The Holy Fire -- 2008

I just received this from the Holy Land, and am passing it on to all. Miracle of Holy Fire in Jerusalem by Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D. April 26, 2008 - Pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Jerusalemtoday to witness the greatest of all miracles-the Miracle of the Holy Fire. The miracle hasturned into a magnificent cultural event but many simply could not get anywhere nearthe Holy Sepulchre. The soldiers, the police, the large crowds, the noise, the drums of the Boys Scouts and the Girl Scouts anxiously waiting toreceive the HolyFire from the Life Giving Tomb of Christ is a day long adventure. It was a miraclein itself that Sam and Janet from our Sister Parish, Annunciation Churchin LittleRock attended. It was an exciting celebration with the sound of many languages at the same time where representatives of many churches from all over the Holy Land come to receivethe Holy Fire and carry it back in small lanterns to their particular churches forthe Midnight Resurrection Service. Special permits were issued for Christians from Gaza to enter Jerusalem but the large crowds meant no entry to the Holy Sepulchre. It is on this Great and Holy Saturday that the Holy Fire was received by the GreekOrthodox Patriarch, His Beatitude Theopilus as it has been done every year, on the same day, in the same manner, at the same time, at the same holy placeof Christ's Life Giving Tomb. This is the miracle that allows us to believe that Christ is alive and offers eternal life. This is the miracle that tells us that Christis truly among us. This powerful miracle is another way that God communicates. As we chant inour Midnight Resurrection Service: "Come ye and receive light from the unwaning Light, and glorify Christ, Who a rose from the dead." A spectacular parade was also held to receive the Holy Fire entering our village of Taybeh by five in the evening. The priests of all three churches, Fr. Daoud, Fr. Raed and Fr. Jack with the mayor of the village, my husband, David, led the faithful with the choir chanting to meet our cousin Ibrahim with his six year old son Philip who traditionally go to the city of Ramallah to receive the Light from a patriarchate representative who brings it from Jerusalem to Ramallah forall the Palestinian Christian communities that cannot reach the Holy City. Philip made his dad put a sign on the white car this year that read "Light of Christ," and wanted to ride on top but was forced to patiently sit with the flame until he said "Christ is Risen" and gave it to the adults. Eight years of violence in the Holy Land, back and forth, surely we have been living in the darkness of all evil where children do not even have a childhood. "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John1:5) The strong Christian message on this holy day is that our hope lies in Christ and the streets were simply filled with faithful who came to witness in Christ's love. Thus today we all received the Light that proceeded from the core of the stone that covers Christ's Life Giving Tomb and once again celebrated the oldest unbroken Christian ceremony that exists in the world. In Luke 16:15 we read that Jesus said: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" We witness the truth and received the Holy Fire today so that all who are not blessed to live in the land of Christ's Holy Resurrection can believe that Christ is the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John1:9) "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things."(Luke24:47) Our Christian community is small and diminishing but with God's help can survive the daily hardships that make life unbearable. Truly the Lord is Risen!

Seeing our Lord

This is the way we should see Christ. He is our friend, our brother; He is whatever is good and beautiful. He is everything. Yet, He is still a friend and He shouts it out, "You're my friends, don't you understand that? We're brothers. I'm not...I don't hold hell in my hands. I am not threatening you. I love you. I want you to enjoy life together with me." Christ is Everything. He is joy, He is life, He is light. He is the true light who makes man joyful, makes him soar with happiness; makes him see everything, everybody; makes him feel for everyone, to want everyone with him, everyone with Christ. Love Christ and put nothing before His Love. Christ is Everything. He is the source of life, the ultimate desire,He is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ. Somebody who is Christ's must love Christ, and when he loves Christ he is delivered from the Devil, from hell and from death. Elder Porphyrios

