The Entrance of Our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ into Jerusalem
Palm Sunday
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Palm Sunday
On the Sunday before the Feast of Great and Holy Pascha and at the beginning of Holy Week, the Orthodox Church celebrates one of its most joyous feasts of the year. Palm Sunday is the commemoration of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Having anticipated His arrival and having heard of the miracle, the people went out to meet the Lord and welcomed Him with displays of honor and shouts of praise. On this day, we receive and worship Christ in this same manner, acknowledging Him as our King and Lord.at the Virgin would show her. A voice replied to her from on high: “If you cross the Jordan, you will find rest.”
The biblical story of Palm Sunday is recorded in all four of the Gospels (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-38; and John 12:12-18). Five days before the Passover, Jesus came from Bethany to Jerusalem. Having sent two of His disciples to bring Him a colt of a donkey, Jesus sat upon it and entered the city.
People had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover and were looking for Jesus, both because of His great works and teaching and because they had heard of the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus. When they heard that Christ was entering the city, they went out to meet Him with palm branches, laying their garments on the ground before Him, and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”
Read more about Palm Sunday on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.
Lazarus Saturday Liturgy on Saturday, March 31
On the Saturday before Holy Week, the Orthodox Church commemorates a major feast of the year, the miracle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he had lain in the grave four days. Here, at the end of Great Lent and the forty days of fasting and penitence, the Church combines this celebration with that of Palm Sunday. In triumph and joy the Church bears witness to the power of Christ over death and exalts Him as King before entering the most solemn week of the year, one that leads the faithful in remembrance of His suffering and death and concludes with the great and glorious Feast of Pascha.
Read more on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.
Parents – Bring Your Children to the Saturday of Lazarus!
We will begin with the Liturgy (where Fr. Hans will explain the importance of the day to the children), a pancake breakfast, making palm crosses to be distributed the next day at Palm Sunday and confession for the kids.
Please sign up in the Social Hall or on the website.
Palm Sunday Brunch Sunday April 1, 2017
St. Peter’s will hold a Palm Sunday Brunch following the Liturgy on Palm Sunday, April 24. This is a great time of fellowship for all.
Lenten Service Books
Holy Week (Palm Sunday Evening through Agape Service)
We will be using the Holy Week Service Book of the Antiochian Archdiocese during Holy Week. If you would like one for private use please order it from Ancient Faith Publishing. The price is $35.00.
Includes the three Bridegroom services, the three Liturgies of the Presanctified Gifts; the service of Holy Unction; the Vesperal Divine Liturgy and 12 Passion Gospels of Holy Thursday; the Royal Hours, Vespers, and Lamentations of Holy Friday; the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy Saturday morning; Great and Holy Pascha; and the Agape Vespers of Sunday afternoon.
We are still not able to provide Holy Week service books for parishioners. If you would like to follow along, be sure to order your copy.
Fr. Thomas Hopko on Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday
Lazarus Saturday: Fr. Thomas explores the ultimate Messianic sign from the Gospel of St. John.
Palm Sunday: Fr. Thomas takes a closer look at the “Celebration of the Kingship of Christ.”
Listen here:
Final Lenten Supper Following Wednesday Presanctified Liturgy
On Wednesday evenings following Presanctified Liturgy we will share in a light Lenten supper of lentil soup, bread and fruit. This is a practice of many churches and provides rich fellowship and sharing.
Thank you to Angela Long for hosting this final supper on Wednesday, March 28, 2018.
Sign up for the Pascha Dinner!
Following the Agape Vespers on Sunday, April 8, plan on attending our church wide Pascha celebration. The menu includes lamb, potatoes, and other items. This is a wonderful way to share fellowship and bread to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was a huge success last year and will be a joy again this year. Please sign up with Thoma in the social hall after Liturgy if you plan to attend so we can prepare properly. Suggested donation is $15 per person with no cost for children.
There’s a place for you at the table!
Donations for Holy Week flowers Needed
Flowers beautify the Church and are essential part of Orthodox worship during Holy Week and Pascha. Please give your donation for flowers to Angela Long who is overseeing this project this year.
Foreign Language Speakers…
We need foreign language speakers to read the Gospel in a language other than English for the Agape Vespers on Sunday, March 11, at 11:00am. This is the only day that laity read the Gospel and it represents the Gospel of Jesus going out into all the world after the Resurrection. Please sign your name and indicate your language on the sign-up sheet in the Social Hall bulletin board.
Readings are divided into three sections. If we have more people than languages (2 or 3 speaking the same language), we will assign separate sections to each speaker.
