Hosanna!

The Children’s Word is a weekly bulletin for Orthodox Christian young people. Copyright 2015 Alexandra Houck.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Mark 10:4

Sunday, April 5, 2015 Volume 3, Issue 14

The kids who shouted “Hosanna”The kids who shouted “Hosanna”The kids who shouted “Hosanna”The kids who shouted “Hosanna”

Today is Palm Sunday. We know

what happened on Palm Sunday,

don’t we? We know about Jesus. We know

about Jerusalem. We know about the donkey.

But do we know about the children? In the Gos-

pel of St. Matthew, we hear about the children who

were in the temple. They were shouting “Hosanna”

to our Lord, Jesus Christ. “Hosanna” means some-

thing like “Lord, save!” They shouted because they

were happy because Jesus had come. He had come

into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey.

Sometimes, just sometimes, we forget that children

have a big job here at church! Yes, the grown-ups

are doing lots of things. The priest is a grown-up.

The chanters and the choir are usually grown-ups. The ushers and the

other helpers are grown-ups. But you, the children, are here too! You are

here to praise God, just like the children praised God in the temple 2,000

years ago! Today, let’s remember these kids who shouted, “Hosanna!”

They were happy to wave their palm branches. They were happy to throw

clothes on the ground so Jesus could ride over them. Most of all, they

were happy to be with Christ!

A Ministry of the

Orthodox Christian Network

Do you see the children Do you see the children Do you see the children Do you see the children

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What’s in an icon?

WORD SEARCHWORD SEARCHWORD SEARCHWORD SEARCH

Here is another icon of Saint

Kassiani.

Do you see her busy writing a

hymn for our Church?

Can you find

these words in

the jumble?

BRIDE

CHILDREN

DONKEY

EMPEROR

HOSANNA

HYMNS

JERUSALEM

KASSIANI

PALMS

D G G B G D X N Q E G E E Q B

L T E V O F E M M B C X X G F

S N Z N W R L E J I C C L G K

J N K S D B J L Y H V V K R E

H E W L K E K A S S I A N I M

Y O I S T D V S G J T G T U P

V H S F T I J U N F V F X H E

C V Q A U R O R S M B O Q B R

K L I B N B J E Z Q U N W H O

U S Q C P N D J E D P A F L R

N S U N W T A V M A G U H Q N

X T N H T W W A P P L O Q Q W

P Q K M M K S D S O U N Y D N

G F Z D Y E N I U H A O E I W

S M L A P H I Z K Z Y J A H V

SAINT KASSIANI THE HYMN WRITER

Today is a happy day, a big feast

day in our Church. But tomorrow,

things are different. We start to think

about all the sad things that happened

to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Once, Jesus

was talking to His disciples, and a

woman came up and asked Him to for-

give her. She even cleaned His feet with

her hair!

Long ago (1,200 years ago!) a saint

named Kassiani wrote a hymn about

that story. And on Tuesday night, we will hear this same

hymn, written so long ago.

Saint Kassiani was a very beautiful young woman, but she was

smart too. When the emperor decided he wanted to get mar-

ried, she was one of the “bride show.” There were some young

women, and the emperor was supposed to pick one of them

for his bride!

But Kassiani had other ideas. She wanted to live for Christ, not

for the emperor and all his fancy things. She started a monas-

tery, where she wrote many hymns, including the one we hear

this Holy Tuesday!

We remember Saint Kassiani on Holy Tuesday night, April 7th.