Click here for Part 1: Introduction to Septuagesima, Lent, and Holy Week.
Booklet of Palm Sunday liturgy.
Photos from Palm Sunday 2018 by Michael Curtis.
Our celebration of Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. This day is one of the most complex of the whole year, and has the second longest liturgy (only the Easter Vigil is longer). Today, we celebrate Jesus's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem a week before his death. All four Gospels describe this event (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19). Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives and sent two disciples to fetch a donkey. He rode into Jerusalem while the Jews adored him, throwing their garments and palm branches before him and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Booklet of Palm Sunday liturgy.
Photos from Palm Sunday 2018 by Michael Curtis.
Our celebration of Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. This day is one of the most complex of the whole year, and has the second longest liturgy (only the Easter Vigil is longer). Today, we celebrate Jesus's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem a week before his death. All four Gospels describe this event (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19). Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives and sent two disciples to fetch a donkey. He rode into Jerusalem while the Jews adored him, throwing their garments and palm branches before him and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Hosanna
is derived from a Hebrew
word meaning “save.” It is first
found in Psalm 117:25: “O
Lord, save me.” (“Domine, salvum me fac.”) This
psalm was sung by the priest during the Feast of Tabernacles, an
exceedingly joyous feast at which the Jewish people waved palm
branches (Leviticus 23:40).
On Palm Sunday, the Jews
welcomed their Savior riding on a donkey with great jubilation,
festivity, and adoration.
In the words of the Prophet Zechariah, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter
of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold thy King will
come to thee, the just and saviour: he is poor, and riding upon an
ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). The
joyful cheers of the Jews on Palm Sunday are sung at every Mass in
the Sanctus.
However,
these cheers have a tragic element of irony to them. Just a few days
later, the same multitude of the Jews shouted, “Crucify him!
Crucify him!” (Luke 23:21). The same Savior whom they welcomed with
such jubilation and adoration, they subsequently
reviled and demanded to be tortured and killed. In Jesus's parable of
the sower (Matthew 13:3-9), the Jews can be compared to the seed that
fell amongst the thorns. As joyfully as they received the Lord, their
love of worldly things was stronger than their faith, so as soon as
it became unpopular to worship the true King, they immediately turned
against him and called for his crucifixion. St. Luke notes that, as
Jesus was approaching Jerusalem, he wept over the holy city and said
(Luke 19:42-44):
If
thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are
to thy peace; but now they are hidden from thy eyes. For the days
shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee,
and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat
thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they
shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not
known the time of thy visitation.
In
these prophetic words, Jesus foretold the Jews turning against God
and calling for his Crucifixion.
Furthermore, he foretold the siege of Jerusalem and destruction of
the Second Temple in AD 70 by the Romans. As discussed in the
previous article, Jerusalem and the First Temple were destroyed in
605 BC by the Babylonians. Nearly seven centuries later, after
Jerusalem and the Jewish people had turned against God and rejected
their Messiah, the holy city was destroyed again by the Romans. This
event happened decades after the events of the Gospels and Acts,
while St. Linus was Pope. It
was prophesied by Jesus himself in AD 33 the week before his
Crucifixion.
Palm
Sunday thus has two distinct natures to it: the joyful celebration
with palms, and the sorrowful remembrance of our Lord's Crucifixion.
The liturgy is almost like two separate Masses. The first part, the
Blessing
of Palms,
has the structure of a Mass. The Holy Mass is the highest prayer that
exists, as it is the re-creation of the true and ultimate sacrifice
of the New Covenant. The Church's most solemn blessings occur during
the Mass, such as ordinations of clergy, coronations of Catholic
monarchs, and the blessing of holy oils on Holy Thursday. For the
blessed palm branches on Palm Sunday, the Church provides
them with
a quasi-Mass of their own. The joyful palm branches are so sacred to
the Church that she feels it appropriate for the honor given to them
to mirror that given to God himself.
As
with the rest of Lent, the liturgical color is violet, the color of
royalty and of penitence – the perfect color for
our shouts of “Hosanna!” The
altar crucifix is veiled in violet. Palm
branches may adorn the altar, but not flowers.
The
deacon and subdeacon wear folded chasubles.
The palms to be blessed are placed on a table on the Epistle side of
the altar. If palm branches cannot be acquired, olive branches may be
used.
The
Blessing
of Palms
As
with any other Sunday, the liturgy begins with the Asperges
(page 4 of the attached PDF
booklet). Afterwards,
the choir sings the antiphon Hosanna filio David
(page 5), which serves as the Introit for the quasi-Mass of the
Blessing
of the Palms.
It is taken from the shouts of the Jews in Matthew 21:9.
