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About the feast of the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem and about the happiness and sadness of this day

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Bishop Basil (Nesterenko)

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Glory to Jesus Christ, dear brothers and sisters!

I congratulate you with this great feast – the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem. Today we are happy and our souls are glad too. And we understand it not only with our heart, but with our mind, because it is truly the great feast. And we glorify the Lord without slyness, because that Jews glorified Jesus with slyness. They did not understand at that time that Messiah had come and His aim was to save the world during His short life.

They thought that the King of the Earth had come, but He was the King of the Earth and the Heavens. They thought about their material wealth, they did not think about their souls. They thought that the king would come, who would save them from Roman press and they would be free. It was a great gladness. They came to glorify and meet Jesus, because they knew, that He raised Lazar from the dead, but not because He was Messiah. Jesus raised Lazar from dead four days after his death. They wanted to have a look at that Lazar and Jesus Christ, who made such miracle and they shouted: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” But Jesus did not feel happiness, because He knew that the glory was temporary and in few days they would shout: “Crucify Him!”

And it really happened.

He climbed up the hill and looked and cried. He knew that very little time would pass and Jerusalem would be destroyed, his citizens and children would be killed. And He felt sorrow. He also cried because people did not recognize Him, the time if His visit, the aim of His coming on this sinful Earth. He felt grief.

We understand that the day of His entry is a great blessing for us, that He came and spent time of the Earth and gave His life for all of us, for our salvation.

And we are on the eve of the Passion Week. Let’s comprehend it and make efforts to keep a fast (who did not) and live this week in the Lent, in the understanding that the Lord came for our sake, for our salvation. Let’s live every day of this week with these holy days, which spent Jesus Christ. Let’s touch with our hearts those events, which happened many years ago.

Let the Lord save you.

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Gospel (John, XII:1-18)

Gospel (John, XII:1-18)

12

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.

3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said,

5"Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"

6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.

8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."

9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,

11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"

14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15"Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!"

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.

18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.