With God's grace, another Pascha approaches, and intensifying their preparations for the Great Feast, the monastics and seminarians of Holy Trinity Monastery and Seminary began Holy Week with a joyous Palm Sunday. At the end of the All-Night Vigil on Saturday evening, the faithful were anointed with holy oil and received a candle, a palm, and a pussy willow. Starting on Holy Monday, there will be continuous services at the Cathedral in the mornings and evenings.

As Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem marks the beginning of His path to Crucifixion and Resurrection, we are invited to follow the journey from the temporal glory of the King’s procession into His capital, to the daily unfolding of His betrayal, and into the Eternal glory of God’s redemption for all of mankind. As is always important to remember, Judas’ betrayal and the Lord’s Crucifixion are striking events that should exhort us to repentance and ascetic struggle while the Resurrection is the embodiment of God’s promise for those who struggle to the end. We pray that all have a very edifying Holy Week and a joyous Pascha!