THE GREAT AND HOLY SATURDAY

Great and Holy Saturday is the day on which Christ reposed in the tomb. TheChurch calls this day the Blessed Sabbath. "The great Moses mystically foreshadowed this day when he said: God blessedthe second day. This is the blessed Sabbath This is the day of rest, onwhich the only-begotten Son of God rested from all His works…." (Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday) By using this title the Church links Holy Saturday with the creative act ofGod. In the initial account of creation as found in the Book of Genesis, Godmade man in His own image and likeness. To be truly himself, man was to livein constant communion with the source and dynamic power of that image: God.Man fell from God. Now Christ, the Son of God through whom all things werecreated, has come to restore man to communion with God. He thereby completescreation. All things are again as they should be. His mission isconsummated. On the Blessed Sabbath He rests from all His works. THE TRANSITION Holy Saturday is a neglected day in parish life. Few people attend theServices. Popular piety usually reduces Holy Week to one day - Holy Friday.This day is quickly replaced by another - Easter Sunday. Christ is dead andthen suddenly alive. Great sorrow is suddenly replaced by great joy. In sucha scheme Holy Saturday is lost. In the understanding of the Church, sorrow is not replaced by joy; it istransformed into joy. This distinction indicates that it is precisely withindeath that Christ continues to effect triumph. TRAMPLING DOWN DEATH BY DEATH We sing that Christ is "...trampling down death by death" in the troparionof Easter. This phrase gives great meaning to Holy Saturday. Christ's reposein the tomb is an "active" repose. He comes in search of His fallen friend,Adam, who represents all men. Not finding him on earth, he descends to therealm of death, known as Hades in the Old Testament. There He finds him andbrings him life once again. This is the victory: the dead are given life.The tomb is no longer a forsaken, lifeless place. By His death Christtramples down death by death. THE ICON OF THE DESCENT INTO HADES The traditional icon used by the Church on the feast of Easter is an icon ofHoly Saturday: the descent of Christ into Hades. It is a painting oftheology, for no one has ever seen this event. It depicts Christ, radiant inhues of white and blue, standing on the shattered gates of Hades. With armsoutstretched He is joining hands with Adam and all the other Old Testamentrighteous whom He has found there. He leads them from the kingdom of death.By His death He tramples death. "Today Hades cries out groaning: I should not have accepted the Man born of Mary. He came and destroyed my power. He shattered the gates of brass. As God, He raised the souls I had held captive. Glory to Thy cross and resurrection, O Lord!" (Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday) THE VESPERAL LITURGY The Vespers of Holy Saturday inaugurates the Paschal celebration, for theliturgical cycle of the day always begins in the evening. In the past, thisservice constituted the first part of the great Paschal vigil during whichthe catechumens were baptized in the "baptisterion" and led in processionback into the church for participation in their first Divine Liturgy, thePaschal Eucharist. Later, with the number of catechumens increasing, thefirst baptismal part of the Paschal celebration was disconnected from theliturgy of the Paschal night and formed our pre-paschal service: Vespers andthe Liturgy of St. Basil the Great which follows it. It still keeps themarks of the early celebration of Pascha as baptismal feast and that ofBaptism as Paschal sacrament (death and resurrection with Jesus Christ -Romans 6). On "Lord I Call" the Saturday Resurrectional stichiras of Tone 1 are sung,followed by the the special stichiras of Holy Saturday, which stress thedeath of Christ as descent into Hades, the region of death, for itsdestruction. But the pivotal point of the service occurs after the Entrance,when fifteen lessons from the Old Testament are read, all centered on thepromise of the Resurrection, all glorifying the ultimate Victory of God,prophesied in the victorious Song of Moses after the crossing of the Red Sea("Let us sing to the Lord, for gloriously has He been glorified"), thesalvation of Jonah, and that of the three youths in the furnace. Then the epistle is read, the same epistle that is still read at Baptism(Romans 6:3-11), in which Christ's death and resurrection become the sourceof the death in us of the "old man," the resurrection of the new, whose lifeis in the Risen Lord. During the special verses sung after the epistle,"Arise, O God, and judge the earth," the dark lenten vestments are put asideand the clergy vest in the bright white ones, so that when the celebrantappears with the Gospel the light of Resurrection is truly made visible inus, the "Rejoice" with which the Risen Christ greeted the women at the graveis experienced as being directed at us. The Liturgy of St. Basil continues in this white and joyful light, revealingthe Tomb of Christ as the Life-giving Tomb, introducing us into the ultimatereality of Christ's Resurrection, communicating His life to us, the childrenof fallen Adam. One can and must say that of all services of the Church that are inspiring,meaningful, revealing, this one: the Vespers and Liturgy of St. Basil theGreat and Holy Saturday is truly the liturgical climax of the Church. If oneopens one's heart and mind to it and accepts its meaning and its light, thevery truth of Orthodoxy is given by it, the taste and the joy of that newlife which shines forth from the grave. GOSPEL READING Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:1-20 1In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day ofthe week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lorddescended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, andsat upon it. 3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I knowthat ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place wherethe Lord lay. 7And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, Ihave told you. 8And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy;and did run to bring his disciples word. 9And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that theygo into Galilee, and there shall they see me. 11Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city,and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel,they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away whilewe slept. 14And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, andsecure you. 15So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying iscommonly reported among the Jews until this day. 16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain whereJesus had appointed them. 17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto mein heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name ofthe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. EPISTLE READING Epistle Reading: Romans 6:3-11 3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ werebaptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like asChrist was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so wealso should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, weshall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body ofsin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live withhim: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hathno more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, heliveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, butalive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. source:ttp://www.stirene.org/archives/triodion/great_lent/lenten_templates/holyweek/holysaturday.html

What Is Orthodoxy?

