[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Fri Apr 6 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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John 13:31-18:1  (Matins, 1st Passion Gospel)
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is
glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself,
and glorify Him immediately.
33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You
will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot
come,' so now I say to you.
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I
have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love
for one another.
36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus
answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you
shall follow Me afterward."
37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay
down my life for Your sake."
38 Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most
assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have
denied Me three times.
1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in
Me.
2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and
how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me.
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from
now on you know Him and have seen Him.
8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient
for us."
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have
not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how
can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but
the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else
believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that
I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because
I go to My Father.
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father
may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may abide with you forever-
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with
you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you
will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.
20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me,
and I in you.
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him
and manifest Myself to him.
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will
manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"
23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep
My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make
Our home with him.
24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which
you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
25 These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
things that I said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid.
28 You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to
you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going
to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to
pass, you may believe.
30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is
coming, and he has nothing in Me.
31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the
Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
1 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every
branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to
you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you
abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in
him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is
withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they
are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you
will be My disciples.
9 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I
have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you,
and that your joy may be full.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved
you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for
his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what
his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things
that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you
should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that
whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated
you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because
you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore
the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater
than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake,
because they do not know Him who sent Me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but
now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they
would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and
My Father.
25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written
in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'
26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will
testify of Me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from
the beginning.
1 These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to
stumble.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming
that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the
Father nor Me.
4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may
remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to
you at the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me,
'Where are You going?'
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your
heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go
away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if
I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them
now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you
into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but
whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it
to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He
will take of Mine and declare it to you.
16 A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while,
and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.
17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this
that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and
again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the
Father'?"
18 They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'?
We do not know what He is saying."
19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them,
"Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little
while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will
see Me'?
20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the
world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be
turned into joy.
21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has
come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer
remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into
the world.
22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your
heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to
you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will
receive, that your joy may be full.
25 These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the
time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative
language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.
26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I
shall pray the Father for you;
27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and
have believed that I came forth from God.
28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I
leave the world and go to the Father.
29 His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and
using no figure of speech!
30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that
anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth
from God.
31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be
scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not
alone, because the Father is with Me.
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world.
1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said:
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may
glorify You,
2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give
eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which
You have given Me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory
which I had with You before the world was.
6 I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of
the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept
Your word.
7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from
You.
8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they
have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You;
and they have believed that You sent Me.
9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You
have given Me, for they are Yours.
10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in
them.
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I
come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have
given Me, that they may be one as We are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those
whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son
of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that
they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because
they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that
You should keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the
world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be
sanctified by the truth.
20 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe
in Me through their word;
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You;
that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You
sent Me.
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be
one just as We are one:
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and
that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as
You have loved Me.
24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me
where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for
You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known
You; and these have known that You sent Me.
26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that
the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples
over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His
disciples entered.
Scripture Reading 1 of 34


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John 18:1-28  (Matins, 2nd Passion Gospel)
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples
over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His
disciples entered.
2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often
met there with His disciples.
3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers
from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns,
torches, and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went
forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?"
5 They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am
He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.
6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the
ground.
7 Then He asked them again, "Whom are you seeking?" And they said,
"Jesus of Nazareth."
8 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you
seek Me, let these go their way,"
9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom
You gave Me I have lost none."
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high
priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was
Malchus.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I
not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?"
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of
the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.
13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law
of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.
14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that
one man should die for the people.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now
that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into
the courtyard of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who
was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the
door, and brought Peter in.
17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not
also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not."
18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood
there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood
with them and warmed himself.
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His
doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught
in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in
secret I have said nothing.
21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them.
Indeed they know what I said.
22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by
struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the
high priest like that?"
23 Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the
evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to
him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it
and said, "I am not!"
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear
Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"
27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was
early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium,
lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.
Scripture Reading 2 of 34


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Matthew 26:57-75  (Matins, 3rd Passion Gospel)
57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the
high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's
courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false
testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,
60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they
found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward
61 and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of
God and to build it in three days.' "
62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?
What is it these men testify against You?"
63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to
Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the
Christ, the Son of God!"
