Palm Sunday – Christ’s Triumphal Procession into Jerusalem
Matthew 21:1-11
And when they had drawn near to Jerusalem, and had arrived at Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: “Go into the town that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Release them, and lead them to me. And if anyone will have said anything to you, say that the Lord has need of them. And he will promptly dismiss them.”
Now all this was done in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king comes to you meekly, sitting on a donkey and on a colt, the son of one accustomed to the yoke.”
Then the disciples, going out, did just as Jesus instructed them. And they brought the donkey and the colt, and they laid their garments on them, and they helped him sit upon them.
Then a very numerous crowd spread their garments on the way. But others cut branches from the trees and scattered them on the way. And the crowds that preceded him, and those that followed, cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!”
And when he had entered into Jerusalem, the entire city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” But the people were saying, “This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
What do the Fathers say?
St REMIGIUS. Bethphage was a small village of the priests, situated on the declivity of Mount Olivet, one mile distant from Jerusalem. For the priests who ministered in the temple their apportioned time, when their office of ministration was discharged, withdrew to this village to abide; as also did they who were to take their place. Because it was commanded by their Law that none should travel on the Sabbath more than a mile.
ANSELM of Laon. Note that The owner of the beasts will straightaway send them to be engaged for Christ’s service.
However,hereto is added the testimony of the Prophet, (Zechariah9:9) -“Tell the daughter of Zion: Behold, your king comes to you meekly, sitting on a donkey and on a colt”,that it may be shown that the Lord fulfilled all things which were written of Him, but that the Scribes and Pharisees, blinded by envy, refused to understand the things that they read.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. For the Prophet knowing the malice of the Jews, and that they would speak against Christ when He went up to the Temple, gave them this sign beforehand, whereby they might know their King.
St JEROME. The multitudes that came out of Jericho, and followed the Saviour, cast down their garments, and strewed the way with branches of trees; beneath the feet of the ass, so that it should not stumble against a stone, nor tread upon a thorn, nor fall into a ditch. Others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way; from the fruit-trees, with which mount Olivet was clothed. And when all that could be done was done, they added also the tribute of the tongue, they cried, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
What is the meaning of this word Hosanna. we read in the Hebrew, ‘Anna, adonai osianna,’ which Symmachus renders more plainly, I pray thee, O Lord, save, I pray thee.
When He says, The multitudes that went before and that followed, He shows that both people, those who before the Gospel, and those who after the Gospel, believed on the Lord, praise Jesus with the harmonious voice of confession.
St REMIGIUS. The Lord sitting upon the ass goes towards Jerusalem, because presiding over the Holy Church, or the faithful soul, He both guides it in this life, and after this life leads it to the view of the heavenly country.
The Apostles and other teachers set their garments upon the ass, when they gave to the Gentiles the glory which they had received from Christ.
The multitudes who spread their garments on the way can be symbolically interpreted to be : those of the circumcision who believed,
Or the martyrs who gave their bodies to martyrdom for Christ ,
Or, they are those who subdue their bodies by abstinence.
They who cut down the branches of the trees, are they who seek out the sayings and examples of the holy fathers for their own or their children’s salvation.
They cut down branches from the trees, because out of the Prophets they had heard of the green Branch as an emblem of Christ. (Is. 11:1. Jer. 23:5.)