Great and Holy Friday

Introduction

On Great and Holy Friday the Church commemorates the death of Christ on the Cross. This is the culmination of the observance of His Passion by which our Lord suffered and died for our sins. In the Eastern Rite Catholic Church this commemoration begins on Thursday evening with the Matins of Holy Friday and concludes with a Vespers on Friday afternoon that observes the un-nailing of Christ from the Cross and the placement of His body in the tomb.

Commemoration of Great and Holy Friday

On this day we commemorate the sufferings of Christ: the mockery, the crown of thorns, the scourging, the nails, the thirst, the vinegar and gall, the cry of desolation, and all the Savior endured on the Cross.

The day of Christ's death is the day of sin. The sin which polluted God's creation from the breaking dawn of time reached its frightful climax on the hill of Golgotha. There, sin and evil, destruction and death came into their own. Ungodly men had Him nailed to the Cross, in order to destroy Him. However, His death condemned irrevocably the fallen world by revealing its true and abnormal nature.

In Christ, who is the New Adam, there is no sin. And, therefore, there is no death. He accepted death because He assumed the whole tragedy of our life. He chose to pour His life into death, in order to destroy it; and in order to break the hold of evil. His death is the final and ultimate revelation of His perfect obedience and love. He suffered for us the excruciating pain of absolute solitude and alienation - "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me!" (Mark 15:34). Then, He accepted the ultimate horror of death with the agonizing cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30). His cry was at one and the same time an indication that He was in control of His death and that His work of redemption was accomplished, finished, fulfilled. How strange! While our death is radical unfulfillment, His is total fulfillment.

The day of Christ's death has become our true birthday. "Within the mystery of Christ dead and resurrected, death acquires positive value. Even if physical, biological death still appears to reign, it is no longer the final stage in a long destructive process. It has become the indispensable doorway, as well as the sure sign of our ultimate Pascha, our passage from death to life, rather than from life to death.

From the beginning the Church observed an annual commemoration of the decisive and crucial three days of sacred history, i.e., Great Friday, Great Saturday and Paskha. Great Friday and Saturday have been observed as days of deep sorrow and strict fast from Christian antiquity.

Great Friday and Saturday direct our attention to the trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Christ. We are placed within the awesome mystery of the extreme humility of our suffering God. Therefore, these days are at once days of deep gloom as well as watchful expectation. The Author of life is at work transforming death into life: "Come, let us see our Life lying in the tomb, that he may give life to those that in their tombs lie dead" (Sticheron of Great Saturday Orthros).

Liturgically, the profound and awesome event of the death and burial of God in the flesh is marked by a particular kind of silence, i.e. by the absence of a eucharistic celebration. Great Friday and Great Saturday are the only two days of the year when no eucharistic assembly is held. However, before the twelfth century it was the custom to celebrate the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts on Great Friday.

The divine services of Great Friday with the richness of their ample Scripture lessons, superb hymnography and vivid liturgical actions bring the passion of Christ and its cosmic significance into sharp focus. The hymns of the services on this day help us to see how the Church understands and celebrates the awesome mystery of Christ's passion and death.

Icons of the Commemoration

of Great and Holy Friday

Christ is depicted nailed to the Cross. The wound on His right side pours out both blood and water.	The mount where Christ was crucified was known as Golgotha, or the "place of the skull". A skull can be seen below the Cross.

On Great and Holy Friday, Orthodox churches display the icon known as the "Axra Tapeinosis - The Extreme Humility." This icon depicts the crucified dead body of Christ upright in the Tomb with the Cross in the background. It combines the two awesome events of Great Friday - the crucifixion and burial of Christ.

On the left-hand side of the icon are depicted Mary, the Mother of God (front) and Mary Magdalene (right).	On the right-hand side of the icon are depicted Saint John and Saint Longinus, the Centurion.

The Church also has an icon of the Crucifixion of Christ. He is shown nailed to the Cross. His right side is pierced and from the wound flows blood and water. At the foot of the Cross is a skull. (Golgotha, the Mount of the Crucifixion, means "the place of the skull.") Tradition related that the Cross of Christ stood directly over the grave of our Forefather Adam. On the top bar of the Cross is the inscription "I.N.B.I.", the initials for the Greek words meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." To the left of Christ, the Theotokos and St. Mary Magdalene are often pictured as well; the youthful St. John the Beloved Disciple and St. Longinus the Centurion (Mark 15:39) are shown to the right if they are depicted.

Mary Magdalene, Mary, the Mother of God, John the beloved disciple, and Joseph of Arimathea are shown preparing Christ's body for the tomb

Another icon that depicts the events of Holy Friday is known as the Epitaphios Thrinos. In this icon, Christ has been taken off of the Cross, and His body is being prepared for burial. Shown around the body and mourning His death are His mother, the Theotokos and Virgin Mary, John the beloved disciple, Joseph of Arimathea, and Mary Magdelene.

In addition to these icons, Eastern Catholics process with and display a large wooden Crucifix with an image of Christ attached. At the Vespers on Friday, the image of Christ is removed from the Cross and wrapped in a white cloth. Another icon, one that depicts the body of Christ removed from the Cross, appears on the Epitaphios that is carried and placed in the Tomb during this service.

