On Palm Sunday, the sacred atmosphere in the churches of Alexandria enveloped the faithful in deep reverence, as if they were spiritually accompanying Christ on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
In the evening, at the Church of the Archangels in the historic district of Ibrahimiya, Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II of Alexandria and All Africa presided over the deeply moving Bridegroom Service. The moment reached a spiritual climax with the chanting of the beloved hymn: “Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight.”
In his sermon, Patriarch Theodoros captivated the congregation with a heartfelt reflection on the meaning of this sacred day. He reminded the faithful that the evening of Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy and Great Week, during which the Church, through its liturgical and hymnographic tradition, follows the Lord on His journey to the Passion and Resurrection.
With characteristic calm and spiritual clarity, he offered his blessing: “Let us, my children, experience with deep devotion the voluntary Passion, the Cross, and the Burial of our Life-Giving Christ. May we be granted health and spiritual joy to celebrate His radiant Resurrection. It is our sacred duty not to turn the joyful Hosanna into a cry of ‘Crucify Him’ through the way we live our lives.”
Concelebrating at the service were Archimandrite Damaskinos, Patriarchal Commissioner, and Archimandrite Epiphanios, the church’s head priest. The Byzantine hymns were beautifully chanted by the Consul General of Greece in Alexandria, Mr. Ioannis Pyrgakis, along with the well-known chanter of Cairo, Mr. Ioannis Kountrias.
Source: ekalexandria.org