Blessed Father Seraphim Rose Right is Not Enough We can define Orthodoxy in no better way than in the words of the great 18th-century Russian Father, St. Tikhon of Zadonsk -- a Saint whose fervent spirit is needed very much today by Orthodox Christians. We should read him more and practice what he teaches. St. Tikhon calls Orthodoxy "the true Christianity," and he wrote a whole book under this title. But "true Christianity" does not mean just having the right opinions about Christianity -- this is not enough to save one's soul. St. Tikhon in his book, in the chapter on "The Gospel and Faith," says: "If someone should say that true faith is the correct holding and confession of correct dogmas, he would be telling the truth, for a believer absolutely needs the Orthodox holding and confession of dogmas. But this knowledge and confession by itself does not make a man a faithful and true Christian. The keeping and confession of Orthodox dogmas is always to be found in true faith in Christ, but the true faith of Christ is not always to be found in the confession of Orthodoxy... The knowledge of correct dogmas is in the mind, and it is often fruitless, arrogant, and proud... The true faith in Christ is in the heart, and it is fruitful, humble, patient, loving, merciful, compassionate, hungering and thirsting for righteousness; it withdraws from worldly lusts and clings to God alone, strives and seeks always for what is heavenly and eternal, struggles against every sin, and constantly seeks and begs help from God for this." And he then quotes Blessed Augustine, who teaches: "The faith of a Christian is with love; faith without love is that of the devil" ("True Christianity," ch. 287, p. 469). St. James in his Epistle tells us that "the demons also believe and tremble" (James 3:19). St. Tikhon, therefore, gives us a start in understanding what Orthodoxy is: it is something first of all of the heart, not just the mind, something living and warm, not abstract and cold, some thing that is learned and practiced in life, not just in school. To Be Different A person who takes Orthodoxy seriously and begins to really work on understanding it with his heart and changing himself -- has at least a little of a quality we might call the fragrance of true Christianity; he is different from people who live by nothing higher than the world. St. Macarius the Great, the 4th-century Egyptian desert father, teaches in his Homilies that "Christians have their own world, their own way of life, their own understanding and word and activity; far different from theirs are the way of life and understanding and word and activity of the people of this world. Christians are one thing, and lovers of the world quite another. Inasmuch as the mind and understanding of Christians is constantly occupied with reflection on the heavenly, they behold eternal good things by communion and participation in the Holy Spirit... Christians have a different world ... a different way of thinking from all other men" (Homily V, 1:20). Later I'll try to say a word on how Orthodox Christians should be absorbing this different world and way of thinking. Orthodoxy, the true Christianity, is not just another set of beliefs; it is a whole way of life that makes us different people, and it is directly bound up with how much heavenly and eternal things are present in our life. An Orthodox person who is not different can be worse off than the non-Orthodox. There is nothing sadder than the spectacle of Orthodox Christians, who possess a treasure that cannot be valued by any earthly measure, something which many are seeking and do not find in today's world -- nothing is sadder than Orthodox Christians who do not value and do not use this treasure. An Example for the Orthodox I'd like to tell you a little about a group of Protestants who live not too far from our monastery in northern California. In some ways I think they are actually an example for us, in other ways a warning, and perhaps most of all an indication of the responsibility and opportunity we Orthodox Christians have because we have been given the true Christianity. These Protestants have a simple and warm Christian faith without much of the sectarian narrowness that characterizes many Protestant groups. They don't believe, like some Protestants, that they are "saved" and don't need to do any more; they believe in the idea of spiritual struggle and training the soul. They force themselves to forgive each other and not to hold grudges. They take in bums and hippies off the streets and have a special farm for rehabilitating them and teaching them a sense of responsibility. In other words, they take Christianity seriously as the most important thing in life; it's not the fullness of Christianity that we Orthodox have, but it's good as far as it goes, and these people are warm, loving people who obviously love Christ. In this way they are an example of what we should be, only more so. Whether they attain salvation by their practice of Christianity is for God to judge, for some of their views and actions are far from the true Christianity of Orthodoxy handed down to us from Christ and His Apostles; but at least an awareness of their existence should help us to be aware of what we already have. Some of our Orthodox young people -- for whatever reason, they don't realize what treasure their Orthodox faith contains -- are joining such Protestant groups; and some of our uninformed young people go much farther from Orthodoxy -- one of the 900 victims of Jonestown a year ago was a Greek Orthodox girl, the daughter of an Orthodox priest. A Matter of Life and Death I'm telling you about these Protestants both as a warning of how Orthodox young people can lose the treasure they already have if they haven't been made aware enough of it, and more importantly, as a means of defining a little better the true Christianity we have and these Protestants don't have. Some of our Orthodox young people are converted to groups like this, but it works the other way around also -- some of these Protestants are being converted to Orthodoxy. And why not? If we have the true Christianity, there should be something in our midst that someone who sincerely loves the truth will see and want. We've baptized several people from this Protestant group in our monastery; they are drawn to Orthodoxy by the grace and the sacraments whose presence they feel in Orthodoxy, but which are absent in their group. And once they become Orthodox, they find their Protestant experience, which seemed so real to them at the time, to be quite shallow and superficial. Their leaders give very practical teachings based on the Gospel, but after a while the teachings are exhausted and they repeat themselves. Coming to Orthodoxy, these converts find a wealth of teaching that is inexhaustible and leads them into a depth of Christian experience that is totally beyond even the best of non-Orthodox Christians. We who are already Orthodox have this treasure and this depth right in front of us, and we must use it more fully than we usually do; it is a matter of spiritual life and death both for ourselves and for those around us who can be awakened to the truth of Orthodoxy. Just this last week I crossed the whole of America by train -- a vast land, with many different kinds of landscapes and settlements. And I thought of St. Seraphim's vision of the vast Russian land, with the smoke of the prayers of believers going up like incense to God. Perhaps someone will say to me: "Oh, you talk like a convert! America is America. It's full of Protestants and unbelievers, and the Orthodox will always be a little minority of people who stick to themselves and have no influence on the rest of America." Well, I'm not saying that we Orthodox will "convert America" -- that's a little too ambitious for us. However, St. Herman himself did have such a dream. He wrote a letter after participating in the first "missionary conference" on American soil, when that small band of missionaries divided up the vast land of Alaska and argued over who would get the most land to cover. St. Herman, hearing this, says that he was so exalted in soul that he thought he was present when the Apostles themselves were dividing up the world for the preaching of the Gospel. We don't have to have such exalted ideas in order to see that the prayers of believers could be going up to God in America. What if we who are Orthodox Christians began to realize who we are? -- to take our Christianity seriously, to live as though we actually were in contact with the true Christianity? We would begin to be different, others around us would begin to be interested in why we are