Eastern Rite Catholic Celebration

of Great And Holy Friday

The commemorations of Holy Friday begin with the Matins service of the day which is conducted on Thursday evening. The service is a very unique Matins service with twelve Gospel readings that begin with Christ's discourse at the Last Supper and end with the account of His burial: John 13:31-18:1, John 18:1-29, Matthew 26:57-75, John 18:28 - 19:16, Matthew 27:3-32, Mark 15:16-32, Matthew 27:33-54, Luke 23:32-49, John 19:38-42, Mark 15:43-47, John 19:38-42, Matthew 27:62-66

These readings relate the last instructions of Christ to His disciples, the prophecy of the drama of the Cross, the dramatic prayer of Christ and His new commandment. After the reading of the fifth Gospel comes the procession with the Crucifix around the church, while the priest chants the Fifteenth Antiphon:

"Today is hung upon the Tree, He Who did hang the land in the midst of the waters. A Crown of thorns crowns Him Who is King of Angels. He is wrapped about with the purple of mockery Who wrapped the Heavens with clouds. He received buffetings Who freed Adam in Jordan. He was transfixed with nails Who is the Bridegroom of the Church. He was pierced with a spear Who is the Son of the Virgin. We worship Thy Passion, O Christ. Show also unto us thy glorious Resurrection."

(here is how it's done!)

During the Procession, Eastern Rite Catholics kneel and venerate the Cross and pray for their spiritual well-being, imitating the thief on the Cross who confessed his faith and devotion to Christ. The faithful then approach and reverently kiss the Crucifix which has been placed at the front of the Church.

On Friday morning, the services of the Royal Hours are observed. These services are primarily readings of prayers, hymns, and passages from the Old Testament, Epistles, and Gospels. The Scripture readings for these services are: First Hour: Zechariah 11:10-13, Galatians 6:14-18, Matthew 27:1-56; Third Hour: Isaiah 52:13-54:1, Hebrews 2:11-18; Luke 23:32-49; Ninth Hour: Jeremiah 11:18-23,12:1-5,9-11,14-15, Hebrews 10:19-31, John 18:28-19:37.

The Vespers of Friday afternoon are a continuation of the Royal Hours. During this service, the removal of the Body of Christ from the Cross is commemorated with a sense of mourning. Once more, excerpts from the Old Testament are read together with hymns, and again the entire story is related, followed by the removal of Christ from the Cross and the wrapping of His body with a white sheet as did Joseph of Arimathea.

As the priest reads the Gospel, "and taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a white cloth," he removes the Body of Christ from the Cross, wraps it in a white cloth and takes it to the altar. The priest then chants a mourning hymn: "When Joseph of Arimathea took Thee, the life of all, down from the Tree dead, he buried Thee with myrrh and fine linen . . . rejoicing. Glory to Thy humiliation, O Master, who clothest Thyself with light as it were with a garment." The priest then carries the cloth on which the Body of Christ is painted or embroidered around the church before placing it inside the Sepulcher, a carved bier which symbolizes the Tomb of Christ. We are reminded that during Christ's entombment He descends into Hades to free the dead of the ages before His Resurrection.

The Scripture readings for the Vespers are: Exodus 33:11-23; Job 42:12-17; Isaiah 52:13-54:1; I Corinthians 1:18-2:2; and from the Gospels Matthew 27:1-38; Luke 23:39-43; Matthew 27:39-54; John 19:31-37; and Matthew 27:55-61.

Hymns and Prayers for Great and Holy Friday

Fifteenth Antiphon of the Matins (Plagal of the Second Tone)
Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross. He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns. He who wraps the heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery. He who in Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face. The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ. Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.

Ninth Hour
When the transgressors nailed Thee, O Lord of glory, to the Cross, Thou hast cried aloud to them: 'How have I grieved you? Or wherein have I angered you? Before me, who delivered you from tribulation? And how do ye now repay me? Ye have given me evil for good: in return for the pillar of fire, ye have nailed me to the Cross; in return for the cloud, ye have dug a grave for me. Instead of manna, ye have given me gall; instead of water, ye have given me vinegar to drink. Henceforth I shall call the Gentiles, and they shall glorify me with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Sticheron of Vespers
A dread and marvelous mystery we see come to pass this day. He whom none may touch is seized; He who looses Adam from the curse is bound. He who tries the hearts and inner thoughts of man is unjustly brought to trial. He who closed the abyss is shut in prison. He before whom the powers of heaven stand with trembling, stands before Pilate; the Creator is struck by the hand of His creature. He who comes to judge the living and the dead is condemned to the Cross; the Destroyer of hell is enclosed in a tomb. O Thou who dost endure all these things in Thy tender love, who hast saved all men from the curse, O long-suffering Lord, glory to Thee.

Apostichon of Vespers
In the flesh Thou wast of Thine own will enclosed within the tomb, yet in Thy divine nature Thou dost remain Uncircumscribed and limitless. Thou hast shut up the treasury of hell, O Christ, and emptied all his palaces. Thou hast honored this Sabbath with Thy divine blessing, with Thy glory and Thy radiance.

Great and Holy Thursday

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical supper; for I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor give you a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.

On Great & Holy Thursday the Holy Fathers draw our attention to four events: the washing of the feet, the Mystical Supper, the agonizing Prayer and the Seizing of the Lord.

