`~ touv~ povda~ aujtou`: hJ dev oijkiva ejplhrwvqh ejk th`~ ojsmh`~ tou` muvrou. Levgei ou\n ei|~ ejk tw`n Maqhtw`n aujtou`, jIouvda~ Sivmwno~ jIskariwvth~, oJ mevllwn aujtovn paradidovnai: Diativ tou`to tov muvron oujk ejpravqh triakosivwn dinarivwn, kaiv ejdovqh ptwcoi`~; Ei\pe dev tou`to ,oujc o{ti periv tw`n ptwcw`n e[melen aujtw`/, ajll j o{ti klevpth~ h\n, kaiv tov glwssovkomon ei\ce, kaiv tav ballovmena ejbavstazen. Ei\pen ou\n oJ jIhsou`~: [Afe~ aujthvn, eij~ thvn hJmevran tou` ejntafiasmou` mou tethvrhken aujtov. Touv~ ptwcouv~ gavr pavntote e[cete meq j eJautw`n, ejmev dev ouj pavntote e[cete. [Egnw ou\n o[clo~ poluv~ ejk tw`n jIoudaivwn o{ti ejkei` ejsti, kaiv h\lqon ouj diav tovn jIhsou`n movnon, ajll j i{na kaiv tovn Lavzaron i[dwsin, o{n h[geiren ejk nekrw`n. jEbouleuvsanto dev oiJ jArcierei`~, i{na kaiv tovn Lavzaron ajpokteivnwsin, o{ti polloiv di j aujtovn uJph`gon tw`n jIoudaivwn, kaiv ejpivsteuon eij~ tovn jIhsou`n. Th`/ ejpauvrion o[clo~ poluv~ oJ ejlqwvn eij~ thvn eJorthvn, ajkouvsante~ o{ti e[rcetai oJ jIhsou`~ eij~ JIerosovluma, e[labon tav bai?a tw`n foinivkwn, kaiv ejxh`lqon eij~ ajpavnthsin aujtw`/ kaiv e[krazon
JWsannav, eujloghmevno~ oJ ejrcovmeno~ ejn ojnovmati Kurivou, Basileuv~ tou` jIsrahvl. EuJrwvn dev oJ jIhsou`~ ojnavrion, ejkavqisen ejp j aujtov, kaqwv~ ejsti gegrammevnon. Mhv fobou`, qugavter Siwvn: ijdouv, oJ Basileuv~ sou e[rcetai, kaqhvmeno~ ejpiv pw`lon o[nou. Tau`ta dev oujk e[gnwsan oiJ Maqhtaiv aujtou` tov prw`ton, ajll j o{te ejdoxavsqh oJ jIhsou`~, tovte ejmnhvsqhsan oJti tau`ta h\n ejp j aujtw`/ gegrammevna, kaiv tau`ta ejpoivhsan aujtw`/. JEmartuvrei ou\n oJ o[clo~ oJ w[n met j aujtou` o{ti tovn Lavzaron ejfwvnhsen ejk tou` mnhmeivou, kaiv h[geiren aujtovn ejk nekrw`n: diav tou`to kaiv uJphvnthsen aujtw`/ oJ o[clo~, o{ti h[kouse tou`to aujtovn pepoihkevnai tov shmei`on.

Gospel
From the Gospel according to St. John
Chapter 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 the 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, your 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 crown 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.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street - Church
986 Chapman Street - Office
San Jose, California 95126