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Posted on 03/28/2015 7:12:59 PM PDT by Salvation
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion - Year B
Commentary of the day
Attributed to Saint Ephrem of Salamis (? – 403), Bishop
1st Homily for the Feast of Palms
“See, your king shall come to you, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.” (Zech 9:9)
“Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion.” Be filled with joy, Church of God. “See, your king shall come to you.” (Zech 9:9) Go out to meet him, hasten to contemplate his glory. This is the world’s salvation: God comes to the cross, and the Desired of the nations (Hag 2:7) enters Zion. The light is coming. Let us cry out with the people: “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” The Lord God has appeared to us who were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death (Lk 1:79). He appeared as the resurrection of those who have fallen, the liberation of captives, the light of the blind, the consolation of the afflicted, rest for the weak, spring for those who thirst, avenger of the persecuted, redemption of those who are lost, union of the divided, doctor for the sick, salvation of those who have gone astray.
Yesterday, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead; today he is going to his own death. Yesterday, he tore off the strips of cloth that bound Lazarus; today he is stretching out his hand to those who want to bind him. Yesterday, he tore that man away from darkness; today, for humankind, he is going down into darkness and the shadow of death. And the Church is celebrating. She is beginning the feast of feasts, for she is receiving her king as a spouse, for her king is in her midst.
GOSPEL COMMENTARY MK 15:1-39
Competing moral codes and the Passion of Christ
Fr. Jerry Pokorsky
Everyone has a philosophy of life, so philosophers observe. It’s just a matter of one’s self-awareness of the philosophy. Hence there are realists, surrealists, existentialists, phenomenologists and so on. But most philosophers agree everyone is a “realist” when it comes to the pay and benefits grid. (You don’t want to anger the existential realism of the IRS with an “appearance is reality” argument.) It can also be said that everyone has a moral code. It’s just a matter of one’s self-awareness of one’s moral code.
The emerging modern secular moral code is increasingly clear and has significant overlaps with the Christian moral code. Mass murder, genocide, racism and forcible sexual relations — for now — remain on the “Thou shalt not” cultural list, and we can be grateful for that. There are, of course, items on the margins that may coincide with the Judeo-Christian code but are vague enough to cause restlessness: insensitivity, non-inclusivity, judgmentalism, economic injustice and failure to recognize global warming. Ambiguity in these terms is often used to support the prudential (and hence arguable) portions of the secular moral code to the exclusion of thoughtful disagreements.
There are several examples. Increasingly, phrases like “law and order” are read to be code words for “racism.” (Of course in many situations this could be true as, for example, when law enforcement guns were turned on striking immigrant mine workers in 1897 in Lattimore, Pa.) It is common to accuse those promoting “fiscal responsibility” in government spending as being “insensitive to the poor” when government programs need to be downsized. There is insistence that “global warming” is a fact and that any opposition to the “settled science” is sinful. There is room, of course, in all these matters for reasonable debate. But the lines of demarcation between the old and the new Commandments are increasingly clear elsewhere.
According to the modern world, consensual sex wherever it can be enjoyed is an unalienable human right protected by the U.S. Constitution and the Comedy Channel. Pornography is playful and fun. Adultery may be unfortunate but always necessary for “life to go on.” “Reproductive rights” is a code phrase for contraception and abortion. And the “war on women” is code for encouraging laws preventing women from killing their unborn babies. In some ways, the secular moral code has gained such widespread acceptance that protests by a few Christians are reduced to “voices crying out in the wilderness”: embryonic stem cell research; in vitro fertilization; cohabitation (“living together before marriage”) and cable TV porn. As a culture we have succumbed to man’s first temptation in the Garden of Eden. We have chosen to be “like God” by “knowing (being in charge of) good and evil.”
In the meantime, Christians, for better but often for worse, tend to be “live and let live” with sins. And we know we are sinners ourselves. We often feel disqualified to respond in the public square, either because we are “cursed by the memory” of our own failures and sins (and hence open to charges of “hypocrisy”), or fear being labelled “judgmental.” So we remain silent and, taking recourse in the sacraments, live our lives in relative privacy. But the silence comes at a price.
There are new signs that the culture is on the verge of overthrowing the shackles of the old moral "constraints" (good morality is, in reality, an expression of man's true freedom) and replacing them definitively with its new politically correct moral order. Over the last several years, the bishops have been in a high profile battle to prevent the government from forcing Catholic institutions to pay for contraception. Recently, an archbishop’s insistence that teachers support Catholic morality in Catholic schools is being met with widespread resistance by many inside and outside of the church. Changes in the very definition of marriage have caused many churchmen to run for cover, avoiding at all costs any charges of “judgmentalism.”
Some Christians might be in despair when it comes to finding any remedy for all this confusion. But the remedy is available and must begin with a serious meditation on the events we are about to celebrate in the church this week. The Passion of Christ remains a historical fact. He suffered for our sins. He died for sins. In His tormented face and body on the cross, we see what sin does. We do not define ourselves in the nature of sin. The church herself is merely a witness. Christ Himself reveals and defines the nature of good and evil. “If you love me,” Jesus tells His disciples, “keep my commandments.” The cross is real and the objectively just measure of the consequences of sin and its horrible power to disfigure. The tormented body on the cross is also an image of soul ravaged by sin — in the “state of sin.” If our sins tortured Christ to death, the same sins become self-inflicted wounds in need of His divine remedy. We need His love, and in contemplation of the cross, we should find ourselves desperate for His love.
Meditation on the Passion of Christ is essential to bring us to sobriety and sanity. Ours is to witness to His code of life purified of our horrible personal and cultural immoral accretions. With God’s grace, ours is to live as Christ, to love as Christ, to die with Christ as we await His Resurrection.
Fr. Pokorsky is pastor of St. Michael Church in Annandale.
Year B - Passion (Palm)Sunday
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
Mark 11:1-10
1 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples
2 and said to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.
3 If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.' "
4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it,
5 some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"
6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it.
7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it.
8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.
9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
If you were to see what I saw, the enthusiasm of all the people welcoming me to Jerusalem, you would think that I was a very powerful leader with nothing to fear for his life. But this was the opposite, I was receiving a show of hypocrisy, a reception to my death.
Except for a handful of those people, everybody turned their backs to me when I was being judged and condemned for doing the work of God.
I am sure you would be very disappointed of those people, wouldn’t you? What I am about to tell you is the truth, something to make you think.
All my followers, yes, including you, will have those moments of acclamation and praise, of joy and celebration because I am coming into their lives, but when temptation comes, they forget about me and condemn me to death. Yes. It is sin that put me on the cross, your sins and the sins of the whole world.
It is a terrifying thought but at the same time it must be your meditation so that you strengthen yourself against temptations and remember how much you cost me, that I paid for your soul with my own suffering and death.
And yet I want to remind you that praising is a very powerful kind of prayer, it is the prayer of the angels who constantly praise God for his glory, holiness, majesty, honor, omnipotence, power, wisdom and love.
My child, praise the Lord, bless the Lord and thank the Lord constantly for the gift of your life and for His divine attributes. Start your day praising, blessing and thanking God, live your day praising, blessing and thanking God, go to bed praising, blessing and thanking God; so that your soul will even praise, bless and thank God during your sleep.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
Passion Sunday
Reading I: Isaiah 50:4-7 II: Philipians 2:6-11
By the sheer length of the Passion narrative, we only look at some significant moments.
Jesus stands as a lonely figure throughout this Passion account. His hour had come. He had to suffer alone before he could come to glory.