The Church turns to the events that occurred in the Upper Room and at the garden of Gethsemane. In the Upper Room, Jesus established and instituted the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist. At the Mystical Supper, He gave a radically new meaning to the food and drink of the sacred meal. He identified Himself with the bread and wine: "Take, eat, this is my Body.... Drink of it all of you, for this is my Blood of the New Covenant."

We have learned to equate food with life because it sustains our earthly existence. In the Eucharist the distinctively unique human food--- bread and wine--- becomes our gift of life. Consecrated and sanctified, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This change is not physical but mystical and sacramental. While the qualities of bread and wine remain, we partake of the true Body and Blood of Christ. In the eucharistic meal God enters into such a communion of life that He feeds humanity with His own being, while still remaining distinct. In the words of St. Maximos the Confessor, Christ, "transmits to us divine life, making Himself eatable." The Author of Life shatters the limitations of our createdness, Christ acts that "we might become sharers of divine nature."

The Eucharist is at the center of the Church's life. It is her most profound prayer and principal activity. It is at one and the same time the source and the summit of her life. In the Eucharist, the Church manifests her true nature and is continuously changed from a human community into the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and the People of God. In the Eucharist the Church remembers and enacts sacramentally the redemptive event of the Cross and participates in its saving grace. The Eucharist goes not repeat what cannot be repeated. Christ is not slain anew and repeatedly. Rather the Eucharistic food is changed concretely and really into the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, "Who gave Himself up for the life of the world." In the Eucharist we receive and partake of the resurrected Christ. We share in His sacrificed, risen and deified Body, "for the remission of sins and life eternal." In the Eucharist Christ pours into us-- as a permanent and constant gift-- the Holy Spirit, "Who bears witness with out spirit that we are children of God-- and if children-- then heirs with Christ."

The events initiated by Jesus at the Mystical Supper were profoundly significant. By teaching and giving his disciples His final instructions and praying for them as well, He revealed again His divine Sonship and authority. By establishing the Eucharist, he enshrines to perfection God's most intimate purposes for our salvation, offering Himself as Communion and life. By washing the feet of His disciples, He summarized the meaning of His ministry, manifested His perfect love and revealed His profound humility.

The act of washing of the feet (John 12:2-17) is closely related to the sacrifice of the Cross. Both reveal aspects of Christ's kenosis. While the Cross constitutes the ultimate manifestation of Christ's perfect obedience to His Father, the washing of the feet signifies His intense love and the giving of Himself to each person's ability to receive Him.

Another significant episode leading to the Passion was the prayer and agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Although Jesus was the Son of God, He was destined as man to accept fully the human condition, to experience suffering and to learn obedience. Divesting himself of divine prerogatives, the Son of God assumed the role of a servant. He lived a truly human existence. Though He Himself was sinless, He allied Himself with the whole human race, identified with the human predicament and experienced the same tests. The moving events in the Garden of Gethsemane dramatically and poignantly disclosed the human nature of Christ. The sacrifice He was to endure for the salvation of the world was imminent. Death, with all its brutal force and fury, stared directly at Him. Its terrible burden and fear-- the calamitous result of the ancestral sin-- caused Him intense sorrow and pain. Instinctively, as a man He sought to escape it. He found Himself in a moment of decision. In His agony he prayed to His Father: "Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what Thou will."

Jesus offered His unconditional love and trust to the Father. He reached the extreme limits of self-denial-- "not what I will"-- in order to accomplish His Father's will. His acceptance of death was not some kind of stoic passivity and resignation but an act of absolute love and obedience. In that moment of decision, when He declared His acceptance of death to be in agreement with the Father's will, he broke the power of the fear of death with all its attending uncertainties anxieties and limitations. He learned obedience and fulfilled the divine plan.

Prayer is the power that fuels the spiritual life. As breathing, eating, drinking, and thinking are essential to human existence, prayer is a fundamental element and activity of the Christian life. Authentic Orthodox spirituality is constituted by a vibrant prayer life rooted in the life of the Church, her faith and her sacraments; and related, as well, to the practice of fasting, which is seen primarily as obedience to and love for God, the transformation of the passions, and acts of charity. Prayer is the most sublime experience of the human soul. Without it the soul is left cold and spiritless. It cannot enter into a sustained personal relationship with God.

Prayer is an act of faith. It brings us to the threshold of another world. Through it we reach and cross the ultimate frontier. We touch another world, which we come to experience as extraordinary peace, beauty, goodness, joy and trust. We encounter the living God and converse with Him. The Holy One, who alone has existence, embraces us with his tender mercy, compassion and love. Divine light penetrates the depths of our soul to reveal our sins, purge our iniquities, heal our brokenness, illumine our intellect, strengthen our will, and gladden our heart.

At the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss, the sign of friendship and love. The betrayal and crucifixion of Christ carried the ancestral sin to its extreme limits. In these two acts the rebellion against God reached its maximum capacity. The seduction of man in paradise culminated in the death of God in the flesh. To be victorious evil must quench the light and discredit the good. In the end, however, it shows itself to be a lie, an absurdity and sheer madness. The death and resurrection of Christ rendered evil powerless.

On Great Thursday light and darkness, joy and sorrow are so strangely mixed. At the Upper Room and in Gethsemane the light of the kingdom and the darkness of hell come through simultaneously. The way of life and the way of death converge. We meet them both in our journey through life.

