Lenten Sundays Series: Palm Sunday
This is the eighth in a series of posts that focuses on the Sundays of Great Lent (and Holy Week and Pascha). Each week we will share ideas of ways to help your Sunday Church School students learn more about that particular Sunday’s focus. We will share each blog early, so that you have time to read it before the forthcoming Sunday, in case you find any of those ideas helpful for your particular class.
Here’s a meditation on Palm Sunday for you to ponder before you create a lesson for your students:
On this sixth Sunday of Great Lent, we will be celebrating Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem as we prepare to enter into Holy Week. We usually refer to this feast as the Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem, but we also call it Palm Sunday.
From the beginning of time, victorious kings have ridden joyously into their home cities after battle, surrounded by cheering crowds celebrating their success. The celebrations have changed over the years, but at the time of Christ, such a parade would have included palm branches being waved and laid on the road.
As we look at St. Matthew’s account of Christ’s triumphal entry, we see that this is exactly the kind of welcome our Lord received as He entered Jerusalem. We know that Jesus is not just a King, but the King of Kings, but at the time, not everyone knew or accepted Him as such. However, when He raised Lazarus from the dead, word got around about that great miracle, and He was welcomed into Jerusalem with palm branches being waved and set on the ground; and some people even lay their cloaks on the ground to welcome Him.
Not only did they act in these king-welcoming ways, but the people also loudly proclaimed who He is. They said, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9) All this commotion caught the eye of the entire city, and other people started asking, “Who is this guy?” and they heard that it was Jesus, the prophet who came from Nazareth in Galilee.
On Palm Sunday, we enter into His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, joining the crowds in welcoming Christ. We wave palms (or pussy willows) and also cry, “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
We know why He is coming; what He is coming to do. How much more should we welcome Him? After all, we know that He is not only a great Healer/Wonderworker, but that He is the very God Himself, incarnate! Let us therefore welcome Him with adoration and honor into our parish on this special day. It is right that we do this! However, we should be welcoming Him in the same way every day into our own life and heart. We can allow this Holy Week which lies ahead to help us begin to properly do so.
“O Christ God, when Thou didst raise Lazarus from the dead,
before Thy Passion, didst confirm the universal resurrection.
Wherefore, we, like babes, carry the banner of triumph and victory,
and cry unto Thee, O Vanquisher of death:
Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord!”
Here are a few suggestions of places to find ideas for a lesson on Palm Sunday:
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This lesson for younger children is based on Palm Sunday: http://www.orthodoxabc.co...
(The site also offers a lesson on Lazarus Saturday: http://www.orthodoxabc.co... and another on Holy Week: http://www.orthodoxabc.co...)
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Find lessons for Palm Sunday at many levels, here:
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Listen to this Sunday’s Gospel reading told in simple terms for younger children, and read from the Gospel for older children, at https://www.ancientfaith..... Find 5 levels of printable pages with questions for related discussions at http://ww1.antiochian.org....
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Find lessons about Palm Sunday at a variety of age levels, in lesson #3 here: http://dce.oca.org/focus/... (age levels include: 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-17, 18+)
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Find a variety of resources (including a 3-minute video re-telling of the story of what happened that day) related to Palm Sunday that could be used for lessons at various age levels here (not Orthodox, but many of the resources could still be helpful): https://ministry-to-children.com/palm-sunday-for-kids/
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Issue #79 of “Little Falcons” is dedicated to Palm Sunday. It contains articles and activities related to Palm Sunday, written on a variety of levels for children of many ages. Order a copy here: http://littlefalcons.net/...
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In case you missed it, here’s another blog post we wrote about Palm Sunday: https://orthodoxchurchsch...
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Here’s a small collection of Holy Week resources, gathered a few years ago, that may be helpful as you approach Holy Week: https://orthodoxchurchsch...
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This article is written for The Antiochian Department of Christian Education by Kristina Wenger and appears on the AODCE blog Orthodox Christian Sunday Church School Teachers at https://orthodoxchurchschoolteachers.wordpress.com/