Palm Sunday

Ethiopic christians on Palm
Sunday

 It's Palm Sunday, the procession from Bethphage is underway ... and it is raining and cold. The Meteorological Station says it's 14 degrees but it feels like zero. The wind is very gusty. The procession will not be very pleasant but I'm sure the young people will not be let the weather dampen their celebration. 

Not every one will celebrate of course. The military bombed the Anglican hospital and church this morning. That was the first news we heard on Palm Sunday morning. Very tragic. What a horrible way to start Holy Week. It's a poignant reminder that Christ called us to carry the cross and follow him ... to Calvary to die. Apprehensive but not without hope, we move towards the Paschal Triduum ... not knowing what other surprises await us.

New Gate decorated

Today it's not just our Palm Sunday. All the Orthodox Churches also celebrate Palm Sunday today as our different calendars coincide. And it's also the Jewish Passover. It's a very rare occasion for such a coincidence of Gregorian, Julian and jewish calendars. I saw busloads of ethiopic orthodox christians coming to the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday. They are by far the largest Orthodox group to come. The once numerous Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches are significantly missing this year as they usually are the largest contingent for Holy Week services. Things have changed globally and locally. There's no going back after Covid and the war. It's a new reality that we must live in and adapt to.