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Вход Господень в Иерусалим. Коротко о празднике - Православный журнал «Фома»

🌐 Quote shown in the original Russian — English translation below

… удостоверяя, из мертвых воздвиг Ты Лазаря, Христе Боже. Потому и мы, как дети, держа символы победы, Тебе – Победителю смерти воззовем: «Осанна в вышних, благословен Грядущий во имя Господне!» (Пс.117:25-26)

Спогре́бшеся Тебе́ креще́нием, Христе́ Бо́же наш,/ безсме́ртныя жи́зни сподо́бихомся воскресе́нием Твои́м,/ и воспева́юще зове́м:/ оса́нна в вы́шних,// благослове́н Гряды́й во и́мя Госпо́дне.

Перевод: Погребенные с Тобой в крещении, Христе Боже наш, мы бессмертной жизни удостоились воскресением Твоим, и в песнях восклицаем: «Осанна в вышних, благословен Грядущий во имя Господне!»

На престо́ле на Небеси́,/ на жребя́ти на земли́ носи́мый, Христе́ Бо́же,/ А́нгелов хвале́ние и дете́й воспева́ние/ прия́л еси́ зову́щих Ти:// благослове́н еси́, гряды́й Ада́ма воззва́ти.

Перевод: На престоле восседая на небесах, шествуя по земле на осленке, Христе Боже, принял Ты хвалу от Ангелов и прославление от детей, восклицавших Тебе: «Благословен Ты, Идущий призвать к Себе Адама!»

Молитва

Го́споди …

For · Jesus Christ
Sentiment: positive

Believers are exalting Christ through liturgical praise.

🇬🇧 English translation

The Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem. A Brief Overview of the Feast - Orthodox Magazine 'Foma'

The Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem. A Brief Overview of the Feast

In the "Brief Overview of the Feast" section, we tell you about the twelve Great Feasts of the Russian Orthodox Church.

What we know about the feast

Date: April 25 (2027)

Status: Twelve Great Feast

Event

The Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is a feast in which the Orthodox Church commemorates one of the most important events in Gospel history (Matt 21).

In the spring of 33 AD, pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem from all sides to meet the main religious holiday—Passover (the Old Testament Passover). Christ also traveled there with His disciples.

News of the resurrection of Lazarus had already spread through the streets of Jerusalem. The chief priests, incensed by the growing popularity of Christ, began to think of how to destroy Him and Lazarus. But while some were plotting murder, others went out to meet the Savior approaching the city.

Many hoped that Christ was entering Jerusalem to end the humiliating Roman occupation, that He would ascend the royal throne and restore the Jewish state to its former glory and power. How great was the universal astonishment when Christ entered the city gates not on a warhorse, as befitted a formidable liberator, but on an ordinary little donkey. Thus, the Lord once again showed that the Kingdom He desires to establish is "not of this world."

The streets are drowning in universal jubilation: huge crowds of people meet Christ as King and Messiah. They spread palm branches and their garments before Him, shouting: "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord, King of Israel!" ("Hosanna" means "Save us"). Who would have thought that just a few days later, these same people would be shouting "Crucify Him!" in the courtyard of the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate.

Icon of the feast

At the center of the icon is Christ Himself. He sits sideways on a donkey and, with a movement of His right hand, blesses the people who came out to meet Him.

On the left, the apostles are depicted, talking amongst themselves in confusion, not understanding why their Teacher needed to enter the capital so solemnly.

On the right of the icon are the residents of Jerusalem and guests who arrived for the Passover holiday. In their hands, they hold palm branches—a symbol of triumph with which Jews welcomed conquerors.

At the bottom of the icon are children spreading their garments under the feet of the donkey—this is how Jews welcomed the anointed to kingship, and the God-Man, according to Christian theology, is the Anointed for the Kingdom of God.

Mount of Olives

Here Christ converses with His disciples a few days before His arrest (Matt 24), and later—He will ascend into Heaven (Acts 1). The mountain on the icon symbolizes the spiritual ascent of the apostles. Furthermore, in relation to the Savior Himself, the mountain, as a high place, points to His Divine descent to earth for the sake of bringing a sacrificial offering, i.e., accepting death on the cross.

The donkey

On which Christ entered Jerusalem carries several symbolic meanings at once. On one hand, it points to the peaceful nature of the coming Kingdom of God and the meekness of His King—the God-Man. On the other hand, the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria notes: "He (meaning Christ—Ed.) fulfills the prophecy in both a historical and a mystical sense: historically by visibly sitting on a she-ass, and allegorically by sitting on a little donkey, i.e., on a new, untamed, and rebellious people, the Gentiles." Thus, the saint emphasized that the image of the donkey bridled by the Savior pointed to the future conversion of the Gentiles to Him.

Children spreading clothing

In particularly solemn moments on the path a king takes, this is recorded in the Old Testament. For example, when the prophet Elisha anointed Jehu to kingship, his servants each took their clothing and spread it out on the steps, blew a trumpet, and said: "Jehu reigns!" (2 Kings 9:13).

Palm branch

For the Jewish people, it symbolized joy and triumph. "On the first day of the festival you shall take for yourselves branches of beautiful trees, palm branches, leafy trees, and willows, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days" (Lev 23:40). When Simon the High Priest liberated Jerusalem from the Gentiles, he was welcomed with palm branches as a conqueror (1 Macc 13:51). This is why the feast of the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem is also called Palm Sunday.

Prayers for the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem

In the general resurrection, confirming before Your Passion that You raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ God. Therefore, we also, as children carrying the signs of victory, cry out to You, O Victor over death: "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Ps 117:25-26)

Having been buried with You in baptism, O Christ our God, we have been granted immortal life by Your resurrection, and singing we cry out: "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Seated on the throne in Heaven, yet carried on a little donkey on earth, O Christ God, You received the praise of Angels and the song of children who cried out to You: "Blessed are You, He who comes to call Adam!"

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ our God, who art seated on the Throne in the heavens with the Father, carried and sung of by the Cherubim and Seraphim, yet in Your days of flesh, You willed to sit on a little donkey for our salvation, and having received the song of children and entering the Holy City of Jerusalem six days before the Passover to come unto a voluntary passion, that You might save the world by Your Cross, Burial, and Resurrection! And just as the people then, sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, receiving branches of trees and palms from the date tree, met You, confessing You as the Son of David, so also preserve and keep us now, in this eve of the feast, as we carry palms and branches in our hands in imitation of them. And just as those people and children offered You "Hosanna," grant also to us, in psalms and spiritual songs, to glorify all Your greatness with pure and unblemished lips in this feast and throughout the week of Your Passion, and to reach without judgment and partake of the Divine joy of the Holy Passover in the most radiant days of Your Life-giving Resurrection, that we may sing and glorify Your Divinity together with Your Eternal Father and Your Most Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Exaltation

We magnify You, Life-giving Christ, and we cry out to You: "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

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