The Blessing of Palms and Procession

The Blessing of Palms and Procession

The Blessing of Palms and Procession is an occasional service of the Reformed Episcopal Church used for the blessing of palms and Palm Sunday procession before the Eucharistic liturgy or Morning Prayer.

Overview

This service prepares the congregation for Palm Sunday with the blessing of palms, Gospel proclamation, procession, and prayers before Ante-Communion or Morning Prayer.

Full Text of the Service

¶ The following procession and preparation may be used before the Ante-Communion or after Morning Prayer.

¶ The Ministers shall take their places within the sanctuary, the people standing.

¶ The palms may be ready on the Altar, or may be presented to the Priest who shall place them on the same; after which he shall say,

O SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;

Answer. Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

¶ Then shall the Priest, or some other Minister, read the Lesson.

Hear the words of the Gospel written in the eleventh chapter

of Saint Mark, at the first verse.

WHEN they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as,Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord;

Minister. Hosanna in the highest.

Answer. Thanks be to God.

¶ Then shall the Priest go to the Holy Table and, facing the people, shall say,

Lift up your hearts.

Answer. We lift them up unto the Lord.

Priest. Let us bless the Lord.

Answer. It is meet and right so to do.

¶ Then shall the Priest turn to the Holy Table and say,

I T is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, bless thee, O Lord, Almighty, Everlasting God, for thy whole creation; but especially do we praise thee, at this time, for the mighty acts whereby thou hast redeemed us, through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And we beseech thee, O Lord, send thy blessing upon us who now make our prayer unto thee, and sanctify to our use these branches of palm; that we who bear them in thy Name may ever hail him as our King, the same thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

¶ Then shall the palms be distributed to the people; or, the procession being started, the people shall receive their palms as they join the procession, the Priest first singing or saying,

LET us proceed in peace.

Answer. In the Name of the Lord. Amen.

¶ During the procession shall be sung the Hymn, All glory, laud, and honour.

¶ When the procession has returned to the chancel steps, the procession shall pause, and there shall be said or sung,

Laetatus sum. Psalm 122

I WAS glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord.

Our feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city that is at unity in itself.

For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.

For there is the seat of judgment, even the seat of the house of David.

O pray, for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee.

Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces.

For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will wish thee prosperity.

Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek to do thee good.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

¶ Then, if the Ante-Communion is to follow, the Priest shall add,

ASSIST us mercifully with thy help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the meditation of those mighty acts, whereby thou hast given unto us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ If there be no Ante-Communion, the Priest shall add,

O LORD Jesus, whom the multitudes in Jerusalem at thy first coming greeted as their King, strewing thy way with palm and olive branches: Grant that we, by steadfast obedience to thy sovereign will, may prepare the way for thee to come again.

Answer. Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

Notes on Use

• Use before Ante-Communion or after Morning Prayer, as directed by the rubrics.
• Prepare palms, procession route, readers, and music before the service.
• Keep the movement clear and simple so the congregation can participate confidently.

Liturgical Structure

• Preparation at the altar
• Blessing of palms
• Gospel
• Procession
• Collects
• Transition to the principal service

Theological Themes

• Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
• The cross hidden within royal acclamation.
• The congregation's embodied participation in Holy Week.

Source

This text is transcribed from the official Reformed Episcopal Church PDF.

See Also

• Book of Common Prayer
• Reformed Episcopal Church
• Anglican liturgy
• Book of Occasional Services (Reformed Episcopal Church)
• The Way of the Cross
• Via Dolorosa (Stations)
• Blessing of the Paschal Candle