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Today is Palm Sunday, and marks the beginning of Holy Week. Today gets its name from the palm leaves that were put down on the road in front of our Lord during his entrance into Jerusalem before the week of his Passion.

A special mass is said today that includes the blessing and distribution of palms, which will be used next year as ashes for Ash Wednesday, and a procession.

The Gospel for Mass today is the Passion of our Lord according to St. Matthew.

Before Mass

The following is taken from:

The Liturgy of the Palms
All the congregation shall gather in the Narthex for the invitatory Gospel and blessing and distribution of the Palms.

The Gospel

St. Matthew 21:1-11

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

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The Blessing and Distribution of the Palms
All the congregation shall process in with their Palms
At the Mass
The Introit

Antiphon: Psalm 22 Give sentence with me, O God, and defend the cause of my soul against the ungodly people: deliver me and rid me from the deceitful and wicked man; for thou, O Lord, art my God, and my strong salvation.

Verse: Ibid O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me: and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling.

The Gloria Patri is not sung.

Repeat the Antiphon Give sentence with me, ...

The English Gradual: Part II - The Proper, Pages 57-62

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Book of Common Prayer (1962), Page 150

The Epistle
Philippians 2. 5.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be equal to God, but emptied himself, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name; that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11 NIV KJV NRSV NASB RSV NKJV ESV

The Book of Common Prayer (1962), Pages 150-151

Lenten Prose
Attende Domine

Antiphon: Hear us , O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we have sinned against thee.

Innocent, captive, taken unresisting: falsely accused, and for us sinners sentenced, save us, we pray thee, Jesu our Redeemer.

Repeat the Antiphon Hear us , O...

English Hymnal (1906)

Gradual

Psalm 73 Thou hast holden me by my right hand: thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and after that receive me with glory. ℣. Truly God is loving unto Israel: even unto such as are of a clean heart. ℣. Nevertheless, my feet were almost gone: my treadings had well-nigh slipt: And why? I was grieved at the wicked: I do also see the ungodly in such prosperity.

The English Gradual: Part II - The Proper, Pages 57-62

Tract

Psalm 22 My God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? ℣. And art so far from my health; and from the words of my complaint? ℣. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not: and in the night season also I take no rest. ℣. And thou continuest holy, O thou Worship of Israel. ℣. Our fathers hoped in thee: they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them. ℣. They called upon thee, and were holpen: they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded. ℣. But as for me, I am a worm, and no man: a very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people. ℣. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying: ℣. He trusted in God, that he would delibver him: let him deliver him, if he will have him. ℣. They stand staring and looking upon me: they part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. ℣. Save me from the lion's mouth: thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns. ℣. O praise, the Lord, ye that fear him: magnify him, all ye seed of Jacob. ℣. They shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation: they shall come, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness. ℣. Unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.

The English Gradual: Part II - The Proper, Pages 57-62

The Gospel
St. Matthew 27. 1.

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.) And Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called the Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. And while he was sitting on the judgement-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called the Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that the tumult increased, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots. And sitting down they watched him there; and set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him; one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save: if he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elijah. And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, gave up the spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Matthew 27:1-54 NIV KJV NRSV NASB RSV NKJV ESV

The Book of Common Prayer (1962), Pages 151-154

The Offertory

Psalm 119 I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart; O do well unto thy servant that I may live, and keep thy word: quicken thou me, according to thy word, O Lord.

The English Gradual: Part II - The Proper, Pages 57-62

The Preface

Upon Passion Sunday, and until Maundy Thursday inclusive.

For the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, both God and Man; who did humble himself, even to the death upon the Cross for us sinners, who lay in darkness and the shadow of death; that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. Therefore with Angels, etc.

The Book of Common Prayer (1962), Page 80

The Communion

1 Corinthians 11.25 This is my Body, which is given for you; this cup is the New Testament in my Blood, saith the Lord: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

The English Gradual: Part II - The Proper, Pages 57-62

At the Offices

Morning Prayer

Psalm(s): 23, 24
First Lesson: Exodus 11
Second Lesson: Matthew 26
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Evening Prayer

Psalm(s): 118
First Lesson: Isaiah 52:13-53 end
Second Lesson: Luke 19:29-end
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For the Ferial Days

  Morning Prayer Evening Prayer
First Lesson Second Lesson First Lesson Second Lesson
Monday Hosea 13:1-14 John 14:1-14 Hosea 14 John 14:15-end
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Tuesday Isaiah 42:1-9 John 15:1-16 Wisdom 2 John 15:17-end
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Wednesday Numbers 21:4-9 John 16:1-15 Lev. 16:2-24 John 16:16-end
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Thursday Lam. 1:1-14 John 17 Lam. 3:1-33 John 13:1-35
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Friday Genesis 22:1-18 John 18:1-32 Isaiah 50:4-10 John 19:38-end
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Saturday Zechariah 9:9-12 1 Peter 2:11-end Job 19:21-27 John 2:13-22
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The Book of Common Prayer (1962), Pages xxvi and xxvii