| 1952 | 1956 | 1969 |
| After the usual Asperges before the beginning of mass, the officiating priest, wearing a cope of purple colour over his alb and stole, and attended by deacon sub-deacon, and other ministers, stands at the epistle corner of the altar, with the palms that are to be blessed near him, while the choir sings the following antiphon 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. The Lord be with you R. And with thy spirit Let us pray O God whom to hold dear and to love is Righteousness, multiply in us the gifts of Thine ineffable grace; and do Thou, Who hast made us, by the death of Thy Son, to hope for the things we believe, make us by His resurrection to attain to the end for which we strive Who with Thee. Amen Lesson Exodus 15, 27; 16,7 In those days the children of Israel came to Elim, where they found twelve springs of water and seventy palm-trees, and pitched their tents beside the water. Then, leaving Elim, the Israelite people marched to the desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. It was now the fifteenth day of the second month since they had left Egypt, and the Israelites, one and all, there in the desert, were loud in their complaints against Moses and Aaron. It would have been better, they told them, if the Lord had struck us dead in the land of Egypt, where we sat down to bowls of meat, and had more bread than we needed to content us. Was it well done to bring us out into this desert, and starve our whole company to death? But the Lord said to Moses, I mean to rain down bread upon you from heaven. It will be for the people to go out and gather enough for their needs day by day; and so I shall have a test, whether they are ready to follow my orders or not. Only when the sixth day comes must they lay in a store twice as large as they gathered on any of the others. So Moses and Aaron told all the people of Israel, This night shall bring proof it was the Lord that rescued you from Egypt, and to-morrow you shall witness his glory. The responsories are then chanted 1. John, 11, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53. The chief priests and pharisees gathered a council and said: What do we; for this man doth many miracles? If we let Him alone so, all men will believe in Him: * And the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation. V. But one of them named Caiphas, being the high-priest that year, prophesied, saying: It is expedient for you, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. From that day therefore they devised to put Him to death, saying: * And the Romans will come, etc. 2. Matt. 26, 39, 41. On Mount Olivet He prayed to His Father; Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me. * The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh Is weak: Thy will be done. y. Watch, and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.* The spirit indeed, etc. With all the customary ceremonies at high Mass, the Gospel is now sung by the deacon. Gospel. Matt. 21,1-9 Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 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. The priest now proceeds to bless the palms. The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. Increase the faith of them that hope in Thee, O God, and give ear to our humble petitions; let Thy manifold mercy come upon us; let these branches, whether of palm or of olive, be blessed + and, as, in the antetype of the Church, Thou didst multiply Noe, when he went forth from the ark, and Moses, when he went out of Egypt with the children of Israel, so may we, who bear palms and olive branches, go forth with good works to meet Christ, and, through Him, may we enter into everlasting joy. Who, with Thee, liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God. After the words "in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God" (In unitate Spiritus sancti Deus), the priest intones the Preface as at high Mass. For ever and ever. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. V. Lift up your hearts. R. We have them lifted up unto the Lord. V. Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God. R. It is fitting and right. Preface It is truly meet and just,right and profitable for us,at all times and in all places to give thanks to Thee, holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, Who dost glory in the wisdom of Thy saints. For Thee do Thy creatures serve, because they know Thee, their only author and God: and all the things that Thou hast made join in praising Thee; and Thy saints bless Thee, in that they confess with unfaltering voice before kings and powers of this world that great name, the name of Thine only-begotten Son. Before Whom stand angels and archangels, thrones and dominations, and, with all the array of the heavenly host, sing together the hymn of Thy glory, and unceasingly repeat: The choir sings the Sanctus, the priest pausing till it is terminated. HOLY, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts. The heavens and the earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. He resumes: V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. HOLY Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, this olive branch, a created thing, which Thou hast commanded to issue forth from the substance of the wood, and which the dove, returning to the ark, carried in its own beak, we ask that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bless + and sanctify + it, so that all who shall receive any of it may receive to themselves protection of soul and body; and let it become, O Lord, a saving remedy to us and a sacred sign of Thy grace. Through our Lord. Amen. Let us pray. O God, Who dost gather dispersed things and preserve what Thou hast gathered, Who didst bless the people bearing branches to meet Jesus, bless + also these branches of palm and of olive which Thy servants take up in the spirit of faith, that, into whatsoever place they shall be brought, the dwellers in that place may obtain Thy blessing, and that, putting to flight all evil, Thy right hand may protect those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth. Amen. Let us pray. O God, Who in the marvellous order of Thy providence hast been pleased to show forth the manner of our salvation even