De dominica in ramis palmarum
The Two Processions of the Lord
The Church commemorates both the triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the sorrowful procession to Calvary.
Today, our holy mother the Church solemnly commemorates two processions. The first is the one the Jews accompanied from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem with palm and olive branches and great songs; this was a procession of great reverence and honor, which the Church represents in today's Gospel. The second procession was the one in which the Jews led Christ from Jerusalem to the Mount of Calvary with great insults and mockery; this was one of great shame and sorrow, which the Church represents in today's Gospel of the Passion. Regarding the first procession, there are four things to observe. First, by whom this procession was made: it was not made by the great or the wealthy, but by children and the poor, which is why it says in today's Gospel that a very large crowd spread their garments on the road. For because children and the poor were leading Christ in procession, the Pharisees and the leaders were plotting Christ's death. Simple and poor people clung to Christ; that is why, out of all the wealthy, Christ had only one friend, namely Zacchaeus. Consider your calling, brothers, for not many were wise according to the flesh, not many were powerful, not many were noble, but God chose those who are foolish in the world to confound the wise; secondly, it must be seen why Christ, while going to his death, wished to receive such honor, even though he rejected other honors of kings.
The Vanity of Earthly Honor
Christ's reception of honor serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of worldly status and the necessity of preparing the soul for judgment.
It must be said here that Christ did this because anyone who has been placed in a position of great honor ought to have... ...a memory of death. This is so they don't become proud; if someone has great wealth, they should consider that they are heading toward death and that they'll take nothing with them from all their riches except a burial shroud, as it is said in Job. Job says: 'I have sewn sackcloth over my skin and covered my flesh with ashes.' And again: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there.' If anyone is placed in a position of great honor, let them consider that they are heading toward death, where, even if they were in the highest rank, they will be placed in the lowest place, because they will be under the earth; and if they have risen above others by dominating them, snakes and beasts will rise up to trample them. Therefore, Ecclesiastes says: 10: It is said: 'When a man dies, he will inherit snakes, beasts, and worms.' Likewise, when someone nourishes their body with various delicacies, adorning it with various colors, and indulging in bodily pleasures, let them consider that they are heading toward death, where worms will eat their delicately nourished body and tear it apart. Job 27 says: 'His insides are full of fat and marrow, his bones are full of moisture, and yet they will sleep in the dust, and worms will cover them.' Hugo of Saint Victor. In his book on... He says: Why do you fatten your flesh with precious things, which worms will eat in the grave after a few days, and yet you do not adorn your soul with precious works, which must be preserved for God and His angels at the judgment! Why do you despise your soul and prefer to let the flesh—a mere servant—rule over it?
The Mixed Joys of the World
Christ's tears reveal that earthly joys are inherently mixed with sorrow, unlike the pure joys of heaven or the corruption of hell.
