Spreading Vestments And Branches

Καὶ ἤγαγον τὸν πῶλον πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐπέβαλον αὐτῷ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν , καὶ ἑκάθισεν ἐπ' αὐτόν. Πολλοὶ δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἔστρωσαν εἰς τὴν ὀδόν · ἄλλοι δὲ στιβάδας ἔκοπτον ἐκ τῶν δένδρων, καὶ ἐστρώννυον εἰς τὴν ὁδόν. Καὶ οἱ προάγοντες καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες έκραζον λέγοντες · Ωσαννὰ εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Εὐλογημένη ἡ ἐρχομένη βασιλεία ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Δαβίδ · Ωσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις. ᾿Αλλά γὰρ στρώσωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ ἱμάτια ἡμῶν, ἤτοι τὴν σάρκα, ἱμάτιον γὰρ ἡ σάρξ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ὑποτάξωμεν ταύτην τῷ Κυρίῳ. Καὶ στρώσωμεν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ἡμετέρου βίου, κόπτοντες ἐκ τῶν δένδρων κλάδους, τουτέστι, τοὺς τῶν ἁγίων βίους μιμούμενοι. Δένδρα γὰρ οἱ ἅγιοι, ἀφ᾽ ὧν κόπτει κλάδους ὁ μιμούμενος τὴν ἐκείνων ἀρετήν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ προἀγουσαι καὶ αἱ ἀκολουθοῦσαι πράξεις ἡμῶν εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ ἔστωσαν. Τινὲς γὰρ ἐν μὲν τῷ προάγοντι βίῳ καλὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνεδείξαντο, ὁ δὲ ἀκολουθῶν βίος, ὁ ὕστερον λέγω, οὐκ ἦν τοιοῦτος, οὐδὲ εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ. Θεοφύλακτος Αχρίδος, Ἑρμηνεία Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Μάρκον, Κεφαλὴ AI' Source: Migne PG 123.612c-613a

And they brought the colt to Jesus, and they lay their garments on it, and he sat upon it And many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches from the trees, and spread them in the way. And those who went before and those who followed, cried out, saying, 'Hosanna, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the coming of the kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest.' 1 Let us spread out our own vestments, that is, the flesh, for the flesh is the covering of the soul, and let us subject it to the Lord. And let us spread out the way of our lives, breaking off the branches from the trees, that is, imitating the lives of those who are holy. For the trees are the holy ones, from which they take the branches in imitation of their virtue. And let our deeds going behind and following after, be for the glory of God. For those who bear an upright life from the beginning go before Him, but the life which follows is not like that, not being for the glory of God. Theophylact of Ochrid, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Mark, Chapter 11 1 Mk 11.7-10