Palm Sunday - the beginning of the most important week in the history of mankind. It was during this week that Jesus was taken prisoner, crucified at Calvary, and then rose from the grave. That week He bore the sins of all mankind and provided the way for forgiveness and reconciliation for all who accept His free gift. Many hymns have been written about the life changing events of the end of that week, but few have been written about the events of that first day when people temporarily accepted Him as their king. But in the 9th century, Theodulph of Orleans (ca. 750-821) wrote a Latin text about the events of Palm Sunday and his writing survives today. There are many interesting stories or legends about his writing of this hymn. one of which was shared by by a scholar named Clichtovius. According to him, Charlemagne was so impressed with Theodulph that he appointed him Bishop of Orleans in north central France where he ministered as a caring and reforming bishop. But after Charlemagne's death there was a power struggle within the royal household. His son and successor, Louis the Pious, suspected Theodulph of siding with his Italian rivals and had him imprisoned in the cloisters of Angers monastery in 818 AD. It was during this time of Pauline-like captivity that he wrote his great hymn 'Gloria, Laus et Honor', 'All glory, laud and honour' . One Palm Sunday Emperor Louis was present as a procession moved through the city and halted beneath the tower where the saint was imprisoned. Suddenly, to his astonishment, the emperor heard from above the Gloria Laus, chanted loudly and melodiously. Being charmed, he asked the name of the singer and was told that it was his own prisoner, Theodulph. Moved with compassion for him, the emperor pardoned the saint, returned him to his position and ordered that henceforth the hymn which Theodulph had composed be sung on Palm Sunday. In 1851, John Neale translated the hymn from Latin into English to be published in his Medieval Hymns and Sequences. Neale revised his translation in 1854 and revised it further in 1861 when it was published in Hymns Ancient and Modern. The hymn originally consisted of thirty-nine verses. Wouldn't you enjoy singing all of those verses during your Palm Sunday service? Probably not. Over the years verses have been eliminated and revised. Strangely the hymn does not make mention of the other events of that week but it does remind us of that first day and the praises made to Jesus, the King and Blessed one. The author does remind us that God is a God for all people (who in all good delightest), and not only for the chosen people who praised him during his entry into Jerusalem. And Jesus does deserve all of our praise, glory, laud and honor. May we honor Him that way, not only today, but every day of our lives.
1 All glory, laud, and honor
To whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel
who in the Lord's name comest,
the King and Blessed One.
are praising Thee on high;
And mortal men and all things
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before Thee went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
3 To Thee before Thy passion
they sang their hymns of praise;
to Thee, now high exalted,
Thou didst accept their praises,
accept the praise we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King!
Here are several presentations of this hymn in different styles and with a few different verses and words.
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