Early in the morning of this day, Jesus sets out for Jerusalem, leaving Mary His Mother, and the two sisters Martha and Mary Magdalene, and Lazarus, at Bethania. The Mother of sorrows trembles at seeing her Son thus expose Himself to danger, for His enemies are bent upon His destruction; but it is not death, it is triumph, that Jesus is to receive to-day in Jerusalem. The Messias, before being nailed to the cross, is to be proclaimed King by the people of the great city; the little children are to make her streets echo with their Hosannas to the Son of David; and this in presence of the soldiers of Rome’s emperor, and of the high priests and Pharisees: the first standing under the banner of their eagles; the second, dumb with rage.
The prophet Zachary had foretold this triumph which the Son of Man was to receive a few days before His Passion, and which had been prepared for Him from all eternity. ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion! Shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold thy King will come to thee; the Just and the Saviour. He is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.’ [Zach. ix. 9]. Jesus, knowing that the hour has come for the fulfilment of this prophecy, singles out two from the rest of His disciples, and bids them lead to Him an ass and her colt, which they would find not far off. He has reached Beth phage, on Mount Olivet. The two disciples lose no time in executing the order given them by their divine Master; and the ass and the colt are soon brought to the place where He stands.
The holy fathers have explained to us the mystery of these two animals. The ass represents the Jewish people, which had been long under the yoke of the Law; the colt, upon which, as the evangelist says, no man yet hath sat [St. Mark xi. 2], is a figure of the Gentile world, which no one had ever yet brought into subjection. The future of these two peoples is to be decided a few days hence: the Jews will be rejected, for having refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messias; the Gentiles will take their place, to be adopted as God’s people, and become docile and faithful.
The disciples spread their garments upon the colt; and our Saviour, that the prophetic figure might be fulfilled, sits upon him [Ibid. 7, and St. Luke xix. 35.], and advances towards Jerusalem. As soon as it is known that Jesus is near the city, the holy Spirit works in the hearts of those Jews, who have come from all parts to celebrate the feast of the Passover. They go out to meet our Lord, holding palm branches in their hands, and loudly proclaiming Him to be King [St. Luke xix. 38]. They that have accompanied Jesus from Bethania, join the enthusiastic crowd. Whilst some spread their garments on the way, others cut down boughs from the palm-trees, and strew them along the road. Hosanna is the triumphant cry, proclaiming to the whole city that Jesus, the Son of David, has made His entrance as her King.
Thus did God, in His power over men’s hearts, procure a triumph for His Son, and in the very city which, a few days later, was to clamour for His Blood. This day was one of glory to our Jesus, and the holy Church would have us renew, each year, the memory of this triumph of the Man-God. Shortly after the birth of our Emmanuel, we saw the Magi coming from the extreme east, and looking in Jerusalem for the King of the Jews, to whom they intended offering their gifts and their adorations: but it is Jerusalem herself that now goes forth to meet this King. Each of these events is an acknowledgment of the kingship of Jesus; the first, from the Gentiles; the second, from the Jews. Both were to pay Him this regal homage, before He suffered His Passion. The inscription to be put upon the cross, by Pilate’s order, will express the kingly character of the Crucified: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Pilate, the Roman governor, the pagan, the base coward, has been unwittingly the fulfiller of a prophecy; and when the enemies of Jesus insist on the inscription being altered, Pilate will not deign to give them any answer but this: ‘What I have written, I have written.’ To-day, it is the Jews themselves that proclaim Jesus to be their King: they will soon be dispersed, in punishment for their revolt against the Son of David; but Jesus is King, and will be so for ever. Thus were literally verified the words spoken by the Archangel to Mary, when he announced to her the glories of the Child that was to be born of her: ‘The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David, His father; and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.’ [St. Luke i. 32]. Jesus begins His reign upon the earth this very day; and though the first Israel is soon to disclaim His rule, a new Israel, formed from the faithful few of the old, shall rise up in every nation of the earth, and become the kingdom of Christ, a kingdom such as no mere earthly monarch ever coveted in his wildest fancies of ambition.
