3

For what does the sacred herald, the evangelist of the feast, say? Listen: It came to pass when the Lord was drawing near to Bethphage, and to Bethany, toward the mount called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples, saying: Go into the village opposite, and upon your entering you will find a donkey and a colt tied; untie them and bring them to me. And the disciples did as Jesus had commanded them; and they laid their garments on the colt, and Jesus sat on it. And it came to pass as he drew near the descent of the mount, the crowd that had come to the feast took branches of palm trees, and went out to meet Jesus. And those who went before, and those who followed, cried out: Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. This is the Lordly presence of the present feast; this is the sojourn in Zion, both of old and now, of the King of kings; this is the brilliant and popular advent of the maker of all things on the present day.

Therefore now, brethren, the crowd having come to the feast, let us go out to meet him, both the visible and the invisible world, and the prophets and teachers who went before in time, and those who follow the colt, who agree with God in faith. Today let the heavenly with the earthly and also the subterranean sing hymns; every mouth and spirit opening for the praise of God. O cherubim, cry out, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the thrice-holy, of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of his glory; O seraphim, sing hymns; O prophets, preach. And let one say: Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and another, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, preach, O daughter of Jerusalem; and another, gazing upon Christ the King, cry out: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; and another preach about the Lord himself: This is our God; no other shall be accounted besides 43.436 him; and another: Behold, a man who is also God. His name is the East; and let David, gazing upon Christ who is from him according to the flesh, say: The Lord is God, and has appeared to us; and again another, bending the knee, cry out to Christ: Let all the earth worship you; and another direct the peoples, saying: Keep the feast with the dense branches up to the horns of the altar.

For thus was the sojourn of the Lord in Zion with the colt accomplished also of old; a universal symphony, the choirs of the fathers, the peoples of the just, the spirits of the prophets, the children of the Hebrews, the infants of mothers, the multitudes of angels. Some spread their wings, others held palm branches, others came behind, others cut the boughs, others wove the young shoots, some untied the colt, others spread garments, some opened the gates, others cleared the roads, others prepared the colt, others proclaimed victory, others waved the branches, others said to the infants, Praise, O children, the Lord; the children answered, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. O the new and strange deeds and wonders of the feast! children theologize about Christ as God, and the priests blaspheme him; nursing infants worship, and the teachers act impiously; the children say, Hosanna, and the Hebrews cry, Let him be crucified; some come to Christ with palm branches; others come to him with swords; these cut branches, those prepare the wood of the cross; infants spread their garments under Christ, and the priests divide Christ’s garments; infants raise Christ up on a colt, and elders hang Christ on a cross; the children worshipped Christ’s feet, but those men nailed Christ’s feet with nails; children bring praise, these men offer vinegar; children offer honor to Christ, but these men offer gall; children wave palm branches, but these men pierce with a sword; children sing hymns to Christ on the colt, these men sell him who is on the colt.

An ox knew its owner, born in a manger, and the new people of the nations was subject to their Lord, but only Israel did not know Christ the God

3

Τί γάρ φησιν ὁ ἱεροκῆρυξ εὐαγγελιστὴς τῆς ἑορτῆς, ἄκουσον· Ἐγένετο ὅτε ἤγγιζεν ὁ Κύριος εἰς Βηθφαγὴ, καὶ εἰς Βηθανίαν, πρὸς τὸ ὄρος τὸ καλούμενον Ἐλαιῶν, ἀπέστειλε δύο ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, λέγων· Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν ἀπέναντι κώμην, καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰσελθεῖν ὑμᾶς εὑρήσετε ὄνον καὶ πῶλον δεδεμένην· λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι. Καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ καθὼς ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· καὶ ὑπέστρωσαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πῶλον, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤγγισεν εἰς τὴν κατάβασιν τοῦ ὄρους, ὁ ὄχλος ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν ἔλαβον βαΐα τῶν φοινίκων, καὶ ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ οἱ προάγοντες, καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον· Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ ∆αβὶδ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Αὕτη τῆς παρούσης ἑορτῆς ἡ ∆εσποτικὴ παρουσία· αὕτη τοῦ Βασιλέως τῶν βασιλευόντων ἡ ἐν Σιὼν πάλαι καὶ νῦν ἐπιδημία· αὕτη τῆς παρούσης ἡμέρας ἡ λαμπρὰ καὶ πάνδημος τοῦ ποιητοῦ τῶν ἁπάντων ἔλευσις.