Meanwhile,
the three ministers put on their maniples. The
maniple is a vestment only worn for the Mass, but it is worn now as
part of the Blessing of Palm's mirroring of the Mass.
The celebrant remains in his cope; he does not put on the chasuble.
The priest ascends to the altar with the ministers and honors the
relics of martyrs with a kiss, just like at the beginning of Mass.
They go to the Epistle side of the altar, where the priest sings a
collect, like the collect of the Mass. He
does not turn to the people when he sings, “Dominus vobiscum.”
The
deacon and subdeacon remove their folded chasubles while performing
the duties proper to their offices. For the subdeacon, this consists
only of singing the Epistle. The deacon, who has the first degree of
the ordained priesthood, has a proper duty from the Gospel until
after Communion. Thus, while the priest is singing the collect, the
subdeacon removes his folded chasuble and prepares to sing the
Epistle.
The
Epistle for the Blessing of
Palms is Exodus 15:27, 16:1-7 (pages
5-6). In this passage, after
God delivers the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, he leads
them into a place with twelve fountains of water and seventy palm
trees. The Israelites rebel against Moses and distrust God, saying,
“Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of
Egypt, when we sat over the fleshpots and ate bread to the full.”
However, God promises to feed the Israelites with manna.
The sacred manna
from heaven foreshadows the Holy Eucharist. Thus, like the week of
Christ's Passion, God provides for the Israelites, but they still
turn against him and against his Word.
After the Epistle, the
subdeacon puts back on his folded chasuble.
Following
the Epistle, there are two options given for a Gradual
(pages 6-9). (This is a rare
case of options given to the priest in the traditional liturgy.) Both
are long, elaborate chants, in the form
of a responsory, and both concern the Death of Jesus. The first
option is from John 11:47-50, 53, describing the chief priests and
Pharisees conspiring to put Jesus to death. The second is from
Matthew 26:39, 41, Jesus's prayer to his Father in his Agony in the
Garden of Gethsemane, along with his admonition to his disciples,
“The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The
deacon removes his folded chasuble and puts on the broad
stole,
a vestment resembling a very wide stole. It was originally a chasuble
folded in half, and it represents a soldier's coat. The Gospel is
sung with the same ceremonies as at Mass. The deacon places the Book
of Gospels on the altar, says the prayer Munda
cor meum,
and receives the priest's blessing (page 9). Like
at Mass, candles are held at the Gospel, and incense is used. The
Gospel reading for the Blessing of Palms is Matthew 21:1-9, the story
of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem (pages 9-10).
After
the Gospel, the
deacon puts back on his folded chasuble.
The
ministers lay aside their maniples, as they only wore them for the
readings in imitation of a Mass. The priest sings one “Offertory”
prayer aloud, perhaps analogous to the Secret at Mass. The
Offertory prayer mentions two Old Testament archetypes of Jesus's
entry into Jerusalem: Noah exiting the ark, and Moses leading the
Israelites out of Egypt.
This is followed by a Preface unique
to the Blessing of the Palms (pages 11-12). The
Preface gives praise and thanksgiving to God, joining our sentiments
with those of the Jewish people receiving Jesus into Jerusalem.
Just
like at Mass, the Preface leads to the Sanctus.
This is perhaps the strongest link between the Blessing of Palms and
the Mass. Whereas readings, responsories, and
prayers all occur elsewhere in sacred
liturgy, the Sanctus
is only sung at Mass. Furthermore, the Sanctus
is especially relevant on Palm Sunday, as we celebrate the joyful
greetings, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!”
Next
in the
order of the Mass
would
be
the Canon. In this case, the
priest sings
five prayers to bless the palms, in the course of which he
makes four signs of the Cross over the palm branches (pages
13-15).
These
five beautiful
prayers further expound on
the significance of the palm branches. The first prayer refers to
them as a “sacred sign,” using the Latin word sacramentum,
which normally means “sacrament.”
The
Canon
of prayers also discusses the
Old Testament events of the flood and the exodus from Egypt as
predecessors to Christ's triumphal entry, as
well as the joyful symbolism of the palm and olive branches. In the
words of the third of the five prayers: “The branches of palms,
therefore, represent his triumphs over the prince of death; and the
branches of olive proclaim, in a manner, the coming of a spiritual
unction.” This
third prayer also prays that we, the faithful, may by divine wisdom
truly understand our salvation. If
we had perfect
faith and understanding of Jesus's sacrifice on the Cross, we would
never sin.
The
fourth prayer refers to the olive branch brought back by the dove to
Noah's ark as a sign of divine peace. Thus,
through
these five prayers, we join the multitudes of God's chosen people
welcoming our Lord and Savior with sacred branches of palms and
olives.
