The Gospel account and the universal festal chorus

Listen to what the sacred herald evangelist of the feast says: “When the Lord drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and as you enter you will find a donkey and a colt tied; untie them and bring them to me.’ And the disciples did as Jesus commanded them; they spread their garments on the colt, and Jesus sat on it. And as he drew near to the descent of the mount, the crowd that had come for the feast took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus. Those going before and those following cried out, ‘Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 21:1-9). This is the Lord’s coming for the present feast. This is the visitation in Zion, of old and now, of the King of those who reign. This is the bright and public arrival of the Maker of all things on this present day.

Therefore now, brothers, let us, the crowd that has come for the feast, go out to meet him, both the visible world and the invisible, and the prophets and teachers who went before in time, and those who follow the colt, agreeing with God in faith. Today let the heavenly beings sing praise together with the earthly and those under the earth; let every mouth and spirit be opened for the praise of God. Cherubim, cry out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the thrice-holy, Lord of hosts; heaven and earth are full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Seraphim, sing hymns; prophets, proclaim. Let one say, “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice” (Psalm 96:11); another, “Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion; proclaim, daughter Jerusalem” (Zechariah 9:9); and another, gazing intently at Christ the King, let him cry out, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29); and another, let him proclaim about the Lord himself, “This is our God; no other shall be compared to him” (Baruch 3:36); and another, “Behold a man, and his name is the Rising” (Zechariah 6:12); and another, “Behold a man at once and God”. And let David, gazing intently at the Christ who comes from him according to the flesh, say, “God the Lord has appeared to us” (Psalm 117:27a LXX); and again another, bending the knee, let him cry out to Christ, “Let all the earth worship you” (Psalm 66:4); and another, let him urge the peoples, saying, “Bind the festival with wreaths, up to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27).

For so the Master’s visitation in Zion with the colt was celebrated of old as well: a harmony witnessed by all, the choirs of the fathers, the assemblies of the righteous, the spirits of the prophets, the children of the Hebrews, the infants of the mothers, the multitudes of the angels. Some were spreading their wings over him, others held palm branches, others came from behind, some cut branches, others wove shoots, some untied the colt, others spread their garments, some opened the gates, others cleared the roads, some prepared the colt, others proclaimed victory, some shook branches, others said to the infants, “Praise the Lord, children” (Psalm 113:1); the children answered, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” O what new and astonishing deeds and wonders of the feast!