64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you,
hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the
Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken
blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you
have heard His blasphemy!
66 What do you think? They answered and said, "He is deserving of
death."
67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with
the palms of their hands,
68 saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?"
69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to
him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."
70 But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you
are saying."
71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and
said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of
Nazareth."
72 But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"
73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter,
"Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."
74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!"
Immediately a rooster crowed.
75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before
the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and
wept bitterly.
Scripture Reading 3 of 34


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John 18:28-19:16  (Matins, 4th Passion Gospel)
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was
early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium,
lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.
29 Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you
bring against this Man?"
30 They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we
would not have delivered Him up to you."
31 Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to
your law." Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to
put anyone to death,"
32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke,
signifying by what death He would die.
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to
Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
34 Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or
did others tell you this concerning Me?"
35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests
have delivered You to me. What have You done?"
36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom
were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be
delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus
answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was
born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should
bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My
voice."
38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he
went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him
at all.
39 But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the
Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the
Jews?
40 Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!"
Now Barabbas was a robber.
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.
2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head,
and they put on Him a purple robe.
3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with
their hands.
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing
Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him."
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried
out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You
take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him."
7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He
ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."
8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid,
9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are
You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not
know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?"
11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless
it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me
to you has the greater sin."
12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out,
saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever
makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and
sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement,
but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth
hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests
answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus
and led Him away.
Scripture Reading 4 of 34


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Matthew 27:3-32  (Matins, 5th Passion Gospel)
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was
remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
priests and elders,
4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said,
"What is that to us? You see to it!"
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed,
and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not
lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of
blood."
7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field,
to bury strangers in.
8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
"And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was
priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced,
10 and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me.
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him,
saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "It is as
you say."
12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He
answered nothing.
13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they
testify against You?"
14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled
greatly.
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the
multitude one prisoner whom they wished.
16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them,
"Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is
called Christ?"
18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him,
saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered
many things today in a dream because of Him."
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they
should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you
want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called
Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
23 Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they
cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a
tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the
multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.
You see to it."
25 And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on
our children."
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus,
he delivered Him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium
and gathered the whole garrison around Him.
28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head,
and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and
mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the
head.
31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His
own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.
Him they compelled to bear His cross.
Scripture Reading 5 of 34


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Mark 15:16-32  (Matins, 6th Passion Gospel)
16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and
they called together the whole garrison.
17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of
thorns, put it on His head,
18 and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and
bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.
20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His
own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.
21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of
Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing
by, to bear His cross.
22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated,
Place of a Skull.
23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not
take it.
24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting
lots for them to determine what every man should take.
25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.
26 And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING
OF THE JEWS.
27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the
other on His left.
28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered
with the transgressors."
29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and
saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,
30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!
31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the
scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.
32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross,
that we may see and believe. Even those who were crucified with Him
reviled Him.
Scripture Reading 6 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
Matthew 27:33-54  (Matins, 7th Passion Gospel)
33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say,
Place of a Skull,
34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had
tasted it, He would not drink.
35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They
divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots."
36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.
37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and
another on the left.
39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads
40 and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,
save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and
elders, said,
42 He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of
Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.
43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for
He said, 'I am the Son of God.'
44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the
same thing.
45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness
over all the land.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?"
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This
Man is calling for Elijah!"
48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour
wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
49 The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to
save Him."
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His
spirit.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised;
53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into
the holy city and appeared to many.
54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus,
saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared
greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
Scripture Reading 7 of 34


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Luke 23:32-49  (Matins, 8th Passion Gospel)
32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to
death.
33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they
crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other
on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.
35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them
sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the
Christ, the chosen of God."
36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine,
37 and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."
38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek,
Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying,
"If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even
fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds;
but this Man has done nothing wrong.
42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your
kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be
with Me in Paradise."
44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all
the earth until the ninth hour.
45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in
two.
46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father,
'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed
His last.
47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God,
saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"
48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what
had been done, beat their breasts and returned.
49 But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from
Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Scripture Reading 8 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
John 19:25-37  (Matins, 9th Passion Gospel)
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's
sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved
standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!"
