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| The Foal of Bethpage by James Tissot |
"The prophet Zachary had foretold this triumph which the Son of Man was to receive a few days before His Passion, and which had been prepared for Him from all eternity, ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion! Shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold thy King will come to thee; the Just and the Saviour. He is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.’ Jesus, knowing that the hour has come for the fulfilment of this prophecy, singles out two from the rest of His disciples, and bids them lead to Him an ass and her colt, which they would find not far off. He has reached Bethphage, on Mount Olivet. The two disciples lose no time in executing the order given them by their divine Master; and the ass and the colt are soon brought to the place where He stands."—Dom Prosper Guerangér (Palm Sunday (The Liturgical Year)
“Why are you untying it (the ass the disciples were sent to find), this must be your answer. The Lord has need of it (Lk 19:31). Perhaps no greater paradox was ever written than this – on the one hand the sovereignty of the Lord, and on the other hand his ‘need.’ This combination of Divinity and dependence, of possession and poverty was the consequence of the Word becoming flesh. Truly, he who was rich became poor for our sakes, that we might be rich. Our Lord borrowed a boat from a fisherman from which to preach; he borrowed barley loaves and fishes from a boy to feed the multitude; he borrowed a grave from which he would rise; and now he borrowed an ass on which to enter Jerusalem. Sometimes God preempts and requisitions the things of man, as if to remind him that everything is a gift from him.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Life of Christ)
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| The Procession in the Streets of Jerusalem, by James Tissot |
"[T]he priest distributes the palms to the faithful. During the distribution, the choir reminds us, by the two following antiphons, of the enthusiasm of the little children of Jerusalem, who, with their palms in their hands, sang their loud: Hosanna to the Son of David!"—Dom Guerangér
Antiphon 1
Pueri Hebræorum portantes ramos olivarurm obviaverunt Domino, clamantes, et dicentes: Hosanna in excelsis!
The Hebrew children carrying olive-branches met the Lord, crying out, and saying: Hosanna in the highest!
Antiphon 2
Pueri Hebræorum vestimenta prosternebant in via, et clamabant dicentes: Hosanna filio David; benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini!
The Hebrew children spread their garments in the way, and cried out saying: Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!
Video: Palm Sunday 2012 Procession at St. Peter's with the Pueri Hebraeorum Antiphons
This post is part of a series titled "Traditions of Holy Week," with commentary from Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, illustrations by James Tissot for The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and chants from each day's liturgy. Unless otherwise indicated, the quotes are from Dom Guerangér's writings for each day. See also:
- Monday of Holy Week
- Tuesday of Holy Week
- Wednesday of Holy Week
- Thursday of Holy Week
- Good Friday
- Holy Saturday
- Easter Sunday
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