The entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is celebrated on the Sunday before the Resurrection of the Lord (Holy Easter), this year on April 28.
“The joyous feast of the Lord’s Glorious Entry into Jerusalem has arrived today. It is part of the 12 royal holidays and is popularly called ‘Flower Sunday’, that is, of the flowers that come out in the spring in the fields and orchards. It is also called ‘Pillar Sunday’, because today the faithful welcome Christ in Jerusalem with palm branches in their hands or, as is the case with us, with blooming willow branches”. (“Sermons on the royal feasts and on the saints over the year”, Archimandrite Ilie Cleopa, 1996)
All the prophecies written in the Holy Scriptures that were said about our Savior Jesus Christ were fulfilled “with great amazement in their time”, says Father Cleopa. “Similarly, for the day of this great and pre-illuminated feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem, we see the prophecy of the Holy Prophet Zechariah being fulfilled, who said: “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, rejoice daughter of Jerusalem, for behold, your King is coming to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on the colt of a donkey” (Zechariah 9, 9)”. (Sermon on Palm Sunday, Father Ilie Cleopa, Sihăstria Monastery Publishing House, 1996; doxologia.ro)
Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on this day as King of heaven and earth, but not as a Judge as he will be at His second coming, but humble and riding on a colt.
“The donkey’s foal” is a prophecy of the Holy Prophet Zechariah as clear as possible, says Father Cleopa. And its significance is found in the fact that Jesus Christ’s stay on the donkey’s colt meant the sighing of the nations towards Him. “The ass’s colt, like any colt, is wild and hard to tame, and like an ass it is unclean; that’s why it wasn’t even received among those brought to God according to the law, but was changed”, says father Cleopa.
So were all the nations of the earth, unclean because of their unbelief and wild and difficult to tame, because they were deprived of the laws of God.
Crowds of people from Bethany and Jerusalem, hearing that the Savior performed that great miracle of raising Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, came out before the Lord and greeted Him with pillars and branches.
“In those days, the citadel was full of people coming from everywhere for the great Easter celebration. It resounded with the rumors regarding the Great Prophet and Miracle Worker from Nazareth, Who had just performed the greatest of His countless miracles – the resurrection of Lazarus, who had lain in the grave for four days, and was waiting for His arrival, and was preparing to welcome Him festively”. (“Sermons at the Triod – At the gates of Great Lent”, Saint Luke of the Crimea; 1877-1961, 2004)
“But did the bishops, Pharisees and scribes receive the Savior with this piety and faith? No,” says Father Cleopa.
They were full of envy and hatred against the Savior and, hearing about the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, they not only did not believe, but hastened to decide His sentence to death. For, assembling the Sanhedrin, they said: “What shall we do, because this Man performs many miracles? If we leave Him like that, everyone will believe in Him and the Romans will come and take our country and our nation” (John 11, 47-48).
“Giving as a reason – for their wicked plan – deliverance from the invasion of the Romans, they lied, because the Romans had already taken control of Palestine, this had happened before,” says St. Luke of Crimea.
“And yet, what led to this fearful lawlessness? Why were the hearts of the scribes, Pharisees and priests filled with such malice? Why did they hate the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, the teacher of love, the Savior of the world? Precisely because of vile, black envy – for before the coming of Christ they were masters of the minds and hearts of the Israeli people, they were its leaders and teachers; the people considered them as holy and righteous, obeying their every word. Now, however, they understood that their rule, based on ugly hypocrisy, in which there was no justice, no true spiritual power, would come in contact with the truth of the divine rule of the Savior. They saw and felt that no one could ever speak words like His, and they feared that they would lose their authority, that from being leaders they would become subjects – and wanting to strengthen their vile rule, they wanted to destroy the life of Christ” . (“Sermons at the Triod – At the gates of Lent”)
“Hear madness, hear blindness from envy and hatred! The great prophet Isaiah prophesied about this blindness and hardening of the Pharisees, the priests and the scribes, saying: Because the heart of this people was turned and with their ears they hardly heard and their eyes were closed, lest they should see with their eyes and with their ears hear, and with his heart to understand and return and heal him” (Isaiah 6:10). (Sermon on Palm Sunday; doxologia.ro)
However, Jesus Christ did not come into the world to reign over the outer Jerusalem, which is Judea, but he came to suffer and die on the cross for us, to make a resting place in our hearts, and most of all, says Father Cleopas , rests and enters our heart through the mystery of Confession and Holy Communion, for which Christians have prepared during Lent.
“My brothers, from this evening the days begin, with the passions of Christ. They are the most beautiful and moving services and songs of the year. Come evening by evening as many as possible to the holy church. How can we sleep or miss church when Christ watches and prays for the whole world? How can we laugh and drink when the Son of God is given into the hands of unbelieving blasphemers and murderers? How can we eat now when the Lord of life fasts and sighs for us? How can we leave the church now, when Christ is betrayed by his own disciple and is sold to the Jews to be judged and crucified? Let’s follow Jesus Christ this week, on the way of the Cross, which for us is the way of life, forgiveness and salvation. Without this path, none of the people can be saved”. (Sermon on Palm Sunday; doxologia.ro)
AGERPRES/(Documentary – Mariana Zbora-Ciurel, editor: Irina Andreea Cristea, online editor: Alexandru Cojocaru)
Palm Sunday traditions. Why are willow branches consecrated on Palm Sunday
The Feast of Flowers is received with joy by all believers, but with the understanding that the following week, called Holy Week or Passion Week, is one of sadness.
