We are excited to announce that His Grace, the Right Reverend Gerasim, Bishop of Ft. Worth will visit St. Barbara’s on Palm Sunday, April 17.  It is the first time that an Orthodox hierarch will have visited our parish for this particular feast.  Even though it is a great feast, the rules of the Fast will apply for the Lenten reception in His Grace’s honor.  In addition, as with the Sunday of Orthodoxy, a procession around the Church will take place immediately after the Liturgy with the faithful holding branches of Palms and Pussy Willows in their hands.

Lazarus Saturday (April 16) and Palm Sunday (April 17) form a double feast, anticipating the joy of Pascha.  At the grave of His friend Lazarus, Christ encounters “the last enemy,” death (1 Cor. 15:26).  By raising Lazarus, Christ foreshadows His own decisive victory over death, and the universal resurrection granted to all mankind. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, “riding on the colt of an ass,” in fulfillment of a prophecy from Zechariah (9:9).   On this occasion our Lord allows the people to greet Him as a Ruler, the only time during His earthly ministry when this occurs.  Christ is indeed the King of Israel, but He comes to reveal and open to mankind His Heavenly Kingdom.  We hold branches of palms and pussy willows of our own on Palm Sunday, greeting Christ as the Lord and Master of our lives. 

The faithful will greet His Grace at 9:30 am, at the front doors of the Church. Customarily, when receiving a hierarch into their midst, Orthodox Christians in America maintain a balance between formalities, and experiencing the bishop as a father in Christ who desires to maintain a loving relationship with his flock. We offer great respect and proper protocol. We do so, though, with love, knowing that His Grace is “one of us;” together we strive to, “work out our salvation with fear and trembling,” as told to us by St. Paul. With these things in mind, we look forward to Bishop Gerasim’s visit on Palm Sunday and to the Procession with Palms and the Lenten Reception to follow the Divine Liturgy.

Lenten Reception

In light of the Great Fast and His Grace’s dietary requirements, the Reception on April 17 will be Lenten (Fasting Foods).  The main dish has been planned and will be provided, but additional Lenten dishes and desserts will be needed.  A sign-up sheet will be posted in the Church Hall. Please see Matushka Christine for more information.

photos courtesy Bob Guarnieri