Prayer of St. John Chrysostom

O my all-merciful God and Lord,
Jesus Christ, full of pity:
Through Your great love You came down
and became incarnate in order to save everyone.
O Savior, I ask You to save me by Your grace!
If You save anyone because of their works,
that would not be grace but only reward of duty,
but You are compassionate and full of mercy!

You said, O my Christ,
“Whoever believes in Me shall live and never die.”
If then, faith in You saves the lost, then save me,
O my God and Creator, for I believe.
Let faith and not my unworthy works be counted to me, O my God,
for You will find no works which could account me righteous.

O Lord, from now on let me love You as intensely as I have loved sin,
and work for You as hard as I once worked for the evil one.
I promise that I will work to do Your will,
my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, all the days of my life and forever more.

O Nymphios - Christ the BridegroomThe first days of Great & Holy Week are upon us

The first three days of Great & Holy Week in the Eastern Catholic tradition

Christ the Bridegroom is the central figure in the parable of the ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13); Christ is the divine Bridegroom of the Church as described in the Book of Isaiah (chapter 54), as well as the primary image of Bridegroom Matins. The title is suggestive of his divine presence and watchfulness ("Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night...") during Holy Week and his selfless love for his Bride, the Church.

The Bridegroom is also the name given to the central icon used in Bridegroom Matins. The Bridegroom icon and service is also commonly known in the Greek “O Nymphios”.

( let this video play as you read.... )



Bridegroom Matins
Bridegroom Matins is a service specific to the first three evenings (as Matins - a morning service is celebrated “in anticipation” on the eves of feasts and certain other days) of Holy Week and commemorates the last days in the earthly life of the Lord. Incorporated into these services is the theme of the first three days of Holy Week; which is the last teachings of Christ to his disciples. As such, these services incorporate readings and hymns inspiring this theme. The mood of the services is to experience sorrow and to feel Christ's voluntary submission to His passions and highlight the purpose behind the evil that is about to take place against the Lord. The atmosphere is one of mourning (for sins) and is symbolic of the shame the Christian should feel for the Fall of Adam and Eve, the depths of hell, the lost Paradise and the absence of God. The vestments of the Priest and the altar clothes are black or deep purple to symbolise and enhance the atmosphere of mourning and remembrance of sins. The main emphasis of the Bridegroom Service is metanoia and each service has its own particular theme on repentance and watchfulness. One of its primary features is its troparion:

Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is the servant He shall find vigilant;
but unworthy is he whom he shall find neglectful.
Beware therefore, O my soul, lest you be weighed down by sleep,
lest you be given over to death and be closed out from the kingdom;
but rise up crying out: "Holy! Holy! Holy are You our God;
through the intercessions of the Theotokos, have mercy on us.





Palm Sunday evening
During the first service on Palm Sunday evening, the priest carries the icon of Christ the Bridegroom into the church. The Bridegroom troparion is sung during this procession, and the icon is brought to the front of the church and remains there until Holy Thursday. The icon depicts Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church, bearing the marks of his suffering, yet preparing the way for a marriage feast in his Kingdom. He is dressed in the icon according to the mockery of the Roman guards just prior to his crucifixion.

* The crowns - a symbol of his marriage to the Church.
* The rope - a symbol of bondage to sin, death and corruption which was loosed with Christ's death on the Cross.
* The reed - a symbol of his humility; God rules his kingdom with humility.

Sunday evening also includes this kontakion:
Jacob lamented the loss of Joseph, but that noble one was seated in a chariot and honored as a king; for by not being enslaved then to the pleasures of the Egyptian woman, he was glorified by Him that beholdeth the hearts of men and bestoweth an incorruptible crown.





Holy Monday evening
On Holy Monday (Tuesday Matins), the Blessed Joseph, the son of Jacob the Patriarch, is commemorated because he is seen as a prototype of Christ.

Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by them. In the same way, the Lord was rejected, betrayed by his own, and sold into the slavery of death and like Joseph forgave and spared his brothers during the famine when they came to him, so too, Jesus Christ offers himself as a sacrifice and forgives all those who come to him in faith.

The Gospel reading for the day is of the Barren Fig Tree, which Christ cursed and withered because it bore no fruit. The fig tree is representative of those who have heard God's word, but who fail to bear the fruits of faith. Originally the withering of the fig tree was a testimony against those Jews who rejected God's word and his Messiah. It is also a warning to all people, in all times, of the importance of not only hearing the God's word, but putting it into action.

Monday evening also includes this kontakion:
Being mindful of the hour of the end, O my soul, and fearing because of the cutting down of the fig tree, labor diligently with the talent that was given thee, O hapless one, and be watchful and cry: Let us not remain outside the bridal chamber of Christ.


Holy Tuesday evening
On Holy Tuesday (Matins for Wednesday), the Parable of the Ten Virgins is read. It tells the story of the five virgins who filled their lamps in preparation for receiving the bridegroom while the other five allowed their lamps to go out and hence were shut out of the marriage feast. This parable is a warning that Christians must always be prepared to receive the Lord when he comes again. The theme of the day is reinforced by the exaposteilarion hymn:

I see Thy Bridal Chamber adorned, O my Savior, but have no wedding garment that I may enter. O Giver of Light, enlighten the vesture of my soul, and save me.