different, and we would begin to realize that we have the answers to their spiritual questions. We Have to Sow More On this same train trip across the country I had what could he called missionary encounters. Of course, I wasn't passing out tracts in the aisles; but just sitting there in my ~ryassa~ with a cross and my beard, I attracted attention. Some of it wasn't fruitful, but was typical of how we Orthodox are often regarded in America: one small boy thought I was "Santa Claus," and a woman pointed me out as "Ayatollah!" I also had several encounters with people who should have been Orthodox: one woman who was married to a Greek man; a man who was married to a Greek woman, but neither of them Orthodox because the woman's grandmother had become a Lutheran for social reasons -- here it was obvious how worldliness had taken its toll of yet another Orthodox family in America. But there were some fruitful encounters, too. To several people I was able to speak about Orthodoxy (which they had never heard of) and hand out some copies of "The Orthodox Word". One of these people had a story that should move our Orthodox hearts. For most of the day that I was crossing vast Wyoming -- full of nothing but frozen, barren land and a few antelope herds -- I was talking to an intense young man who was searching for the truth after finding out that the "charismatic" movement is not from God. After becoming disillusioned with American religion -- the Methodists, Roman Catholics, Baptists, and various Protestant evangelists -- as a last resort he is learning Russian in order to go to Russia and find out what he'll be told by people who are suffering for their faith. "Maybe that will be real," he said, as opposed to the religious hypocrisy he sees everywhere. He asked me eagerly about many things, from doctrines to customs to moral teachings, and then read the chapter on the charismatic movement in our book, "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" -- which he said put into words what he felt (based on his own experience) but didn't have the teaching to express. Here is where Orthodoxy, the true Christianity, can literally save someone who otherwise might fall into despair from the inadequacy of the Christianity of the West. Here again a seed was sown; perhaps Wyoming won't become Orthodox, but a few souls there might. All this is by way of explaining that Orthodoxy, in St. Tikhon's definition, is the true Christianity, and it was never more needed than today. We must realize what a treasure we have, and make it active in us. This need not mean going door to door like Jehovah's Witnesses, or preaching in the streets. The outward expression of our faith will come naturally once we have begun to go inward, finding out what this treasure is and letting ourselves be truly changed by it. Recently an Orthodox person of some sensitivity and depth told me: "Orthodoxy is the truth, but it's too difficult for men today, so I seldom speak of it." There is a kernel of truth in this statement. Orthodoxy IS difficult compared to the Western denominations; but still -- anyone who is capable of wanting a demanding faith is capable of accepting Orthodoxy. We have to sow more, so there will be more to reap. But first of all we have to go inward and make the true Christianity of Orthodoxy a living part of ourselves. Going Deeper Into Orthodoxy How do we do this? To some extent, anyone who is close to Church and tries to keep the Orthodox discipline, knows the answer to this question: you attend church services, keep the faith, receive Holy Communion, read Orthodox books. But it is possible to do all this almost mechanically, without going deeper into Orthodoxy. Make an Effort Therefore, first of all we must not merely attend services and keep the outward form of Orthodoxy -- we must be aware of what we are doing. If you've ever talked to an earnest Protestant or unbeliever who really wants to know what you believe and why you behave the way you do, you will understand how important this awareness is. You can literally save the soul of someone like that if you can begin, even in a little way, to open up to him the depths of Orthodox Christianity. Why do you make the sign of the Cross? Why do you pray to saints? Why do you stand up in church, or make prostrations during Lent? Why are you always singing "Lord, have mercy"? What is Holy Communion? Why do you confess your sins to a priest? Especially today, when we are surrounded by people who don't know the truth but some of whom are really thirsting for it -- we can't just do these things out of habit; we must be able, as the Apostle Peter says, to give an account of what we believe and do to those outside the Church. There are many ways to become educated in Orthodox Christianity -- ask your parish priest, read books, obtain a copy of some of the Church's services and begin to enter more deeply into their meaning. Further, we must be not just aware of what our Church teaches and does -- we must be trying to saturate ourselves in it. St. Seraphim, in his spiritual instructions, says that the Christian must be "swimming in the law of the Lord" -- and this doesn't mean just making the Church a little part of one's life; it means going deeper and doing more. Of course, we start a little at a time. If you have been going to church just on Sundays, you can begin to go to the Vigil on Saturday night, and to feast-day services. If you've been trying to keep the fast of Great Lent, you can begin to go to more of the very moving services of Lent -- the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, the Praises of the Mother of God. Written for You And another very important thing: You should be reading spiritual books. St. John Chrysostom goes so far as to say that a Christian who doesn't read spiritual books can't be saved. Why? Because the world, whose spirit we absorb unconsciously many hours a day, is so strong that we will almost automatically follow its ways unless we are consciously filling our minds and hearts with Christian impressions. Innumerable books exist for this purpose, both in Russian and English: first of all the Holy Scriptures and Orthodox commentaries on them. Then the Lives of Saints and recent ascetics; "My Life in Christ" by St. John of Kronstadt; "Unseen Warfare" by St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain and Bishop Theophan the Recluse; the Spiritual Instructions of St. Abba Dorotheos; the Homilies of St. Macarius the Great; the Orthodox service books, several of which are now in English; the "Lausaic History" and the Lives and Sayings of the Desert Fathers, which are just as fresh now as when uttered 1.500 years ago; Lives of Russia's New Martyrs; Archbishop Andrew's "The One Thing Needful." The Monastery bookstore here can sell you these and many other books. If you have a spark of Christian fervor in you, you will be surprised how much your soul will be refreshed by reading books like these; they will give you a taste of that otherworldliness without which the Christian soul withers and dies, especially in our worldly times. Help in Struggle And of course, a central part of this going deeper into Orthodoxy are the Church's medicines of confession and Holy Communion, which you should participate in as fully as possible, according to the counsel of your spiritual father. Then there are the daily opportunities for expressing Christian love -- giving alms, visiting the sick, helping those in need. All of these means, if one's heart is in them, are what help to make the Christian different from the world, because they lift his eyes above this passing world to the heavenly Kingdom which is our goal as Christians. These are the positive means of going deeper into Orthodoxy. There are, of course, negative things you will have to fight against as well. Once you become aware that there is an unseen warfare going on, that our Christianity is constantly being attacked by our unseen enemies, especially through the spirit of worldliness, you will begin to see also the negative things in your life that have to be changed. But with a firm understanding of the positive, inspiring side of Christian life, this struggle against negative faults and habits becomes much easier. Part of our awareness of what Orthodoxy is involves knowing that this world is largely the domain of the devil, the prince of this world, who acts on our souls and hearts chiefly by the love of this passing world. But if we are struggling in an Orthodox way, we are receiving the grace of God which is the only thing that can raise us above this world that lies in evil. source: http://users.sisqtel.net/williams/orthodoxyinamerica.html