by means of material things, grant, we beseech Thee, that the devout hearts of Thy faithful may understand, to their profit, the mystical signification of the fact that on this day the populace, filled with heavenly enlightenment, went out to meet the Redeemer, and strewed under His feet branches of olive and of palm. The palm branches, therefore, look to His triumph over the prince of death, but the sprigs of olive proclaim that in a certain manner the spiritual unction is already come. For that favored throng even then understood that our Redeemer, condoling with the sorrows of mankind, was to battle with the prince of death for the life of the whole world, and was to triumph by dying. And for this they waited upon Him with such observance as should declare both the triumph of His victory and the richness of His mercy. Remembering which fact and its signification with full faith, we, too, beseech and supplicate Thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, through the same Our Lord Jesus Christ, that in Him, and through Him, Whose members Thou hast willed us to be, we may be worthy to gain the victory over the empire of death and to partake in His glorious resurrection. Who with thee liveth and reigneth. Amen. Let us pray. O God, Who didst appoint a dove to bring its message of peace to the earth by means of an olive branch, grant, we beseech Thee, that Thou mayest sanctify with heavenly benediction + these branches of olive and of other trees, so that they may profit all Thy people unto salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Let us pray. Bless + we beseech Thee, O Lord, these branches, whether olive or palm, and gr ant that what Thy people this day doeth in the flesh in Thy honor it may do in spirit with uttermost devotion, winning the victory over the enemy,and loving with all its heart the exercise of mercy. Through our Lord. Amen. The Lord be with you. And With Thy spirit. Let us pray. O God, Who didst send Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, into this world for our salvation, that He might humble Himself to our level and recall us to Thee; for Whom, also, as He came to Jerusalem, to fulfil the Scriptures, the throng of believing people, with the most heartfelt devotion, strewed their garments in His way, together with palm branches; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may prepare for Him the way of faith, upon which the stone of offense and the rock of scandal being removed,our works of justice may put forth leaves upon their branches before Thee, so that we may be worthy to follow His footsteps. Who with Thee liveth. Amen. If another priest is present the officiant goes to the middle of the altar, where, facing the people, he receives the palm from the priest. Both stand during the ceremony and kiss the palm. If no other priest assists at the ceremony the server places the palm intended for the officiant upon the altar immediately after the palms have been blessed; the officiant proceeds to the middle, kneels on both knees, takes his palm from the altar, kisses it, and returns it to the server. If the ceremony is carried on without chant the officiant then goes to the Missal at the Epistle corner, reads the two antiphons, found below, returns to the middle of the altar, hands the palms to the servers, and then distributes them to the people. At the solemn blessing the officiant now gives each of the clergy and laity present a palm or olive branch, or a twig of whatever tree or shrub was blessed in place of these. Each one on receiving his palm reverently kisses it and the hand of the officiating priest. Meanwhile the choir sings the following antiphons: The Hebrews, bearing olive branches, went to meet the Lord, crying aloud and saying, Hosanna in the highest. The children of the Hebrews strewed their garments in the way, and cried aloud, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord Returning to the altar the celebrant chants: The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. Almighty, eternal God, Who didst cause Our Lord Jesus Christ to sit upon an ass's foal, and didst teach the crowds of the people to strew branches of trees in His way and sing Hosanna in His praise, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be able to imitate their innocence and worthily to acquire their merit. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen. | Omitting the usual Asperges before the beginning of mass, the officiating priest, wearing a cope of red colour over his alb and stole, and attended by deacon sub-deacon, and other ministers, stands where he can be seen by the faithful, with the palms that are to be blessed near him He reverences the altar and stands facing the people while the choir sings the following antiphon 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! Here is said only one blessing below Omitted Omitted Omitted Omitted Retained but said after the Blessing Gospel. Matt. 21,1-9 Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 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. Omitted Omitted Omitted Omitted Omitted Moved to end of procession and reworded O Lord Jesus Christ, Our King and Redeemer, in Whose honour we have bourne these palms and gone on praising Thee with song and solemnity; merciful grant that whithersoever these palms are taken, there the grace of Thy blessing may descend, and may every demonic iniquity and trickery be frustrated; and may Thy right hand protect those it hath redeemed. Who lives and reigns. Omitted Omitted Said before the Gospel Let us pray. Bless + we beseech Thee, O Lord, these branches, whether olive or palm, and gr ant that what Thy people this day doeth in the flesh in Thy honor it may do in spirit with uttermost devotion, winning the victory over the enemy,and loving with all its heart the exercise of mercy. Through our Lord. Amen. Omitted Retained with the addition of Psalm 46 Omitted | No Asperges, priest in red cope Retained in Paul VI Liturgy Hosanna to the son... Said before Gospel Let us pray. Almighty everliving God, sanctify + these branches with your blessing, that we, who follow Christ the King in exultation,may reach the eternal Jer- usalem through him. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. R. Amen. |
