The Feast of Jesus Christ’s Entrance to Jerusalem is a symbol of hope and salvation when God comes to His people who are waiting for Him for so long. This year, the meaning and significance of this holiday for Ukraine sounds even more profound, because it occurs in the difficult historical period of the country – the moment of choice …
This was emphasized by the Father and the Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his sermon to the faithful during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection on Palm Sunday, April 21, 2019.
“Today, the Church of Christ celebrates one of the greatest Christian holidays in the liturgical year. We solemnly recall the historical event, when, six days before Easter, as a summary of His mission, our Savior is solemnly entering Jerusalem. He enters and carries something very special, which all people have long been waiting for. Interestingly, it is the young people of Jerusalem who seem to reveal the deep meaning of the event, putting their clothes before the donkey on which Jesus Christ enters Jerusalem; they cut the young branches of the palm trees, approach their teacher and chant a very interesting and deep phrase: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” – with such words the Head of the UGCC addressed the laity at the beginning of his word.
He also explained the meaning of the main phrase of this holiday: “The cry of Hosanna! is a Hebrew word that had become a greeting or shout of praise but that actually meant “Save!” or “Help!” (an intensive form of imperative). It is interesting that this word without translation was included in all the languages of Christians in the whole world.”
According to the Head of the Church, God is the Savior precisely because He is a source of life. Moreover, to live means to dwell in Him and with Him. “This is what the word Hosanna means today, when the Son of God enters Jerusalem – God comes to His people who are waiting for Him for so long,” explains the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics.
“The moment of the special rapprochement of God the Savior occurs now in the very special and historical circumstances for our nation, state and Church life. On this day, all of you will go to vote. I urge you to do this, because it is not just our right but a sacred duty. When we look at the circumstances in which this choice of the Ukrainian people is taking place, then we will see that Ukraine has paid a high price for this day to come – thousands of killed people and rivers of blood. Our youth paid for our freedom,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The preacher assured that Ukrainians should not fear, but trust in the will of the Heavenly Father. “The Savior acts and will act in our lives, in our people. However, we need to accept Him, His light, strength, truth, and we will not be afraid. For He comes to be with us this very day, at this very moment of history. And we call him One and the Blessed One,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav at the end.
Department of Information of the UGCC