- Cardinal John Henry Newman
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
The Passion which we read in today’s liturgy is too long to comment on in detail. We are only able to take a portion and examine it.
The usual villains such as the Temple leaders, Judas, and the recruited crowd, which shouted “Crucify him!” are fairly obvious in displaying their sinfulness and are unambiguously wicked. But there are others who participate in the Passion accounts whose sinfulness, struggles and neglect are more subtle, but still real and contribute significantly to the Lord’s sufferings on Good Friday. It is perhaps, in these figures that we can learn a great deal about ourselves. For while we may not overtly shout “crucify,” we are often not as holy and heroic as the persecutors were wicked and bold.
As these behaviors are noted, we must understand that WE do these things. For the Passion accounts are not merely portraits of people long gone, they are portraits of you and me. We do these things.
So, lets look at sins and weaknesses of Jesus followers (us) in three stages.
I. The Perception that is Partial – In the middle of the Last Supper, in today’s Gospel the disciples of Jesus are reminded of what the next days will hold. Jesus says,
All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be dispersed. But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.
Note that the apostles are reminded of these facts since Jesus has said them before on a few occasions. For example:
Thus we see that the Lord has consistently tried to teach and prepare them for the difficulties ahead. He has told them exactly what is going to happen and how it will end: NOT in death, but rising to new life. But though he has told them over and over, they still do not understand or see. Thus he predicts that their faith in in will be shaken.
For their perception is partial and they will see only the negative, and forget that he has promised to rise. Since they cannot see beyond the apparent defeat of the moment they will retreat into fear and not boldly and confidently accompany him to his passion and glorification (for his passion IS is lifting up, his glorification). Instead they will flee. He has shown the “what the end shall be.” But they cannot see or accept it. Thus fear overwhelms them and draw back into a sinful fear and disassociation from Jesus. Only a few, Mary his Mother, John, Magdalene, and a few other women would see him through to the end.
But as for the rest, they see only what is gory and awful, and miss what is glorious and awesome. Yes, their perception is quite partial and their blindness comes, paradoxically, from not hearing or listening to what Jesus has been telling them all along.
We too can easily suffer from a blindness caused by poor hearing. For the Lord has often told us, that if we trust, our struggles will end in glory and new life. But, blind and forgetful, we give way to our fears and fail to boldly walk the way of Christ’s passion. We draw back and disassociate ourselves from Jesus and exhibit some of the same tendencies and problems we will now observe in the people of that day.
So lets examine some of the problems that emerge from the partial perception and forgetful fear of many of the disciples and others.
II. The Problems Presented - The problems that emerge are at least five. They are unhealthy and sinful patterns that emerge from the fear generated in not trusting Jesus vision and refusing to see it. We can consider them one by one. Please understand that the word “we” used here is shorthand and does not mean that every single person does this. Rather, it means that, collectively, we have these tendencies. But no need to take everything here personally.
A. DEFELCTING – When Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus with oil, some of them, led by Judas according to the other Gospels claim that her extravagant care for Jesus is offensive to to the poor. This of course is a false dichotomy and Jesus calls them on it. It is good to care of for the poor but it is also good to worship God. Judas is deflecting, claiming to love the poor is likely a way we can avoid looking at the fact that he does not really love Christ and that his heart is far from him; so fa in fact that he is preparing to betray him. Care of the poor is good but it cannot alone be a substitute for a vigorous love of Christ and obedience to all he commands. Sadly some reduce the gospel to what they call social justice. But too easily this can be a self-congratulatory deflection that hides disobedience in other areas and the whole-hearted love and obedience that Christ seeks. He calls Judas on this and warns us as well.
B. DISPOSED - When Jesus says, “One of you will betray me” Each of them says in turn, “Surely it is not I Lord.” Here is a moment of remarkable honesty. Though their replies express some incredulity, they also know deep down that they had the capacity to betray Christ. And so do we. We are predisposed to evil, betrayal and sin in many ways. Our natures are fallen and we are easily selfish, even at the cost of grave injustice to others and betrayal of friends. We all have in us great goodness and also a great inclination to evil. We must be sober and be willing to ask, “Surely it is not I Lord?”
C. DROWSY - One of the common human techniques for dealing with stress and the hardships of life is to just go numb and drowsy. We can just doze off into a moral sleep. Being vigilant to threats posed to our souls by sin, or the harm caused by injustice, (whether to ourselves or others) is just too stressful. So we just tune out. We stop noting or really even caring about critically important matters. We anesthetize ourselves with things like creature comforts, meaningless distractions, alcohol or drugs. We go into a kind of moral sleep and we begin to lack a prayerful vigilance. Prayer and spirituality pose too many uncomfortable questions. So we just tune out and daydream about meaningless things like what a certain Hollywood star is doing, or what the latest sports stats are.
In the passion accounts, Peter, James and John are personally asked by the Lord to pray with him. But they doze. Perhaps it is the wine. Surely it is the flesh (for the Lord speaks of it). But unwilling or unable to deal with the stress the Lord is clearly under, they just tune out, go numb, and doze off.
Grave evil is at the very door. But they sleep on. The Lord warns them to stay awake, lest they give way to temptation. But still they sleep.
Someone they know and love is in grave danger, but it is too much, so they just tune out, much as we tune out at the overwhelming suffering of Christ in the poor and needy. We just stop noticing. It’s too painful, so we tune out.
The Lord had often warned them to be vigilant, sober and alert (Mk 13:34, Matt 25:13, Mk 13:37; Matt 24:42; Luke 21:36, inter al). Other scriptures would later pick up the theme (Romans 13:11; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Thess 5:6, inter al). For drowsiness is a significant and serious spiritual problem.
Sadly God described us well when he remarked to Isaiah: Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. (Is 56:10)
But, despite the sleepiness of the disciples, the wicked are still awake, and the threat does not go away by a drowsy inattentiveness to it. Thus we ought to be confident and sober. Life’s challenges are nothing to fear, for the Lord has told us we have already won, if we trust him. But the disciples have forgotten Jesus promise to rise after three days. And so, often, have we. So they, and we just give way to stress and tune out.
D. DISASSOCIATING - Peter, confronted with the fearful prospect of being condemned with Jesus denies that he knows him or is one of his followers. He disassociates himself from Christ. We too, confronted with the possibility of far lesser things like ridicule, will often deny a connection with the Lord or with the Church.
Someone might say of one of the more controversial passages of scripture (such as prohibitions on divorce, fornication, homosexual activity, commands to tithe, etc), “Oh, you don’t really believe that, do you?” And it’s too easy to give way to fear and either say “no” or to qualify our belief. Why suffer ridicule, endure further questioning, or experience the unpleasantry of debate?
So we just disassociate, compromise, or qualify our faith to avoid the stress.We even congratulate ourselves for being tolerant, etc. when we do it.
Jesus says, If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. (Mat 16:21). But too easily we ARE ashamed.
And so, like Peter, we engage in some form of denial. Peter was afraid because he has forgotten to “see what the end shall be.” He has forgotten that Jesus will rise after three days. So too do we often forget that. So we lack confidence and give way to fear, and we deny, so as to avoid suffering with Jesus.
E. DODGING – Simply put, when Jesus is arrested, all the disciples except John split. They “get the heck out of Dodge.” They are nowhere to be found. One of them, (could it be Mark himself?) ran off naked.
After Jesus’ arrest, it is said that Peter, prior to his own denials had followed the Lord, “at a distance” (Mk 14:54) but as soon as trouble rose, he too scrammed.
