Μεγάλη Παρασκευὴ εἶνε σήμερα, ἀγαπητοί μου συναμαρτωλοὶ ἀδελφοί, ἡμέρα ἱερὰ γεμάτη ἀναμνήσεις, ἡμέρα ποὺ προκαλεῖ ῥίγη συγκινήσεως καὶ δάκρυα. Ἂς βγάλουμε τὴν ὥρα αὐτὴ ἀπὸ τὴν καρδιὰ καὶ τὸ μυαλό μας κάθε ἰδέα γήινη, κάθε ῥυπαρὴ σκέψι καὶ λογισμό, ἂς καθαρίσουμε τὴ διάνοιά μας, καὶ μὲ τὰ φτερὰ τῆς φαντασίας ἂς διασχίσουμε τὶς ἀποστάσεις καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνες, κι ἂς ἐπισκεφθοῦμε νοερὰ τοὺς Ἁγίους Τόπους.
Μπορεῖ κανεὶς νὰ πάῃ ἐκεῖ κι ὅμως νὰ μὴν εἶνε ἐκεῖ, καὶ μπορεῖ νὰ μὴν πάῃ σωματικὰ στοὺς Ἁγίους Τόπους κι ὅμως νά ᾽νε ἐκεῖ ψυχικά.Ἂς βρεθοῦμε λοιπὸν τώρα μὲ τὴ σκέψι μας στὸ μέρος ἐκεῖνο ποὺ λέγεται Κρανίου τόπος ἢ Γολγοθᾶς· ἐκεῖ ποὺ παίχθηκε τὸ δρᾶμα τῶν δραμάτων, ἐκεῖ ποὺ δόθηκε ἡ μεγάλη μάχη μεταξὺ φωτὸς καὶ σκότους, ἀληθείας καὶ ψεύδους. Ἐκεῖ, στὸ Γολγοθᾶ, εἶνε τώρα ὁ ἐσταυρωμένος Λυτρωτὴς τοῦ κόσμου.
Θεαταὶ τῆς θυσίας του εἶνε πολλοί. Ἀπ᾽ τὸν οὐρανὸ τὰ τάγματα τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων, τὰ Χερουβὶμ καὶ Σεραφίμ, ποὺ ἀπὸ τὰ θεωρεῖα τῆς αἰωνιότητος βλέπουν τὸ δρᾶμα, ἀγανακτοῦν κ᾽ εἶνε ἕτοιμοι μὲ τὶς πύρινες ῥομφαῖες τους νὰ σαρώσουν τοὺς δημίους.Θεαταὶ ἀπ᾽ τὴ γῆ εἶνε ὁ ὄχλος ἐκεῖνος, ποὺ πρὶν τέσσερις μέρες, τὴν Κυριακὴ τῶν Βαΐων, ἐκραύγαζε «Ὡσαννά» (Ματθ. 21,9. Μᾶρκ. 11,9-10. Ἰω. 12,13) καὶ τώρα εἶνε κάτω ἀπ᾽ τὸ σταυρὸ γιὰ νὰ ἐμπαίξῃ.Θεαταὶ εἶνε ἀκόμα οἱ εἰδωλολάτρες στρατιῶτες , τὸ ἀπόσπασμα ποὺ μὲ ἐπὶκεφαλῆς τὸν ἑκατόνταρχο (λοχαγό) ἔλαβε ἐντολὴ ν᾽ ἀνεβῇ στὸν Κρανίου τόπον καὶ νὰ ἐκτελέσῃ τὴν ἀπόφασι τοῦ Ἰουδαϊκοῦ δικαστηρίου. Οἱ ἀγροῖκοι αὐτοὶ ῾Ρωμαῖοι, ποὺ ἔχουν λάβει μέρος σὲ μάχες καὶ συνήθισαν νὰ βλέπουν τὸ ἀνθρώπινο αἷμα νὰ χύνεται, εἶνε ἀδιάφοροι· ἢ μᾶλλον ὄχι ἀδιάφοροι, ἀλλὰ συνεχίζουν τὸν ἐμπαιγμὸ ποὺ ἔκαναν μέσα στὸ πραιτώριο τοῦ Πιλάτου.