Holy Tuesday's Bridegroom Matins also includes commemoration of Kassiani (September 7), also known by the names of Kasia, Kasiani or Ikessia, was a great hymnographer from the 9th century. According to the Synaxaristi not many details of her life have been recorded but she has remained in ecclesiastical history for her great hymns. His Eminence Metropolitan Sophronios Eustratiadis of Leontopoleos [1] writes that Kassiani was "an orphaned girl from the Byzantine era, beautiful and wise, a saintly ascetic and respectful virgin". [2] Kassiani is also linked to the Emperor Theophilos (9th century) and his search for a bride. Theophilos was angered with a reply by Kassiani to a question of his, and he impulsively chose St. Theodora, who was standing next to Kassiani, to be his elected bride. Kassiani also played a great role in the restoration of the Holy Icons.

Heartbroken by Theophilos, one of those poems was the beautiful hymn of Kassiani, which in the Byzantine tradition is such a major feature that the service held on Holy Tuesday evening is often referred to simply as the Hymn of Kassiani. Theophilos searched for Kassiani and found her at a convent and the two never saw each other again. Her repentance and love for Christ is the theme of the wonderful Hymn of Kassiani which is chanted on this night, reminding all that they may be forgiven if they repent.

The text of the hymn, based on the account of the sinful woman who is introduced by the Evangelist St Luke in his Gospel (7:36-50). Kassiani contrasts the repentance of the sinful woman with Eve's fall (Gen. 3:8-11):

The woman who had fallen into many sins, perceiving Your divinity, O Lord, received the dignity of a myrrh-bearer, for with lamentation she brought fragrant myrrh to You before Your burial. And she cried: Woe is me, for love of sin and stings of lustful passion envelop me as the night, dark and moonless. As You cause the clouds to drop down the waters of the sea, accept the fountain of my tears. As by Your indescribable condescension You bowed down the heavens, so incline to the groaning of my heart. I shall kiss Your most pure feet and wipe them with the hair of my head, those same feet whose sound Eve heard at dusk in Paradise when she hid herself in fear. Who can count the multitude of my sins? Who can measure the depths of Your judgments, O Saviour of my soul? Do not turn away from me, Your servant, for You have immeasurable mercy.

Tuesday evening also includes this kontakion:
I have transgressed far more than the harlot, O Good One, yet have never brought you showers of tears; but entreating in silence, I fall before you, as I kiss your immaculate feet with love, that as Master you may grant me forgiveness of offences, as I cry out, O Saviour: deliver me from the filth of my works.

( here is some chanting in English...)

( here are the words... )
AS THE LORD WAS GOING TO HIS VOLUNTARY PASSION,
HE SAID TO THE APOSTLES ON THE WAY,
BEHOLD, WE GO UP TO JERUSALEM,
AND THE SON OF MAN SHALL BE DELIVERED UP, AS IT IS WRITTEN OF HIM.
COME, THEREFORE, LET US ALSO GO WITH HIM,
PURIFIED IN MIND.
LET US BE CRUCIFIED WITH HIM AND DIE THROUGH HIM
TO THE PLEASURES OF THIS LIFE.
THEN WE SHALL LIVE WITH HIM AND HEAR HIM SAY:
I GO NO MORE TO THE EARTHLY JERUSALEM TO SUFFER,
BUT TO MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER,
TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD.
I SHALL RAISE YOU UP TO THE JERUSALEM ON HIGH
IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER AWESOME LITURGICAL
TEXTS OF THE BRIDEGROOM MATINS SERVICES:

TODAY CHRIST'S HOLY PASSION DAWNS UPON THE WORLD AS A SAVING LIGHT,
FOR HE COMES OF HIS GOODNESS TO SUFFER:
HE WHO HOLDS ALL THINGS IN HIS HAND
CONSENTS TO BE HUNG UPON THE WOOD
IN ORDER TO SAVE MANKIND.

TODAY SHINES AS THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD!
COME, THEN, ALL WHO LOVE THE FEAST AND JOIN TOGETHER IN HYMNS,
FOR THE CREATOR COMES TO ACCEPT THE CROSS,
THE AFFLICTIONS, THE BEATINGS AND THE JUDGMENT BY PILATE.
A SERVANT STRIKES HIM ON THE HEAD,
BUT HE ENDURES ALL THINGS THAT HE MAY SAVE MANKIND.
THEREFORE, LET US CRY OUT TO HIM:
GRANT REMISSION OF SINS TO THOSE WHO VENERATE YOUR HOLY PASSION IN FAITH,
CHRIST OUR GOD, THE LOVER OF MANKIND!


WE HAVE REACHED THE SAVING PASSION OF CHRIST OUR GOD.
LET US, THE FAITHFUL, GLORIFY HIS INEFFABLE FORBEARANCE,
THAT IN HIS COMPASSION HE MAY RAISE US UP WHO WERE DEAD IN SIN,
FOR HE IS GOOD AND LOVES MANKIND.