After
the five prayers, the priest blesses incense and
puts it into the thurible. He sprinkles the palms with holy water,
saying the antiphon Asperges
me,
and then incenses the palms (pages 15-16). The
priest sings a sixth prayer adoring Jesus Christ and acknowledging
his sacrifice on the Cross.
Next,
the palms are distributed at the Communion rail, analogous to the
distribution of Communion at Mass. Each person kneels at the altar
rail and kisses first the blessed palm and then the priest's hand. (A
liturgical kiss consists simply of touching your lips to something.
As our pastor says, “Sound effects are not necessary.”) During
the distribution of palms, the choir sings two short antiphons that
paraphrase St. Matthew's account of Palm Sunday (pages 16-17). After
the distribution, the priest sings one more prayer, like a
Postcommunion. This prayer once again unites our sentiments of praise
and adoration with those of the people of Jerusalem.
Then
comes the procession. As at Mass, the deacon turns to the people and
sings the dismissal. (page 18). The subdeacon leads the procession
with the processional cross. All carry their palms. The procession
should go outside and may go a considerable distance. The blessing of
palms may even be held in a different church than the Mass, with the
procession proceeding from one church to the other. This procession
imitates our Lord's procession into Jerusalem. All carry their
blessed palm branches. Chants are sung during the procession. The
first two chants are from Matthew 21:1-3, 7-9 and John 12:12-13, both
from accounts of Jesus's entry into Jerusalem (pages 18-21). Other
chants paraphrase and elaborate on the Gospels' accounts. The chants
are long and melismatic, in the style of a Gradual, because the
procession with palms is a festive and joyful occasion. In addition,
the Gradual of Mass comes from the Jewish Gradual Psalms sung while
ascending to the Temple in Jerusalem, so the procession recalling
Jesus's arriving in Jerusalem has a special connection to the Gradual
of the Mass.
When
the procession arrives back at the door of the church, two cantors go
inside and close the door. The following ceremony at the door of the
church represents Jesus's arrival at the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13).
The two cantors inside the church sing the refrain of the hymn Gloria
laus et honor, composed in 810 by St. Theodulph of Orleans for
the Palm Sunday procession (pages 24-25). All outside then repeat the
refrain. The cantors sing the verses, with everyone singing the
refrain each time. The hymn gives praise and adoration to Jesus
Christ, our King and Redeemer. At the end of the hymn, the subdeacon
strikes the door with the foot of the processional cross. The cantors
open the door, and all enter. In addition to the symbolism of Jesus's
arrival at the Temple, this also imitates what is done at the
ceremony of Dedication of a Church (Psalm 23:7-10). While entering
the church, the choir sings the chant Ingrediente Domino (page
26).
Mass
of Palm Sunday
After
the procession, Mass is begun. When finished with the chant
Ingrediente Domino, the choir begins the Introit Domine, ne
longe facias (page 28-29). This marks a considerable shift from
the festive and joyful celebration of Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem to
the sorrowful remembrance of Jesus's Crucifixion. In the Introit, we
sing the words of King David that foreshadowed the words of our Lord
on the Cross: “My God, my God, look upon me: why have you forsaken
me?” Psalm 21, from which the Introit is taken, is a prophecy of
our Lord's Passion.
Meanwhile,
the priest and ministers prepare for Mass. The priest takes off his
cope and dons the chasuble, and all three ministers put on their
maniples. They go before the altar and begin Mass with the Prayers at
the Foot of the Altar. Since it is Passiontide, Psalm 42 is omitted.
The altar is incensed as usual. As with the rest of Lent, there is no
Gloria.
The
Epistle for the Mass of Palm Sunday is taken from St. Paul's Epistle
to the Philippians (page
30).
In this reading, St. Paul writes, “He humbled himself, becoming
obedient to death, even to death on a cross. Therefore God also has
exalted him and has bestowed upon him the name that is above every
name.” During the Paschal Triduum, this excerpt is read at the end
of each hour of the Divine Office. At
the next verse, we all genuflect, joining with
every
soul in heaven, on earth, and under the earth in adoring the holy
name of Jesus. (“Under
the earth” refers to the souls in purgatory, who, though suffering,
still love and adore the name of Jesus.)
This is the sacred name that St. Gabriel the Archangel gave to him at
his conception (Luke 1:31).
The name “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew name “Yeshua,” which
means “Savior.” It is the successor to the sacred name for God in
the Old Testament, roughly YHWH
in Latin script, which was never pronounced. Every time the holy name
of Jesus is spoken in the liturgy, we bow our heads in adoration.
The
Gradual from Psalm 72 is followed by a long Tract from Psalm 21,
foretelling in great detail the events of our Lord's Passion. Due
to their length, the Gradual and Tract are usually sung to a psalm
tone rather than the full, elaborate Gregorian chant (which is five
pages long).
