173. The Triumphal Entry of the Lord Into Jerusalem. Mt. 21:1–9; Mk. 11:1–10; Lk. 19:29–44; Jn. 12:12–19

The next day, after the supper in Bethany, the Lord went to Jerusalem. When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethany and Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, the Lord Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them: “Go into the village opposite you, which you will find right ahead; as you enter it, you will at once find a donkey tied, and a colt with her, on which no one has ever sat. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, if anyone asks: ‘What are you doing?’ or ‘Why are you untying them?’ Say that the Lord has need of them; and he will at once send them here.”

The disciples went and did as the Lord Jesus commanded them; they untied the donkey and the colt that was tied with her at the gate in the street. As they were untying them, the owners and some of those standing there said to them: “What are you doing? Why are you untying them?” They answered as the Lord Jesus had commanded them, that the Lord had need of them; and they let them go.

They brought them to the Lord Jesus and, throwing their cloaks on the colt, set the Lord upon it. He sat on it and went toward the city. All this took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, which says: “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, meek and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden” (Zech. 9:9). His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, they remembered that this had been written about him, and that they had done this to him.

As he went, most of the people spread their clothes on the road; and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. As he approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

A great crowd of those who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, and they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out: “Hosanna (Save us, help us, O Lord)! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”

All the crowd, both those who went before and those who came after, cried out: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!”

The crowd that had been with him testified that he had called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead. For this reason the crowd also met him, for they heard that he had performed this sign.

The Pharisees then said to one another: “You see that you can do nothing; look, the whole world has gone after him.” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to the Lord: “Teacher! Tell your disciples to be silent.” But he answered them: “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

As he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying: “Oh that you knew, even you, on this day, what makes for your peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you and encircle you and hem you in on every side, and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”