Παρακολουθοῦν τὴν ἐκτέλεσι, παίζουν ζάρια κάτω ἀπ᾽ τὸ σταυρό, καὶ πίνουν ποτά…Ἀλλὰ ξαφνικὰ ὁ μεσαῖος ἀπὸ τοὺς τρεῖς ἐσταυρωμένους, ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος, ἑλκύειτὴν προσοχή τους. Βλέπουν ὅτι διαφέρει ἀπὸ τοὺς ἄλλους. Ἐκεῖνοι βλαστημοῦν, καταριῶνται τὴ μέρα ποὺ γεννήθηκαν, ἐκσφενδονίζουν ὕβρεις σὲ ὅλους, ἐνῷ ὁ Ἐσταυρωμένος αὐτὸς σιωπᾷ . Ἡ σιωπή του εἶνε μυστηριώδης, σιωπὴ ποὺ προκαλεῖ συγκίνησι. Σιωπᾷ ὁ Χριστός.Κι ὅταν ἀνοίγει τὰ ἄχραντα χείλη του γιὰ νὰ πῇ τοὺς ἑπτὰ λόγους τοῦ σταυροῦ , τὰ λόγια του αὐτὰ δὲν εἶνε κατάρες, εἶνε εὐλογίες, λόγια ποὺ προκαλοῦν βαθειὰ ἐντύπωσι σὲκάθε ἀκροατὴ καὶ θεατή. Αὐτὰ τὰ λόγια τὰ πρόσεξαν οἱ σταυρωταὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μας. Οἱ στρατιῶτες τοῦ ἀποσπάσματος ἄκουσαν τὸ «Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι» (Λουκ. 23,34) , ἄκουσαν τὸ «Διψῶ» (Ἰω. 19,28) , ἄκουσαν τὸ «Ἠλὶ Ἠλί, λιμᾶ σαβαχθανί;» «Θεέ μου Θεέ μου, ἱνα τί με ἐγκατέλιπες;» (Ματθ. 27,46. Μᾶρκ. 15,34) , ἄκουσαν καὶ τὸ «Τετέλεσται» (Ἰω. 19,30).
Ὅλα αὐτὰ τὰ ἄκουσαν καὶ διαλογίζονταν· Ποιός νά ᾽νε αὐτὸς ἆραγε; αὐτὸς διαφέρει τελείως ἀπὸ τοὺς ἄλλους καταδίκους… Κι ὅταν μετὰ τὸ μεσημέρι εἶδαν τὸν ἥλιο νὰ σκοτεινιάζῃ, τὸ σκοτάδι ν᾽ ἁπλώνεται σ᾽ ὅλη τὴν κτίσι, τὴ γῆ νὰ σείεται καὶ τὰ μνήματα ν᾿ ἀνοίγουν, τότε πλέον πίστεψαν.
Δὲν τοὺς ἔμεινε κανένας δισταγμὸς ἢ ἀμφιβολία, καὶ μαζὶ μὲ τὸν ἑκατόνταρχο εἶπαν κατατρομαγμένοι· «Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος» (Ματθ. 27,54)· αὐτὸς πραγματικὰ δὲν εἶνε τυχαῖος, ἔχει ὑπερφυσικὴ προέλευσι, εἶνε Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Θεὸς ἀληθινός.
Ἀπὸ τότε ποὺ εἶπε τὰ λόγια αὐτὰ ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος ἔχουν περάσει –μετρῆστε–εἴκοσι περίπου αἰῶνες. Καὶ ἡ μαρτυρία - ὁμολογία αὐτὴ δὲν ἔμεινε μόνη· ἐπαναλαμβάνεται καὶ συνεχίζεται μέχρι σήμερα. Πολλές, ἀναρίθμητες μαρτυρίες λένε, ὅτι ὄντως ὁ Χριστὸς εἶνε Θεός, Θεάνθρωπος . Ἔχουμε ἀποδείξεις; Ἔχουμε. Ποιές εἶν᾽ αὐτές; Ἀναφέρω μερικές·
⃝«Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος». Τὸ φωνάζειπρῶτα - πρῶτα ἡ διδασκαλία του. Ἀνοῖξτε τὰκείμενα ὅλων τῶν θρησκειῶν, διαβάστε τὰ βιβλία τῶν φιλοσόφων, ἀκοῦστε τοὺς λόγους τῶν μεγαλυτέρων ῥητόρων· θὰ δῆτε, ὅτι ἡ διδασκαλία τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπερτερεῖ, εἶνε ὑπέροχη. Δὲν ἀρνοῦμαι, ὅτι κι ἄλλοι εἶπαν σπουδαῖα πράγματα· ἀλλὰ τὰ λόγια τους μοιάζουν μὲ μικρὰ ψήγματα χρυσοῦ ἀνακατεμένα μέσα σ᾽ ἕνα ὄγκο εὐτελῶν μετάλλων· μοιάζουν μὲ μικρὰ φῶτα, πυγολαμπίδες θὰ ἔλεγα, μπροστὰ στὸν ἥλιο. Τὰ λόγια τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶνε φῶς καὶ ζωή, κ᾽ ἔκαναν πάντα μεγάλη ἐντύπωσι.
