The Contrast of the Palm Sunday Celebration

For what does the evangelist, the herald of the feast, say? Listen: It happened when the Lord was approaching Bethphage and Bethany, toward the mountain called the Mount of Olives, that he sent two of his disciples, saying, "Go into the opposite village, and when you enter, you will find a donkey and a colt tied; untie them and lead them to me." And the disciples did as Jesus commanded them; they laid their garments upon the colt, and Jesus sat. And it happened as he approached the descent of the mountain, the crowd that had come for the feast took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus. And those going before and those following were crying out, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

This of the present feast is the Lordly presence; this of the King of kings is the presence in Zion of old and now; this of the present day is the bright and universal arrival of the Creator of all things. Therefore now, brothers, since the crowd has come for the feast, let us go out to meet him—both the visible world and the invisible, the prophets of old in time, the teachers, and those following the colt, agreeing with God in faith. Today let the heavens, together with the earthly and also the underworld, hymn Him; let every mouth and every spirit open toward the praise of God. Cherubim, cry out, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the thrice-holy, of Sabaoth; the heaven and the earth are full of his glory!" Seraphim, hymn; prophets, proclaim. And let one say, "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth exult!" and let another say, "Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; proclaim, daughter of Jerusalem!" And let another, gazing at Christ the King, cry out, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" and another about him...

Let the herald of the Lord proclaim: This is our God, who will not be reckoned with another, nor another. Behold, man together with God. Rising is his name. And David, gazing upon Christ from his own flesh, says: God is the Lord, and he has shone upon us. And again another, bowing the knee, cries to Christ: Let all the earth worship you. And another permits the peoples, saying: Let a feast be established among those spreading branches up to the horns of the altar.

For so it was fulfilled of old, the visitation of the Master in Zion with the donkey: a universal harmony, the choruses of the fathers, the multitudes of the righteous, the spirits of the prophets, the children of the Hebrews, the infants of the mothers, the hosts of the angels. Some were flapping wings, others were holding heavy weights, others were coming from behind, others were cutting branches, others were weaving shoots, some were loosening the donkey, others were spreading tunics, some were opening the gates, others were clearing the paths, others were making the donkey pleasant, others were proclaiming victory, others were shaking the branches, others were saying to the infants: Praise, children, the Lord; and the children answered: Hosanna to him who comes in the name of the Lord.

Oh, the new and paradoxical things and wonders of this feast! Children theologize Christ as God, and the priests blaspheme him; those nursing worship him, and those teaching act impiously. The children say, Hosanna, and the Hebrews cry, Let him be crucified. Some come to Christ with heavy weights, and others come to him with swords. These cut branches, while those make the wood of the cross pleasant. The infants of Christ spread out tunics, but the priests divide tunics for Christ. Infants lift Christ upon a donkey, and the elders hang Christ upon a cross. The children. The text cuts off. the feet.