Sermo in ramos palmarum

Of the same Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, a homily on the Palms. A fearsome mystery, beloved, has occurred today in Jerusalem. A mystery, I say, that which was proclaimed by the prophets and fulfilled by Christ. For truly, "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," according to the blessed David. And again the same: "From the mouths of infants and sucklings you have fashioned praise." For confirming the common resurrection of the human race, the master and creator of all, Jesus Christ, who arranged everything for us before his saving passion, raised Lazarus from the dead. Hence after this, hastening as I said to undergo the voluntary passion for us, "he sends," says the evangelist, "two of his own disciples, saying: Go to the village opposite you, you will find a donkey tied and a foal with it; untie them and bring them to me." For this reason the blessed Jacob, the patriarch, when he was distributing the blessings by lot to his children, coming to Judah spoke thus: "Judah, let your brothers praise you." And after a little: "And he himself is the expectation of nations." Of which nations did Judah become the expectation? Of the Jews? By no means. But the prophet indicates this, because from Judah the Lord has arisen. And again after other things the same: "Binding his donkey to the vine and the foal of his donkey to the tendril." Saying donkey and foal, he signified the church of the nations. For truly the Lord bound the nations to the vine and the tendril, that is, to the Old and New Covenant, so that they might bear fruit of piety through faith. Then he adds:

He will wash his garment in wine and his cloak in the blood of the grape." He speaks of Christ's garment and cloak as the flesh. For willingly on our account he was nailed in the flesh to the cross, so that with his own blood he might wash away the filth of our sins. As it is also written in Isaiah: "Why are your garments red and your clothes as if from a trodden winepress, full of the trodden?" But let us return to the matter at hand. For the Lord says to the disciples concerning the donkey: "And if anyone says to you, 'What are you doing, or why are you untying the colt?' say that its master has need of it." Do not hesitate, he says, in any of the things done according to my economy; none of you will resist or speak a word against anything. "Say that its master has need of it." No one will hinder you from doing what is commanded by me. "For the world and its fullness are mine." Therefore all things written about me must come to pass. I must enter Jerusalem today riding on a beast of burden. "Search the scriptures;" behold, Zechariah the prophet cries out explicitly, saying: "Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; a righteous and saving one is proclaimed to you; he is gentle and mounted on a beast of burden and a young colt of a donkey." Therefore the present time is one of good will. I must dissolve the enmity and make peace through the cross. The present Jerusalem must come to an end, and the church from the nations must be established. Or did not the hymn-writer David also prophesy concerning this calling of the nations? For what did he say?

All the nations, which you have made, will come and worship before you, Lord." These are the "true worshipers," those who receive the Word through faith. Then the evangelist says: "And the disciples, going, did as he had instructed them, and they brought the donkey and the foal and placed their garments upon them, and they seated Jesus." O the great condescension of the Savior toward us! Who would not marvel at the magnitude of his love for us? Who would not be astonished that he who rides upon the cherubim sat upon a foal for our sake? He who is hymned by the seraphim is acclaimed by children. For some, it says, were strewing the road with their garments, while others, cutting branches from the trees, did the same. And some went before, others followed, crying out together with the innocent children, singing a kind of victory hymn: "Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest." Therefore, let us also, setting aside every foul thought and shameful intention and the wickedness of cunning, take up an innocent mind, and together with those children, with bright torches, meet the Savior Christ, our true God. And with palm branches let us proclaim him victor over death, and with branches of olive let us beseech the merciful and good one, saying:

Blessed is the one who has come and who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest." Blessed is the one who has come according to the economy and "who, being rich, became poor for our sake, so that we might be enriched by your poverty." And who comes with glory to judge the living and the dead. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.