And we too can run. Sometimes it’s persecutions from the world. But sometimes its just our own self-generated fear that following the Lord is too hard, and involves too many sacrifices we are just not willing to make. Maybe it will endanger our money since the Lord insists that we tithe and be generous to the poor. Maybe it will endanger our playboy lifestyle since the Lord insists on chastity and respect. Maybe we are doing something we have no business doing, that is unjust, excessive or sinful. But, rather than face our fears, whether from within or without, we just high-tail it out.
The disciples forgot that Jesus has shown them what the end shall be. In three days he would win the victory. But, this forgotten, their fears emerged and they ran. We too, must see what the end shall be to resist and confront our many fears.
F. DISAVOWING – Now in this case our example is Pontius Pilate, not one of the disciples. But the fact is that Pilate was summoned to faith, just like anyone else. “Are you a King?” he asked Jesus. And Jesus responds by putting Pilate on trial: “You say so.” In other words, “It is you who have said these words. Do you think they are true?”
The fact is, Pilate has a choice to make but disavows it, that is he denies he has to choose. But he must choose. Either he will accept what Jesus is saying as true, or he will give way to fear and commit a terrible sin of injustice. Now the texts all make it clear that Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. But, because he feared the crowds he handed Jesus over.
Now, note PILATE did this. The crowds tempted him through fear, but HE did the condemning. Yet note that he tries to deflect his choice. Mark says he handed Jesus over to please the crowd, But Matthew adds, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” (Mat 16:21). Well, actually Pilate it is also YOUR responsibility. You had a choice and you made. Your own career and hide were more important that justice. And, though you wanted to do what was right and were sympathetic with Jesus, merely wanting to do what is right is not enough.
So too for us. We also will favor our career or hide over what is right. And in so doing we will often blame others for what we freely choose. “I am not responsible, my mother dropped me on my head when I was two” ….etc.
In effect we are often willing to say, “Look Jesus, I love you. You get my Sundays, and my tithe and, generally I obey you. But you have to understand, I have a career, I need to make money for my family. If I really stand up for what is right, I might not make it in this world. You understand, don’t you?…I know the company is doing some things that are unjust, I know the world needs a clearer witness from me….and I’ll do all that, after I retire. But for now…..well, you know. It’s really may boss whose to blame. It’s this old hell bound sin soaked world that’s to blame. Not me!” And we wash our hands and excuse our silence and inaction in the face of injustice and sin.
And all this is done in fear. We forget what the end shall be and get focused on the fearful present. We lack the vision Jesus is trying to give us that in three days we will rise with him. But we stay blind to that and only see the threat of now.
III. The Path that is Prescribed – OK, by now you ought to know the path that is prescribed: See what the end shall be! In three days we rise! Why are we afraid? Jesus has already won the victory. It is true, we get there through the cross. But, never forget what the end shall be! Today we read the Gospel of Friday, but wait till Sunday morning! I’ll rise!
We end where we began with this gospel: All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be dispersed. But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.
Yes, after he has been raised, he goes before us into Galilee. And for us, Galilee is heaven. Whatever our sorrows, if we are faithful we will see Jesus in the Galilee of heaven. Never forget this vision. After three days we will rise with him and be reunited in Galilee.
So take courage, see what the end shall be! The end for those who are faithful is total victory. We don’t need to drowse, destroy, deny, dodge and deflect. We’ve already won. All we need to do is hold out.
An old Gospel songs says, I promised the Lord that I would hold out! He said he’s meet me in Galilee! So hold out, Galilee is not far, in three days we rise with him.
Passiontide and Holy Week
Passiontide
Christ became, for our sake, obedient unto death,
even the death of the Cross.
Philippians 2:8
Contents:
The Celebration of Passiontide
Passion Sunday - Blessed palms and Palm procession
Holy Week - Confession and Easter Duty
The Triduum - Tenebrae
See also Paschalis Sollemnitatis - Vatican Letter on Preparations for Holy Week and Easter - Congregation for Divine Worship
--------- Confession - Penance
--------- Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday
PASSIONTIDE is the last two weeks of Lent, when the readings and prayers of the liturgy focus on the Passion of Our Lord. The word "passion", in the Christian sense, does not mean an intense emotion; it refers to the historical events of Jesus' suffering and death.
Although for several centuries the Fifth Sunday of Lent was known as Passion Sunday, after the Second Vatican Council this name was restored to the Sunday at beginning of Holy Week , formerly called Palm Sunday. As a penitential season of the Church, Passiontide is evidently even more ancient than Lent.
Devotions and Prayers for Passiontide
Among the traditional non-liturgical devotions of Passiontide are saying the Stations of the Cross, praying the Rosary, meditating on the five Sorrowful Mysteries, and saying the five prayers in honor of Christ's five wounds.
The Sorrowful Mysteries are: 1. The Agony in the Garden; 2. The Scourging at the Pillar; 3. The Crowning with Thorns; 4. The Carrying of the Cross; 5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord on the Cross.
There are many booklets containing meditations on the Rosary. Father Romano Guardini's The Rosary (Sophia Institute Press) is excellent, and The Handbook of Prayers (Midwest Theological Forum) contains the Rosary and many other prayers (see links page to contact these publishers). Pope John Paul II's meditations in The Light of Christ is a good resource for this and other devotions.
It is fitting, during this season, that we remember Mary and her inexpressible grief at the suffering and death of her Son.
Another ancient devotion for this season was The Seven Sorrows [Dolors] of Mary. Christian believers appealed to Mary, the Mother of Sorrows who publicly shared in her Son's suffering on the road to Calvary, taking all things upon herself concern, affliction and sorrow.
This devotion listed the Seven Sorrows of Mary as: 1. The prophecy of Simeon, 2. The flight to Egypt, 3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple, 4. His way of the Cross, 5. His Crucifixion, 6. The piercing of His heart on Calvary, and 7. His burial in the tomb.
The famous hymn associated with this devotion is the Stabat Mater Dolorosa (Stands the Sorrowful Mother) which was originally written for private devotion in the late 13th century and traditionally attributed to the Franciscan, Jacopone da Todi. The words in English and Latin are in the music section of the Lent-Easter Family source book.
Both Latin and English words to the Stabat Mater are on this site, and both words and music are in The Adoremus Hymnal, nos.400 and 401. (For information about The Adoremus Hymnal see the Adoremus website, www.adoremus.org, or contact Ignatius Press - see links page.)
All of the events of Our Lord's Passion have been the subjects of works of great Christian art. A good activity with children would be to look at and talk about some of these beautiful works, either in books or, if you're fortunate enough to live near one, an art museum.
These words of St. Paul to the Philippians [2:8] might be recited during the two weeks before Easter, along with the Act of Hope, at morning, bedtime or mealtime prayers:
Christ became, for our sake, obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.
Act of Hope
O my God, knowing thy almighty power, and thy infinite goodness and mercy,
I hope in thee that, by the merits of the Passion and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
thou wilt grant me eternal life, which thou hast promised to all such as shall do the works of a good Christian;
and these I resolve to do, with the help of thy Grace. Amen +
Passion (Palm) Sunday
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelcis!
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
Holy Week, the most solemn and intense period of worship in the Christian faith, begins with Passion Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. In spite of the spiritual gravity of Holy Week, it begins with joy; for on this Sunday, the Church celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem which foretells the victory of His Resurrection and His return to earth in glory; and with the first reading of the Passion in the liturgies of Holy Week, the Church begins her commemorative pilgrimage with her Lord on His way to Calvary.