The passage to read will be John 20:19-25
Interfaith Charities Needs Our Help!
Interfaith Charities has asked us to help supply:
- Jelly
- Crackers (Ritz or Saltines)
- Any Chef Boyardee food item (cans only please)
They also need:
- Used clothing
- Shoes
- Bedding
Bring bring all items you can to St. Peter’s and we will get them to Interfaith Charities.
Interfaith Charities is a coalition of churches and business that help the poor in the San Carlos and south Fort Myers area (view their website). We partner with them to help the working poor in our area as part of our mission to serve the poor around us.
Calendar At A Glance
Lenten Schedule
A complete schedule of Lenten services is posted on the St. Peter website.
A complete schedule of Holy Week services is posted on the St. Peter website.
- Wednesday, March 29, 2018 6:30pm Presanctified Liturgy
- Friday, March 3o, 2018 6:30pm Small Compline and Canon of Lazarus
- Saturday, March 31, 2018 9:00pm Lazarus Saturday (Pancake breakfast, make Palms, more…
- PALM SUNDAY, April 1, 2018 — 9:30am Divine Liturgy Palm Sunday
- PALM SUNDAY, April 1, 2018 — 11:30am Palm Sunday Brunch
- PALM SUNDAY, April 1, 2018 — 6:30pm Bridegroom Service
- HOLY MONDAY, April 2, 2018 — 6:30pm Bridegroom Service
- HOLY TUESDAY, April 3, 2018 — 6:30pm Bridegroom Service
- HOLY WEDNESDAY, April 4, 2018 — 6:30pm Holy Unction
- HOLY THURSDAY, April 5, 2018 — 9:30am Liturgy of the Last Supper
- HOLY THURSDAY, April 5, 2018 — 6:30pm The Twelve Gospels
- HOLY FRIDAY, April 6, 2018 — 9:00am Royal Hours / Decoration of Tomb of Christ following
- HOLY FRIDAY, April 6, 2018 — 6:30pm Lamentations Service with Procession
- HOLY SATURDAY, April 7, 2018 — 9:30am First Resurrection Service
- HOLY SATURDAY, April 7, 2018 — 10:00pm GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA
- Saturday, April 7, 2018 — 11:00am Agape Vespers / Paschal Celebration in Social Hall following
Wisdom From The Elders
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:1-12
Throw yourself before God, not to measure your progress, but to leave behind all self-will; these are the instruments for the work of the soul. Abba Pimen
We know that prayer in and of itself cannot save us, but carrying it out before God can. For when the Lord’s eyes are upon us He sanctifies us, as the sun warms everything upon which it shines. St. Gregory Palamas
A child’s prattle is pleasing to God. The Lord accepts all human appeals, no matter how small or insignificant, if a person’s heart becomes filled with joy and awe as it stands before the Master. All that is small becomes great in the process of being presented to the Lord. All that is imperfect becomes perfect. St John of San Francisco
Remember in Your Prayers
Tom
Carl
Rena
Nikolay (5 year old boy in Bulgaria whose parents asked us to pray)
Jerry
Peter
David
Eva K.
Rosie
Jill
Connie
Sean Helgeland (great nephew to Steve and Anne Brietenbach)
Kathryn
Jeremy
Robert
Jane
Theodora
Baby Brynn L.
Micheal
Haralambos
Lillian
Presbytera Rosy
Valentina
John
Eva W.
Barbara
Angela
Sonya
Kenneth
Carol Ann
Matthew
Chrysostom
Tim
Ron
Ivy-Jean
Pat
Christina
Maria Louise
Maximos
Marian
Photini
Nicholas
Sarah
Petronia (Wife of Phil Pappas)
Constantine Houpis
Anna Marie Smith Baker
Ron Chromulak
Beverly Chromulak
Katerina
Loucine Kassis
Mary Kassis
Baby Maximus
Christine
Maria
Annette Star
Claire Livaditis
Eva Chandilles
Baby Dani
Scott Nedoff
Anthony Mourgis
John Hansen
James Hord
Tom
How should we pray for the sick? Remember them daily. Say their names (first names are sufficient) and ask God to bestow mercy and grace on them.
Add or remove names and print this list for easy reference during your prayer time on the St. Peter website.
Sunday Readings
Epistle
Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord.
O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the 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, these do; and the God of peace will be with you.
Gospel
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (12:1-18)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus who had died was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at 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, Simon’s son, one of His Disciples (he who was to betray Jesus), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the moneybox 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 Jesus 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 cometh in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”
And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’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 crowd that had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet Jesus was that they heard He had done this sign.
