Palm Sunday in the Orthodox Church is one of those days where both the Eastern and Western traditions produced similar liturgical actions. In both traditions there is a distribution of palm branches (or olive, or some other climate-appropriate tree), and hymns and antiphons sung which employ the praises of the people in the biblical account of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!
The liturgical acting out of this remarkable account is such an obvious opportunity that it’d actually be shocking if it had never been taken advantage of. But as with all Christian liturgical appropriation of pre-resurrection events found in Scripture, they are not merely repeated verbatim in our services, but are rather imbued with the transforming light of the historical resurrection of Christ which animates all we do. Thus the palm blessings of both East and West carry notes of resurrection victory:
Prayer at the Blessing of Palms from the Hieratikon-
Lord our God, who sittest upon the cherubim, who hast reaffirmed Thy power and sent Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to save the world through His Cross, Burial and Resurrection: who when He drew near to Jerusalem for His voluntary Passion, the people that sat in darkness and the shadow of death took, as tokens of victory, boughs of trees and branches of palms, thus foretelling His Resurrection. Do Thou Thyself, O Master, keep and preserve us also, who, following their example, on the pre-feast of that day, carry in our hands palms and branches, and who like the crowds and the children cry unto Thee, Hosanna! That with hymns and spiritual songs we may be accounted worthy to attain the life-giving Resurrection on the third day: in Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom Thou art blessed, together with Thine all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever: world without end. Amen.
Blessing of Palms from the Missal-
Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, these branches of palm: and grant, that as thy people on this day perform this outward observance to thine honor, so they, inwardly fulfilling the same with reverence and purity of heart, may win the victory over the enemy, and continually abound in all good works; through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
And both traditions fill their hymns and antiphons with “Hosannas,” a term deriving from Hebrew meaning “save!”, and shouted by the people at Jesus’ triumphal entry, and from thenceforth imbued with a tone of praise. While the Eastern tradition uses these celebratory chants in the Divine Liturgy, the West uses them only in the blessing and solemn procession of the palms, turning to a more somber attitude in the Propers during Mass, at which the entire Passion narrative from Matthew 27 is chanted. But before the Mass during the whole “liturgy of the palms” the chants are triumphant and celebratory, sharing much with the Eastern chants:
1st verse of Eastern Vespers-
Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together. Let us all take up Thy cross and say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!
Eastern Second Troparion-
When we were buried with Thee in baptism, O Christ God, we were made worthy of eternal life by Thy resurrection. Now we praise Thee and sing: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord!
Eastern Kontakion-
Sitting on Thy throne in heaven, and carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God, accept the praise of angels and the songs of children who sing: BIessed is he who comes to recall Adam!
Western Palm Procession Antiphon 2-
With the Angels and the children may we be found faithful, crying unto the Vanquisher of death, Hosanna in the highest!
Western Antiphon 7-
Hail, our Monarch, Son of David, Redeemer of the world, whom the prophets foretold should come to be the Savior of the house of Israel. For the Father hath sent thee into the world to be the saving Victim, whom all the Saints awaited from the foundation of the world. And now, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
Western Responsory-
When the Lord enters the holy city, the children of the Hebrews foretold the Resurrection of Life. * And bearing branches of palms, they cried out: Hosanna in the highest. When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they went forth to meet him. * And bearing branches of palms, they cried out: Hosanna in the highest.
Finally, in the Western tradition, after the blessing of palms and the procession therewith, the congregation enters the nave with their palm branches to the well known hymn “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.” Composed in Latin in circa 820 by St. Theodulph, bishop of Orleans, it has been used liturgically almost since that time for Palm Sunday. In the 19th century, the inestimable Fr. John Mason Neale translated the original Gloria, laus, et honor into the familiar English version:
Refrain
All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.
Refrain
The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.
Refrain
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.
Refrain
To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.
Refrain
Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.
Refrain