H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays Palm Sunday Liturgy and the General Funeral Prayer at St. Bishoy's Monastery, Wadi El Natroun

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H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays Palm Sunday Liturgy and the General Funeral Prayer at St. Bishoy’s Monastery, Wadi El Natroun

H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays Palm Sunday Liturgy and the General Funeral Prayer at St. Bishoy’s Monastery, Wadi El Natroun

April 9, 2023

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II prayed this morning the Palm Sunday Liturgy in the Great Cathedral of St. Anba Bishoy Monastery in Wadi El-Natrun, with the participation of the bishop and abbot of the monastery, H.G. Bishop Aghabios, the monastery’s monks, and a large number of congregation filled the cathedral.
The deacon’s received His Holiness with palm branches and crosses as they chanted the Palm Sunday melody “Evlogimenos”, and His Holiness prayed the Palm Sunday stations, which includes 12 chapters of the Bible.
After that, the prayers of the Divine Liturgy began, and His Holiness delivered the sermon, during which H.H. indicated that “Palm Sunday” is a unique event in history and in the Church’s rites, and that God needs five essentials to enter our hearts and into our lives, and we should receive with them our Lord Jesus Christ, on all days of the year and all days of life, through:
1- Palm leaves: which symbolize a life of uprightness, for God needs your heart to be upright.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” ‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭10‬ )
2- Olive branches: which symbolize peace, because God needs your heart to be a peacemaker in your daily life. “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”
‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬)

3- Children: who symbolize purity, for God needs your heart and life to be in the purity of childhood, and to be far from the pollutants of the world.
“and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭3‬)
4- The elders: those who chanted and glorified, for God needs your heart to be filled with praises that glorify God.
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬ )
5- A donkey and a colt: which symbolizes simplicity. Wisdom along with simplicity creates a heart that God wants to enter.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ )

Palm Sunday is considered one of the seven major feasts of the Lord. Immediately after it begins the Week of the Holy Pascha, which ends with the Glorious Feast of Resurrection.
After the end of the Liturgy, His Holiness prayed the prayers of the “General Funeral” according to the liturgical arrangement of the church, which follows the Palm Sunday Liturgy, and before the prayers of the Holy Pascha.