It is a great abuse for a mistress to be served by her maid. Next, we must consider why Christ wanted to shed tears when such honor was shown to Him; for it is said in Luke 19 that when Christ had come to Jerusalem... He wept over it with such honor. In this, He Himself wanted to show that the joys and honors of this world are mixed with tears and sorrows. In heaven, all things are pure; in the world, all things are mixed; in hell, they are foul. Hence, Augustine says in his book On the Trinity, in the person of Christ: What is that, 'I will be their God,' except 'I will be all things that are desired,' namely life, health, food, abundance, glory, honor, and peace? These things in heaven are all pure; in the world, they are mixed; in hell, they are foul. Let us see in order: life in heaven is pure because it is there without fear; as it is in the world, it is mixed because there is life with death; as it is in hell, it is foul and corrupt because there is death without life. Health, as it is in heaven, is pure because there is health without sickness; as it is in the world, it is mixed because there is health and sickness; as it is in hell, it is foul and corrupt because there is only sickness without health. Food, that is, satisfaction, as it is in heaven, is pure, and there is satisfaction without hunger; as it is in the world, it is mixed, because there is satisfaction and hunger; as it is in hell, it is foul and corrupt, because there is extreme hunger without satisfaction. Abundance, that is, wealth, as it is in heaven, is pure, because there are riches and poverty; as it is in hell, they are foul and corrupt, because there is extreme poverty without riches. Glory, that is, beauty, as it is in heaven, is beautiful, because there is beauty without deformity. Honor, as it is in heaven, is pure, because there is honor without indignity; but as it is in the world, it is mixed, because there is honor with indignity; as it is in hell, it is foul and corrupt, because there is disgrace without honor. Peace is pure in heaven because it is peace without disturbance; in the world, it is mixed because there is peace alongside disturbance; in hell, it is foul and corrupt because there is constant disturbance without peace. All good things are most pure in heaven because they exist without any evil; in the world, they are mixed because many good things are mingled with evils; in hell, they are foul and corrupt because there are only evils without any mixture of good. The prophet David says all these things: "A cup is in the hand of the Lord, full of pure wine mixed," and he poured from this into that; yet its dregs have not been emptied, and all the sinners of the earth will drink from it. From these words, we understand that God has three cups; one is full of pure wine, and all in heaven drink from this one. This cup is full of life, health, abundance, riches, honor, and so on. Another cup is full of a mixture, and people in the world drink from it, because this cup is full of health mixed with sickness, and abundance mixed with hunger and riches. It comes with poverty and so on; the third cup is full of dregs, and the damned in hell drink from this one.
The Donkey and the Proud Heart
Christ chose a donkey to signify his preference for the humble over the proud, who resist correction.
And this one is full of sickness, death, poverty, deformity, and all other evils. Fourth, we must see why Christ didn't want to ride on a horse, but on a donkey; he did this because he doesn't sit in the hearts of the proud, but in those of the humble and the gentle. Chrysostom says: Christ doesn't sit in a golden chariot shining with purple, nor does he mount a spirited horse that loves discord, but rather a donkey, the friend of tranquility and peace. The horse represents the proud person; the donkey represents the humble person. For a horse, if it is touched, kicks back, but a donkey remains in gentleness. If the proud are corrected, they listen impatiently. Some animals won't let themselves be touched: some because they're arrogant, like the lion; others because they're too wild to be tamed, like the wolf; and others because they're prickly, like the hedgehog. In the same way, there are three types of people who refuse to be corrected. The first are the proud, of whom the prophet says: "Touch the mountains"—that is, the minds of the proud—"and they will smoke" from impatience, and so on. And Ecclesiastes 13 says: "The rich man has acted unjustly, and he will rage; but the poor man, when wronged, will hold his peace." Others are hardened in their sins, and like the wolf, they can't be tamed or led to what is good. Regarding them, Ecclesiastes 1 says: "Such people are difficult to correct and refuse to be reproved." Therefore, Ecclesiastes 32 says: "A pestilent man will avoid correction." The third type are the cunning, who, if they're touched—that is, corrected—immediately hide behind many excuses, as the Proverbs suggest.
The Multiplicity of Human Response
The various reactions of those surrounding Christ during his Passion reveal the complexity of human faith and the contrast between honor and insult.
