Home

In fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, Christ entered Jerusalem, the City of the King, riding on a colt (Zechariah 9:9; John 12:12) The crowds greeted Him with branches in their hands and called out to Him with shouts of praise: Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The Son of David! The King of Israel! These very same voices which cried Hosanna to Christ, a few days later cried Crucify Him!

The triumphant Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is celebrated by the Holy Orthodox Church on the last Sunday before the bright feast of Pascha. This is one of the twelve major feasts of the Church, and it is also called Palm Sunday because on this feast blessed branches of palms or pussy willows are distributed to the faithful. The branches serve as a symbol of the victory of Christ over death and should remind us of the future resurrection of all of us from death.

Saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker was from Constantinople, and was chosen for the service of God at birth. It was revealed to her mother that the girl would become a chosen vessel of the Lord (Acts 9:15). The parents sent their daughter to a monastery as a child. She grew up in an atmosphere of fasting and constant prayer, and received the gift of healing physical and spiritual infirmities. The sisters chose her to be abbess of the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Monastery. The saint's asceticism was very strict. For many years she ate only grass and vegetables, but would not partake of bread, wine, or oil. Many times St. Elizabeth ate nothing at all during the forty days of the Great Fast. Imitating the Publican in humility, for three years she did not lift up her eyes to the heavens, but she looked constantly to God with her spiritual eyes. At midnight prayers, the saint shone with a heavenly light. St. Elizabeth performed many miracles: a vicious serpent was killed by her prayer, she healed a woman with issue of blood who had been ill for many years, and she cast out unclean spirits from people. At her tomb many were healed of various illnesses, and the blind received their sight. Many were cured with just some earth from her grave.

We do not know exactly when St. Elizabeth lived, but it was probably between the sixth and ninth centuries.

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy Passion, Thou didst confirm the universal resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with the palms of victory, we cry out to Thee: O Vanquisher of Death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!

Sitting on Thy throne in heaven, carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God! Accept the praise of angels and the songs of children, who sing: Blessed is He that comes to recall Adam!