27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that
hour that disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"
29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a
sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is
finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies
should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a
high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and
that they might be taken away.
32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the
other who was crucified with Him.
33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they
did not break His legs.
34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and
immediately blood and water came out.
35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and
he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled,
"Not one of His bones shall be broken."
37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they
pierced."
Scripture Reading 9 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
Mark 15:43-47  (Matins, 10th Passion Gospel)
43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself
waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to
Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the
centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.
45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to
Joseph.
46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the
linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock,
and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He
was laid.
Scripture Reading 10 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
John 19:38-42  (Matins, 11th Passion Gospel)
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but
secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away
the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took
the body of Jesus.
39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came,
bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen
with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in
the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for
the tomb was nearby.
Scripture Reading 11 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
Matthew 27:62-66  (Matins, 12th Passion Gospel)
62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief
priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,
63 saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that
deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'
64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day,
lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the
people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be
worse than the first.
65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as
secure as you know how."
66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and
setting the guard.
Scripture Reading 12 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
Zechariah 11:10-13  (Royal Hours 1st Hour)
10 And I took my staff Grace, and I broke it, annulling the covenant
which I had made with all the peoples.
11 So it was annulled on that day, and the traffickers in the sheep,
who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord.
12 Then I said to them, "If it seems right to you, give me my wages;
but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty
shekels of silver.
13 Then the Lord said to me, "Cast it into the treasury" - the lordly
price at which I was paid off by them. So I took the thirty shekels of
silver and cast them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.
Scripture Reading 13 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
Galatians 6:14-18  (Royal Hours 1st Hour)
14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the
world.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails
anything, but a new creation.
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon
them, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks
of the Lord Jesus.
18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Amen.
Scripture Reading 14 of 34


-----------------------------
                                      
Matthew 27:1-56  (Royal Hours 1st Hour)
1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people
plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.
2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to
Pontius Pilate the governor.
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was
remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
priests and elders,
4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said,
"What is that to us? You see to it!"
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed,
and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not
lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of
blood."
7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field,
to bury strangers in.
8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
"And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was
priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced,
10 and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me.
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him,
saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "It is as
you say."
12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He
answered nothing.
13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they
testify against You?"
14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled
greatly.
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the
multitude one prisoner whom they wished.
16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them,
"Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is
called Christ?"
18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him,
saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered
many things today in a dream because of Him."
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they
should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you
want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called
Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
23 Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they
cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a
tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the
multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.
You see to it."
25 And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on
our children."
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus,
he delivered Him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium
and gathered the whole garrison around Him.
28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head,
and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and
mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the
head.
31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His
own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.
Him they compelled to bear His cross.
33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say,
Place of a Skull,
34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had
tasted it, He would not drink.
35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They
divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots."
36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.
37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and
another on the left.
39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads
40 and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,
save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and
elders, said,
42 He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of
Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.
43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for
He said, 'I am the Son of God.'
44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the
same thing.
45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness
over all the land.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me?"
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This
Man is calling for Elijah!"
48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour
wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
49 The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to
save Him."
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His
spirit.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised;
53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into
the holy city and appeared to many.
54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus,
saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared
greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him,
were there looking on from afar,
56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses,
and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Scripture Reading 15 of 34



----------------------------------------------------
------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------


Great and Holy Friday
Great and Holy Friday
On Great and Holy Friday, Christ died on the Cross. He gave up His
spirit with the words: "It is finished" (John 19:30). These words are
better understood when rendered: "It is consummated." He had
accomplished the work for which His heavenly Father had sent Him into
the world. He became a man in the fullest sense of the word. He
accepted the baptism of repentance from John in the Jordan River. He
assumed the whole human condition, experiencing all its alienation,
agony, and suffering, concluding with the lowly death on the Cross. He
perfectly fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
"Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul
to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the
sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah
53:12)
The Man of Sorrows
On the Cross Jesus thus became "the man of sorrows; acquainted with
grief' whom the prophet Isaiah had foretold. He was "despised and
forsaken by men" and "smitten by God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:3-4).