Liturgical commemoration of the Passion actually begins during the fifth week of Lent, when Masses are focused on the power of the Cross and the Kingship of Christ. Until the liturgical reforms just before the Second Vatican Council restored important liturgical elements of the early Church which had gradually disappeared (the Easter Vigil, for example), the Fifth Sunday of Lent was called Passion Sunday, and the Sunday beginning Holy Week was called Palm Sunday. Earliest accounts describing the beginning of Holy Week speak of Passion Sunday.
Blessed Palms
The blessing and distribution of palms takes place on Passion Sunday, and altar decorations are palm branches rather than flowers. The palms are solemnly blessed by the priest, and each worshipper holds the blessed palm during the singing of the ancient hymn, Gloria Laus ("All Glory, Laud and Honor") and during reading of the Passion.
These solemnly blessed palms are sacramentals, or signs of Christ's grace which help Christians in the practice of the faith, and, as they are associated with Christ's triumph, the palms symbolize victory over spiritual danger and death. For this reason, palms are associated with martyrdom, and often appear in paintings and sculpture of those who were martyred for the faith. This also explains the old custom of burning a palm in the stove in time of danger (from a threatening storm, for example).
As the blessed palms are sacramentals, then, Catholics keep them in their homes, customarily placing them behind the crucifix. The ashes used on Ash Wednesday come from the burning of blessed palms.
This Sunday was also sometimes called the Pasch of Flowers in European countries, because throughout the Middle Ages flowers were blessed on this day along with palms and olive branches. (The State of Florida is so named because Ponce de Leon landed there on Pasqua Florida Sunday.) The words "pasch" and "paschal" come from the Hebrew word "pesach'" meaning "passage" or "passover."
The Passion Sunday liturgy, incorporating both the blessing of the palms and commemoration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem to the joyous Hosannas of the people, and the reading of the Passion Gospel, combines two contrasting elements .The two parts are linked by the traditional procession which follows the blessing and distribution of the palms and which leads into the Sacrifice of the Mass; hence symbolically reproducing the historical event of Our Lord's royal entry into Jerusalem which signifies the actual meeting of the Church with Christ; moreover, His entry foretells the entry of the faithful into the eternal Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Palm Procession
According to the account of a fifth-century Spanish pilgrim to the Holy Land, Passion Sunday Mass was celebrated in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After this the people were invited to meet again in the afternoon at the Mount of Olives, in the Church of Eleona (the grotto of the Our Father). They then proceeded to the Church of the Ascension for a service consisting of hymns and antiphons, readings and prayers, where at five o'clock in the afternoon the Gospel of the palms was read and the procession set out for the city. The people responded to the antiphons with the acclamation, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," as we say even today.
All these pilgrims carried palms, and with their little children in their arms they escorted the bishop (who represented the Savior) to the Church of the Resurrection where the processsion ended with Vespers (evening prayer).
This palm procession was introduced in the West first in France and then in Italy. In the Middle Ages the custom began of carving a wooden statue of Christ seated on a donkey which was then placed on a cart, the center of the procession. These statues were called Palm Donkeys or Palmesels, and some are preserved in museums.
In medieval Rome the papal procession set out from the papal residence at the Lateran, then the official headquarters of the Popes as the Vatican is now. The palms were blessed by a cardinal and some were distributed by acolytes at the ancient Church of St. Sylvester nearby. The Pope alsodistributed them himself in the Hall of Leo IV at the Lateran.
Holy Week
At the Name of Jesus, every knee should bend
for the Lord became obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:10,8
HOLY WEEK has been held in great reverence since the very early years of the Church. No other Christian observance has interested the world so much as Holy Week. For the rituals of the Church during these few days of each year, so complex and so laden with meaning, emphatically and prophetically proclaim to the entire world the liberating and redeeming and perpetual truth of the Gospel the Good News that Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again.
As early as the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom referred to Holy Week as The Great Week, "Not that it has more days in it than other weeks, or that its days are made up of more hours than other days; but we call it great, because of the great mysteries which are then celebrated" [Homily 30, on Genesis]. In other Christian cultures we find the week before Easter referred to by several names such as the Painful Week (Hebdomada Poenosa) because of the sufferings of the Christ and of the fatigue and physical sacrifice required of the faithful in observing them.
Although in our time and nation the Church's only required food fast is to restrict meals (fast) and to abstain from meat (abstinence) on Good Friday, we learn from medieval Church documents that Christians observed a strict fast from Monday of Holy Week to the cock-crow of Easter Day. A very strict fast was usually observed from Thursday evening to Easter morning.
History also tells us that early Christian rulers issued decrees forbidding not only festive activities but also work in trade, business, and the courts. Holy Week, it was decreed, was to be spent in contemplation and meditation and the faithful were be free from worldly concerns as much as possible. (Clearly this was before anyone had the idea of "separation of Church and State.")
Confession and the Easter Duty
The discipline of fasting from food is not the only nor even the primary way in which we must prepare our entire selves body and soul to receive the benefits of our Savior's redeeming sacrifice. Physical fasting is not enough.
St. Paul warns us that "you cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all your self-indulgent passions and desires" [Galations 5:24]. We are powerless to do this alone. We must have God's help. In order to receive Christ and in order to prepare ourselves for our responsibility for His mission on earth, we must be drawn ever closer to Him in prayer and action. But sin separates us from Him. We must be convinced of our sins, repent, receive forgiveness and be reconciled to God.
Through His Grace we must try to become holy, "perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect." This is why the Church calls all her people, especially at this time of year, to the Sacrament of Penance, to perform their Easter Duty. At least once each year during the Easter season Catholics are required to confess sins, receive absolution and receive Communion in order to remain truly members of the the Church.
This is what the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council, like the early Fathers of the Church, tried to teach us with the emphasis on personal awareness of how we have offended God and need His forgiveness. As Pope John Paul II said "The awareness of sin, in which the person knows before whom and towards whom he is guilty, is an indispensable pre-condition for obtaining the objective value of forgiveness. This is because He against whom the sin is committed and who is therefore offended is also the Father who has the power to fogive it." And this is what the Church invites us no, implores us to do during Holy Week.
Related pages on this site: Act of Contrition -- Confession-Penance -- Fast and Abstinence
The Triduum
In the Triduum, or Three Days, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday ,the Church gives us a singularly dramatic, intense and richly symbolic expression of the very heart of Christian belief. Even in our unspiritual time and culture, the Triduum and Easter reaffirm the essence of the Church's central beliefs in the strongest possible way a way which penetrates the deepest recesses of the human heart, and calls forth a response from all, young and old, rich and poor, and in every state of life.
Through the Church's continued observance of many ancient liturgical traditions, and also the restoration of the ancient Easter Vigil, the liturgical expression of these core truths of the faith during Holy Week is without parallel. Although the penitential season is now less severe than in times past, and some inspiring symbols and devotions were lost in the confusion of rapid and sometimes erroneous liturgical changes after the Second Vatican Council, for the believing Catholic the days of Holy Week make it possible even for us, who are so easily distracted by the world and its enticements, to concentrate with our entire being on the Events which assured us of God's inestimable love, and which made possible our Salvation.
By participating in the liturgy of the Church and by increasing our own observance of these holy days in our homes, we can deepen our understanding of these Events in the history of Salvation.
Tenebræ
The Latin word Tenebræ means "darkness." Tenebræ is very ancient service of prayers in the Church which takes place during the darkness of night. Many parishes are now reviving this extraordinarily moving service which consists of three sets of Psalms and verses from the Lamentations of Jeremiah chanted on each of three nights of Holy Week: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. (Originally this was a service of Matins said in monasteries before dawn on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday; but it customarily takes place the evenings before.)
