Today we enter into Holy Week — in Rome, palm and olive branches wave happily, and throughout the world, symbolic palm fronds are carried in procession by the faithful. For century after century, the church has memorialized this first day of Holy Week as Palm Sunday, because of the palm branches and cloaks spread on the road before Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. Many in that crowd had followed him to the city from Bethphage, the little town in the New Testament to which Jesus sent his disciples to find a donkey and a colt for Him to ride on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Above: Franciscan Church of Bethphage where the procession begins on the slope of the Mount of Olives
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Betgage2011DdP033_(15).jpgThe Gospels locate the little town of Bethphage close to Bethany, on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Still today, an annual Palm Sunday walk into Jerusalem begins here at Bethphage, and the Franciscan Church of Bethphage stands at the beginning of the ancient triumphal entry.
Above: Interior of the Franciscan Church of Bethphage - the dome of the apse depicts the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethpage2.jpgThe Gospels writers describe a great throng, exuberant with excitement, lining the road in front of Jesus as he slowly rode into the city. As he processed, on the quaint little beast of burden on which he sat, a sort of carpet was rolled out before him. Fresh, green palm branches from nearby trees, and clothing, from the backs of those in the crowd, formed a tapestry of endearment to welcome Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Herein was a problem — for the Pharisees.
The palm branches were not so much the problem, as were the words the people were shouting: "Hosannah! Hosannah! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Luke 19: 38). Some of the Pharisees actually tried to get Jesus to hush the crowd, to rebuke the people for this style of welcome symbolically appropriate only for the Messiah.
The phrase reflects a passage in Psalm 118, which rejoices in the Lord’s triumph. By verse 22, the rejected stone has become the 'cornerstone.'
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord . . .
28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
This rambling crowd, tumbling into Jerusalem, shouting and singing from Psalm 118, is declaring Jesus to be the Messiah! The Pharisees insist that Jesus stop the madness. "Do you hear what they are saying? They think you’re the Messiah! Tell them to be quiet." Jesus does not stop them; instead he replies that if the people stop saying these things, then the rocks themselves would cry out. Jesus, quite simply, IS the Messiah. He has come to save his people as was foretold — riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the foal of an ass, as the prophet Zechariah had said centuries before.
Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass.”
Abraham rode an ass when he took Isaac for sacrfice to the mountain. Moses rode an ass. Abimelech’s 30 sons rode asses as a sign that they were the rulers of 30 cities. David rode an ass and he had Solomon ride an ass as a sign that he was David’s successor and then Zadok and Nathan anointed him. Riding on an ass is in itself a sign of Christ’s kingly character.
Below is a rendition of the Benedictus. The Latin reads "Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini! Hosanna in excelsis!" (Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!). Close your eyes so you won't be distracted by the singers. This is a congregation not used to Latin, but the congregation is so moved, that you can hear a number of them saying "Amen!" at the end!
The station for Palm Sunday is no longer observed at St John Lateran. Because of the huge crowds, St Peter's Square is used for the Palm Sunday rituals including Mass, and the Procession of Palms.
The following photos are from the Procession of the Palms in St Peter's square on Palm Sundays during the last 15 years or so. Many of the clergy carry woven palm fronds that are often quite exotic, and you can see that there are sung litanies as the palms are processed.
Left: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1167641/EU-stop-human-trafficking-says-Pope-Palm-Sunday-address.htmlJust think, pilgrims, for almost 1700 years, throngs have gathered here in Rome on Palm Sunday - for many centuries at St John Lateran, and in the last century at St Peter's in the Vatican. Imagine in your mind's eye, year by year, throng added to throng, until there are millions from all the centuries gathered here, singing to Our Lord. It is Jesus who comes! It is our Lord who comes to greet his Bride gathered together for the great Nuptial Mass! If you can imagine this, you have at least a glimpse of the day Our Lord comes again, and of the Great Marriage Supper of the Lamb. We don't see Jesus laughing much in the Scripture, but on that day he will laugh for sheer joy as he greets his Bride. "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Below is a video of the type of music written for this type of procession. Imagine that you are at St Peter's Square, waving your palms, and singing of the glorious reign of Our Lord ! ! ! You can start the video and listen while you look at the pictures.
Though we have crossed the threshold of Holy Week, before we enter fully into the Passion of Our Lord, we must take time to rejoice in our hearts with the ancient ones of Jerusalem, because of the Triumphal entry of Our Lord, as we join in Palm Sunday processions and liturgies. One day He will return amidst just such rejoicing from His Church, as she escorts Her Lord into his rightful place of honor here among his Creation. In the face of such blasphemy and foolishness as we see so often today, it is good to experience this reminder on Palm Sunday, that things are not as they sometimes seem, and that the victory is, in reality, already won!
May we all have great joy today, in the triumph of Our Lord and King!
The obelisk in St. Peter’s Square was originally from Heliopolis, Egypt, created around 2400BC. The Emperor Caligula moved it to Rome in 37 AD, to be a centerpiece for his Circus out on the Vatican Hill. It was moved from what had been Caligula's (and later Nero's) Circus to its current location in 1586. It is the only obelisk in Rome that has never fallen since antiquity. It was once topped with a globe that was said to contain Caesar’s ashes, but turns out, that wasn't true. Today a reliquary containing a piece of the True Cross tops the obelisk.
There is a legend in Rome about what supposedly happened when the architect/engineer Domenico Fontana was tasked with moving and re-erecting the obelisk in 1586 in what is now St. Peter's Square. Fontana gathered a team of 900 men, mostly sailors, and 140 horses . Pope Sixtus V forbade anyone to speak while the obelisk was being erected, lest their concentration be broken.
In silence, the massive team began to lift the obelisk. One sailor began to notice that the friction was causing the ropes to smoke. Against the pope’s orders he shouted, “Water on the ropes! Water on the ropes!” Fortunately, the men responded. The water cooled the ropes and the obelisk was erected successfully.
Niccola Zabaglia (1664-1750), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
However, the sailor had broken the Pope's decree, and so he was hauled into the Pope's presence. With his head bowed, he waited for the Pope's punishment. But to his surprise, instead of punishing him, the pope thanked him, and offered to give him a reward. The sailor asked that his family’s farm in Bordighera be allowed to supply the palms for Palm Sunday every year, as long as they owned the land. Still today, the Vatican is supplied with their Palm Sunday fronds from Bordighera.
Because the actual station church for Palm Sunday was San Giovanni in Laterano, I have included a video of the history of St. John Lateran. There will be one more station at this church on Holy Saturday.