He became the one with "no form or comeliness that we should look at
him, and no beauty that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). His
appearance was "marred beyond human semblance, and his form beyond
that of the sons of men" (Isaiah 52:14). All these Messianic
prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus as he hung from the Cross.
As the end approached, He cried: "My God, my God, why hast Thou
forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). This cry indicated His complete
identification with the human condition. He had totally embraced the
despised, forsaken and smitten condition of suffering and death -
alienation from God. He was truly the man of sorrows.
Yet, it is important to note that Jesus' cry of anguish from the Cross
was not a sign of His loss of faith in His Father. The words which He
exclaimed are the first verse of Psalm 22, a messianic Psalm. The
first part of the Psalm foretells the anguish, suffering and death of
the Messiah. The second part is a song of praise to God. It predicts
the final victory of the Messiah.
The Formal Charges
The death of Christ had been sought by the religious leaders in
Jerusalem from the earliest days of His public ministry. The formal
charges made against Him usually fell into the following two
categories:
1) violation of the Law of the Old Testament, e.g., breaking the
Sabbath rest; 2) blasphemy: making Himself equal with God.
Matters were hastened (consummated) by the moment of truth which
followed His entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He had the people
behind Him. He spoke plainly. He said that the Sabbath was made for
man, and not man for the Sabbath. He chastised the scribes and
Pharisees for reducing religion to a purely external affair;
"You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but
within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also
outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matthew 23:27-28).
It was the second formal charge; however, that became the basis for
His conviction.
The Religious Trial
Christ's conviction and death sentence required two trials: religious
and political. The religious trial was first and took place during the
night immediately after His arrest. After considerable difficulty in
finding witnesses for the prosecution who actually agreed in their
testimony, Caiaphas, the high priest, asked Jesus the essential
question: "Are you Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus, who had
remained silent to this point, now responded directly:
"I am; and you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of
power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:61-62).
Jesus' reply recalled the many other statements He had made beginning
with the words, "I am." "I am the bread of life . . . I am the light
of the world. . . I am the way, the truth, and the life. . . before
Abraham was, I am." (John 6 through 15). The use of these words
themselves was considered blasphemous by the religious leaders. The
words were the Name of God. By using them as His own Name, Jesus
positively identified Himself with God. From the burning bush the
voice of God had disclosed these words to Moses as the Divine Name:
"Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus
3:13-14).
Now Jesus, as He had done on many other occasions, used them as His
own Name. The high priest immediately tore his mantle and "they all
condemned Him as deserving death" (Mark 14:64). In their view He had
violated the Law of the Old Testament:
"He who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death"
(Leviticus 24:16).
The Political Trial
The Jewish religious leaders lacked the actual authority to carry out
the above law: to put a man to death. Such authority belonged to the
Roman civil administration. Jesus had carefully kept His activity free
of political implications. He refused the temptation of Satan to rule
the kingdoms of the world by the sword (Luke 4: 1-12). He often
charged His disciples and others to tell no one that He was , the
Christ, because of the political overtones that this title carried for
many (Matthew 16: 13-20). He rebuked Peter, calling him Satan, when
the disciple hinted at His swerving from the true nature of His
mission (Matthew 16:23). To Pilate, the spineless and indifferent
Roman Governor, He said plainly: "My kingdom is not of this world"
(John 18:36). Jesus was not a political revolutionary who came to free
the people from Roman control and establish a new kingdom based on
worldly power.
Nevertheless, the religious leaders, acting in agreement with the
masses, devised political charges against Him in order to get their
way. They presented Christ to the Romans as a political , leader, the
"King of the Jews" in a worldly sense, a threat to Roman rule and a
challenge to Caesar. Pilate became fearful of his own position as he
heard the charges and saw the seething mobs. Therefore, despite his
avowed testimony to Jesus' innocence, he passed formal sentence,
"washed his hands" of the matter, and turned Jesus over to be
crucified (John 19:16).
Crucifixion - The Triumph of Evil
Before succumbing to this cruel Roman method of executing political
criminals, Jesus suffered still other injustices. He was stripped,
mocked and beaten. He wore a "kingly" crown of thorns on His head. He
carried His own cross. He was finaIly nailed to the cross between two
thieves at a place called Golgotha (the place of the skull) outside
Jerusalem. An inscription was placed above His head on the Cross to
indicate the nature of His crime: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the
Jews." He yielded up His spirit at about the ninth hour (3 p.m.),
after hanging on the Cross for about six hours.