This is the glorious mystery which ushers in the great week, the week of dolours. Holy Church would have us give this momentary consolation to our heart, and hail our Jesus as our King. She has so arranged the service of to-day, that it should express both joy and sorrow; joy, by uniting herself with the loyal hosannas of the city of David; and sorrow, by compassionating the Passion of her divine Spouse.
Today’s liturgy expresses by two ceremonies, the one giving an impression of joy, the other of sorrow, the two aspects under which the Church considers the Cross. The first is the blessing and the procession of palms. All through it bursts forth a holy gladness, which allows us to revive the grand scene of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Then follows the Mass, in which the chants and lessons relate exclusively to the sorrowful recollection of the Passion of the Saviour.
1. — Blessing of the Palms
“Seeing indeed by faith this event and its meaning, we beseech Thee, O Eternal God, that what we Thy people do outwardly we may accomplish inwardly, becoming victorious over the devil.”
Let us religiously keep in our home a branch of blessed palm. This sacramental will obtain graces for us by virtue of the prayer of the Church, and will assert our faith in Jesus, the conqueror of sin and death.
Blessing of the Palms
It begins with the chanting of the following antiphon.
| Antiphon |
English |
| Hosanna filio David! Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. O Rex Israel! Hosanna in excelsis! |
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. O King of Israel! Hosanna in the highest! |
| V. Dominus vobiscum. |
V. The Lord be with you. |
| R. Et cum spiritu tuo. |
R. And with thy spirit. |
Oremus
We beseech thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, that thou wouldst be pleased to bless and sanctify this creature of the olive tree, which thou madest to shoot out of the substance of the wood, and which the dove, returning to the ark, brought in its bill; that whoever receiveth it, may find protection of soul and body, and that it may prove, O Lord, a saving remedy, and a sacred sign of thy grace. Through Christ Our Lord...
R. Amen.
Oremus
O God, who gatherest what is dispersed, and preservest what is gathered; who didst bless the people that carried boughs to meet Jesus; bless also these branches of the palm-tree and olive-tree which thy servants take with faith in honour of thy name; that into whatever place they may be carried, the inhabitants of that place may obtain thy blessing, and thy right hand may preserve from all adversity, and protect those that have been redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son. Who liveth, etc.
R. Amen.
|
|
| V. Dominus vobiscum. |
V. The Lord be with you. |
| R. Et cum spiritu tuo. |
R. And with thy spirit. |
Oremus
O God, who, for our salvation, didst send into this world thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord that he might humble himself to our condition, and call us back to thee: for whom also, as he was coming to Jerusalem, to fulfil the Scriptures, a multitude of faithful people, with a zealous devotion, spread their garments together with palm branches in the way: grant, we beseech thee, that we may prepare him the way of faith, out of which the stone of of fence and the rock of scandal being removed, our actions may flourish with branches of righteousness. so that we may be worthy to follow his steps. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end.
R. Amen.
2. — Distribution of the Palms
After this prayer, the priest distributes the palms to the faithful In receiving the palm, the faithful should kiss the palm. During the distribution, the choir reminds us, by the two following antiphons, of the enthusiasm of the little children of Jerusalem, who, with their palms in their hands, sang their loud: Hosanna to the Son of David!
| Antiphon |
English |
| Pueri Hebraeorum portantes ramos olivarum obviaverunt Domino, clamantes, et dicentes: Hosanna in excelsis! |
The Hebrew children carrying olive-branches met the Lord, crying out, and saying: Hosanna in the highest! |
| Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta prosternebant in via, et clamabant dicentes: Hosanna filio David; benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini! |
The Hebrew children spread their garments in the way, and cried out saying: Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! |
As soon as the distribution is over, the priest concludes this first part of the service by the following prayer.
