February 28, 7534
Our ascent toward the days of Christ’s Passion continues. In the hymns of Tuesday, we hear words from the conversations the Savior held with His disciples at the close of His earthly ministry, as recorded in the Holy Gospel. In these dialogues, He prepared His disciples for what was soon to come—His betrayal, His suffering,…
The hymns and canons of Holy Monday center on two key themes: first, the story of the righteous Joseph; second, the miracle of the barren fig tree performed by the Lord. In earlier times, monastic communities would offer readings to the brethren on this day from the writings of the Holy Fathers concerning these subjects—especially “A…
A great day… Palm Sunday, it seems, was greater than people often imagine. Let us try to reconstruct the course of that day. It was the morning after the Sabbath. Word had reached Jerusalem that on this very day, Jesus of Nazareth would enter the city. Jerusalem was in an uproar—He was coming, the One…
Today’s feast mentally transports us to the sorrowful final days of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the day following the miraculous resurrection of His friend Lazarus from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ set out from Bethany toward Jerusalem. Great crowds of people followed Christ and went out to meet Him….
The Feast of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem also marks the beginning of the days of His saving Passion. Yet in the festal services, we hear almost no forewarning of those sorrowful days when even nature itself shared in the suffering of its Creator in the flesh: “The sun was darkened, the earth trembled,…