The service begins with the nave of the church in darkness, except for a candelabrum on a stand in the sanctuary, usually containing fifteen candles arranged in an inverted `v', called a `Tenebræ hearse.' As each lamentation, introduced with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, is chanted one of the candles is extinguished until only one, representing the Light of Christ remains. Then this is extinguished, leaving the church in darkness. The ministers and cantor leave the sanctuary, and a loud noise like a thunderclap (representing the earthquake during the Crucifixion) is heard; after which a single candle representing the Light of Christ is brought in, placed on the altar and the people leave in silence.
This is a very impressive service, and we hope you are able to attend with your children at least once during the Triduum. If your parish does not have Tenebræ it is worth trying to find a place that does.
If you have young children you might consider using the adaptation of this service in this book, Stations of the Cross. It is by no means as powerful as real Tenebræ, celebrated in church, but it does retain the symbolism of Christ as our Light, and it may be a workable substitute if your children are little or if the real service is not available where you live. (See Stations of the Cross.)
Pope [Francis]: Homily for Palm Sunday Mass [full text]
Pope, Just Back From Trip, Celebrates Palm Sunday (with good news from Cuba)
Are You Ready for Palm Sunday? [Ecumenical]
A week with the Lord [Reflections on Passion Sunday and Holy Week]
Celebration of Palm Sunday Of The Passion Of Our Lord; Homily Of His Holiness Benedict XVI
Palm Sunday
HOSANNA (Palm) SUNDAY - Shanini Sunday
In Agony Until the End of the World
Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Palm Branches
Pope Says Youth Sound Have 'Innocent Hands and Pure Hearts' at Palm Sunday Mass
Passion (Palm) Sunday
Pope Opens Holy Week With Palm Sunday Mass
Traditions Related to Palm Sunday
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON PALM SUNDAY FROM 2001-2005.
Baghdad Christians celebrate Palm Sunday without fear
HOSANNA SUNDAY
Holy Week Starts Today - Hosanna to the King of Kings!
Palm Sunday (In Art)
Palm Sunday (Artistic Representations)
RELIGIOUS HISTORY: On Palm Sunday, the path to Golgotha
| Mark | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Mark 11 |
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| 1. | And when they were drawing near to Jerusalem and to Bethania at the mount of Olives, he sendeth two of his disciples, | et cum adpropinquarent Hierosolymae et Bethaniae ad montem Olivarum mittit duos ex discipulis suis | και οτε εγγιζουσιν εις ιερουσαλημ εις βηθφαγη και βηθανιαν προς το ορος των ελαιων αποστελλει δυο των μαθητων αυτου |
| 2. | And saith to them: Go into the village that is over against you, and immediately at your coming in thither, you shall find a colt tied, upon which no man yet hath sat: loose him, and bring him. | et ait illis ite in castellum quod est contra vos et statim introeuntes illuc invenietis pullum ligatum super quem nemo adhuc hominum sedit solvite illum et adducite | και λεγει αυτοις υπαγετε εις την κωμην την κατεναντι υμων και ευθεως εισπορευομενοι εις αυτην ευρησετε πωλον δεδεμενον εφ ον ουδεις ανθρωπων κεκαθικεν λυσαντες αυτον αγαγετε |
| 3. | And if any man shall say to you, What are you doing? say ye that the Lord hath need of him: and immediately he will let him come hither. | et si quis vobis dixerit quid facitis dicite quia Domino necessarius est et continuo illum dimittet huc | και εαν τις υμιν ειπη τι ποιειτε τουτο ειπατε οτι ο κυριος αυτου χρειαν εχει και ευθεως αυτον αποστελει ωδε |
| 4. | And going their way, they found the colt tied before the gate without, in the meeting of two ways: and they loose him. | et abeuntes invenerunt pullum ligatum ante ianuam foris in bivio et solvunt eum | απηλθον δε και ευρον τον πωλον δεδεμενον προς την θυραν εξω επι του αμφοδου και λυουσιν αυτον |
| 5. | And some of them that stood there, said to them: What do you loosing the colt? | et quidam de illic stantibus dicebant illis quid facitis solventes pullum | και τινες των εκει εστηκοτων ελεγον αυτοις τι ποιειτε λυοντες τον πωλον |
| 6. | Who said to them as Jesus had commanded them; and they let him go with them. | qui dixerunt eis sicut praeceperat illis Iesus et dimiserunt eis | οι δε ειπον αυτοις καθως ενετειλατο ο ιησους και αφηκαν αυτους |
| 7. | And they brought the colt to Jesus; and they lay their garments on him, and he sat upon him. | et duxerunt pullum ad Iesum et inponunt illi vestimenta sua et sedit super eo | και ηγαγον τον πωλον προς τον ιησουν και επεβαλον αυτω τα ιματια αυτων και εκαθισεν επ αυτω |
| 8. | And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way. | multi autem vestimenta sua straverunt in via alii autem frondes caedebant de arboribus et sternebant in via | πολλοι δε τα ιματια αυτων εστρωσαν εις την οδον αλλοι δε στοιβαδας εκοπτον εκ των δενδρων και εστρωννυον εις την οδον |
| 9. | And they that went before and they that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. | et qui praeibant et qui sequebantur clamabant dicentes osanna benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini | και οι προαγοντες και οι ακολουθουντες εκραζον λεγοντες ωσαννα ευλογημενος ο ερχομενος εν ονοματι κυριου |
| 10. | Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh: Hosanna in the highest. | benedictum quod venit regnum patris nostri David osanna in excelsis | ευλογημενη η ερχομενη βασιλεια εν ονοματι κυριου του πατρος ημων δαβιδ ωσαννα εν τοις υψιστοις |
| John | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| John 12 |
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| 12. | And on the next day, a great multitude that was to come to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, | in crastinum autem turba multa quae venerat ad diem festum cum audissent quia venit Iesus Hierosolyma | τη επαυριον οχλος πολυς ο ελθων εις την εορτην ακουσαντες οτι ερχεται ο ιησους εις ιεροσολυμα |
| 13. | Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried: Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel. | acceperunt ramos palmarum et processerunt obviam ei et clamabant osanna benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini rex Israhel | ελαβον τα βαια των φοινικων και εξηλθον εις υπαντησιν αυτω και εκραζον ωσαννα ευλογημενος ο ερχομενος εν ονοματι κυριου ο βασιλευς του ισραηλ |
| 14. | And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written: | et invenit Iesus asellum et sedit super eum sicut scriptum est | ευρων δε ο ιησους οναριον εκαθισεν επ αυτο καθως εστιν γεγραμμενον |
| 15. | Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy king cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. | noli timere filia Sion ecce rex tuus venit sedens super pullum asinae | μη φοβου θυγατερ σιων ιδου ο βασιλευς σου ερχεται καθημενος επι πωλον ονου |
| 16. | These things his disciples did not know at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him. | haec non cognoverunt discipuli eius primum sed quando glorificatus est Iesus tunc recordati sunt quia haec erant scripta de eo et haec fecerunt ei | ταυτα δε ουκ εγνωσαν οι μαθηται αυτου το πρωτον αλλ οτε εδοξασθη ο ιησους τοτε εμνησθησαν οτι ταυτα ην επ αυτω γεγραμμενα και ταυτα εποιησαν αυτω |
