SIXTH WEEK OF LENT / LAZARUS DIES AND IS BURIED

SIXTH WEEK OF LENT
WEDS. / THUR. COMMEMORATION, LAZARUS DIES AND IS BURIED

TODAY LAZARUS IS BURIED
AND HIS SISTERS SING IN LAMENTATION.
BUT IN YOUR DIVINE FOREKNOWLEDGE,
YOU HAVE PREDICTED WHAT SHOULD COME TO PASS:
LAZARUS IS SLEEPING, YOU PROPHESIED TO YOUR DISCIPLES,
BUT NOW I GO TO RAISE UP HIM WHOM I CREATED!
THEREFORE WE ALL CRY TO YOU: GLORY TO YOUR MIGHTY POWER!

JESUS AS YOU WALKED IN THE FLESH,
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JORDAN,
YOU SAID TO YOUR COMPANIONS:
MY FRIEND LAZARUS IS ALREADY DEAD,
AND NOW HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO THE TOMB.
AND SO FOR YOUR SAKES, I REJOICE, MY FRIENDS,
FOR BY THIS YOU SHALL LEARN THAT I KNOW ALL THINGS.
FOR I AM GOD, INSEPARABLE FROM THE FATHER,
THOUGH IN MY VISIBLE APPEARANCE I AM MAN.
LET US GO, THEN, TO BRING HIM BACK TO LIFE,
THAT DEATH MAY FEEL THE DEFEAT AND COMPLETE DESTRUCTION I BRING UPON IT,
GRANTING THE WORLD GREAT MERCY.

FAITHFUL, LET US FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF MARTHA AND MARY:
LET US SEND OUR ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO INTERCEDE BEFORE THE LORD,
THAT HE MAY COME TO RAISE UP FROM THE DEAD OUR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING WHICH LIES INSENSIBLE WITHIN THE TOMB OF NEGLIGENCE,
LACKING ALL FEELING OF THE FEAR OF GOD,
AND DEPRIVED OF LIVING ACTION.
LET US CRY: MERCIFUL LORD, AS ONCE BY YOUR DREAD AUTHORITY
YOU RAISED UP YOUR FRIEND LAZARUS,
SO NOW GIVE LIFE TO US ALL, AND GRANT US YOUR GREAT MERCY!

LAZARUS HAS NOW BEEN TWO DAYS IN THE TOMB.
HE SEES THE DEAD FROM ALL THE AGES.
HE BEHOLDS STRANGE SIGHTS OF TERROR,
A COUNTLESS MULTITUDE, PRISONERS OF HELL.
HIS SISTERS LAMENT BITTERLY, BEHOLDING HIS TOMB.
BUT CHRIST COMES TO BRING HIS FRIEND TO LIFE,
THAT A SINGLE HYMN OF PRAISE MAY BE OFFERED UP BY ALL WITH ONE ACCORD:
SAVIOR, BLESSED ARE YOU! HAVE MERCY ON US!

LAZARUS HAS NOW BEEN DEAD FOR TWO DAYS.
HIS SISTERS MARTHA AND MARY SHED TEARS OF GRIEF FOR HIM,
GAZING AT THE STONE BEFORE HIS TOMB.
BUT THE CREATOR HAS COME WITH HIS DISCIPLES,
TO DESPOIL DEATH AND BESTOW LIFE!
THEREFORE LET US CRY OUT TO HIM:
O LORD, GLORY TO YOU!




SIXTH WEEK OF LENT
FRI. / SAT.. COMMEMORATION, THE LORD RAISES LAZUS FOUR DAYS DEAD


WISHING TO SEE THE TOMB OF LAZARUS, LORD,
SINCE OF YOUR OWN WILL, YOU WERE SOON TO DWELL IN A TOMB,
YOU ASKED: WHERE HAVE YOU LAID HIM?
LEARNING THAT WHICH WAS ALREADY KNOWN TO YOU,
YOU CRIED TO YOUR BELOVED FRIEND: LAZARUS, COME FORTH!
HE WHO HAD NO BREATH OBEYED THE LORD WHO GAVE HIM BREATH:
YOU, THE SAVIOR OF OUR SOULS.