YOU TAUGHT YOUR DISCIPLES, LORD, TO DESIRE WHAT IS PERFECT,
SAYING: BE NOT LIKE THE GENTILES, WHO OPPRESS THE WEAK.
IT SHALL NOT BE SO WITH YOU, MY DISCIPLES.
FOR OF MY OWN WILL I AM POOR.
LET THE FIRST AMONG YOU, THEREFORE, BE THE SERVANT OF ALL.
LET THE RULER BE LIKE THOSE WHO ARE RULED.
LET HIM WHO IS FIRST BE LIKE THE LAST.
FOR I HAVE COME TO SERVE ADAM IN HIS POVERTY,
AND TO GIVE MY LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR THE MANY WHO CRY TO ME:
O LORD, GLORY TO YOU!

THE FIG TREE WAS WITHERED UP BECAUSE IT WAS UNFRUITFUL.
WE SHOULD FEAR THE SAME PUNISHMENT, O BRETHREN,
AND BRING WORTHY FRUITS OF REPENTANCE TO CHRIST,
WHO BRINGS TO US GREAT MERCY.

LET US LOVE THE BRIDEGROOM, BRETHREN.
LET US KEEP OUR LAMPS AFLAME WITH VIRTUES AND TRUE FAITH,
SO THAT WE, LIKE THE WISE VIRGINS OF THE LORD,
MAY BE READY TO ENTER WITH HIM INTO THE MARRIAGE FEAST.
FOR THE BRIDEGROOM, AS GOD, GRANTS UNTO ALL AN INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN.


JUDAS LOVES MONEY WITH HIS MIND.
THE IMPIOUS ONE MOVES AGAINST THE MASTER.
HE WILLS AND PLANS THE BETRAYAL.
RECEIVING DARKNESS, HE FALLS FROM THE LIGHT.
HE AGREES TO THE PRICE AND SELLS THE PRICELESS ONE.
AS PAYMENT FOR HIS DEEDS THE WRETCH GAINS HANGING AND A TERRIBLE DEATH.
FROM HIS LOT DELIVER US, CHRIST GOD,
GRANTING REMISSION OF SINS TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE YOUR IMMACULATE PASSION WITH LOVE.

Why are you idle, my wretched soul? What useless cares cause you to
be lost in dreams? Why busy yourself with things that pass away? The
last hour is at hand, and we shall be parted from all earthly things.
Therefore, while there is yet time, rouse yourself and cry: I have
sinned before You, my Savior. Do not cut me off like the barren fig
tree. In Your compassion, O Christ, take pity on me who call out with
fear:

HOW SHALL I, THE UNWORTHY ONE,
APPEAR IN THE SPLENDOR OF YOUR SAINTS?
FOR IF I DARE ENTER YOUR BRIDAL CHAMBER WITH THEM,
MY GARMENTS WILL BETRAY ME;
THEY ARE UNFIT FOR A WEDDING.
THE ANGELS WILL CAST ME OUT IN CHAINS.
CLEANSE THE FILTH OF MY SOUL, O LORD,
AND SAVE ME IN YOUR LOVE FOR MANKIND.

O CHRIST THE BRIDEGROOM,
MY SOUL HAS SLUMBERED IN LAZINESS.
I HAVE NO LAMP AFLAME WITH VIRTUES.
LIKE THE FOOLISH VIRGINS I WANDER AIMLESSLY WHEN IT IS TIME FOR WORK.
BUT DO NOT CLOSE YOUR COMPASSIONATE HEART TO ME, O MASTER.
ROUSE ME, SHAKE OFF MY HEAVY SLEEP.
LEAD ME WITH THE WISE VIRGINS INTO THE BRIDAL CHAMBER,
THAT I MAY HEAR THE PURE VOICE OF THOSE THAT FEAST AND CRY UNCEASINGLY:
O LORD, GLORY TO YOU!

(!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!!)
COME, FAITHFUL,
LET US WORK ZEALOUSLY FOR THE MASTER,
FOR HE DISTRIBUTES WEALTH TO HIS SERVANTS.
LET EACH OF US ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY
INCREASE HIS TALENT OF GRACE:
LET ONE BE ADORNED IN WISDOM THROUGH GOOD WORKS;
LET ANOTHER CELEBRATE A SERVICE IN SPLENDOR.
THE ONE DISTRIBUTES HIS WEALTH TO THE POOR;
THE OTHER COMMUNICATES THE WORD TO THOSE UNTAUGHT.
THUS WE SHALL INCREASE WHAT HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO US,
AND, AS FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF GRACE,
WE SHALL BE ACCOUNTED WORTHY OF THE MASTER'S JOY.
MAKE US WORTHY OF THIS, CHRIST OUR GOD,
IN YOUR LOVE FOR MANKIND.

AS THE SINFUL WOMAN WAS BRINGING HER OFFERING OF MYRRH,
THE DISCIPLE WAS SCHEMING WITH LAWLESS MEN.
SHE REJOICED IN POURING OUT HER PRECIOUS GIFT.
HE HASTENED TO SELL THE PRECIOUS ONE.
SHE RECOGNIZED THE MASTER, BUT JUDAS PARTED FROM HIM.
SHE WAS SET FREE, BUT JUDAS WAS ENSLAVED TO THE ENEMY.
HOW TERRIBLE IS SLOTHFULNESS!
HOW GREAT HER REPENTANCE!
SAVIOR, YOU SUFFERED FOR OUR SAKES:
GRANT US ALSO REPENTANCE, AND SAVE US.

