Palmarum Joys

The day was absolutely beautiful in Southern Illinois. It dawned with nary a cloud in the sky and was both bright and warm. We gathered at 7:45 for the Divine Service with the examination of the Catechumens. Nine young people bore witness to their faith in the public examination following the homily, testifying to the faith into which they were baptized. After a brief reception, we returned for the second Divine Service with the rite of Confirmation. The first service was very well attended, but the second service had chairs set up in the back - how joyous to see the sanctuary filled to the brim with the voices of those singing:

All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Between the three services (including Saturday's), St. Paul's had over 500 folks in attendance this weekend - though, of course, there were many repeats between the first and second services of Sunday.

All the services began with the procession of palms with the reading from St. John's Gospel about Palm Sunday: "The world has gone after Him!" After the procession, the cross was veiled and the service shifted gears. (Yes, I know that historically the crosses are veiled after the Gospel on Judica, but we're following the rubrics in LSB). All services featured the reading of the Passion according to St. Matthew. At the first service the very short homily dwelt on the Epistle - that the goal of all the church's catechesis is not that students learn the correct answers, but that the mind of Christ be formed in them. At the late service (and on Saturday) I preached on the passion, especially dwelling on the words: "and the curtain was torn in two from the top to the bottom." We rejoiced in the architecture of our Church which shows this so plainly with the great arch wide open and nothing impeding access to the holy altar where Christ serves us the very body and blood He once carried into the Holy of Holies in heaven.

Then it was off to the parties, and finally home for a NAP! It was a joyous Palm Sunday indeed - and the praises of the children ringing through the Church and then pledging their fidelity by God's grace to Christ their King was a beautiful thing to hear and see. May God the Holy Spirit keep these children from the ways of the world and the devil and bring each of them to the full joy of the Feast in the Day without Evening in the Kingdom of the Father!

P.S. And it was GREAT having the rite of Confirmation in the LSB for the people to pray along!