A Reflection for Palm Sunday

From the hymn In Dominica Palmarum

Lo! the God that sitteth, in the highest heavens,

upon the Cherubim, and looketh down on lowly things,

cometh in glory and power, all creatures are full of his divine praise.

Peace upon Israel, and salvation to the Gentiles!

The souls of the just cried out with joy:

Now is prepared a new Covenant for the world,

and mankind is renewed by the sprinkling of the divine Blood!

The people fell upon their knees,

and, rejoicing with the disciples,

sang, with palms in their hands:

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Praiseworthy and blessed art thou,

O Lord God of our fathers!

The simple-hearted people, yea, and little children,

(the fittest to adore God)

praised him as King of Israel and of the angels:

Praiseworthy and blessed art thou,

O Lord God of our fathers!

O Sion! there came to thee Christ, thy King,

seated on a young colt:

for he came that he might loose mankind

from the senseless error of idolatry,

and time the wild passions of all nations;

that thus they might praise thee, singing:

Bless the Lord, all ye his works,

and extol him above all for ever!

Christ thy Lord has reigned for ever.

He, as it is written, the meed one,

the Savior, our just Redeemer,

came riding on an ass's colt,

that he might destry the pride of his enemies,

who would not sing these words:

Bless the Lord, all ye his works,

and extol him above all for ever!

The unjust and obstinate Sanhedrim,

the usurpers of the holy temple, are put to flight;

for they had made God's house of prayer a den of thieves,

and shut their hearts against the Redeemer,

to whom we cry:

Bless the Lord, all ye his works,

and extol him above all for ever!

God is our Lord,

he hath appeared unto us.

Appoint a solemn feast, and come,

let us rejoice and magnify the Christ, praising him,

with palms and branches in our hands:

Blessed is he that cometh i nthe name of the Lord our Savior!

Why, O ye Gentiles, have ye raged?

Why, O ye scribes and priests, have ye devised vain things, saying:

Who is this, unto whom children,

with palms and branches in their hands,

cry aloud and praise:

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord our Savior?

Why, O ye perverse of heart,

have ye thrown stumbling-blocks in the way?

Your feet are awift to shed the Blood of the Lord.

But he will rise again,

that he may save all that cry to him:

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord our Savior!

from The Liturgical Year,
Passiontide and Holy Week

by Abbot Guéranger OSB

(Translated from the French

by Dom Laurence Shepherd OSB,

The Newman Press,

Westminster, MD, 1949