LAZARUS SATURDAY, March. 28
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
5:00 PM Mission Divine Liturgy at St. Raphael’s
PALM SUNDAY, March. 29
8:00 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
GREAT AND HOLY MONDAY, March. 30
8:30 AM Bridegroom Matins
6:30 PM Presanctified Divine Liturgy
GREAT AND HOLY TUESDAY, March. 31
8:30 AM Bridegroom Matins
6:00 PM Mission Presanctified Divine Liturgy at St. Raphael’s
6:30 PM Akathist* for Addictions and Mental Illness
GREAT AND HOLY WEDNESDAY, April. 1
12:00 PM Mission Bridegroom Matins at St. Raphael’s
6:30 PM Presanctified Divine Liturgy with Anointing
7:30 PM Firepit Social
GREAT AND HOLY THURSDAY, April. 2
8:30 AM Matins
6:30 PM Vesper-Liturgy for Great and Holy Thursday
GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY, April. 3
12:00 PM Mission Strasti Matins at St. Raphael’s
12:00 PM Strasti Matins for Great Friday
6:00 PM Mission Great Friday Vespers with Procession at St. Raphael’s
6:30 PM Great Friday Vespers and Procession
HOLY SATURDAY, April. 4
9:30 AM Jerusalem Matins
4:00 PM Paschal-Vigil Vesper-Liturgy with Basket Blessing
10:00 PM Mission Paschal Matins and Liturgy with Basket Blessing
PASCHA SUNDAY, April. 5
8:00 AM Paschal Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
*Add first names to this prayer service by emailing niemirick@gmail.com
St. Mary’s: Sundays 8:45 AM or by appointment Santa Paula: Saturdays 4:15 PM or by appointment
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
For centuries, the Jewish people looked forward to the coming of God’s “anointed” (in Hebrew, Messiah; in Greek, Christos), who would be at once Savior and King.
After the raising of Lazarus, the people began to have faith in Jesus; it was Martha, the sister of Lazarus, who declared to Jesus, “I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God; he who is to come into the world.” It was at this point that the Lord made his way to Jerusalem, where the chief priests and Pharisees had made plans to apprehend him.
Our Lord sent his disciples to fetch a donkey-colt, which no one had ever ridden. The disciples brought both the colt and its mother, for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem. The evangelist Matthew tells us that this was in fulfillment of prophecy: “Tell the daughter of Zion, your King comes to you without display, astride an ass, astride a colt, the foal of a beast of burden”. Christ would enter Jerusalem not on a horse, a symbol of the warrior, but on the work beast of the poor – one traditionally ridden by the kings of Israel.
The shout of the crowd makes it plain that they saw Jesus as a great figure, a king and prophet, and (perhaps) the Messiah: Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!
The word “hosanna” is Hebrew and means, roughly, “O save!” – Psalm 117:25, “O Lord, grant salvation.” In the form “Hosanna in the highest”. Psalm 117, a processional song of praise, will be quoted many times in the course of this feast, especially verse 26: “Blessed is he whom comes in the name of the Lord.”
In ancient times, the palm was a sign of triumph and victory in the Greco-Roman world; among the Jews, palm branches were carried at festive celebrations (Leviticus 23:40). In the New Testament, palm branches became a sign of martyrdom – victory over death. In the early Christian church, a procession was held before Pascha to commemorate our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, with the faithful carrying “palms and branches.” This led eventually to the name Palm Sunday for this feast (in Slavonic,Nedil’a Vaj.)
In Constantinople, in addition to palms, other flowering branches (olive, laurel, lilac) were carried in procession, leading to the name Flowery Sunday (in Slavonic, Nedil’a Kvitna). In the colder climes of Eastern Europe, few flowers would bloom this early in Spring; but the common pussy-willow would be in bud at this time, and so branches of pussy-willow came to be used.
(See more at mci.archpitt.org or the first article in this week’s email)
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Our Lord entered into Jerusalem humbly and yet as King before going to His voluntary suffering and death. Is He calling you to respond to His example by a vocation as a priest, deacon, monk or nun? Contact the Vocations Office at 602-861-9778 or email: vocations@ephx.org
(Please resubmit or submit names to admin@ByzantineLA.com)
The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Diana Mina, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr. John Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, Stephen Petach, Jenny Roman, Nicolese Salazar, and All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s
We’ve donated $15,264.10 toward our goal of $24,500. You can give to the appeal online by going to the “Donation” page at www.ephx.org. Please make sure you identify the parish or the mission as the recipient of your generosity.
Thank you to the following parishioners who have given this year: Alig, Brunet, Clemens, Cook, Healy, Herrera, Kieselhorst, Klein, Kopcho, Martini, Michnya, Mina, Nelson, O’Loughlin, Reichert, Weitzel, Zimmerman
Proto-Cathedral Great Fast/ Pascha Book Club
There shall be no book club this upcoming Sunday (3/5/2026) to maintain festive observance of Pascha.
Thank you all for your wonderful generosity! If you have pledged to support the large hall, you can expect correspondence confirming the details of your pledge. If you have not yet, but would like to pledge to the remodeling of the big hall, please speak with Fr. Micheal or email the office
Thank you to all those who have already donated or pledged a donation: Brunet, Clemens, Cook, Govea, Healy, Horey, Herrera, Jubera, Martini, Michnya, Mina, Nelson, Neimi, Petach, Roche, Scott, Seabright, Sharone, Tagarao, Varga, Weitzel, White, Wiggins
Collection: $809.00; Online: $320.00; Santa Paula: $724.02; Candles: $89.50; Parish Social; $56.00; Building Fund: $1,155.00; Pascha Cards: $30.00;
Total: $3,183.52/ Attendance – PSM: 78 SRM: 105
Sunday, March 29 –