∆ιὸ νῦν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὁ ὄχλος ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν, ἐξέλθωμεν εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ, ὅ τε ὁρατὸς κόσμος καὶ ὁ ἀόρατος, καὶ οἱ προάγοντες χρόνῳ προφῆται, καὶ διδάσκαλοι, καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες τῷ πώλῳ, οἱ Θεῷ πίστει συμφωνοῦντες. Σήμερον τὰ οὐράνια σὺν τοῖς ἐπιγείοις ὁμοῦ τε καὶ καταχθονίοις ἀνυμνείτω· πᾶν στόμα καὶ πνεῦμα πρὸς αἶνον Θεοῦ ἀνοιγόμενον. Τὰ χερουβὶμ, βοήσατε, Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος Κύριος, ὁ τρισάγιος, σαβαώθ· πλήρης ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ· σεραφὶμ, ὑμνήσατε· προφῆται, κηρύξατε. Καὶ ὁ μὲν λεγέτω· Εὐφραινέσθωσαν οἱ οὐρανοὶ, καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ γῆ· ὁ δὲ, Χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιὼν, κήρυττε, θύγατερ Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἄλλος τῷ βασιλεῖ Χριστῷ ἀτενίζων βοάτω· Ἴδε ὁ Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου· καὶ ἕτερος περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου κηρυξάτω· Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐ43.436 τόν· καὶ ἄλλος· Ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ὁμοῦ καὶ Θεός. Ἀνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ· καὶ ∆αβὶδ πρὸς τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν ἀτενίζων λέγῃ· Θεὸς Κύριος, καὶ ἐπέφανεν ἡμῖν· καὶ πάλιν ἄλλος τὸ γόνυ κλίνων βοάτω Χριστῷ· Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυνησάτω σοι· καὶ ἕτερος τοῖς λαοῖς ἐπιτρέπῃ, λέγων· Συστήσασθε ἑορτὴν ἐν τοῖς πυκάζουσιν ἕως τῶν κεράτων τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου.

Οὕτω γὰρ ἐπετελεῖτο καὶ πάλαι ἡ ἐν Σιὼν τοῦ ∆εσπότου μετὰ τοῦ πώλου ἐπιδημία· πάνδημος συμφωνία, οἱ χοροὶ τῶν πατέρων, οἱ δῆμοι τῶν δικαίων, τὰ πνεύματα τῶν προφητῶν, οἱ παῖδες τῶν Ἑβραίων, τὰ νήπια τῶν μητέρων, τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἀγγέλων. Οἱ μὲν πτέρυγας ἐφήπλουν, οἱ δὲ βαΐα κατεῖχον, οἱ δὲ ὄπισθεν ἤρχοντο, ἄλλοι τοὺς κλάδους ἔκοπτον, ἄλλοι δὲ τοὺς θάλλους ἔπλεκον, οἱ μὲν τὸν πῶλον ἔλυον, οἱ δὲ χιτῶνας ἐστρώννυον, οἱ μὲν τὰς πύλας ἤνοιγον, οἱ δὲ ὁδοὺς ἐκάθαιρον, ἄλλοι πῶλον εὐτρέπιζον, ἄλλοι νίκην ἐκήρυττον, ἄλλοι τοὺς κλάδους ἔσειον, ἄλλοι νηπίοις ἔλεγον, Αἰνεῖτε, παῖδες, Κύριον· οἱ παῖδες ἀπεκρίναντο, Ὡσαννὰ εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Ὢ καινῶν καὶ παραδόξων πραγμάτων καὶ θαυμάτων τῆς ἑορτῆς! παῖδες Χριστὸν ὡς Θεὸν θεολογοῦσι, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτὸν βλασφημοῦσι· θηλάζοντες προσκυνοῦσι, καὶ οἱ διδάσκοντες ἀσεβοῦσιν· οἱ παῖδες, Ὡσαννὰ, λέγουσι, καὶ οἱ Ἑβραῖοι, Σταυρωθήτω, κράζουσιν· οἱ μὲν μετὰ βαΐων πρὸς Χριστὸν ἔρχονται· οἱ δὲ μετὰ μαχαιρῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔρχονται· οὗτοι κλάδους κόπτουσιν, ἐκεῖνοι ξύλον σταυροῦ εὐτρεπίζουσι· νήπια Χριστοῦ χιτῶνας ὑποστρωννύουσι, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς χιτῶνας Χριστῷ διαμερίζουσι· νήπια ἐπὶ πώλου Χριστὸν ὑψοῦσι, καὶ γέροντες ἐπὶ σταυροῦ Χριστὸν κρεμνοῦσιν· οἱ παῖδες τοὺς πόδας Χριστοῦ προσεκύνησαν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τοὺς πόδας Χριστοῦ τοῖς ἥλοις προσήλωσαν· παῖδες αἶνον προσάγουσιν, οὗτοι ὄξος προσφέρουσι· παῖδες Χριστῷ τὴν τιμὴν, οὗτοι δὲ τὴν χολήν· παῖδες βαΐα σείουσιν, οὗτοι δὲ ῥομφαίᾳ νύττουσι· παῖδες ἐπὶ πῶλον Χριστὸν ὑμνοῦσιν, οὗτοι τὸν ἐπὶ πώλου πωλοῦσιν.

Ἔγνω βοῦς τὸν κτησάμενον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ φάτνης γεννηθέντα, καὶ ὁ νέος λαὸς τῶν ἐθνῶν ὑπετάγη τῷ Κυρίῳ αὐτῶν, μόνον δὲ Ἰσραὴλ οὐκ ἔγνω Χριστὸν τὸν Θεὸν