On Holy Friday evil triumphed. "It was night" (John 13:30) when Judas
departed from the Last Supper to complete his act of betrayal, and
"there was darkness over all the land" (Matthew 27:45) when Jesus was
hanging on the Cross. The evil forces of this world had been massed
against Christ. Unjust trials convicted Him. A criminal was released
to the people instead of Him. Nails and a spear pierced His body.
Bitter vinegar was given to Him to quench His thirst. Only one
disciple remained faithful to Him. Finally, the tomb of another man
became His place of repose after death.
The innocent Jesus was put to death on the basis of both religious and
political charges. Both Jews and Gentile Romans participated in His
death sentence.
"The rulers of the people have assembled against the Lord and His
Christ." (Psalm 2 - the Prokeimenon of the Holy Thursday Vesperal
Liturgy)
We, also, in many ways continue to participate in the death sentence
given to Christ. The formal charges outlined above do not exhaust the
reasons for the crucifixion. Behind the formal charges lay a host of
injustices brought, on by hidden and personal motivations. Jesus
openly spoke the truth about God and man. He thereby exposed the false
character of the righteousness and smug security, both religious and
material, claimed by many especially those in high places. The
constantly occurring expositions of such smugness in our own day teach
us the truly illusory nature of much so-called righteousness and
security. In the deepest sense, the death of Christ was brought about
by hardened, personal sin - the refusal of people to change themselves
in the light of reality, which is Christ.
"He came to His very own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11).
Especially we, the Christian people, are Christ's very own. He
continues to come to us in His Church. Each time we attempt to make
the Church into something other than the eternal coming of Christ into
our midst, each time we refuse to repent for our wrongs; we, too,
reject Christ and participate in His death sentence.
The Vespers
The Vespers, celebrated in the Church on Holy Friday afternoon, brings
to mind all of the final events of the life of Christ as mentioned
above: the trial, the sentence, the scourging and mocking, the
crucifixion, the death, the taking down of His body from the Cross,
and the burial. As the hymnography indicates, these events remain
ever-present in the Church; they constitute the today of its life.
The service is replete with readings from Scripture: three from the
Old Testament and two from the New. The first of the Old Testament
readings, from Exodus, speaks of Moses beholding the "back" of the
glory of God - for no man can see the glory of God face to face and
live. The Church uses this reading to emphasize that now, in the
crucifixion and death of Christ, God is making the ultimate
condescension to reveal His glory to man - from within man himself.
The death of Christ was of a wholly voluntary character. He dies not
because of some necessity in His being: as the Son of God He has life
in Himself! Yet, He voluntarily gave up His life as the greatest sign
of God's love for man, as the ultimate revelation of the Divine glory:
"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends" (John 15:13).
The vesperal hymnography further develops the fact that God reveals
His glory to us in this condescending love. The Crucifixion is the
heart of such love, for the One being crucified is none other than He
through whom all things have been created:
Today the Master of creation stands before Pilate. Today the Creator
of all is condemned to die on the cross. . . The Redeemer of the world
is slapped on the face. The Maker of all is mocked by His own
servants. Glory to Thy condescension, 0 Lover of man! (Verse on "Lord
I call", and the Apostikha)
The verses also underscore the cosmic dimensions of the event taking
place on the Cross. Just as God who revealed Himself to Moses is not a
god, but the God of "heaven and earth, and of all things visible and
invisible," so the death of Jesus is not the culmination of a petty
struggle in the domestic life of Palestine. Rather, it is the very
center of the epic struggle between God and the Evil One, involving
the whole universe:
All creation was changed by fear when it saw Thee hanging on the
cross, 0 Christ! The sun was darkened, and the foundations of the
earth were shaken. All things suffered with the Creator of all. 0
Lord, who didst willingly endure this for us, glory to Thee! (Verse I
on 'Lord, I Call')
The second Reading from the Old Testament (Job 42:12 to the end)
manifests Job as a prophetic figure of the Messiah Himself. The plight
of Job is followed in the services throughout Holy Week, and is
concluded with this reading. Job is the righteous servant who remains
faithful to God despite trial, humiliation, and the loss of all his
possessions and family. Because of his faithfulness, however, "The
Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning" (Job 42:
12)
The third of the Old Testamental readings is by far the most
substantial (Isaiah 52:13 to 54:1). It is a prototype of the Gospel
itself. Read at this moment, it positively identifies Jesus of
Nazareth as the Suffering Servant, the Man of Sorrows; the Messiah of
Israel.