O, THE WRETCHEDNESS OF JUDAS!
HE SAW THE HARLOT KISS THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHRIST,
BUT DECEITFULLY HE CONTEMPLATED THE KISS OF BETRAYAL.
SHE LOOSED HER HAIR WHILE HE BOUND HIMSELF WITH WRATH.
HE OFFERED THE STENCH OF WICKEDNESS INSTEAD OF MYRRH,
FOR ENVY CANNOT DISTINGUISH VALUE.
O, THE WRETCHEDNESS OF JUDAS!
DELIVER OUR SOULS FROM THIS, O GOD.

TODAY, THE EVIL ASSEMBLY HAS GATHERED AND PLOTS AGAINST YOU.

TODAY JUDAS RECEIVED CONDEMNATION FROM THE AGREEMENT:
CAIAPHAS CONFESSES UNKNOWINGLY.
FOR THE SAKE OF ALL YOU WILL ACCEPT DEATH FREELY;
CHRIST GOD, OUR REDEEMER: GLORY TO YOU!

a note on this great day...

today is the saturday of the raising of lazarus.

i never cease to be moved on this great day, a respite from what should have been a more rigorous attempt at the great fast. a respite i don’t deserve, like all the blessing from Christ. but it has come all the same to call out to me to remember the unfathomable depths of the compassion of the Lord.

fr. alexander schmemann used to call this a small Paskha, a little passover if even temporary, because we know that Lazarus died later after becoming the bishop of Cyprus.

after the journey of lent we come to this two-day feast and are remind of the great love Jesus has for us. although this account is very personal, what with Jesus being lazarus’ friend we must not loose the cosmic and ontological significance of what occurs.

as He approaches the tomb of Lazarus, and after being scolded by the sisters of His friend for His tarrying, Jesus is faced with the awful and devastating effects of our condition.

the Logos of God who created us in the garden steps face to face with sin and our mortality’s disordering affects.

not only is His beloved friend dead ... but 4 days dead - and - now he stinks from the decomposition of his flesh. in the icon we see the attendants even covering their noses & mouths.

lazarus is not 1 day, not even 3 days, but four days dead. the wholeness of the three day watch plus one day.

in other words perfectly dead - even stinking in the tomb.
it is i believe the only time there is no euphemism used by Christ. the girl raised was called asleep. lazarus. Jesus says “is dead”.

then, the shortest verse in the scriptures. tow short and simple words.

Jesus wept!

the Creator sees His creature lying dead in the grave, naked and bereft of glory and beauty.

we know first hand the terrible effects of the fall on us. we feel the weight of our burdens and are constantly reminded of our physical frailty and the temporal reality of our present state. we “feel our pain”.

but we are now confronted with the effects our disobedience & fall, our mortality & condition have on our friend Jesus ... He weeps!

we glimpse in a vivid way what compels our Christ to humble Himself in such an ineffably incomprehensible way, even as Creator, He deigns of His own will, to become creature.

no longer is He utterly OTHER but now He become UTTERLY us in His person. uniting us to Himself and in the coming week “forging a path for all flesh to the resurrection.

He lays bare, His incomprehensible love for us. for all of us to see,
and (in anthropomorphic terms), He reveals His emotional devastation at our state and He shows the depths of His inner mourning over our chosen lot.

(back in the garden He told us that if we rejected His will we “will surely die” and now, seeing what we’ve brought upon ourselves He readies to make Himself a remedy to our sin.)

this is a truly great and awesome day. the love of Jesus and His compelling desire for our release and salvation are laid bare before us.

i prepare myself to walk, no ... run the course of the passion with you o Christ. strengthen me to hold fast with those who exalted You upon Your entrance into jerusalem and may i flee from their deceit who turned their voice from praise to jeers at Your crucifixion. let e always instead be compelled by Your love and moved to charity and philanthropy by the great mystery of Your condescension.

i praise Your compassion and glorify Your suffering, by Your cross, You have redeemed the world!

padre seraphim

Saturday of the Holy and Righteous Friend of Christ, Lazarus

Saturday of the Resurrection Holy and Righteous Friend of Christ, Lazarus, later first bishop of Cyprus

Introduction

On the Saturday before Holy Week, the Orthodox Church commemorates a major feast of the year, the miracle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he had lain in the grave four days. Here, at the end of Great Lent and the forty days of fasting and penitence, the Church combines this celebration with that of Palm Sunday. In triumph and joy the Church bears witness to the power of Christ over death and exalts Him as King before entering the most solemn week of the year, one that leads the faithful in remembrance of His suffering and death and concludes with the great and glorious Feast of Pascha.

Biblical Story

Icon of the Raising of Lazarus

The story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead by Jesus Christ is found in the Gospel of John 11:1-45. Lazarus becomes ill, and his sisters, Mary and Martha send a message to Jesus stating, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” In response to the message, Jesus says, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (vv. 1-4).

Jesus did not immediately go to Bethany, the town where Lazarus lived with his sisters. Instead He remained in the place where He was staying for two more days. After this time, He told his disciples that they were returning to Judea. The disciples immediately expressed their concern, stating that the Jews there had recently tried to stone Him (John 10:31). Jesus replied to His disciples, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them” (vv. 5-10).