| Mark | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Mark 14 |
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| 1. | Now the feast of the pasch, and of the Azymes was after two days; and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might by some wile lay hold on him, and kill him. | erat autem pascha et azyma post biduum et quaerebant summi sacerdotes et scribae quomodo eum dolo tenerent et occiderent | ην δε το πασχα και τα αζυμα μετα δυο ημερας και εζητουν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις πως αυτον εν δολω κρατησαντες αποκτεινωσιν |
| 2. | But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people. | dicebant enim non in die festo ne forte tumultus fieret populi | ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη μηποτε θορυβος εσται του λαου |
| 3. | And when he was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard: and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head. | et cum esset Bethaniae in domo Simonis leprosi et recumberet venit mulier habens alabastrum unguenti nardi spicati pretiosi et fracto alabastro effudit super caput eius | και οντος αυτου εν βηθανια εν τη οικια σιμωνος του λεπρου κατακειμενου αυτου ηλθεν γυνη εχουσα αλαβαστρον μυρου ναρδου πιστικης πολυτελους και συντριψασα το αλαβαστρον κατεχεεν αυτου κατα της κεφαλης |
| 4. | Now there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said: Why was this waste of the ointment made? | erant autem quidam indigne ferentes intra semet ipsos et dicentes ut quid perditio ista unguenti facta est | ησαν δε τινες αγανακτουντες προς εαυτους και λεγοντες εις τι η απωλεια αυτη του μυρου γεγονεν |
| 5. | For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. | poterat enim unguentum istud veniri plus quam trecentis denariis et dari pauperibus et fremebant in eam | ηδυνατο γαρ τουτο πραθηναι επανω τριακοσιων δηναριων και δοθηναι τοις πτωχοις και ενεβριμωντο αυτη |
| 6. | But Jesus said: Let her alone, why do you molest her? She hath wrought a good work upon me. | Iesus autem dixit sinite eam quid illi molesti estis bonum opus operata est in me | ο δε ιησους ειπεν αφετε αυτην τι αυτη κοπους παρεχετε καλον εργον ειργασατο εις εμε |
| 7. | For the poor you have always with you: and whensoever you will, you may do them good: but me you have not always. | semper enim pauperes habetis vobiscum et cum volueritis potestis illis benefacere me autem non semper habetis | παντοτε γαρ τους πτωχους εχετε μεθ εαυτων και οταν θελητε δυνασθε αυτους ευ ποιησαι εμε δε ου παντοτε εχετε |
| 8. | She hath done what she could: she is come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. | quod habuit haec fecit praevenit unguere corpus meum in sepulturam | ο ειχεν αυτη εποιησεν προελαβεν μυρισαι μου το σωμα εις τον ενταφιασμον |
| 9. | Amen, I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done, shall be told for a memorial of her. | amen dico vobis ubicumque praedicatum fuerit evangelium istud in universum mundum et quod fecit haec narrabitur in memoriam eius | αμην λεγω υμιν οπου αν κηρυχθη το ευαγγελιον τουτο εις ολον τον κοσμον και ο εποιησεν αυτη λαληθησεται εις μνημοσυνον αυτης |
| 10. | And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them. | et Iudas Scariotis unus de duodecim abiit ad summos sacerdotes ut proderet eum illis | και ο ιουδας ο ισκαριωτης εις των δωδεκα απηλθεν προς τους αρχιερεις ινα παραδω αυτον αυτοις |
| 11. | Who hearing it were glad; and they promised him they would give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. | qui audientes gavisi sunt et promiserunt ei pecuniam se daturos et quaerebat quomodo illum oportune traderet | οι δε ακουσαντες εχαρησαν και επηγγειλαντο αυτω αργυριον δουναι και εζητει πως ευκαιρως αυτον παραδω |
| 12. | Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the pasch? | et primo die azymorum quando pascha immolabant dicunt ei discipuli quo vis eamus et paremus tibi ut manduces pascha | και τη πρωτη ημερα των αζυμων οτε το πασχα εθυον λεγουσιν αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου που θελεις απελθοντες ετοιμασωμεν ινα φαγης το πασχα |
| 13. | And he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith to them: Go ye into the city; and there shall meet you a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him; | et mittit duos ex discipulis suis et dicit eis ite in civitatem et occurret vobis homo laguenam aquae baiulans sequimini eum | και αποστελλει δυο των μαθητων αυτου και λεγει αυτοις υπαγετε εις την πολιν και απαντησει υμιν ανθρωπος κεραμιον υδατος βασταζων ακολουθησατε αυτω |
| 14. | And whithersoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The master saith, Where is my refectory, where I may eat the pasch with my disciples? | et quocumque introierit dicite domino domus quia magister dicit ubi est refectio mea ubi pascha cum discipulis meis manducem | και οπου εαν εισελθη ειπατε τω οικοδεσποτη οτι ο διδασκαλος λεγει που εστιν το καταλυμα οπου το πασχα μετα των μαθητων μου φαγω |
| 15. | And he will shew you a large dining room furnished; and there prepare ye for us. | et ipse vobis demonstrabit cenaculum grande stratum et illic parate nobis | και αυτος υμιν δειξει ανωγεον μεγα εστρωμενον ετοιμον εκει ετοιμασατε ημιν |
| 16. | And his disciples went their way, and came into the city; and they found as he had told them, and they prepared the pasch. | et abierunt discipuli eius et venerunt in civitatem et invenerunt sicut dixerat illis et praeparaverunt pascha | και εξηλθον οι μαθηται αυτου και ηλθον εις την πολιν και ευρον καθως ειπεν αυτοις και ητοιμασαν το πασχα |
| 17. | And when evening was come, he cometh with the twelve. | vespere autem facto venit cum duodecim | και οψιας γενομενης ερχεται μετα των δωδεκα |
| 18. | And when they were at table and eating, Jesus saith: Amen I say to you, one of you that eateth with me shall betray me. | et discumbentibus eis et manducantibus ait Iesus amen dico vobis quia unus ex vobis me tradet qui manducat mecum | και ανακειμενων αυτων και εσθιοντων ειπεν ο ιησους αμην λεγω υμιν οτι εις εξ υμων παραδωσει με ο εσθιων μετ εμου |
| 19. | But they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one: Is it I? | at illi coeperunt contristari et dicere ei singillatim numquid ego | οι δε ηρξαντο λυπεισθαι και λεγειν αυτω εις καθ εις μητι εγω και αλλος μητι εγω |
| 20. | Who saith to them: One of the twelve, who dippeth with me his hand in the dish. | qui ait illis unus ex duodecim qui intinguit mecum in catino | ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις εις εκ των δωδεκα ο εμβαπτομενος μετ εμου εις το τρυβλιον |
| 21. | And the Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born. | et Filius quidem hominis vadit sicut scriptum est de eo vae autem homini illi per quem Filius hominis traditur bonum ei si non esset natus homo ille | ο μεν υιος του ανθρωπου υπαγει καθως γεγραπται περι αυτου ουαι δε τω ανθρωπω εκεινω δι ου ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται καλον ην αυτω ει ουκ εγεννηθη ο ανθρωπος εκεινος |
| 22. | And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye. This is my body. | et manducantibus illis accepit Iesus panem et benedicens fregit et dedit eis et ait sumite hoc est corpus meum | και εσθιοντων αυτων λαβων ο ιησους αρτον ευλογησας εκλασεν και εδωκεν αυτοις και ειπεν λαβετε φαγετε τουτο εστιν το σωμα μου |