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| V. Dominus vobiscum. |
V. The Lord be with you. |
| R. Et cum spiritu tuo. |
R. And with thy spirit. |
Oremus
O almighty and eternal God, who wouldst have our Lord Jesus Christ ride on the colt of an ass, and didst inspire the crowds of people to spread their garments, and branches of trees in the way, and to sing Hosanna to his praise: grant, we beseech thee, that we may imitate their innocence, and deserve to partake in their merits. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
3. Reading of the Gospel
V. Dominus vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
V. Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secundum Matthæum (Ch. 21, 1-9)
R. Gloria tibi, Domine.
At that time: When Jesus drew nigh to Jerusalem, and was come to Bethphage, unto mount Olivet, he sent two disciples, saying to them: Go ye into the village that is over against you. and immediately you shall find an ass tied and a colt with her; loose them and bring them to me. And if any man shall say anything to you, say ye, that the Lord hath need of them; and forthwith he will let them go. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold, thy King cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke. And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them: and they brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made him sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way, and others cut boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way; and the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!
4. — Procession of the Palms.
| Hymn |
|
| Gloria, laus et honor, tibi sit, Rex Chniste, Redemptor! Cui puerile decus prompsit Hosanna pium. |
Glory, praise, and honour be to thee, O Christ, our King, our Saviour; to whom the innocent children sang their fervent Hosanna. |
| Israel es tu Rex, Davidis et inclyta proles: Nomine qui in Domini, rex benedicte, venis. |
Thou art the King of Israel, the glorious Son of David! Blessed art thou our King! that comest in the name of the Lord. |
| Coetus in excelsis, te laudat coelicus omnis, Et mortalis homo, et cuncta creata simul. |
The whole heavenly host, in the highest heavens above, and men on earth, and all created things praise thee. |
| Plebs Hebraea tibi cum palmis obvia venit: Cum prece, voto, hymnis, adsumus ecce tibi. |
The Hebrew people, with palms, went forth to meet thee: behold, we, too, present ourselves before thee, with our prayers, desires, and hymns. |
| Hi tibi passuro solvebant munia laudis; Nos tibi regnanti pangimus ecce melos. |
They offered the tribute of their praise to thee, when thou wast about to suffer; we sing our hymn to thee seated on thy throne. |
| Hi placuere tibi, placeat devotio nostra, Rex bone, rex clemens, cui bona cuncta placent. |
They were pleasing to thee; grant that our devotion may also please thee, O dear and merciful King! to whom all is pleasing that is good. |
Mass of Palm Sunday
The triumph of the Saviour must be preceded by “His humiliation unto death, even the death of the cross” (Epistle), which will see model to us “so that, imitating the example of His patience, we may become partners in His resurrection” (Collect).
Introit
Psalms 21, 20, 22. O Lord, keep not Thy help far from me : look to my defence : deliver me from the lion’s mouth, and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. Psalms 21, 2. O God, my God, look upon me ; why hast Thou forsaken me ? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. O Lord, keep not Thy help far from me : look to my defence : deliver me from the lion’s mouth, and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, Who would have our Saviour become man, and suffer on a cross, to give mankind an example of humility ; mercifully grant that we may be instructed by His patience, and partake in His resurrection. Through the same Lord. ℟. Amen
Epistle – Of the blessed Apostle Paul to the Philippians 2, 5-11.
Brethren, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus : Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God ; but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the like of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name which is above all names : (here all genuflect) that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth : and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. ℟. Thanks be to God.
Gradual – Psalms 72, 24, 1-3.
Thou hast held me by my right hand ; and by Thy will Thou hast conducted me, and with Thy glory Thou hast received me. ℣. How good is God to Israel, to those of an upright heart ! but my feet were almost moved, my steps had well-nigh slipped : because I was jealous of sinners, seeing the prosperity of sinners.
Psalms 21, 2-9, 18, 19, 22, 24, 32.
O God, my God, look upon me ; why hast Thou forsaken me ?
℣. Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.
℣. O my God, I shall cry by day, and Thou wilt not hear ; and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.
℣. But Thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.
℣. In Thee have our fathers hoped : they have hoped, and Thou hast delivered them.
℣. They cried to Thee, and they were saved : they trusted in Thee, and were not confounded.
℣. But I am a worm, and no man : the reproach of men and the outcast of the people.
℣. All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn : they have spoken with the lips and wagged the head.
℣. He hoped in the Lord, let Him deliver him : let Him save him, seeing he delighteth in Him.
℣. But they have looked and stared upon me : they parted my garments amongst them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.
