Vestments And Branches

Turbae autem, quae vestimenta sternebat in via, credentes erant ex circumcisione, qui gloriam, quam habebant ex lege, videntes Christum, dejecerunt in terram, semetipsos humiliantes, et cum Apostolo Paulo dicentes: Secundum justitiam, quae ex lege est, conversatus sum sine querela, sed quae fuerunt mihi lucra, haec aetimavi propter Christum detrimenta, et arbitror stercora esse ut Christum lucrifaciam. Quid est autem aliud, quam justitiam legis terrae coaequare, ante sublimem gloriam Christi? Qui autem ramos de arboribus praecidebant frondentes, ipsi erant credentes et eruditi doctores, qui ex prophetis accipientes exempla viva de Christo, quasi de arboribus semper virentibus, et numquam folia verborum suorum dejicientibus, ramos frondentes ante pedes subjugalis populi strenebant, et per ea exampla quasi per ramos frondentes, virentes sine offendiculo ambularent per viam vitae istius, donec introirent in sanctuarium Dei. Turba autem quae praecedebat, et quae sequebatur, clamabat, dicens: Hosianno filio David. Memores populi mirabilium ejus, quae ostendit eis, et sanitatum, quas praestitit eis, exsultantibus cordibus suis, ante et retro calambant, Hosianna filio David. Qui praecedebant, seniores erant, id est, partriarchae, prophetae, caeterique sancti, qui ante adventum Christi de adventu ejus et praedixerunt, et cognoverunt, sequentes autem juniores, id est, apostoli, martyres, caeterique doctores, qui post ascensum Christi de resurrectione ejus et ascensione vel operibus praedicaverunt et praedicant: et licet diversis quidem temporibus fuerunt, tamen in omnibus unus exsultationis spiritus fuit. Et illi quidem prophetantes de Christo venturo clamaverunt: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini: hi autem laudantes clamant de adventu Christi jam impleto, Hosianna filio David. Hosianna autem quidem interpretantur gloriam, alii redemptionem, alii Salvifica, sive Salvum fac. Nam et gloria illi debetur, et redemptio illi convenit, qui omnes redemit, et pretiosi sanguinis effusione salvavit. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XXXVII Source:  Migne PG 56.838

The crowd which lay its vestments in the road, 1 were the believers from the circumcision, who the glory which they had from the law, seeing Christ, they cast down to earth, humiliating themselves, and saying with the Apostle Paul: 'According to the righteousness which is from the law I am acquainted without fault, but whatever profit that was to me, I account it loss on account of Christ, and I judge it to be waste that I might profit Christ.' 2 What is this that makes the righteousness of the law equal to the earth but the sublime glory of Christ? For they who were breaking off the leafy branches from the trees were the believers and the educated teachers, who from the Prophets were the recipients of the teachings concerning Christ, as from trees always green, that never cast down the leaves of their words, which leafy branches they strewed before the feet of a humbled people, and by these teachings, as leafy branches, flourishing without blemish, they walked through the way of this life, until they entered into the sanctuary of God. And the crowd went before and came behind him, crying out: 'Hosanna to the son of David.' They were mindful of His miracles, which He showed to them, and the healing which He gave to them, exulting in their hearts, before and after crying out: 'Hosanna to the son of David.' They who went before were the elders, that is, the Patriarchs, the Prophets, and the other holy ones, who before the advent of Christ preached His coming and knew of it. They who followed were the young folk, the Apostles, the Martyrs, and other teachers, who after the resurrection of Christ and His ascension preached with works, and taught, and these indeed were people of different times, but in all was the one exultation of the spirit. And they who made prophecy concerning the coming of Christ, cried out: 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,' and those who praised now that the coming of Christ was fulfilled, cried out: 'Hosanna, to the son of David.' Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from The Thirty Seventh Homily 1  Mt 21.8 2 Phil 3.6-8