On the Founding of Churches and Monasteries

On the Founding of Churches and Monasteries The founding recently of the Convent of the Meeting of the Lord in Seattle, Washington, through the generous contribution of two families anonymously, and the response of the entire parish of Saint Nectarios, gives rise to certain reflections concerning the founding of churches and monasteries. The present instance is a continuation of a sacred tradition from olden times. Our forefathers in the Faith, emperors and illustrious families of Byzantium, as also of the Slavic lands and the Russian Empire, vied with one another in building churches and founding monasteries and convents. The Christians of old understood well the spiritual significance of such undertakings and the great privilege and blessing that one is deemed worthy of. They loved our Saviour and the Saints and as an expression of their love and gratitude for the gift of salvation and the many benefactions showered upon us by our Creator, they were earnest to found churches and monastic houses. This was a way of saying “Thank you” as also an everlasting memorial for them and their descendants. They were very conscious of the many prayers offered daily in the divine services “for the founders of this holy Temple,” “the founders of this holy monastery,” “the founders of the holy churches of God,” to mention just a few of the many petitions in the liturgical prayers. Whatever was more precious, they dedicated to God—gold and silver vessels, precious Crosses, mosaics, icons, vestments, lamps, censers, etc., etc. They brought to mind the prayer behind the ambo at the end of every holy liturgy which says: O Lord, Who blessest them that bless Thee, and sanctifiest them that put their trust in Thee: save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance. Preserve the fulness of Thy Church, sanctify them that love the beauty of Thy house. Do Thou in turn glorify them by Thy divine power, and forsake us not that hope in Thee. . . Even the poor among the people endeavored to make offerings when new churches and monasteries were founded so that they would be commemorated with the founders and those that “love the beauty” of the house of God. Many families built chapels in their homes or on the grounds of their estates, others because of vows in thanksgiving for healings or some other benefactions. This continued even after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 when the people were enslaved and greatly impoverished. Wherefore the countless modest country chapels and shrines that dot the mountains and countryside of the Orthodox homelands. This is a testimony to their piety and living faith. Some years ago, a book was printed in Greek containing a collection of wills by prominent people of the Greek community of Venice of the 18th and 19th century. These wills were deposited in the archives of the “Church of the Greeks” as the Church of Saint George is known in Venice. With the fall of Constantinople in the 15th century, many prominent Byzantine families fled to Europe and set up communities in different countries. A point of interest is that invariably in all the wills monies and properties were left to the “Church of the Greeks” or for the repair of churches in their enslaved homeland as a perpetual memorial for the deceased. In one will a goodly sum was left for the procuring of a set of vestments of fine brocade for the Patriarch in Constantinople and another twelve matching sets for the members of the synod when they concelebrated, as well as for the deacons and priests. And thus we come to this century which is ending, in which countless churches and monasteries were destroyed by the atheist authorities in the Communist lands. Yet in Greece and other free Orthodox lands this sacred tradition continued, as now it has been revived in the Orthodox countries freed from the atheist yoke. In Greece a recent example of a monastery founded by a pious family is that of the Convent of the Annunciation on the island of Oinoussai, Chios, by Panagos and Katingo Pateras, who themselves became monastics in time. Thus the founders and benefactors of the newly formed Convent of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple are following in this hallowed and timeless tradition of the pious and Orthodox Christians. Sanctify them and preserve them, O Lord, both them and their families. Amen.