Proverbs 28 says: "He who hides his sins will not be guided; but he who confesses them will live and not die." Regarding the second procession, two things should be noted: first, that there was a variety of people in that procession. Some were good, some became evil and never regained their goodness, like Judas. Some remained good throughout, like the blessed Virgin Mary. Others were good but later became evil, yet eventually regained their goodness, like the apostles, who lost their hold on God during the Passion but regained it at the Resurrection. There are two types of evil people: some were evil but later became good, like the thief hanging on the right and Longinus. Others were evil and remained in their malice, like the thief on the left and the Jews who crucified Him. From that very procession, some fled both in body and mind, like the apostles, who fled physically and lost their faith. Others didn't flee in body, but did in heart, like Mary Magdalene and the other women who stood physically by the cross, yet still lost their faith. Others fled in body but not in heart, as is believed of James, the brother of the Lord. Jerome writes about him in his book On Illustrious Men that during the Passion he vowed not to eat until he saw Christ risen. There are others who fled neither in heart nor in body, like the blessed Virgin, who stood by the cross and kept her faith entirely intact; as this procession shows, there is a great variety of will among the Jews. In the first procession, the Jews showed Christ six great honors, but in the second, they showed him six great insults. In the first, they placed him upon a donkey with great reverence and spread their garments on the road; in the second, they hung him on a gallows with great ignominy and stripped him of his clothes. In the first, they carried branches of palms and olives for him; in the second, they fastened the sharpest thorns to his head. In the first, they called him King; in the second, they denied him. In the first, they called him Savior, saying 'Hosanna'—which means 'Save, I pray'; in the second, they denied him as Savior, saying, 'He saved others, but he cannot save himself.' In the first, they called him blessed in the name of the Lord; in the second, they called him cursed and a criminal, and demanded he be fixed to the gallows of the cross, saying, 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him!'
Read the original Latin
Hodie sancta mater ecclesia duas processiones sollemniter recolit, Prima fait, quam Judaei a monte Oliveti usque in Hierusalem cum ramis palmarum et olivarum et cum magnis canticis ipsis associaverunt, et ista processio fuit magnae reverentiae et honoris et hanc repraesentat ecclesia in hodierno evangelio. Secunda processio fuit, qua Judaei Christmm ab Hierusalem in monte calvariae cum magnis opprobriis et irrisionibus deduxerunt, et ista fuit ignominiae magnae et doloris, et hanc repraesentat ecclesia in evangelio passionis hodierno, Circa primam processionem quatnor sunt videnda, primo, a quibus ista processio sit facta, quia non est facta a magnis aut divitibus, sed a pueris et pauperibus, unde dicitur in evangelio hodierno: plurima autem tnrba straverunt vestimenta in via, Quoniam enim pueri et pauperes Christum processionaliter deducebant, Pharisaei et principes Christi mortem tractabant. Sünplices enim et panperes Christo adhaerebant, unde Christus de Omnibus divitibus unum solum, scilicet Zachaeum, habuit amicum, unde Luc. XIX: Christus de omnibus potentibus unum solum, scilicet. centurionem habuit; Matth. VIII: de omnibus sapientibus unum solum, scilicet Nicodeinum habuit; Johann, IN, unde 3. Cor. 1: videte vocationem vestram, fratres, quia non inulti sapientes secundum carnem, non multi potentes, non multi nobiles, sed qui stulti sunt mundi, elegit dominus, ut confundat sapientes, Secundo videndum est, quare Christus vädens ad mortem tantum honorem recipere voluit, cum alios honores regum respuit, nt dieitur Joh, VI.
Hic dicendum, quod Christus hoc ideo fecit, quia ille, qui constitutus est in honoribus magnis, debet habere. mortis. amemoriam, ut non uperbiat, Si autem quis habet magnas divitias,- cogitet, quod-vadit ad mortem et quod de omnibus snis divitiis nihil nisi sudarium secum portabit, Unde dicitur Job. XVH: qui fni magnus, saccum consui super cütem meam et operni cinere carnem meam, ltem ejusdem 1: nudus egressus sum de utero matris meae, nudus revertar illuc, Si quis est in magnis honoribus constitutus, cogitet, quia vadit ad mortem, ubi si erat in gradu supremo, ponetur in loco infimo, quia sub terra, si super alios adscenderit dominando, serpentes et bestiae ascendent conculcando eum. Ideo Eccles. X. dicilur: cum moritnr homo, hereditabit serpentes, bestias et vermes. Item, cum aliquis nutrit corpus sunm diversis deliciis, diversis coloribus ipsum ornando, voluptates corporis exercendo cogitet, quia vadit ad mortem, ubi vermes corpus suum delicate nutritum comedent et lacerabunt, Job, XXVII: viscera ejus plena sunt adipe et medullis, ossa illius plena irrigantur et tamen in pulvere dormient et vermes operient eos.
