Palm Sunday, Post I

"Let us go together to meet Christ on the Mount of Olives. Today he returns from Bethany and proceeds of his own free will toward his holy and blessed passion, to consummate the mystery of our salvation. He who came down from heaven to raise us from the depths of sin, to raise us with himself, we are told in Scripture, above every sovereignty, authority and power, and every other name that can be named, now comes of his own free will to make his journey to Jerusalem. He comes without pomp or ostentation. As the psalmist says: He will not dispute or raise his voice to make it heard in the streets. He will be meek and humble, and he will make his entry in simplicity

Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. Then we shall be able to receive the Word at his coming, and God, whom no limits can contain, will be within us

In his humility Christ entered the dark regions of our fallen world and he is glad that he became so humble for our sake, glad that he came and lived among us and shared in our nature in order to raise us up again to himself. And even though we are told that he has now ascended above the highest heavens - the proof, surely, of his power and godhead - his love for man will never rest until he has raised our earthbound nature from glory to glory, and made it one with his own in heaven.

So let us spread before his feet, not garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in his grace, or rather, clothed completely in him. We who have been baptized into Christ must ourselves be the garments that we spread before him. Now that the crimson stains of our sins have been washed away in the saving waters of baptism and we have become white as pure wool, let us present the conqueror of death, not with mere branches of palms but with the real rewards of his victory. Let our souls take the place of the welcoming branches as we join today in the childrens' holy song: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel."

-Sermon of S.Andrew of Crete.

"AVE Rex noster,Fili David, Redemptor mundi,quem prophetae praedixerunt Salvatorem esse venturum.Te enim ad salutarem victimam Pater misit in mundum,quem expectabant omnes sancti ab origine mundi: Et nunc:'Hosanna Filio David, benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.Hosanna in excelsis.'"

"HAIL, thou, our king, thou Son of David and Redeemer of the world! Thou whom the prophets didst predict to be the Saviour to come; thee did the Father send into the world as a saving victim,thou who wast waited for by all the saints from the foundation of the world! And to thee now they say: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest!"."

-Magnificat antiphon, first Vespers.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast given to mankind an example of humility to follow in Our Saviour's taking upon him flesh and suffering the death of the Cross: mercifully grant that by following the example of his patience, we may also merit to be made partakers of his resurrection. Through the same

-Collect of the day.

Aside, as you guys can see, I've basically given up translating the Latin texts into modern English. Since this is the liturgical English I'm familiar with, I just do it this way from now on.Besides, it's Just Better. And also, I'm pretty sure that I got at least one phrase from the magnificat wrong. Oh well.