The Spiritual Director: A Guide and Mentor

(Editors Note: For Mark) "A brother asked Abba Poemen, 'Some brothers live with me; do you want to be in charge of them?' The old man said to him, 'No, just work first and foremost, and if they want to live like you, they will see to it themselves.' The brother said to him, 'But it is they themselves, Father; who want me to be in charge of them.' The old man said to him, 'No, be their example, not their legislator.'" This anecdote from the Sayings of teh Desert Fathers speaks about the relationship between the spiritual child and the spiritual director. Abba Poemen tells his brother that he should not be the legislator for others but rather lead them by example. He suggests that the brother will teach and guide his disciples through his own actions and how he leads his own life. This is a model that spiritual directors in society, outside of a monastic setting, could also employ to guide and teach their spiritual children. This paper will examine the role of the spiritual director in relation to the spiritual child by examining the function of obedience for the laity, the authority of the Church and its leaders, and finally, various types of spiritual guidance. Throughout the paper, the term "spiritual director" will be used to refer to either a spiritual father or a spiritual mother. In cases where a source is quoted, the term that the quoted author uses will be kept. Obedience is not something that is readily accepted in American society of the twenty-first century. While society encourages one to be free, personally independent, financially stable and dependent only on oneself and one's achievements, our Church takes the opposite stand. The Church says that one should be obedient to the teachings of the Church and its leaders, and therefore obedient to the one true God, our Father in heaven. In John 14:15, Christ says, "If you love me, keep My commandments." (NKJV) Through our love for Christ, we follow the commandments and teachings that He gave us, and by following those commandments and teachings we show the love that we have for God. Saint Paisios Velichkovsky said, "The keeping of God's commandments and His words is nothing else than perfect obedience toward Christ the Lord." Christ's command is, above all, to put God first, then serve others, then lastly ourselves. When Christ said to deny oneself, take up one's cross, and follow Him, He meant that one must put aside one's own will and follow the example of Christ's love for others and obedience to the will of His Father in heaven (Matthew 16:24, NKJV). Christ emphasizes this even more in Mark 12:30-31, when He reminds us of the two greatest commandments: to love God and to love one's neighbor. St. John Climacus says, in step four of his famouse treatise, "Obedience is absolute renunciation of our own life..." To be obedient to someone, one first must choose to freely deny his own life and accept the guidance of another. As humans we are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26-27). Jesus Christ's entire ministry on earth is an example of obedience and humility. Beginning with His incarnation, we see an act of obedience toward the Father. Jesus Christ was obedient to His mother at the wedding of Cana (John 2:3-5), to his cousin, St. John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-15), to the Roman authorities (Mark 12:13-17), never wishing harm towards them (John 18:11). When St. Paul speaks of spiritual warfare, he says that we must bring every thought "into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." (2 Cor 10:5, NKJV) We are called to lead a life of obedience, just as Christ did while He was on earth. Staretz Silouan tells us that when one gives oneself up in obedience to the will of God, the Lord alone dwells in one's soul. "When the soul is entirely given over to the will of God the Lord Himself takes her in hand and the soul leaerns directly from God." Being obedient to God's commandments and the Church's teaching will help the lay person lead a more fruitful life, because he will be guided by the Holy Spirit in all that he does. Through obedience to God's commandments one will experience freedom from the worries, temptations, and cares of the world. St.Symeon the New Theologian says, "He who gives himself in the hand of a good teacher will have no such worries, but will live without anxiety and be saved in Christ Jesus our Lord..." Obedience is necessary because it is a denial of our self-will, and acceptance of the other, primarily God. If the "other" that we acept is leading us on the marily path toward Christ, then we are following God's commandment to deny oneself. St. John Climacus says that, without obedience, "no one subject to passions will see the Lord." The institution of the Church is set up with clergy in hierarchichal positions of church governance. This authority is through the laying on of hands that has been passed on in successive generations from the Apostles and from Christ Himself. The laity are called to be obedient to the clergy and leaders of the Church that have been appointed and elected; likewise, clergy are called to be obedient to the hierarchy of clergy above them. "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans 13:1, NKJV). Ultimately, all humans, laity and clergy alike, are called to be obedient to God's commandments and His Word. St. Paul says that one must "be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ" (Ephesians 6:5, NKJV) The leaders of the Church are representatives of Christ, and therefore require our obedience to them. Christ always invited people and never insisted, using the simple words, "Follow me" (Matthew 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, 16:24, 19:21, KNJV). Obedience to the Church is a voluntary obedience that one chooses using his free will. One is never forced or required to believe in Christ or to follow the teachings of the Church. It is a voluntary choice. Once the choice to follow Christ is made, the path is set forth for each Christian by the Church and its leaders, but the daily choices require to live a Christian life are up to the individual person. One will never be forced into acting a certain way to be a Christian. The obedience we are called to follow is not to the person specifically, but rather to the teachings of Christ that these leaders model in their lives. If we are to be obedient to the person more than to Christ and His commandments, we risk making an idol of the person and taking the place of God. This authority, however, was not meant to be a controlling force that limited what one was allowed to do. The obedience that we learn from the hierarchy of the Church and from our spiritual directors must be obedience to Christ, and not to a specific person. The spiritual director should assist the laity on their journey by helping to provide discernment and guidance. The spiritual director is never meant to be a commanding force that gives permission or restricts the laity from doing what they choose. There is a difference between the authority that the clergy have to lead the Church, and the responsibility of the spiritual director to mentor and guide his spiritual child. "The spiritual Father does not coerce, he does not give orders; rather , he takes the spiritual child by the hand and leads the way, gently but firmly." While the clergy have the responsibility to administer the sacraments according to the canons and Tradition of the Church, the spiritual director serves as a guide for the spiritual child and mentors him along his Christian journey. The relationship of the spiritual director and child must be in the context of love and a close personal relationship, similar to the relationship of a biological parent and child. St. John Climacus describes the spiritual director as "anadochos," which is the term used for the sponsor or godparent at Baptism and which signifies one who assumes responsibility for another. Those entrusted to be spiritual fathers and mothers are to lead by example, and not by command. The caution here is not to create an idol out of the spiritual director, even those that have been recogized by the saints. " 'Call no one father' means that all fatherhood shares in the fatherhood of God, that all obedience is obedience to the Father's will..." One must remember that both the spiritual director and child are on the path towards God, and "are subject to the same conditions and commandments, both accountable before the living God," though the spiritual director would be further along the path than the child. When a spiritual director becomes commanding and forgets to lead with love and by example, the director ceasees to follow the commandments of God. According to Abba Mius of Belos, "Obedience responds to obedience,"not to authority. A spiritual director is not necessarily one who is ordained to the Holy Orders. Any person, ordained, monastic, or laity, male or female, can be a spiritual director. The one key is that the person is living a Christian life and has been recognized by others as doing so. Fr. Alexander Elchaninov said, "You cannot cure the soul of others or 'help people,' without having changed yourself. You cannot put in order the spiritual economy of others, so long as there is chaos in your own soul. You cannot bring peace to others if you do not have it yourself." One must first achieve the virtues of the Christian life, before one can guide others on that path. There is no certain requirement to determine when the spiritual director has attained a certain state, except for when others recognize that person as leading a holy life. St. Seraphim of Sarov teaches, "Acquire a peaceful spirit and then thousands of others around you will be saved." Once a person has successfully traveled the path of spiritual achievement, then others will recognize his holiness and want to follow in his footsteps. "Thus it is his spiritual children who reveal the elder to himself." In the monastic setting, the abbot or abbess of the monastery is the spiritual director for that community. In most parish settings, the parish priest assumes the role of the spiritual director because of a lack of other spiritual leaders in local parish communities. There is also the problem that sometimes a spiritual director who is not the parish priest will give direction that contradicts the direction given by the parish priest. One must remember that the parish priest is the leader of the community, and if one is a member of that community then that person can not be disobedient to the leader of the parish. However, there are some that seek out other spiritual directors who are not their own parish priest, and they must be aware of the potential conflict that could arise. There is also a difference between the father confessor and the spiritual director. Again, if the spiritual director is an ordained clergyman, he may also serve as the father confessor, but the two are not dependent on each other. The Sacrament of Confession is essentially a retrospective act where one cofnesses sins that have already been committed. In contrast, spiritual direction is a preventative act where the focus is on furture decision making. The spiritual child discusses his thoughts (logismoi) and ideas with the spiritual director, and the director will "discern secret dangers or significant signs" that the spiritual child has unkowingly revealed to his spiritual director. While one could say that this part of the confession process, it is not necessarily part of the Sacrament of Confession, where one receives absolution. A healthy relationship of guidance and advice of the spiritual director with the spiritual child is necessary for every Christian. St. Basil the Great encourages each person to find a spiritual director "who may serve you as a sure guide in the work of leading a holy life" and warns that "to be that one does not need counsel is great pride." Dorothesos of Gaza, who agrees with St. Basil, says, "I know of no falling away of a monk which did not come from his reliance on his own sentiments. Nothing is more pitiful, nothing more disastrous than to be one's own [spiritual] director." It is very hard for one to lead a Christian life if he does not have a guide to help him along the way. source: http://www.antiochian.org/book/export/html/14628