Hugo de sancto Victore. in Jibro de. claustró-amümnáe sio ait: cur carnem tuam pretiosis rebus impinguas, quam post paucos dies vermes comestari sunt in sepulchro, et animam tuam preciosis operibus non adornas, quae Deo et angelis ejus praeservanda est in judicio! Cur animam luam vilipendis et ei carnem praeponis ancillam dominari? et dominam ancillari magna abusio est, Tertio videndum est, quare Christus tanto honore sibi impenso voluit lacrymas emittere, Dicitur enim Luc, XIX: Christus cum venisset Hierusalem , cuin. tanto honore flevit super eam, In hoc ipse voluit ostendere, quod gandia et honores hnjus saeculi lacrymis et doloribus sunt permixta, In coelo omnia sunt pura, in mundo omnia mixta, in inferno sunt foetulenta, Unde Augustinus in libro de trinitate in persona Christi dicit: quid est illud, ero illorum Deus, nisi, ero omnia, quae desiderantur, scilicet vita, salus, victus, copia, gloria, honor et pax, Ista in coelo oinnia sunt pura, in mundo mixta, in inferno foetulenta, Videamus per ordinem, vita in coelo est pura, quia ibi est sine timore, prout est, in mundo est mixta, qnia ibi est vita cum morte, prout est, in inferno foetnlenta et corrupta, quia est ibi mors sine vita, Salus, prout est in coelo, “est pura, quia ibi est salus sine aegritudine, prout est in mundo, est mixta, quia ibi est salus et aegritudo, prout est in inferno, foetulenta et corrupta, quia ibi est sola aegritudo sine sanitate. Victus, id est satielas, prout est in coelo, est pura, atque ibi est satietas sine esurie, prout est in mundo, est mixta, qnia est satietas et esuries, prout est in inferno, est foetulenta et corrupta, quia ibi est sumina esuries sine satietate, Copiae, id est divitiae, prout sunt in coelo, sunt purae, quia ibi sunt divitiae et paupertates, prout in inferno, sunt foetulentae et corruptae, quia ibi est summa paupertas sine divitiis, Gloria, id est pulchritudo, prout est in coelo, est pulchra, quia ibi est pulchritudo sine deformitate, Honor, prout est in coelo, est purus, quia ibi est honor sine indignitate, sed prout est in mundo, est mixtus, quia ibi est honor cum indignitate, prout est in inferno, est foetulentus et corruptus, quia ibi est dedecus sine honore. Pax, prout est in coelo, est pura, quia est pax sine perturbatione, prout est in mundo, est mixta, quia ibi est pax cuim perturbatione, prout est in iuferno, est foetulenta et corrupta, quia ibi est continua perturbatio sine pace, Omnia bona, prout sunt in coelo, sunt purissima, quia ibi sunt omnia bona sine malo, sed ut sunt in mundo, sunt inixta, quia ibi sunt multa bona permixta malis, prout vero sunt in inferno, sunt foetulenta et corrupta, quia ibi sunt omnia mala sine commixtione alicujus boni.
Ista omnia dicit propheta David: calix in manu domini vini meri plenus mixto , et inclinavit ex hoc in hoe; verumtamen faex ejus non est exinanita, bibent ex eo omnes peccatores lerrae, Ex his verbis habetur, quod Deus habet tres calices, unus est plenus vino mero; in isto bibunt omnes in coelo. Iste enim calix plenus est vita, sanitate, copia, divitiis, honore etc. Alius calix est plenus ex mixto et de illo bibunt homines in inundo, quia calix iste plenus est sanitate cum aegritudine, satietate cum esurie, divitiis. cum paupertate etc, Tertius calix est plenus faece et de isto bibunt damnati in inferno. Et iste est plenus aegritudine, morle, paupertate, deformitate et omnibus aliis, Quarto videndum est, quare Christus noluit sedere super equum, sed super asinam; hoc ideo fecit, quia non sedet in cordibus supernorum, sed humilium et mansuetorum. Chrysostomus: non sedet Christus in curru anreo purpura fulgens nec adscendit super Tervidum equum discordiae amatorem, sed super asinam tranquillitatis et pacis amicam. Per equum superbus, per asinam humilis designatur. Nan equus, si tangitur, recalcitrat, asinus vero in mansuetudine moratur, Si superbi reprehenduntur, impatienter audiunt.