The Epistle Reading (I Corinthians 1:18 to 2:2) speaks of Jesus
crucified, a folly for the world, as the real center of our Faith. The
Gospel reading, a lengthy composite taken from Matthew, Luke and John,
simply narrates all the events associated with the crucifixion and
burial of Christ.
All the readings obviously focus on the theme of hope. As the Lord of
Glory, the fulfillment of the righteous Job, and the Messiah Himself,
humiliation and death will have no final hold over Jesus. Even the
parental mourning of Mary is transformed in the light of this hope:
When she who bore Thee without seed saw Thee suspended upon the Tree,
0 Christ, the Creator and God of all, she cried bitterly: "Where is
the beauty of Thy countenance, my Son? I cannot bear to see Thee
unjustly crucified. Hasten and arise, that I too may see Thy
resurrection from the dead on the third day! (Verse IV on "Lord I
call.")
Near the end of the Vespers, the priest vests fully in dark vestments.
At the appointed time he lifts the Holy Shroud, a large icon depicting
Christ lying in the tomb, from the altar table. Together with selected
laymen and servers, a procession is formed and the Holy Shroud is
carried to a specially prepared tomb in the center of the church. As
the procession moves, fhe troparion is sung:
The Noble Joseph, when he had taken down Thy most pure body from the
tree, wrapped it in fine linen and anointed it with spices, and placed
it in a new tomb.
At this ultimate solemn moment of Vespers, the theme of hope once
again occurs - this time more strongly and clearly than ever. As knees
are bent and heads are bowed, and often tears are shed, another
troparion is sung which penetrates through this triumph of evil, to
the new day which is contained in its very midst:
The Angel came to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb and said: "Myrrh
is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to
corruption.
A new Age is dawning. Our salvation is taking place. The One who died
is the same One who will rise on the third day, to "trample down death
by death," and to free us from corruption.
Therefore, at the conclusion of Holy Friday Vespers, at the end of
this long day of darkness, when all things are apparently ended, our
eternal hope for salvation springs forth. For Christ is indeed a
stranger to corruption:
"As by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of
the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made
alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his
coming those who belong to Christ." (I Cor. 15:21-32)
"If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and
whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."
(Mark 8:35)
- Father Paul Lazor
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St Eutychius the Patriarch of Constantinople
Saint Eutychius, Archbishop of Constantinople, was born in a village
called "Divine" in the province of Phrygia. His father Alexander was a
soldier, and his mother Synesia was the daughter of the priest
Hesychius of Augustopolis. St Eutychius received the first rudiments
of his education and a Christian upbringing from his grandfather the
priest.
Once, while playing a childhood game, the boy wrote his own name with
the title of Patriarch. By this he seemed to predict his future
service. He was sent to Constantinople at age twelve for further
education. The youth persevered in his study of science and realized
that human wisdom is nothing in comparison to the study of divine
Revelation. Therefore, he decided to dedicate himself to monastic
life. St Eutychius withdrew into one of the Amasean monasteries and
received the angelic schema. For his strict life he was made
archimandrite of all the Amasean monasteries, and in 552 was appointed
to the Patriarchal throne.
When the Fifth Ecumenical Council prepared to assemble during the
reign of the holy emperor Justinian (527-565), the Metropolitan of
Amasea was ill and he sent St Eutychius in his place. At
Constantinople the aged Patriarch St Menas (August 25) saw St
Eutychius and predicted that he would be the next Patriarch. After the
death of the holy Patriarch Menas, the Apostle Peter appeared in a
vision to the emperor Justinian and, pointing his hand at Eutychius,
said, "Let him be made your bishop."