After He said this, Jesus told his disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep and that He was going there to wake him. The disciples wondered why He would go to wake Lazarus, since it was good for him to sleep if he was ill. Jesus, however, was referring to the death of Lazarus, and thus told the disciples directly that Lazarus was dead (vv. 11-14).

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Since Bethany was near Jerusalem, many of the Jews had come to console Mary and Martha. When Martha heard that Jesus was approaching she went to meet Him and said to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of Him.” Jesus told her that her brother will rise again. Martha said that she knew he would rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus replied, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus asked Martha if she believed this. She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world” (vv. 17-27).

Martha returned to tell Mary that Jesus had come and was asking for her. Mary went to meet Him, and she was followed by those who were consoling her. The mourners followed her thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When she came to Jesus, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus saw her weeping and those who were with her, and He was deeply moved. He asked to be taken to the tomb of Lazarus. As Jesus wept for Lazarus the Jews said, “See how He loved him.” Others wondered that if Jesus could open the eyes of the blind, He certainly could have kept Lazarus from dying (vv. 28-37).

Jesus came to the tomb and asked that the stone that covered the door be taken away. Martha remarked that Lazarus had now been in the tomb for four days and that there would be a stench. Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” The stone was taken away, and Jesus looked toward heaven and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When He had said this, He called out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus walked out of the tomb, bound with the strips of burial cloth, and Jesus said, “Unbind him, and let him go” (vv. 38-44).

As a result of this miracle, many of the Jews that were present believed in Jesus. Others went and told the Pharisees what Jesus had done. In response the Pharisees and chief priests met and considered how they might arrest Him and put Him to death (v. 45ff).

This miracle is performed by Christ as a reassurance to His disciples before the coming Passion: they are to understand that, though He suffers and dies, yet He is Lord and Victor over death. The resurrection of Lazarus is a prophecy in the form of an action. It foreshadows Christ’s own Resurrection eight days later, and at the same time it anticipates the resurrection of all the righteous on the Last Day: Lazarus is “the saving first-fruits of the regeneration of the world.”

As the liturgical texts emphasize, the miracle at Bethany reveals the two natures of Christ the God-man. Christ asks where Lazarus is laid and weeps for him, and so He shows the fullness of His manhood, involving as it does human ignorance and genuine grief for a beloved friend. Then, disclosing the fullness of His divine power, Christ raises Lazarus from the dead, even though his corpse has already begun to decompose and stink. This double fullness of the Lord’s divinity and His humanity is to be kept in view throughout Holy Week, and above all on Good Friday. On the Cross we see a genuine human agony, both physical and mental, but we see more than this: we see not only suffering man but suffering God.

Icon of the Feast

The icon of the Saturday of Lazarus shows Christ calling His friend to come out of the tomb (1). Lazarus is coming forth from the tomb (2), still bound in the strips of burial cloth. His sisters, Mary and Martha are bowing before Christ, expressing both their sorrow in the death of their brother, but also their faith in Christ as the Messiah and Son of God. Next to them is someone who has followed the request of our Lord and removed the stone from the door of the tomb (3).

1. Christ calls his friend Lazarus to come out from his tomb.	2. Lazarus is seen answering the call of his friend while still bound in his burial cloth.

Standing with Christ are his disciples who are witnesses of this miracle, a true manifestation of the power of God that would bring them assurance during the Passion of our Lord.

3. Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, bow before Christ as they witness this awesome miracle. A young man pulls the stone away from the front of the tomb.	4. A man who is a part of the crowd that followed Christ, witnesses the miracle.

In the center of the icon is a person (4) who represents the crowd who also witnessed the miracle. Some believed, but others went and told the Pharisees and chief priests who continued their machinations to bring about the arrest of Christ and His death. The walled city of Jerusalem, where Christ will arrive in triumph the following day, is depicted in the background.

THE FINAL DAY OF THE GREAT FAST ACCORDING TO THE EASTERN RITE

COME, BRETHREN,
AND BEFORE THE END OF THE FAST,

LET US DRAW NEAR WITH PURE HEARTS
TO THE COMPASSIONATE GOD,

LAYING ASIDE ALL EARTHLY CARES,
CARING INSTEAD FOR OUR SOULS.

BY ABSTINENCE,
LET US RENOUNCE OUR LOVE OF PLEASURE,
AND CONCERN OURSELVES INSTEAD WITH CHARITY,

FOR IN THIS WAY, AS IT IS WRITTEN,
SOME HAVE UNKNOWINGLY BEEN HOSTS TO ANGELS.

BY PROVIDING FOR THE NEEDY,
LET US FEED HIM WHO HAS FED US WITH HIM OWN FLESH;

LET US CLOTHE OURSELVES IN HIM
WHO CLOTHES HIMSELF IN LIGHT AS A GARMENT,

SO THAT BY THE INTERCESSIONS
OF THE MOST PURE MOTHER AND VIRGIN THEOTOKOS,

WE MAY RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS,
AND CRY TO HIM WITH COMPUNCTION:

SAVE US, LORD!
FROM THE CONDEMNATION OF THOSE ON YOUR LEFT HAND,

AND MAKE US WORTHY TO STAND AT YOUR RIGHT HAND,

FOR YOU ARE THE MERCIFUL LOVER OF YOUR PEOPLE


!