Palm Sunday

"Like the children with the palms of victory, we cry out to Thee, oh vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!"

Yesterday was Palm Sunday- a Feast in the midst of the Great Fast. We enjoyed an amazing potluck at church and nice weather for the "practice parade" (as Father calls it.)

Last year, we started a tradition in our little family of taking a family photo after Palm Sunday Liturgy. (I do LOVE a tradition) Here is a sampling from this year's pics:



The girls having fun (MM with all of her adopted daughters!)

Zoe has been immensely blessed with her godparents. We are so thankful that they are in our lives. We pray that their example will have a great impact on Zoe's life.

The fam being silly.

Zoe LOVES being outside- especially in the wind. She closes her eyes tightly and squeals. That innocence and sense of discovery amaze me every time.

We are now in Holy Week. We had the first of three Bridegroom Matins services last night. I want to share a few of the hymns from the service that are beautiful, moving and thought provoking:

"Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching, again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore oh my soul do not be weighed down with sleep! Lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom! But rouse yourself, crying, "Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, oh our God! Through the prayers of the Theotokos have mercy on us."

I wish you could hear the music to this hymn. It is haunting and beautiful. Most often in a church service, I don't close my eyes, as I get easily distracted in that state. I try to focus on an icon- the Mother of God, Christ, etc. to focus my prayer and attention on God. However, during the singing of this hymn is one time when I usually do end up closing my eyes in order to let the melody wash over me and to absorb the great importance of the words I am singing.

Another hymn:

"Verily I behold the bridal chamber adorned, oh my Savior. But I possess no garment with which to enter therein...delight Thou in the robe of my soul, oh giver of Life and save me!"

What an incredible picture of God's mercy and love for His people! I may have on my Sunday best, but, spiritually speaking, I am barely covered in rags. The only way I am allowed at the table with God is by his mercy. I pray that God would delight in the robe of my soul, even though it "is all leprous and in ruins."

I hope you have a blessed Holy Week. I look forward to this time of deep cleansing as we prepare for the Greatest Feast of PASCHA!