A). Palm Sunday morning
Our
Lord has entered Jerusalem. He also entered our Church and our hearts and we
welcomed Him by holding palms and olive branches.
Following
the Cypriot liturgical order we had a procession around our Church; we had
prayers at the back of the Church as well as in the front.
Then
we gathered inside and the Priest after he had read a relevant Gospel he blessed
the palm crosses and the olive branches.
At
the end of the Service all members of the congregation received a palm cross as
a blessing.
B). Palm Sunday afternoon
After
the morning Service in our Church many of the Community members had gathered at
the Golden Kitchen Fish Restaurant in North Harrow for a lovely fish meal, according
to our Religious and Cultural Tradition.
Petros
& Anastasia Christofi, the proprietors of the Restaurant, with the
assistance of their son Yiannaki, welcomed everyone and offered a delicious
meal.
The
Priest, the Chairman of the Community Mr. Pantelis Demosthenous and the
Teasurer Mr. Soteris Constantinou thanked the Christofi family and offered them
a present.
C). Palm Sunday evening
“Behold
the Bridegroom cometh in the midst of the night and blessed is the servant whom
He shall find watching”!
At
the beginning of Holy Week (Palm Sunday evening) we held at our Church the
first Sacred Service of the Bridegroom.
The
icon of the Bridegroom Jesus was taken by the Priest around the congregation
and then it was placed in front of the icon-screen, for everyone to see it and venerate
it!