℣. Deliver me from the lion’s mouth : and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.
℣. Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him : all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him.
℣. There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come ; and the heavens shall show forth His justice.
℣. To a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.
Gospel – The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ – St. Matthew, 26, 1-75 ; 27, 1-66.
Judas the Betrayer.
At that time Jesus said to His disciples : You know that after two days shall be the Pasch, and the Son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified. Then were gathered together the chief priests and ancients of the people, into the court of the high priest, who was called Caiphas : and they consulted together, that by subtilty they might apprehend Jesus, and put Him to death. But they said : Not on the festival day, lest perhaps there should be a tumult among the people. And when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, there came to Him a woman having an alabaster box of precious ointment, and poured it on His head as He was at table. And the disciples seeing it had indignation, saying : To what purpose is this waste ? For this might have been sold for much and given to the poor. And Jesus knowing it, said to them : Why do you trouble this woman ? For she hath wrought a good work upon Me. For the poor you have always with you ; but Me you have not always. For she, in pouring this ointment upon My body, hath done it for My burial. Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done shall be told for a memory of her. Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests, and he said to them : What will you give me, and I will deliver Him unto you ? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver. And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray Him.
The Last Supper.
And on the first day of the Azymes the disciples came to Jesus, saying : Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the pasch ? But Jesus said : Go ye into the city to a certain man, and say to him : The master saith, My time is near at hand, with thee I make the pasch with My disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them ; and they prepared the pasch. But when it was evening, He sat down with His twelve disciples : and whilst they were eating, He said : Amen I say to you that one of you is about to betray Me. And they, being very much troubled, began every one to say : Is it I, Lord ? But He answering, said : He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, he shall betray Me. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of Him ; but woe to that man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed : it were better for him, if that man had not been born. And Judas that betrayed Him, answering said : Is it I, Rabbi ? He saith to him : Thou hast said it. And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke and gave to His disciples, and said : Take ye and eat : this is My body. And taking the chalice, He gave thanks and gave to them, saying : Drink ye all of this. For this is My blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of My Father. And a hymn being said, they went out unto Mount Olivet. Then Jesus saith to them : All you shall be scandalised in Me this night ; for it is written : I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed : but after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. And Peter answering, said to Him : Although all shall be scandalised in Thee, I will never be scandalised. Jesus said to him : Amen I say to thee, that in this night, before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. Peter saith to Him : Yea, though I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee. And in like manner said all the disciples.
Gethsemani
Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani ; and He said to His disciples : Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then He saith to them : My soul is sorrowful even unto death ; stay you here and watch with Me. And going a little further, He fell upon His face, praying and saying : My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me : nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. And He cometh to His disciples, and findeth them asleep. And He saith to Peter : What ! Could you not watch one hour with Me ? Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again the second time, He went and prayed, saying : My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, Thy will be done. And He cometh again, and findeth them sleeping : for their eyes were heavy. And leaving them, He went again : and He prayed the third time, saying the self-same word. Then He cometh to His disciples, and said to them : Sleep ye now and take your rest ; behold, the hour is at hand, andthe Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise,let us go : behold, he is at hand that will betray Me.
The Apprehension of Jesus
As He yet spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the people. And he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying : Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He : hold Him fast. And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said : Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed Him. And Jesus said to him : Friend, whereto art thou come ? Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus, and held Him. And behold one of them that were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword, and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus saith to him : Put up again thy sword into its place ; for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot ask My Father, and He will give Me presently more than twelve legions of Angels ? How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must be done ? In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes : You are come out, as it were to a robber, with swords and clubs to apprehend Me. I sat daily with you, teaching in the Temple, and you laid not hands on Me. Now all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples, all leaving Him, fled.
Jesus at the Palace of the High Priest.
But they holding Jesus led Him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled. And Peter followed Him afar off, even to the court of the high priest. And going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end. And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put Him to death. And they found not, whereas many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came two false witnesses ; and they said : This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and after three days to rebuild it. And the high priest, rising up, said to Him : Answerest Thou nothing to the things which these witness against Thee ? But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest said to Him : I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us if Thou be the Christ the Son of God. Jesus saith to him : Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his garments, saying : He hath blasphemed ; what further need have we of witnesses ? Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy. What think you ? But they answering, said : He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in His face and buffeted Him ; and others struck His face with the palms of their hands, saying : Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck Thee.
