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The Commemoration of Our Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem
Hosanna to the Son of David.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Behold your king comes to you, O Zion,
meek and lowly, sitting upon an ass.
Ride on in the cause of truth
and for the sake of justice.
Your throne is the throne of God, it endures for ever;
and the sceptre of your kingdom is a righteous sceptre.
You have loved righteousness and hated evil.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
Hosanna to the Son of David.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection.
Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the Church throughout the world.
Christ enters his own city to complete his work as our Saviour,
to suffer, to die, and to rise again.
Let us, through this act of worship,
go with him in faith and love,
so that, united with him in his sufferings,
we may share his risen life.
The Blessing of the Palm Crosses
God our Saviour,
whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah
to suffer and to die;
let these palms be for us signs of his victory
and grant that we who bear them in his name
may ever hail him as our King,
and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Palm Gospel
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’
This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’
The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Matthew 21:1–11 (NRSV)
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
In different times, congregations would have been invited to join in a Procession of faith, bearing their newly blessed Palm Crosses.
Today, you are invited to join that Procession through your prayers as you listen to this short piece of music.
The Collect
Let us pray for a closer union with Christ in his suffering and in his glory.
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example
of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
In the next part of our Palm Sunday celebrations we will turn to The Liturgy of the Word.
During The Liturgy of the Word we will hear our readings from Scripture and the reading of the Passion narrative according to Matthew.
We will then join in a time of intercessory prayer.
The final part of our Palm Sunday service will consist of the Liturgy of the Sacrament, when everyone is invited to join in a time of Spiritual Communion, honouring Christ’s call to “do this in remembrance of me”.