| 23. | And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it. | et accepto calice gratias agens dedit eis et biberunt ex illo omnes | και λαβων το ποτηριον ευχαριστησας εδωκεν αυτοις και επιον εξ αυτου παντες |
| 24. | And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many. | et ait illis hic est sanguis meus novi testamenti qui pro multis effunditur | και ειπεν αυτοις τουτο εστιν το αιμα μου το της καινης διαθηκης το περι πολλων εκχυνομενον |
| 25. | Amen I say to you, that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God. | amen dico vobis quod iam non bibam de genimine vitis usque in diem illum cum illud bibam novum in regno Dei | αμην λεγω υμιν οτι ουκετι ου μη πιω εκ του γεννηματος της αμπελου εως της ημερας εκεινης οταν αυτο πινω καινον εν τη βασιλεια του θεου |
| 26. | And when they had said an hymn, they went forth to the mount of Olives. | et hymno dicto exierunt in montem Olivarum | και υμνησαντες εξηλθον εις το ορος των ελαιων |
| 27. | And Jesus saith to them: You will all be scandalized in my regard this night; for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be dispersed. | et ait eis Iesus omnes scandalizabimini in nocte ista quia scriptum est percutiam pastorem et dispergentur oves | και λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους οτι παντες σκανδαλισθησεσθε εν εμοι εν τη νυκτι ταυτη οτι γεγραπται παταξω τον ποιμενα και διασκορπισθησεται τα προβατα |
| 28. | But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. | sed posteaquam resurrexero praecedam vos in Galilaeam | αλλα μετα το εγερθηναι με προαξω υμας εις την γαλιλαιαν |
| 29. | But Peter saith to him: Although all shall be scandalized in thee, yet not I. | Petrus autem ait ei et si omnes scandalizati fuerint sed non ego | ο δε πετρος εφη αυτω και ει παντες σκανδαλισθησονται αλλ ουκ εγω |
| 30. | And Jesus saith to him: Amen I say to thee, today, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shall deny me thrice. | et ait illi Iesus amen dico tibi quia tu hodie in nocte hac priusquam bis gallus vocem dederit ter me es negaturus | και λεγει αυτω ο ιησους αμην λεγω σοι οτι σημερον εν τη νυκτι ταυτη πριν η δις αλεκτορα φωνησαι τρις απαρνηση με |
| 31. | But he spoke the more vehemently: Although I should die together with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner also said they all. | at ille amplius loquebatur et si oportuerit me simul conmori tibi non te negabo similiter autem et omnes dicebant | ο δε εκ περισσου ελεγεν μαλλον εαν με δεη συναποθανειν σοι ου μη σε απαρνησομαι ωσαυτως δε και παντες ελεγον |
| 32. | And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray. | et veniunt in praedium cui nomen Gethsemani et ait discipulis suis sedete hic donec orem | και ερχονται εις χωριον ου το ονομα γεθσημανη και λεγει τοις μαθηταις αυτου καθισατε ωδε εως προσευξωμαι |
| 33. | And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy. | et adsumit Petrum et Iacobum et Iohannem secum et coepit pavere et taedere | και παραλαμβανει τον πετρον και τον ιακωβον και ιωαννην μεθ εαυτου και ηρξατο εκθαμβεισθαι και αδημονειν |
| 34. | And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here, and watch. | et ait illis tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem sustinete hic et vigilate | και λεγει αυτοις περιλυπος εστιν η ψυχη μου εως θανατου μεινατε ωδε και γρηγορειτε |
| 35. | And when he was gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground; and he prayed, that if it might be, the hour might pass from him. | et cum processisset paululum procidit super terram et orabat ut si fieri posset transiret ab eo hora | και προελθων μικρον επεσεν επι της γης και προσηυχετο ινα ει δυνατον εστιν παρελθη απ αυτου η ωρα |
| 36. | And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt. | et dixit Abba Pater omnia possibilia tibi sunt transfer calicem hunc a me sed non quod ego volo sed quod tu | και ελεγεν αββα ο πατηρ παντα δυνατα σοι παρενεγκε το ποτηριον απ εμου τουτο αλλ ου τι εγω θελω αλλα τι συ |
| 37. | And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour? | et venit et invenit eos dormientes et ait Petro Simon dormis non potuisti una hora vigilare | και ερχεται και ευρισκει αυτους καθευδοντας και λεγει τω πετρω σιμων καθευδεις ουκ ισχυσας μιαν ωραν γρηγορησαι |
| 38. | Watch ye, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. | vigilate et orate ut non intretis in temptationem spiritus quidem promptus caro vero infirma | γρηγορειτε και προσευχεσθε ινα μη εισελθητε εις πειρασμον το μεν πνευμα προθυμον η δε σαρξ ασθενης |
| 39. | And going away again, he prayed, saying the same words. | et iterum abiens oravit eundem sermonem dicens | και παλιν απελθων προσηυξατο τον αυτον λογον ειπων |
| 40. | And when he returned, he found them again asleep, (for their eyes were heavy,) and they knew not what to answer him. | et reversus denuo invenit eos dormientes erant enim oculi illorum ingravati et ignorabant quid responderent ei | και υποστρεψας ευρεν αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ οι οφθαλμοι αυτων βεβαρημενοι και ουκ ηδεισαν τι αυτω αποκριθωσιν |
| 41. | And he cometh the third time, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. | et venit tertio et ait illis dormite iam et requiescite sufficit venit hora ecce traditur Filius hominis in manus peccatorum | και ερχεται το τριτον και λεγει αυτοις καθευδετε το λοιπον και αναπαυεσθε απεχει ηλθεν η ωρα ιδου παραδιδοται ο υιος του ανθρωπου εις τας χειρας των αμαρτωλων |
| 42. | Rise up, let us go. Behold, he that will betray me is at hand. | surgite eamus ecce qui me tradit prope est | εγειρεσθε αγωμεν ιδου ο παραδιδους με ηγγικεν |
| 43. | And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve: and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients. | et adhuc eo loquente venit Iudas Scarioth unus ex duodecim et cum illo turba cum gladiis et lignis a summis sacerdotibus et a scribis et a senioribus | και ευθεως ετι αυτου λαλουντος παραγινεται ιουδας εις ων των δωδεκα και μετ αυτου οχλος πολυς μετα μαχαιρων και ξυλων παρα των αρχιερεων και των γραμματεων και των πρεσβυτερων |
| 44. | And he that betrayed him, had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; lay hold on him, and lead him away carefully. | dederat autem traditor eius signum eis dicens quemcumque osculatus fuero ipse est tenete eum et ducite | δεδωκει δε ο παραδιδους αυτον συσσημον αυτοις λεγων ον αν φιλησω αυτος εστιν κρατησατε αυτον και απαγαγετε ασφαλως |
| 45. | And when he was come, immediately going up to him, he saith: Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed him. | et cum venisset statim accedens ad eum ait rabbi et osculatus est eum | και ελθων ευθεως προσελθων αυτω λεγει ραββι ραββι και κατεφιλησεν αυτον |
| 46. | But they laid hands on him, and held him. | at illi manus iniecerunt in eum et tenuerunt eum | οι δε επεβαλον επ αυτον τας χειρας αυτων και εκρατησαν αυτον |
| 47. | And one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear. | unus autem quidam de circumstantibus educens gladium percussit servum summi sacerdotis et amputavit illi auriculam | εις δε τις των παρεστηκοτων σπασαμενος την μαχαιραν επαισεν τον δουλον του αρχιερεως και αφειλεν αυτου το ωτιον |
| 48. | And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me? | et respondens Iesus ait illis tamquam ad latronem existis cum gladiis et lignis conprehendere me | και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ως επι ληστην εξηλθετε μετα μαχαιρων και ξυλων συλλαβειν με |