YOU HAVE COME TO THE PLACE OF THE BURIAL OF LAZARUS, LORD,
THE TOMB OF A MAN FOUR DAYS DEAD.
WEEPING FOR YOUR FRIEND, BREAD OF LIFE, YOU RAISED HIM UP.
THEREFORE DEATH WAS BOUND BY YOUR VOICE,
GRAVE CLOTHES WERE LOOSENED BY YOUR HAND.
THE BAND OF DISCIPLES WAS FILLED WITH JOY.
ONE SONG OF ADORATION WAS SUNG BY ALL:
BLESSED ARE YOU, SAVIOR! HAVE MERCY ON US!


YOUR VOICE DESTROYED THE KINGDOM OF HELL, LORD.
YOUR POWERFUL WORD RAISED FROM THE TOMB THE ONE WHO WAS FOUR DAYS DEAD.
LAZARUS BECAME THE SAVING FIRST-FRUITS OF THE WORLD'S REGENERATION.
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR YOU, LORD AND KING OF ALL.
GRANT YOUR SERVANTS CLEANSING AND GREAT MERCY!


YOU CAME TO THE TOMB OF LAZARUS, LORD.
YOU CALLED HIM BY NAME,
WISHING TO ASSURE YOUR DISCIPLES OF YOUR OWN RESURRECTION!
HELL WAS VANQUISHED!
IT RELEASED LAZARUS WHO WAS DEAD FOUR DAYS.
HE CRIED OUT TO YOU:
GLORY TO YOU, BLESSED LORD!


YOU CAME TO BETHANY TO WAKE LAZARUS, LORD,
ACCOMPANIED BY YOUR DISCIPLES.
YOU WEPT FOR HIM.
BUT HE WAS RAISED BY YOUR ALMIGHTY POWER!
A MAN FOUR DAYS DEAD CRIED TO YOU, OUR SAVIOR:
GLORY TO YOU, BLESSED LORD!


STANDING BY THE TOMB OF LAZARUS, SAVIOR,
YOU CALLED TO YOUR FRIEND, WHO WAS DEAD.
HE HEARD YOUR VOICE, AND AWOKE AS FROM SLEEP.
MORTALITY WAS SHAKEN BY IMMORTALITY.
BY YOUR WORD THE BOUND WAS UNBOUND.
ALL IS POSSIBLE! ALL THINGS SERVE AND SUBMIT TO YOU, LOVING LORD.
OUR SAVIOR, GLORY TO YOU!


WE HAVE COMPLETED THE FORTY DAYS WHICH PROFIT OUR SOULS.
LET US SING: REJOICE, CITY OF BETHANY, HOME OF LAZARUS!
REJOICE, MARY AND MARTHA, HIS SISTERS!
TOMORROW CHRIST WILL COME AND RAISE YOUR DEAD BROTHER TO LIFE.
BITTER AND UNSATISFIED, HELL WILL HEAR HIS VOICE.
SHAKING AND GROANING, IT WILL RELEASE BOUND LAZARUS.
THE ASSEMBLY OF HEBREWS WILL BE AMAZED.
THEY WILL GREET HIM WITH PALMS AND BRANCHES!
THOUGH THEIR PRIESTS AND ELDERS LOOK ON HIM WITH ENVY AND MALICE,
THE CHILDREN SHALL PRAISE HIM IN SONG:
BLESSED IS HE THAT COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD,
THE KING OF ISRAEL!

Christ - the Joy, the Truth, and the Light of All, the Life of the World and the Resurrection - has appeared in his goodness to those on earth. He has become the Image of our resurrection, granting divine forgiveness to all.


O Christ God, when Thou didst raise Lazarus from the dead, before Thy Passion, thou didst confirm the universal resurrection. Wherefore, we, like babes, carry the insignia of triumph and victory, and cry to Thee, O vanquisher of death, Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Listen »


By Your word, O Word of God, Lazarus now leaps out of death, having returned to this life. Therefore the peoples honor You with their branches, O Mighty One; for You shall destroy Hades utterly by Your own death.