Quaedam animalia sunt, quae non permittunt e tangi, quia arrogantia sunt sicut leo, vel quia nimis silvestria domesticari non possunt, sicut lupus, vel quia sunt pungitiva sicut ericius, Sic similiter sunt tria genera hominum, qui nolunt reprehendi. Primi sunt superbi, de quibus propheta dicit: tange montes, id est superborum mentes, et fumigabunt per impatientiam etc, Et Eccles, XIII: dives-injuste egit et fremebit, pauper autem laesus tacebit. Alii sunt in malis indurati, qui ad instar lupi non possunt domesticari nec ad bomun induci, De quibus Eccles, I: difficile tales corriguntue et nolunt corripi, ideo Eccles, XXXII: pestifer homo vitabit correctionem, Tertii sunt homines astuti, qui, si tanguntur, id est corripiuntur, sicut ericius Statim excusationibus multis se abscondunt, Proverb. XXVIII: qui abscondit scelera sua, non dirigetur, qui antem confessus fuerit, vivet et non morietur, Circa secundam processionem notanda sunt duo: primo quod in ista processione fuerunt varietates personarum. Quidam euin fuerunt boni, quidam fuerunt facti mali et nunquam recuperaverunt bonitatem, sicut Judas, Quidam boni semper perseveravernnt, sicul beata virgo Maria, Alii vero boni et postea mali, postea tamen suam recuperaverunt bonitatem sicut apostoli, qui Deum in passione perdiderunt, sed in resurrectione recuperaverunt. Malorum duae sunt differentiae, quidam enin fuerunt mali, qui postea facti sunt boni, sicut latro a dextris pendens et Longinus. Alii fuerunt mali, qui semper in malitia perseveraverunt, sicnt latro a sinistris et Judaei, qni crucifixerunt. Ab ipsa processione quidam fugerunt corpore el mente, sicut apostoli, qui fugerunt corporaliter et fidem perdiderunt, ltem alii fugerunt non corpore, sed corde, sicut Maria Magdalena et caeterae mulieres, quae juxta crucem corporaliter steterant, sed tamen fidem amiserunt.
Alii fugerunt corpore, sed non corde, sicut creditur de Jacobo fratre domini. De quo Hieronymus in libro de viris illustribus, quod in passione votum vovit, non se comesturum, donec videret Christum resurgentem. Alii sunt, qui nec corde nec corpore fugerunt, sicut virgo beata, quae juxta crucem stetit et fidem servavit integraliter, Secundum quod in ista processione ostenditur, est magna in Judaeis voluntatis multiplicitas. In prima enim processione Judaei fecerunt Christo sex magnos honores, in secunda vero sex magna vituperia, In prima cum magna ipsum reverentia super asellum posuerunt et in via vestimenta straverant, 1n secunda cum magna ignominia ipsum in patibulo suspenderunt et ipsum suis vestibus spoliaverunt, in prima ramos palmarum et olivarum sibi portaverunt, in secunda spinas acue tissimas capiti sibi affixerunt, In prima regem eum appellaverunt, in secunda ipsum negaverunt, in prima appellaverunt eum salvatorem dicentes osanna, id est: salva, obsecro, In secunda negaverunt ipsum salvatorein dicentes: salvos alios fecit, se ipsum salvum facere non potest. In prima dixerunt ewn benedictum in nomine domini, in secunda imaledicum et malefactorem esse et crucis patibalo eum figendum dicentes: tolle, tolle, crucifige etc,
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