On that day Jesus Christ, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd, set out from the village of Bithynia for Jerusalem. When he came to the village of Bethphage, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, he said to two of his disciples: “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them. If anyone says anything to you, say, ‘The Lord needs them!’ and immediately he will give them to you.” The disciples did as Christ commanded them, and when they brought the donkey, He mounted it and rode on it to Jerusalem. The news that the Savior was coming, the one who had raised Lazarus from the dead, spread quickly, and a large crowd joined Him. Some met him with palm branches in their hands, others threw their garments on the road where he would pass, and still others cut branches from trees and threw them on the road.

When Jesus Christ went out on the Mount of Olives, those who followed him shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!” But Jesus was sad all the way, and as he was descending the mountain, he looked down on Jerusalem in the valley, and wept and said: “O Jerusalem! If you only knew, especially in this your day, what is good for you; but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come when your enemies will surround you on every side, and will dash you and your children to pieces, and will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

All this happened before the Passover, and people from many places had gathered in Jerusalem. When they saw Jesus entering Jerusalem, many asked, “Who is this?” And the crowd answered, “Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Then Christ entered the temple, where the lame and the crippled were, and he had compassion on them and healed them all.

There was great joy among the people and the children, and they cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David, King of Israel!” Hearing this, some Pharisees came to him and said, “Do you hear what these are saying?” He answered them, “Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise.’” Jesus Christ spent the whole day teaching in the temple, and in the evening he returned to Bithynia with his disciples.

Hieromartyr Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra, Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow. Holy Hieromartyr Avda. Holy Venerable Apollonius. Holy Acacius the Confessor, Bishop of Melitina. Easter Lent.