Roman Missal (1962): Palm Sunday
Introit
(Ps 21:20, 22)
O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. Save me from the lion’s mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life.
(Ps 21:2)
My God, my God, look upon me, why have You forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.
O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. Save me from the lion’s mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life.
Collect
Almighty, eternal God, Who, to provide mankind an example of humility for it to imitate, willed that the Saviour should assume our flesh and suffer death upon the Cross, mercifully grant that we may be found worthy of the lesson of His endurance and the fellowship of His resurrection.
Through the same Christ our Lord…
Epistle
Lesson from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians
(Phil 2:5-11)
Brethren: Have this in mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was by nature God, did not consider being equal to God a thing to be clung to, but emptied Himself, taking the nature of a slave and being made like unto men. And appearing in the form of man, 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, (Kneel) so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth and every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
Gradual
(Ps 72:24, 1-3)
You have hold of my right hand; with Your counsel You guide me; and in the end You will receive me in glory.
℣. How good God is to Israel, to those who are clean of heart! But, as for me, I almost lost my balance; my feet all but slipped, because I was envious of sinners when I saw them prosper though they were wicked.
(Tractus)
(Ps 21:2-9, 18-19, 22, 24, 32)
My God, my God, look upon me: why have You forsaken me?
℣. Far from my salvation, are the words of my sins.
℣. O my God, I cry out by day and You answer not; by night, and there is no relief.
℣. But You are enthroned in the holy place, O glory of Israel!
℣. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them.
℣. To You they cried, and they escaped; in You they trusted, and they were not put to shame.
℣. But I am a worm, not a man; the scorn of men, despised by the people.
℣. All who see me, scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads.
℣. He relied on the Lord; let Him deliver him, let Him rescue him, if He loves him.
℣. But they look on and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.
℣. Save me from the lion’s mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life.
℣. You who fear the Lord, praise Him: all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to 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 has made.
Gospel
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
(Matt. 26:36-75; 27:1-60.)
Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and He said to His disciples: J. Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. C. 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: J. My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here and watch with Me. C. And going a little further, He fell upon His face, praying and saying: J. My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. C. And He cometh to His disciples, and findeth them asleep. And He saith to Peter: J. 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. C. Again the second time, He went and prayed, saying: J. My Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it, Thy will be done. C. 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 saith to them: J. Sleep ye now and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go; behold, he is at hand that will betray Me.
C. 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: S. Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He; hold Him fast. C. And forthwith coming to Jesus, he said: S. Hail, Rabbi. C. And he kissed Him. And Jesus said to him: J. Friend, whereto art thou come? C. 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: J. 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? C.
In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes: J. 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. C. Now all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples, all leaving Him, fled. 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 none, 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: S. Answerest Thou nothing to the things which these witness against Thee? C. But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest said to Him: S. I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us if Thou be the Christ the Son of God. C. Jesus saith to him: J. 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. C. Then the high priest rent his garments, saying: S. He hath blasphemed; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard the blasphemy. What think you? C. But they answering, said: S. He is guilty of death. C. Then they did spit in His face and buffeted Him; and others struck His face with the palms of their hands, saying: S. Prophesy unto us, O Christ, who is he that struck Thee?
C. But Peter sat without in the court, and there came to him a servant maid, saying: S. Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean. C. But he denied it before them all, saying: S. I know not what thou sayest. C. And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him, and she saith to them that were there: S. This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth. C. And again he denied it with an oath: S. I know not the man. C. And after a little while, they came that stood by and said to Peter: S.
Surely thou also art one of them; for even thy speech doth discover thee. C. Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man; and immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the words 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 bound, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
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: S. I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. C. But they said: S. What is that to us? Look thou to it. C. And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed, and went and hanged himself with a halter. But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said: S. 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.