THE GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY

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) GOSPEL READINGS Gospel Readings: 1) John 13:31-38, 2) John 18:1-28 3) Matthew 26:57-75 4) John 18:28-40 19:1-16 5) Matthew 27:3-32 6) Mark 15:16-32 7) Matthew 27:33-54 8) Luke 23:32-49 9) John 19:25-37 10) Mark 15:43-47 11) John 19:38-42 12) Matthew 27:62-66 GOSPEL 1 31Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. 33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 36Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. 37Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. GOSPEL 2 1When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 9That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. 10Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 12Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, 13And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. 14Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. 15And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. 16But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. 17Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not. 18And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. 19The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. 20Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. 21Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. 22And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? 23Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? 24Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. 25And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not. 26One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? 27Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. 28Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. GOSPEL 3 57And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 67Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? 69Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. GOSPEL 4 28Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. 29Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. 31Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: 32That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. 33Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? 34Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? 35Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? 36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 39But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 40Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. GOSPEL 5 1Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 2And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. 4Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. 5Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! 6When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. 7The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. 8When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; 9And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. 12And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. 13When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! 15But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. GOSPEL 6 16And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. 17And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 18And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. 20And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. 21And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. 22And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. 24And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. 26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. 29And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30Save thyself, and come down from the cross. 31Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. GOSPEL 7 33And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36And sitting down they watched him there; 37And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. GOSPEL 8 32And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. 44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 46And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. GOSPEL 9 25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. 28After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 31The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 37And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. GOSPEL 10 43Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. 44And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. 45And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. 47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid. GOSPEL 11 38And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 39And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 41Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. GOSPEL 12 62Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. source: http://www.stirene.org/archives/triodion/great_lent/lenten_templates/holyweek/holyfriday.html

