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Oration on the Palms

Methodius of Olympus

Section 2

About this work

Author: Methodius of Olympus

II. To-day, holy David rejoices with great joy

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

,

being

by

babes

despoiled

of

his

lyre

,

with

whom

also

,

in

spirit

,

leading

the

dance

,

and

rejoicing

together

,

as

of

old

,

before

the

ark

of

God

,

he

mingles

musical

harmony

,

and

sweetly

lisps

out

in

stammering

voice

,

Blessed

is

He

that

cometh

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

.

Of

whom

shall

we

inquire

?

Tell

us

,

O

prophet

,

who

is

this

that

cometh

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

?

He

will

say

it

is

not

my

part

to

-

day

to

teach

you

,

for

He

hath

consecrated

the

school

to

infants

,

who

hath

out

of

the

mouth

of

babes

and

sucklings

perfected

praise

to

destroy

the

enemy

and

the

avenger

,

in

order

that

by

the

miracle

of

these

the

hearts

of

the

fathers

might

be

turned

to

the

children

,

and

the

disobedient

unto

the

wisdom

of

the

just

.

Tell

us

,

then

,

O

children

,

whence

is

this

,

your

beautiful

and

graceful

contest

of

song

?

Who

taught

it

you

?

Who

instructed

you

?

Who

brought

you

together

?

What

were

your

tablets

?

Who

were

your

teachers

?

Do

but

you

,

they

say

,

join

us

as

our

companions

in

this

song

and

festivity

,

and

you

will

learn

the

things

which

were

by

Moses

and

the

prophet

earnestly

longed

for

.

Since

then

the

children

have

invited

us

,

and

have

given

unto

us

the

right

hand

of

fellowship

,

let

us

come

,

beloved

,

and

ourselves

emulate

that

holy

chorus

,

and

with

the

apostles

,

let

us

make

way

for

Him

who

ascends

over

the

heaven

of

heavens

towards

the

East

,

and

who

,

of

His

good

pleasure

,

is

upon

the

earth

mounted

upon

an

ass’s

colt

.

Let

us

,

with

the

children

,

raise

the

branches

aloft

,

and

with

the

olive

branches

make

glad

applaud

,

that

upon

us

also

the

Holy

Spirit

may

breathe

,

and

that

in

due

order

we

may

raise

the

God

-

taught

strain

:

“

Blessed

is

He

that

cometh

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

;

Hosanna

in

the

highest

.

”

To

-

day

,

also

,

the

patriarch

Jacob

keeps

feast

in

spirit

,

seeing

his

prophecy

brought

to

a

fulfilment

,

and

with

the

faithful

adores

the

Father

,

seeing

Him

who

bound

his

foal

to

the

vine

mounted

upon

an

ass’s

colt

.

To

-

day

the

foal

is

made

ready

,

the

irrational

exemplar

of

the

Gentiles

,

who

before

were

irrational

,

to

signify

the

subjection

of

the

people

of

the

Gentiles

;

and

the

babes

declare

their

former

state

of

childhood

,

in

respect

of

the

knowledge

of

God

,

and

their

after

perfecting

,

by

the

worship

of

God

and

the

exercise

of

the

true

religion

.

To

-

day

,

according

to

the

prophet

,

is

the

King

of

Glory

glorified

upon

earth

,

and

makes

us

,

the

inhabitants

of

earth

,

partakers

of

the

heavenly

feast

,

that

He

may

show

himself

to

be

the

Lord

of

both

,

even

as

He

is

hymned

with

the

common

praises

of

both

.

Therefore

it

was

that

the

heavenly

hosts

sang

,

announcing

salvation

upon

earth

,

“

Holy

,

holy

,

holy

,

is

the

Lord

God

of

hosts

;

the

whole

earth

is

full

of

His

glory

.

”

And

those

below

,

joining

in

harmony

with

the

joyous

hymns

of

heaven

,

cried

:

“

Hosanna

in

the

highest

;

Hosanna

to

the

Son

of

David

.

”

In

heaven

the

doxology

was

raised

,

“

Blessed

be

the

glory

of

the

Lord

from

His

place

;

”

and

on

earth

was

this

caught

up

in

the

words

,

“

Blessed

is

he

that

cometh

in

the

name

of

the

Lord

.

”

Notes

11
2 Sam. vi. 14.
12
Ps. viii. 2.
13
Mal. iv. 6; Luke i. 17.
14
Luke x. 24.
15
Gal. ii. 9.
16
Ps. lxviii. 4, 34.
17
Matt. xxi. 5.
18
Gen. xlix. 10.
19
Ps. cxlviii. 9.
20
Isa. vi. 3.
21
Ezek. iii. 22.