On 13 Sunday 2014, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, a feast also known as Palm Sunday. On this day, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Patriarchal Cathedral by His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, assisted by a group of priests and deacons, in the presence of many faithful.
The evangelical pericope of Saint Evangelist John 12:1-18 was read during the Divine Liturgy presenting the anointment of Jesus, our Saviour in Bethany, as well as the triumphal entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
After reading the evangelical pericope, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon for the hundreds of faithful present at the Joy Hill in which he presented the significance of the royal feast of the day.
The feast invites us to get ready for the Holy Week of the Passions which follows, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said in the sermon delivered at the Patriarchal Cathedral: “The spiritual meaning of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem calls us to pray Jesus Christ, our Saviour, to help us defeat the death of the soul in us as separation from God, to defeat everything that weakens our faith, to defeat the temptation of envy and wickedness. The feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem makes the passage from the 40 days Lent to the beginning of the week of the Holy Passions of Christ which is a period of spiritual preparation related directly to the Mystery of the Cross and of the Resurrection of the Lord. The Sunday of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem is a day which predicts the Resurrection of Christ. It is, somehow, an Easter in advance, a foretaste of the victory over death, over Sin, over the people’s wickedness, a victory of the merciful love of Christ, our Lord, a love stronger than any hate and envy, than any treason and cowardice, than any greed of money and temporary power in the world”, His Beatitude said.
To end with the religious service, the Patriarch of Romania congratulated all those who celebrated their name day: “We congratulate all those of flowers name: Florin, Mugur, Viorel etc. We think they are flowers in the garden of the Mother of God, flowers of faith and joy in our Church, to whom we wish good health and salvation, peace and joy for a long happy life”.
Today, the Patriarch of Romania has also installed Rev Archimandrite Teofil Anastasoaie as great ecclesiarch of the Patriarchal Cathedral.
“We also let you know that rev Archimandrite Timotei Aioanei is already in Jerusalem because he wished to be there as new representative of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Holy Places and Superior of the Romanian Settlement in Jerusalem, Jordan and Jericho, replacing rev Archimandrite Ieronim who will come back to the country, because he was elected Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch. Rev Ieronim will stay a little longer in the Holy Land to help Archimandrite Timotei Aioanei to take over the new responsibility, the new service and then will come back home. Rev Archimandrite Teofil Anastasoaie, administrative exarch and abbot of Darvari skete was appointed as great ecclesiarch of the Patriarchal Cathedral instead of rev Archimandrite Timotei Aioanei. Now he was released from the position of abbot of Darvari skete and brought here to be always present for coordinating all the religious services of the Patriarchal Cathedral. He has a very beautiful voice, spiritual and administrative experience as abbot and as administrative exarch. A new abbot was appointed to Darvari Monastery (it is named Darvari skete, but it has the statute of a monastery). From now on, rev Teofil will coordinate all the liturgical activity of the Patriarchal Cathedral together with archdeacon Traian Ioan. We want Christ, our Lord, who entered Jerusalem, to bless him and we receive him with great joy and love for the Church for the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and salvation of the faithful”, His Beatitude said.
The liturgical answers were given by Tronos psalmic group of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Matins, and by Nicolae Lungu chorus of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Divine Liturgy.
To end with, the faithful present received small icons of the Entry of the Lord in Jerusalem, and willow branches.
