Rejoice, daughter Zion: the King comes on a colt

Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion; be glad, exult, and celebrate, all you Church of God. For look, the King is coming to you again. Look, your bridegroom is coming, seated on a colt as on a throne. Let us go out to meet him; let us hurry to see his glory; let us run ahead joyfully to honor his entry. Salvation comes to the world again; God comes to the cross again. The King of Zion, the hope of the nations, comes to Zion again. He grants salvation to the world again; the light rises again; error has ceased again; truth blooms again; the Church dances again; the synagogue is left widowed again; demons are put to shame again; the curse is broken again; the Hebrews are thrown into confusion again; the dragon is crushed again; the nations rejoice again; Zion is adorned again.

Christ is coming, seated on a colt as on a throne. Heavens, rejoice; angels, sing hymns; mountains, be glad; hills, leap; rivers, clap your hands; you who are in Zion, dance; churches, be joyful; priests, sing hymns; prophets, run ahead; disciples, proclaim; peoples, come to meet him; elders, run together; mothers, dance; nursing infants, sing; young men, shout; nations, gather together. Every creature, every nature, every order, every breath, all the earth, every rank, every age, every people, every kingdom—let us meet the King of kings in a manner worthy of a king; let us worship the Lord of lords in a manner worthy of a lord; let us sing to the God of gods in a manner worthy of God; let us dance for the bridegroom of incorruption as befits a divine bridegroom. Let us joyfully kindle our bright lamps; let us change the garments of our souls in a way worthy of God; let us prepare the roads of life well; let us open the entrances of our souls to the King; let us carry palm branches as for the victor over death, waving the olive branches in a way worthy of God before the branch from Mary. Let us sing the angels' hymn to the God of angels; let us cry out with the children in a way worthy of God; let us shout with the crowd what the crowds shout: "Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" (Matthew 21:9; Psalm 117:26 (118:26)). God is the Lord, and he has appeared to us; he has appeared to us who sat in darkness and the shadow of death (Psalm 117:27 (118:27); Isaiah 9:2). The resurrection of the fallen has appeared; the deliverance of the captives has appeared; the recovery of sight for the blind has appeared; the comfort of those who mourn has appeared; the rest of the weary has appeared; the refreshment of the thirsty has appeared; the vindication of the oppressed has appeared; the redemption of the despairing has appeared; the consolation of the despairing has appeared; the union of those who were separated has appeared; the vindication of the oppressed has appeared; the healing of the sick has appeared; the calm for the storm-tossed has appeared.

Therefore let us also, the crowds, shout with the multitude, saying today to Christ: "Hosanna"—that is, "Save, we pray, O God in the highest." O what new and astonishing deeds and wonders! Yesterday Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, and today the same Christ goes to death. Yesterday, as life, he gave life to another, and today the giver of life goes to death. Yesterday he loosed Lazarus's grave cloths, and today the same one comes willingly to be bound in grave cloths. Yesterday he brought a man out of darkness, and today he goes to be placed in dark places and the shadow of death for the sake of humanity. Yesterday, six days before the Passover, the three-day one gave the one four-days-dead back to the two as a brother through the five senses, and today he goes to the cross. But to Mary he gave a brother four days dead; to the Church Christ gives himself, three days dead. There Bethany alone marvels, but here the whole Church keeps the feast.