Just
like any other Mass, the Gospel follows. However, today's Gospel is
the story of the Passion and Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, as
told by St. Matthew. Due to the significance of this reading, it is
sung in a very peculiar manner. The Passion
Gospel
is sung by three deacons. The first, known
as the Christus,
sings the words of Christ. The second, known as the Chronicler,
sings the part of the narrator. The third, known as the Synagoga,
sings the parts of all other people. In some parishes,
the choir sings the part of the multitudes,
known as the
Turba.
(Otherwise
these parts are sung by the Synagoga.)
The
three deacons wear amice, alb, cincture, violet maniple, and violet
stole. They do not wear broad stoles. They do not say Munda
cor meum
or receive the priest's blessing, but go directly to the place where
the Gospel is usually sung. If three deacons are not available, then
three ministers of the Mass may sing the Passion. In this case, the
deacon and subdeacon change into the aforementioned vestments, but
the priest stays at the altar in his Mass vestments and
sings the Christus.
Everyone
except the three deacons holds
up their palms during the Passion.
This
ceremony of having multiple deacons or lectors singing the Passion
dates to at least the thirteenth century, possibly earlier. However,
since the seventh century, a special tone has been used to sing the
Passion, with the
Christus, Chronicler, and Synagoga
all sung at different pitches (pages 32-60). The Chronicler sings a
tone somewhat similar to the usual tone for the readings at Mass. The
Christus sings at a lower pitch
in a minor mode, representing our Lord's sorrow and suffering.
Finally, the Synagogue sings at the highest pitch, an octave above
the Christus. The Synagoga
is dissonant with the other two parts, because among
the
most notable characters
sung by the Synagoga
are
Pontius Pilate, who condemned our Lord to death, and
Judas Iscariot, who sought from the beginning to betray our Lord.
The
Chronicler begins the Passion directly with the title, “Passio
Domini nostri Jesu Christi
secundum Matthaeum.” He does not sing “Dominus vobiscum,” nor
is the response “Gloria tibi Domine” made. The missal remains on
the Epistle side of the altar for now.
On
Palm Sunday, the
three deacons
sing the first Passion, the Passion according to St. Matthew. The
Gospel begins with the anointing of Jesus at Bethania and Judas's
agreement to betray our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. Thirty
pieces of silver is about USD$400
in today's currency. Thus, Judas Iscariot chose $400 over his loving
and merciful Savior. The
Gospel continues with the story of the Last Supper and the
institution of the Holy Eucharist. During
the most important Gospel readings of the year, not only do we hear
the story of our Lord's Crucifixion, but we also hear the story of
the institution of the Mass itself. Next
is Jesus's trial before Pilate, Judas's despair and suicide, our
Lord's condemnation, the mockery of the Roman soldiers, and finally
our Lord's death on the Cross. At the moment when our Lord dies, all
kneel for a moment of silent contemplation (page 57).
After
the passage concerning Jesus's burial and the stone laid before the
tomb, the three deacons leave. The
subdeacon moves the missal to the Gospel side of the altar. The
last part of the Passion is sung with the usual ceremony of the
Gospel at Mass.
The deacon, wearing broad stole, lays the Book of Gospels on the
altar, says the prayer Munda
cor meum,
and receives the priest's blessing, as at any other Mass. There is
neither Dominus
vobiscum
nor a title, nor
are the usual Signs of the Cross made.
The deacon sings the final part of the Passion, in which the Jews
recall our Lord's foretelling of his Resurrection. In their
faithlessness and hardness of hearts, they suppose that a disciple
would steal the body and claim that he had risen, and thus they
demand that the tomb be guarded.
The
Credo
is sung, and the rest of the Mass is as usual. The
Preface of the Holy Cross is sung.
The
deacon remains in broad stole until after Communion, when he changes
back to folded chasuble.
At the end, the deacon sings Benedicamus
Domino
in place of Ite
Missa est.
Mass concludes as always with the Last Gospel.
New
terms
-
Blessing of Palms – The liturgy before Mass on Palm Sunday in which palm or olive branches are blessed, following the structure of a Mass.
-
broad stole – A vestment resembling a very wide stole, originally a chasuble folded in half, worn by the deacon from the Gospel until after Communion during Lent.
-
Christus – The words of Christ, sung to a lower pitch during the Passion.
-
Chronicler – The words of the narrator, sung to a medium pitch during the Passion.
-
Synagoga – The words of all other people, sung to a high, dissonant pitch during the Passion.
-
Turba – The words of the multitudes, which may be sung by the choir during the Passion, otherwise they are sung by the Synagoga.