The Denial of Peter
But Peter sat without in the court, and there came to him a servant maid, saying : Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied before them all, saying : I know not what thou sayest. And as he went out of his the gate, another maid saw him, and she saith to them that were there : This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath : I know not the man. And after a little while, they came that stood by and said to Peter : Surely thou also art one of them ; for even thy speech doth discover thee. Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man ; and immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which He had said : Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny Me thrice. And going forth, he wept bitterly. And when morning was come, all the chief priests and ancients of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they might put Him to death. And they brought Him and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
The Despair of Judas.
Then Judas, who betrayed Him, seeing that He was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, saying : I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said : What is that to us ? Look thou to it. And casting down the pieces of silver in the Temple, he departed ; and went and hanged himself with an halter. But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said : It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter’s field, to be a burying-place for strangers. For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is the field of blood, even to this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying : And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was prized, Whom they prized of the children of Israel ; and they gave them unto the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed to me.
Jesus before Pilate.
And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, saying : Art Thou the king of the Jews ? Jesus saith to him : Thou sayest it. And when He was accused by the chief priests and ancients, He answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to Him : Dost not Thou hear how great testimonies they allege against Thee ? And He answered him to never a word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly. Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they would. And he had then a notorious prisoner that was called Barabbas. They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said : Whom will you that I release to you : Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him. And as he was sitting in the place of judgment his wife sent to him, saying : Have thou nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should ask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. And the governor answering, said to them : Whether will you of the two to be released unto you ? But they said : Barabbas. Pilate saith to them : What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ ? They say all : Let Him be crucified. The governor said to them : Why, what evil hath He done ? But they cried out the more, saying : Let Him be crucified. And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, taking water washed his hands before the people, saying : I am innocent of the blood of this just man ; look you to it. And the whole people answering, said : His blood be upon us and upon our children. Then he released to them Barabbas : and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him unto them to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto Him the whole band ; and stripping Him they put a scarlet cloak about Him. And platting a crown of thorns they put it upon His head and a reed in His right hand. And bowing the knee before Him, they mocked Him, saying : Hail, king of the Jews. And spitting upon Him, they took the reed and struck His head. And after they had mocked Him, they took off the cloak from Him, and put on Him His own garments, and led Him away to crucify Him.
The Way of the Cross and the Crucifixion.
And going out, they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon : him they forced to take up His cross. And they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. And they gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall : and when He had tasted He would not drink. And after they had crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots ; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying : They divided My garments among them, and upon My vesture they cast lots. And they sat and watched Him. And they put over His head His cause written : This is Jesus the King of the Jews. Then were crucified with Him two thieves : one on the right hand and one on the left. And they that passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads, and saying : Vah, Thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days dost rebuild it, save Thy own self. If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. In like manner also the chief priests with the scribes and ancients, mocking, said : He saved others, Himself He cannot save : if He be the king of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him ; He trusted in God, let Him now deliver Him if He will have Him ; for He said : I am the Son of God. And the self-same thing the thieves also that were crucified with Him reproached Him with. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour.
Death of Christ.
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying : Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani ? That is, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ? And some that stood there and heard said : This man calleth Elias. And immediately one of them running took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave Him to drink. And the others said : Let be ; let us see whether Elias will come to deliver Him. And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Here all kneel and pause for a few moments.
And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom ; and the earth quaked and the rocks were rent ; and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, came into the holy city, and appeared to many. Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying : Indeed this was the Son of God. And there were there many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him : among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Burial of Jesus.
And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body wrapt it up in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument and went his way. And there was there Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, saying : Sir, we have remembered that that seducer said, while He was yet alive : After three days I will rise again. Command therefore the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day, lest perhaps His disciples come and steal Him away and say to the people : He is risen from the dead ; and the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate saith to them : You have a guard ; go, guard it as you know. And they departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone and setting guards. ℟. Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
