Liturgy and Communion for Palm Sunday – 2nd April 2023
Yesterday, many of us attended the Palm Sunday Service at St. Michael & All Angels, Welshampton. As always, it was a bittersweet beginning to Holy Week; the juxtaposition of the celebration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, whilst in the full knowledge that within a few grueling days, He would be betrayed, arrested, put on trial and crucified.
Against the backdrop of the altar draped in a vivid red cloth (the colour of martyrdom), retired Priest, Rev. Anne led today’s service, which is unusual in that the sermon is replaced by the Priest’s reading of the Liturgy of the Palms (Matthew 21:1-11) which tells of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and then the Liturgy of the Passion (Matthew 21: 14-75 and 27: 1-end) which leads us through the entirety of events leading up to Christ’s death on the cross and the immediate aftermath.
As part of today’s joyful but poignant act of worship, Palm crosses, the reminder of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, were blessed and distributed.
VJC
True and humble king,
Book of Common Worship, Collect for Palm Sunday
hailed by the crowd as Messiah:
grant us the faith to know you and love you,
that we may be found beside you
on the way of the cross,
which is the path of glory.
The title for this post is taken from the hymn: My Song is Love Unknown
The Feature Image for this post was taken by VJC after the service and shows Rev. Anne in the Red Priest’s Vestments with the Altar draped in Red in the background.
For further details about services in the Benefice for Holy Week, please see our Calendar and/or our Noticeboard.