Palm Sunday in Las Vegas

The Feast of the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem – Palm Sunday was solemnly celebrated in the parish of St. Simeon Mirotocivi in Las Vegas. The Eucharistic assembly was presided over by Bishop Maxim of West America, with the concelebration of the clergy and the pious people, who filled the holy temple in large numbers.

As the children of Jerusalem once cried out: Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  welcomed our Lord in Jerusalem, so the children from our parish, with their lively participation in the Holy Liturgy, with bells around their necks and palm branches in their hands, magnified the glory of this Feast in a particularly joyful way.

This blessed day was illuminated with joy and sunshine, children’s smiles and songs, and in that way we could feel and experience the event of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem alive, and in fullness, as if it is happening here and in our time.

After reading the Gospel, Bishop Maxim spoke to the gathered faithful about the meaning of the holiday, emphasizing that Christ’s entry into Jerusalem is a blessed transition that connects the period of asceticism with what is to come, and that is Christ’s suffering for the life of the world and His glorious Resurrection.  Let us experience the Holy Liturgy as our reception of the Lord.

After the faithful approached the Holy Communion Cup, the blessing of palm and willow branches followed.

The joy of the holiday continued in the Church Hall with a festive lunch and the promotion of the book “Sending the Prophet to the Land of the Living” about the blessedly deceased Bishop Athanasius.
Many of our parishioners who come from the once war-torn parts of Herzegovina have revived the memories of their deceased pastor, who visited them, comforted them, and encouraged them during the difficult times of war.

At the end of the lunch, the parishioners sent off their Bishop, who on that occasion wished them a happy and blessed upcoming Easter holiday.

Source: Diocese of Western America