At the very beginning of his patriarchal service, St Eutychius
convened the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553), at which the Fathers
condemned the heresies cropping up and anathematized them. However,
after several years a new heresy arose in the Church:
Aphthartodocetism [asartodoketai] or "imperishability" which taught
that the flesh of Christ, before His death on the Cross and
Resurrection, was imperishable and not capable of suffering.
St Eutychius vigorously denounced this heresy, but the emperor
Justinian himself inclined toward it, and turned his wrath upon the
saint. By order of the emperor, soldiers seized the saint in the
church, removed his patriarchal vestments, and sent him into exile to
an Amasean monastery (565).
The saint bore his banishment with meekness, and lived at the
monastery in fasting and prayer, and he worked many miracles and
healings.
Thus, through his prayer the wife of a devout man, Androgenes, who had
given birth only to dead infants, now gave birth to two sons who lived
to maturity. Two deaf-mutes received the gift of speech; and two
grievously ill children were restored to health. The saint healed a
cancerous ulcer on the hand of an artist. The saint also healed
another artist, anointing his diseased hand with oil and making over
it the Sign of the Cross.
The saint healed not only bodily, but also spiritual afflictions: he
banished the devil out of a girl that had kept her from Holy
Communion; he expelled a demon from a youth who had fled from a
monastery (after which the youth returned to his monastery); he healed
a drunken leper, whostopped drinking after being cleansed of his
leprosy.
During the Persian invasion of Amasea and its widespread devastation,
they distributed grain to the hungry from the monastery granaries on
the saint's orders, and by his prayers, the stores of grain at the
monastery were not depleted.
St Eutychius received from God the gift of prophecy. He revealed the
names of two of Emperor Justinian's successors: Justin (565-578) and
Tiberias (578-582).
After the death of the holy Patriarch John Scholastikos, St Eutychius
returned to the cathedra in 577 after his twelve year exile, and he
again wisely ruled his flock.
Four and a half years after his return to the Patriarchal throne, St
Eutychius gathered together all his clergy on Thomas Sunday 582,
blessed them, and peacefully fell asleep in the Lord.
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St Methodius, Equal of the Apostles and Archbishop of
Moravia, Enlightener of the Slavs
Saint Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia, died on April 6 in the year
885. His Life is found on May 11, when he is commemorated with St
Cyril, Teacher of the Slavs.
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St Platonida (Platonis) of Nisibis, Syria
Saint Platonida was at first a deaconess, but afterwards withdrew into
the Nisibis desert, where she organized a women's monastery.
The Rule of her monastery was distinguished for its strictness. The
sisters partook of food only once a day. When they were not praying,
they spent their time in monastic labors and various obediences.
On Fridays, the day commemorating the sufferings of Christ the Savior
on the Cross, all work stopped, and the monks were in church from
morning until evening, where between services they read from Holy
Scripture and from commentaries on it.
St Platonida was for all the sisters a living example of strict
monastic asceticism, meekness, and love for neighbor. Having reached a
great old age, St Platonida died peacefully in the year 308.
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120 Martyrs of Persia
The Holy 120 Martyrs suffered under the Persian emperor Sapor. They
were taken into captivity during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor
Constantios (337-361). They were consigned to the flames after firmly
confessing their faith (c.344-347). St Shandulios (November 3)
concealed their relics from desecration by the pagans. Among the holy
martyrs were ten virgins, who had dedicated themselves to the service
of God.
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Martyr Jeremiah
The Holy Martyrs Jeremiah and the Priest Archilius (Alchimius)
suffered martyrdom in the third century. St Gregory Dialogus (March
12) mentions them.
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Martyr Archilias the Presbyter
The Holy Martyrs Jeremiah and the Priest Archilius (Alchimius)
suffered martyrdom in the third century. St Gregory Dialogus (March
12) mentions them.
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Venerable Gregory the Byzantine
Saint Gregory was a native of Constantinople, and pursued an ascetic
life on Mt. Athos in the Lavra of St Athanasius (July 5). He was the
spiritual guide of St Gregory Palamas (November 14).
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Monkmartyr Gennadius of Dionysiou on Mt Athos
No information available at this time.
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