| 49. | I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me. But that the scriptures may be fulfilled. | cotidie eram apud vos in templo docens et non me tenuistis sed ut adimpleantur scripturae | καθ ημεραν ημην προς υμας εν τω ιερω διδασκων και ουκ εκρατησατε με αλλ ινα πληρωθωσιν αι γραφαι |
| 50. | Then his disciples leaving him, all fled away. | tunc discipuli eius relinquentes eum omnes fugerunt | και αφεντες αυτον παντες εφυγον |
| 51. | And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him. | adulescens autem quidam sequebatur illum amictus sindone super nudo et tenuerunt eum | και εις τις νεανισκος ηκολουθει αυτω περιβεβλημενος σινδονα επι γυμνου και κρατουσιν αυτον οι νεανισκοι |
| 52. | But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked. | at ille reiecta sindone nudus profugit ab eis | ο δε καταλιπων την σινδονα γυμνος εφυγεν απ αυτων |
| 53. | And they brought Jesus to the high priest; and all the priests and the scribes and the ancients assembled together. | et adduxerunt Iesum ad summum sacerdotem et conveniunt omnes sacerdotes et scribae et seniores | και απηγαγον τον ιησουν προς τον αρχιερεα και συνερχονται αυτω παντες οι αρχιερεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι και οι γραμματεις |
| 54. | And Peter followed him from afar off, even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself. | Petrus autem a longe secutus est eum usque intro in atrium summi sacerdotis et sedebat cum ministris et calefaciebat se ad ignem | και ο πετρος απο μακροθεν ηκολουθησεν αυτω εως εσω εις την αυλην του αρχιερεως και ην συγκαθημενος μετα των υπηρετων και θερμαινομενος προς το φως |
| 55. | And the chief priests and all the council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death, and found none. | summi vero sacerdotes et omne concilium quaerebant adversum Iesum testimonium ut eum morti traderent nec inveniebant | οι δε αρχιερεις και ολον το συνεδριον εζητουν κατα του ιησου μαρτυριαν εις το θανατωσαι αυτον και ουχ ευρισκον |
| 56. | For many bore false witness against him, and their evidences were not agreeing. | multi enim testimonium falsum dicebant adversus eum et convenientia testimonia non erant | πολλοι γαρ εψευδομαρτυρουν κατ αυτου και ισαι αι μαρτυριαι ουκ ησαν |
| 57. | And some rising up, bore false witness against him, saying: | et quidam surgentes falsum testimonium ferebant adversus eum dicentes | και τινες ανασταντες εψευδομαρτυρουν κατ αυτου λεγοντες |
| 58. | We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another not made with hands. | quoniam nos audivimus eum dicentem ego dissolvam templum hoc manufactum et per triduum aliud non manufactum aedificabo | οτι ημεις ηκουσαμεν αυτου λεγοντος οτι εγω καταλυσω τον ναον τουτον τον χειροποιητον και δια τριων ημερων αλλον αχειροποιητον οικοδομησω |
| 59. | And their witness did not agree. | et non erat conveniens testimonium illorum | και ουδε ουτως ιση ην η μαρτυρια αυτων |
| 60. | And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men? | et exsurgens summus sacerdos in medium interrogavit Iesum dicens non respondes quicquam ad ea quae tibi obiciuntur ab his | και αναστας ο αρχιερευς εις το μεσον επηρωτησεν τον ιησουν λεγων ουκ αποκρινη ουδεν τι ουτοι σου καταμαρτυρουσιν |
| 61. | But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said to him: Art thou the Christ the Son of the blessed God? | ille autem tacebat et nihil respondit rursum summus sacerdos interrogabat eum et dicit ei tu es Christus Filius Benedicti | ο δε εσιωπα και ουδεν απεκρινατο παλιν ο αρχιερευς επηρωτα αυτον και λεγει αυτω συ ει ο χριστος ο υιος του ευλογητου |
| 62. | And Jesus said to him: I am. And you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming with the clouds of heaven. | Iesus autem dixit illi ego sum et videbitis Filium hominis a dextris sedentem Virtutis et venientem cum nubibus caeli | ο δε ιησους ειπεν εγω ειμι και οψεσθε τον υιον του ανθρωπου καθημενον εκ δεξιων της δυναμεως και ερχομενον μετα των νεφελων του ουρανου |
| 63. | Then the high priest rending his garments, saith: What need we any further witnesses? | summus autem sacerdos scindens vestimenta sua ait quid adhuc desideramus testes | ο δε αρχιερευς διαρρηξας τους χιτωνας αυτου λεγει τι ετι χρειαν εχομεν μαρτυρων |
| 64. | You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? Who all condemned him to be guilty of death. | audistis blasphemiam quid vobis videtur qui omnes condemnaverunt eum esse reum mortis | ηκουσατε της βλασφημιας τι υμιν φαινεται οι δε παντες κατεκριναν αυτον ειναι ενοχον θανατου |
| 65. | And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him: Prophesy: and the servants struck him with the palms of their hands. | et coeperunt quidam conspuere eum et velare faciem eius et colaphis eum caedere et dicere ei prophetiza et ministri alapis eum caedebant | και ηρξαντο τινες εμπτυειν αυτω και περικαλυπτειν το προσωπον αυτου και κολαφιζειν αυτον και λεγειν αυτω προφητευσον και οι υπηρεται ραπισμασιν αυτον εβαλλον |
| 66. | Now when Peter was in the court below, there cometh one of the maidservants of the high priest. | et cum esset Petrus in atrio deorsum venit una ex ancillis summi sacerdotis | και οντος του πετρου εν τη αυλη κατω ερχεται μια των παιδισκων του αρχιερεως |
| 67. | And when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. | et cum vidisset Petrum calefacientem se aspiciens illum ait et tu cum Iesu Nazareno eras | και ιδουσα τον πετρον θερμαινομενον εμβλεψασα αυτω λεγει και συ μετα του ναζαρηνου ιησου ησθα |
| 68. | But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court; and the cock crew. | at ille negavit dicens neque scio neque novi quid dicas et exiit foras ante atrium et gallus cantavit | ο δε ηρνησατο λεγων ουκ οιδα ουδε επισταμαι τι συ λεγεις και εξηλθεν εξω εις το προαυλιον και αλεκτωρ εφωνησεν |
| 69. | And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers by: This is one of them. | rursus autem cum vidisset illum ancilla coepit dicere circumstantibus quia hic ex illis est | και η παιδισκη ιδουσα αυτον παλιν ηρξατο λεγειν τοις παρεστηκοσιν οτι ουτος εξ αυτων εστιν |
| 70. | But he denied again. And after a while they that stood by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them; for thou art also a Galilean. | at ille iterum negavit et post pusillum rursus qui adstabant dicebant Petro vere ex illis es nam et Galilaeus es | ο δε παλιν ηρνειτο και μετα μικρον παλιν οι παρεστωτες ελεγον τω πετρω αληθως εξ αυτων ει και γαρ γαλιλαιος ει και η λαλια σου ομοιαζει |
| 71. | But he began to curse and to swear, saying; I know not this man of whom you speak. | ille autem coepit anathematizare et iurare quia nescio hominem istum quem dicitis | ο δε ηρξατο αναθεματιζειν και ομνυειν οτι ουκ οιδα τον ανθρωπον τουτον ον λεγετε |
| 72. | And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep. | et statim iterum gallus cantavit et recordatus est Petrus verbi quod dixerat ei Iesus priusquam gallus cantet bis ter me negabis et coepit flere | και εκ δευτερου αλεκτωρ εφωνησεν και ανεμνησθη ο πετρος του ρηματος ου ειπεν αυτω ο ιησους οτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησαι δις απαρνηση με τρις και επιβαλων εκλαιεν |
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