<\/p>\n
Palm Sunday marks Christ\u2019s entrance to Jerusalem and the people\u2019s receiving him as a king, not on a throne, but on their hearts.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Many Happy returns!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n General Bishop<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Palm Sunday marks Christ\u2019s entrance to Jerusalem and the people\u2019s receiving him as a king, not on a throne, but on their hearts.\u00a0 The people\u2019s joy upon receiving Christ does attract one\u2019s attention: for some of them carried branches and palms. Others, including children, spread their clothes before Him. Everybody cried out so loudly that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":10623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[1007,8218,8219],"class_list":["post-45463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-1007","tag-8218","tag-8219"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45463"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45463"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46386,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45463\/revisions\/46386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe people\u2019s joy upon receiving Christ does attract one\u2019s attention: for some of them carried branches and palms. Others, including children, spread their clothes before Him. Everybody cried out so loudly that the city shook. Scribes and chief priests asked Christ to hush them, but He said, \u201cI tell you\u2026 if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nHere, it is worthy to pose a question: why did the multitudes enthrone Christ on their hearts, in spite of the simplicity of His life, lacking in wealth, and, even more, having no place to rest His head?<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nA person\u2019s influence does not conform to the rules of wealth or authority. Rather, the merciful, kind, and loving are the most influential. Christ offered everybody great love. He roamed doing good, healing the sick, strengthening the weak, and never rejecting whoever sought help or repentance, no matter how evil his or her past was. He accepted everybody. Though He is the master and teacher, He served all people with wonderful mercy and humbleness.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nHe shared their pains and joys, and taught them the way and the truth, thus, implanting love and goodness within everybody\u2019s heart. Through love and mercy, He reached out to souls that could not reach Him. He called Zacchaeus, the tax-collector who climbed the tree, walked for long hours to reach the Samaritan woman for her repentance, and headed toward the sick man of Bethesda who had nobody to help him for thirty-eight years, and others who books cannot include.<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nAt the same time, He advocated truth, rebuking the cruelty of the priests, Scribes, and Pharisees toward the weak souls. So much so that they attacked Him for constantly serving and associating with such people who they counted worthless sinners! Christ\u2019s love and service for humanity have been unlimited, which is why He became king of the hearts and souls. This was manifest upon His reception in Jerusalem. Yet, He was no earthly king.<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nI once read the following: \u201cThink, then answer the following questions: Mention the names of the wealthiest five people in the world? Who won the Nobel Prize throughout the past decade? If the answer is difficult, do not bother: for nobody will remember them! Now, try answering the following: Mention the names of three teachers who influenced you. Mention the names of three friends who supported you during hardships. Can you remember some people who made you think you are outstanding and can succeed? I think you can answer these questions.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\nIndeed, we do not remember the wealthy or renowned, but we do those who offered us love and support when we thought we have lost all glimpses of hope.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nHead of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n