THE WEEK OF PALMS (6th week of Great Lent) <<< click for more information

(In northern climates - such as Michigan - where Palms are not readily available often other branches like Pussy Willows are used! We are fortunate to have both!)

Texts of the daily services can be found HERE.

The Sixth and last week of Great Lent is called "The Week of the Palms." For the six days preceding Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday, the liturgy of the Church makes us follow Christ as He first announces the death of His friend and then begins His journey to Bethany and Jerusalem.

From the Presanctified Liturgy for Wednesday of the Sixth Week: 

Jesus, across the Jordan you went; as man You stayed there; then you said to Your followers, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, in fact he has died, and he has been buried and laid in a tomb. My friends, I am glad for you, for through this you will surely learn that I have not ceased * being God knowing everything, although visibly I appear to be just a man. So let us go and bring him back to life, so that in this way death might experience fully its own defeat and might clearly feel the total destruction which I shall effect, while granting great mercy to the world.”

Faithful, come let us imitate Martha and Mary, and dispatch as our messengers to Christ godly deeds and actions, so that He come now to us and resurrect our minds, which grievously lie dead, inert as if in a tomb of neglect and of carelessness, wholly unfeeling, with no sense of the fear of God, and not having in them the life-giving energy. Let us cry out to Him and say, “Compassionate Lord, behold, and as You once resurrected of old Your friend, righteous Lazarus, by Your awesome power, so now vivify us, granting great mercy to us all.”

Lazarus has now been in the tomb for two days. He sees the dead from the beginning of time. He gazes at strange and frightening sights, at a countless multitude being held prisoner in the bonds of Hades. Therefore do his sisters lament bitterly, as they look at his tomb. But Christ is coming to bring His friend back to life, so that with one voice everyone might say: “Blessed are You, O Savior! Have mercy on us.”