Celebrating Palm Sunday on 13 April 2025 at our St George’s Cathedral,with His Eminence Archbishop Sergios, Archimandrite Doukas Coulbanis and Very Reverend Nikolaos Giamouridis.

Behold, Our King Comes in Glory!
_“Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

Today Christians around the world are celebrating the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and, here in Cape Town, we too, gathered together to greet our Lord Jesus Christ with our palm crosses – standing room only in the church!

Like that time more than 2000 years ago, the story of Jesus seated on his donkey as an open sign of His humility, surrounded by crowds waving palms and singing praises, is always a very dramatic and emotional moment.

It’s the Sunday before the Feast of Great and Holy Pascha ( Easter) and is the beginning of Holy Week.

This Sunday, our Church joyfully commemorates the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem—a Triumphal yet humble moment in the life of Christ that reveals Him as both King of Glory and Suffering as a man.

We honour the entrance of Our Lord Jesus into Jerusalem following his glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead on Saturday and it’s one of our most joyous feasts of the year.

Five days before Passover Jesus left Bethany and was on His way to Jerusalem.
News of this phenomenal miracle and His awesome teachings went viral and the people heard He was coming to town so they went out to meet and welcome him as a hero and celebrity.

So, when he arrived at the city’s gate riding on the back of a young donkey, they honored him by shouting praises, waving palm fronds and spreading their cloaks on the ground before him.
They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel.”

The word “Hosanna” means “Save, I pray” or “Save now.”

In the times of Jesus, it was quite the done thing for kings or top brass and important people to appear in a procession sitting on a donkey. It was seen as a token of peace, so those who rode a humble donkey demonstrated that they came with peaceful intentions and, of course, it was totally appropriate and a reminder that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Palm Sunday also commemorates Christ’s last week on Earth.
In those fleeting moments of exuberance and exaltation on Palm Sunday that marked the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the people received their king – the king who was on His way to His death, by their hand.

The palm tree branches and bay leaves represent Christ’s triumph over the devil and death.

Why palms ?
Palm branches were regarded as tokens of joy and triumph and were always used on festive occasions in ancient times.
Kings and conquerors were honoured with palm branches laid on the ground before them and waved in the air.
The winners of Grecian games and sports always went home to triumphantly waving palm branches in their hands.

In centuries gone by palms symbolized goodness, well-being, status, reliability, and of course, victory.
So on those first ancient Christian times palm fronds were fashioned
in the shape of the moon, ships, donkeys, but the most common was the Cross.

Bay leaves play an interesting part in the traditions of Palm Sunday as from ancient times people have believed that bay leaves, blessed on Palm Sunday and later burnt, could restore health to those who are sick and they also help to safeguard the health of farm animals and the well-being of our homes.

After the Holy Liturgy service today the palm crosses and bay leaves were blessed and we take them home where they will be placed on our icon stations to keep an eye on us until next year’s Palm Sunday.

We are about to embark on the most sacred week of the ecclesiastical year and enjoying both the physical and spiritual pleasures today gives us all the strength and commitment to pay homage to Christ Our Lord on His journey from the happy cries of “Hosanna “ to the terrifying shouts of “ Crucify him! “.

So on Palm Sunday we remember not only Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem but we are looking ahead to His sacrificial death on the cross and thanking Him for His ultimate gift of salvation to us and it gives us renewed belief in His second coming.

For us the palm is a sign not only of Christ’s Kingship but also of our willingness to carry the Cross with Him.

Be blessed always and may the Holy Week ahead fill our hearts and minds with the truth we all seek. XXX

( Text and photos: Pepe Sofianos)