THE GREAT AND HOLY THURSDAY

Two events shape the liturgy of Great and Holy Thursday: the Mystical Supper of Christ with His disciples, and the betrayal of Judas. The meaning of both is in love. The Mystical Supper is the ultimate revelation of God's redeeming love for man, of love as the very essence of salvation. And the betrayal of Judas reveals that sin, death and self-destruction are also due to love, but to deviated and distorted love, love directed at that which does not deserve love. Here is the mystery of this unique day, and its liturgy, where light and darkness, joy and sorrow are so strangely mixed, challenges us with the choice on which depends the eternal destiny of each one of us. "Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come... having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end..." (John 13:1). To understand the meaning of the Mystical Supper we must see it as the very end of the great movement of Divine Love which began with the creation of the world and is now to be consummated in the death and resurrection of Christ. God is Love (1 John 4:8). And the first gift of Love was life. The meaning, the content of life was communion. To be alive man was to eat and to drink, to partake of the world. The world was thus Divine love made food, made Body of man. And being alive, i.e. partaking of the world, man was to be in communion with God, to have God as the meaning, the content and the end of his life. Communion with the God-given world was indeed communion with God. Man received his food from God and making it his body and his life, he offered the whole world to God, transformed it into life in God and with God. The love of God gave life to man, the love of man for God transformed this life into communion with God. This was paradise. Life in it was, indeed, eucharistic. Through man and his love for God the whole creation was to be sanctified and transformed into one all-embracing sacrament of Divine Presence and man was the priest of this sacrament. But in sin man lost this eucharistic life. He lost it because he ceased to see the world as a means of Communion with God and his life as eucharist, as adoration and thanksgiving. . . He love himself and the world for their own sake; he made himself the content and the end of his life. He thought that his hunger and thirst, i.e. his dependence of his life on the world - can be satisfied by the world as such, by food as such. But world and food, once they are deprived of their initial sacramental meaning - as means of communion with God, once they are not received for God's sake and filled with hunger and thirst for God, once, in other words, God is no longer, their real "content" can give no life, satisfy no hunger, for they have no life in themselves... And thus by putting his love in them, man deviated his love from the only object of all love, of all hunger, of all desires. And he died. For death is the inescapable "decomposition" of life cut from its only source and content. Man thought to find life in the world and in food, but he found death. His life became communion with death, for instead of transforming the world by faith, love, and adoration into communion with God, he submitted himself entirely to the world, he ceased to be its priest and became its slave. And by his sin the whole world was made a cemetery, where people condemned to death partook of death and "sat in the region and shadow of death" (Matt. 4:16). But if man betrayed, God remained faithful to man. He did not "turn Himself away forever from His creature whom He had made, neither did He forget the works of His hands, but He visited him in diverse manners, through the tender compassion of His mercy" (Liturgy of St. Basil). A new Divine work began, that of redemption and salvation. And it was fulfilled in Christ, the Son of God Who in order to restore man to his pristine beauty and to restore life as communion with God, became Man, took upon Himself our nature, with its thirst and hunger, with its desire for and love of, life. And in Him life was revealed, given, accepted and fulfilled as total and perfect Eucharist, as total and perfect communion with God. He rejected the basic human temptation: to live "by bread alone," He revealed that God and His kingdom are the real food, the real life of man. And this perfect eucharistic Life, filled with God, and, therefore Divine and immortal, He gave to all those who would believe in Him, i,e. find in Him the meaning and the content of their lives. Such is the wonderful meaning of the Mystical Supper. He offered Himself as the true food of man, because the Life revealed in Him is the true Life. And thus the movement of Divine Love which began in paradise with a Divine "take, eat. .." (for eating is life for man) comes now "unto the end" with the Divine "take, eat, this is My Body..." (for God is life of man). The Mystical Supper is the restoration of the paradise of bliss, of life as Eucharist and Communion. But this hour of ultimate love is also that of the ultimate betrayal. Judas leaves the light of the Upper Room and goes into darkness. "And it was night" (John 13:30). Why does he leave? Because he loves, answers the Gospel, and his fateful love is stressed again and again in the hymns of Holy Thursday. It does not matter indeed, that he loves the "silver." Money stands here for all the deviated and distorted love which leads man into betraying God. It is, indeed, love stolen from God and Judas, therefore, is the Thief. When he does not love God and in God, man still loves and desires, for he was created to love and love is his nature, but it is then a dark and self-destroying passion and death is at its end. And each year, as we immerse ourselves into the unfathomable light and depth of Holy Thursday, the same decisive question is addressed to each one of us: do I respond to Christ's love and accept it as my life, do I follow Judas into the darkness of his night? The liturgy of Holy Thursday includes: a) Matins, b) Vespers and, following Vespers, the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. In the Cathedral Churches the special service of the Washing of Feet takes place after the Liturgy; while the deacon reads the Gospel, the Bishop washes the feet of twelve priests, reminding us that Christ's love is the foundation of life in the Church and shapes all relations within it. It is also on Holy Thursday that Holy Chrism is consecrated by the primates of autocephalous Churches, and this also means that the new love of Christ is the gift we receive from the Holy Spirit on the day of our entrance into the Church. At Matins the Troparion sets the theme of the day: the opposition between the love of Christ and the "insatiable desire" of Judas. "When the glorious disciples were illumined by washing at the Supper, Then was the impious Judas darkened with the love of silver And to the unjust judges does he betray Thee, the just Judge. Consider, 0 Lover of money, him who hanged himself because of it. Do not follow the insatiable desire which dared this against the Master, 0 Lord, good to all, glory to Thee." After the Gospel reading (Luke 12:1-40) we are given the contemplation, the mystical and eternal meaning of the Mystical Supper in the beautiful canon of St. Cosmas. Its last "irmos," (Ninth Ode) invites us to share in the hospitality of the Lord's banquet: "Come, 0 ye faithful Let us enjoy the hospitality of the Lord and the banquet of immortality In the upper chamber with minds uplifted...." At Vespers, the stichira on "Lord, I have cried" stress the spiritual anticlimax of Holy Thursday, the betrayal of Judas: "Judas the slave and Knave, The disciple and traitor, The friend and fiend, Was proved by his deeds, For, as he followed the Master, Within himself he contemplated His betrayal...." After the Entrance, three lessons from the Old Testament: 1) Exodus 19: 10-19. God's descent from Mount Sinai to His people as the image of God's coming in the Eucharist. 2) Job 38:1-23, 42:1-5, God's conversation with Job and Job's answer: "who will utter to me what I understand not? Things too great and wonderful for me, which I knew not..." - and these "great and wonderful things" are fulfilled in the gift of Christ's Body and Blood. 3) Isaiah 50:4-11. The beginning of the prophecies on the suffering servant of God, The Epistle reading is from I Corinthians 11:23-32: St. Paul's account of the Mystical Supper and the meaning of communion. The Gospel reading (the longest of the year is taken from all four Gospels and is the full story of the Mystical Supper, the betrayal of Judas and Christ's arrest in the garden. The Cherubic hymn and the hymn of Communion are replaced by the words of the prayer before Communion: "Of Thy Mystical Supper, 0 Son of God, accept me today as a communicant, For I will not speak of Thy Mystery to Thine enemies, Neither like Judas will I give Thee a kiss; But like the thief will I confess Thee: Remember me, 0 Lord, in Thy Kingdom." SCRIPTURE READINGS Gospel Readings: 1) 1 Corinthians 11:23-32, 2) Matthew 26:20-22 3) John 13:3-17 4) Matthew 26:21-39 5) Luke 22:43-45 6) Matthew 26:40-75 7) Matthew 27:1-2 GOSPEL 1 23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. GOSPEL 2 20Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? GOSPEL 3 3Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. GOSPEL 4 21And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. 26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. 30And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 31Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. 36Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 3