At the same time, on Palm Sunday, the Church grants absolution to fish, being the second time after the Annunciation, during the Easter fast, when this food can be consumed.
The best-known tradition of the Day of Flowers is that of the willow branches, which believers take to the church in the morning, where they will be consecrated by the priest. After the service, each participant will take willow branches home, which they will keep in a clean place, usually near an icon. This willow is believed to have unsuspected powers and in times of trouble or illness will be helpful to the one who uses it.
An old legend tells us that the Mother of God, wanting to see her Son who had just been crucified, could not continue on her way because a large water appeared in her way. She prayed to all the weeds to let the water pass, but only the willow helped her. Thus, the Mother of God blessed the willow so that people would take it to church and priests would serve it.
On the other hand, the willow branches are reminiscent of the palm and olive branches with which Jesus Christ was greeted by the crowd upon entering Jerusalem. In some areas of the country, it is customary to put willow branches on the graves of relatives, in this way they will know that Easter is coming. Also, some people use willow twigs to tie around their waists, so as not to hurt their waist and to be resistant to the field work that is to come.
Thus, on the Day of Flowers, in some regions, in all houses, as many wheat breads are baked as there are members of the family, but the breads vary in shape and size according to the age of the family members. These loaves are carefully woven from wheat dough and embellished with figures or crosses also made from the same dough. The loaves will be given as alms to the poor to save them from problems and troubles.
Another custom specific to Florii day is that girls boil water with bucuioc at midnight for Florii and wash their head with it the next day to have beautiful and shiny hair. I then put this water at the root of a flowered hair, saying: “As beautiful as the flowered hair is, may I also be so beautiful; as people look at a flowery hair, so let them look at me!” On the Day of Flowers, some housewives take out their clothes and clothes to air in the yard. They shake off the dust and, symbolically, the bad and the ugly.
They say that as the weather will be at Florii, so will it be at Easter. Also, if the frogs sing until the Flowers, then the summer will be beautiful.
Another superstition warns us not to plant trees the week before the Palms, because they will only produce flowers, not fruit.
Almost 1.8 million Romanians celebrate their name day on Sunday, Florii
Almost 1.8 million Romanians celebrate their name day on Sunday, the Feast of Flowers.
According to the Directorate for the registration of persons and the administration of databases, 1,175,582 are women and 607,889 are men who bear this name or its derivatives.
Among female first names, the most common is Florentina – 134,621 people bear this name.
Among men, the most common is the first name Florin – 344,058, but also Florian – 51,438.
The female first names encountered are: Anemona – 1,118; Angela – 57,208; Angelica – 28,015; Brandusa/Brandusa – 1,146; Brîndusa/Brindusa – 5,121; Camellia – 73,895; Lily – 21,265; Mane – 860; Crinuta/Crinuta – 998; Chrysanthemum – 295; Crăiţa – 302; Dahlia – 4,105; Daria – 61,199; Delia – 41,326; Flower – 57,570; Flora – 769; Flora – 39; Floriana – 4,901; Florica – 79,543; Floricela – 4; Floricica – 1,606; Florin – 83,177; Florinela – 3,102; Garofita/Garofita – 2,911; Gentiana/Gentiana – 452; Gherghina – 14,847; Hydrangea – 700; Jasmine – 14,271; Iris – 10,192; Liliana – 99,864; Lăcrămioara/Lacramioara – 31,002; Raspberry/Raspberry – 5,551; Margaret – 39,112; Micsunica/Micsunica – 551; Narcisa – 16,620; Hydrangea – 2,220; Hydrangea – 292; Panseluţa/Panseluta – 436; Romanita/Romanita – 503; Rosa – 612; Pink – 3,469; Star/Star – 15,852; Rose – 1,397; Veronica – 63,824; Violet – 57,860; Violin – 3,105; Viorica – 127,487; Hyacinth – 228 and Hyacinth – 39.
Among men, one can find surnames such as: Peony – 1,277; Lily – 220; Lily – 764; Florentine – 26,218; Floricel – 848; Floricica/Floricica – 3; Florica/Florica – 2,555; Florin – 344,058; Florinel – 13,831; Ghiocel – 1,128; Jasmine – 853; Iris – 53; Lilian – 3,231; Malin/Malin – 496; Micsunel/Micsunel – 92; Bud – 976; Bud – 8,727; Pearl – 565; Narcissus – 15,778; Rose – 1,906; Viorel – 132,872.
AGERPRES/(AS – author: Daniel Popescu, editor: Mihai Simionescu, online editor: Ady Ivaşcu)
Tags: Palm Sunday Lords Entry Jerusalem Traditions customs superstitions willow branches hallowed
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