Ἐχθρικοὶ ἀκροαταί του ἀναγκάστηκαν νὰ ὁμολογήσουν· «Οὐδέποτε οὕτως ἐλάλησεν ἄνθρωπος,ὡς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος» (Ἰω. 7,46) . Ἂς προάγεται τὸ ἀνθρώπινο πνεῦμα, ὅπως εἶπε κάποιος, ἂςπροχωροῦν οἱ ἐπιστῆμες, ἂς γίνωνται ἀνακαλύψεις· ποτέ ἡ ἀνθρωπότης δὲν θὰ φθάσῃ τὸ ὕψος τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ κάποιος ἄλλος εἶπε· Δὲν ξέρω ἂν σὲ ἄλλους πλανῆτες κατοικοῦν λογικὰ ὄντα· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἂν ὑποθέσουμε ὅτι ὑπάρχουν καὶ κατοικοῦν ἐκεῖ, δὲν μπορεῖ νὰ ἔχουν θρησκεία ἀνώτερη ἀπὸαὐτὴν ποὺ κήρυξε ὁ Χριστός.
⃝ «Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος» · τὸ φωνάζειἡ διδασκαλία του, τὸ φωνάζουν καὶ τὰ θαύματά του. Τὰ θαύματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ! Ὅπου ἅ-πλωνε τὰ ἄχραντα χέρια του, ὅπου ἀκουγό-ταν ἡ θεϊκὴ προσταγή του, ἐκεῖ ὁ ἄνεμος σταματοῦσε, ἡ τρικυμισμένη θάλασσα γαλήνευε,τὰ δαιμόνια ἔφευγαν, τυφλοὶ ἔβλεπαν, κουφοὶ ἄκουγαν, μουγγοὶ μιλοῦσαν, λεπροὶ καθαρίζονταν, παράλυτοι σηκώνονταν, κι αὐτοὶ ἀκόμα οἱ νεκροὶ ἀνασταίνονταν ἀπὸ τοὺς τάφους. Θαύματα πραγματικά, ὄχι φανταστικά.Θαύματα ποὺ ἔγιναν ὄχι νύχτα καὶ σὲ κάποια ἀθέατη γωνιά, ἀλλὰ μπροστὰ σὲ πλῆθος μάτια, μερικὲς φορὲς καὶ ἐχθρῶν, ποὺ τὰ ἔβλεπαν καὶ κατάπληκτοι ἔλεγαν· «Οὐδέποτε οὕτως εἴδομεν»(Μᾶρκ. 2,12) . Τὰ θαύματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶνε ἀνα-ρίθμητα. Κι ἂν ἡ θάλασσα γίνῃ μελάνι κι ὁ οὐ-ρανὸς χαρτὶ καὶ τὰ δέντρα μολύβια, δὲν φτά-νουν γιὰ νὰ ἱστορηθοῦν τὰ θαύματα ποὺ ἔκανε, κάνει καὶ θὰ κάνῃ μέχρι συντελείας τῶν αἰώνων ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός.
⃝ «Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος» . Τὸ φωνάζειἀκόμα ὁ ἄψογος βίος του. Ὁ Χριστὸς εἶνε ἅγιος, ὄχι μὲ ἔννοια σχετικὴ ὅπως πολλοὶ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ μὲ ἔννοια ἀπόλυτη. Εἶνε ἐκεῖνος στὸν ὁποῖο δὲν ὑπάρχει καμμία κακία ἢ ἐλάττωμα, δὲν «εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ» (Ἠσ. 53,9 = Α΄ Πέτρ. 2,22) , ἐκεῖνος ποὺ ἡ ζωή του λάμπειἀπὸ κάθε πλευρά, ἐκεῖνος ποὺ ἡ ἀρετή του «ἐκάλυψεν οὐρανούς» (Ἀμβ. 3,3) . Ποιά ἀρετὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ν᾽ ἀναφέρουμε πρώτη; τὴ φτώχεια καὶ ἁπλότητά του, ποὺ κανείς ἄλλος δὲν ἔζησετόσο ταπεινὰ ὥστε νὰ μὴν ἔχῃ «ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνῃ» (Ματθ. 8,20); τὴν πραότητα καὶ ἀνεξικακία του ἀπέναντι στοὺς ἐχθροὺς καὶ σταυρωτάς του; τὸ θάρρος καὶ τὴν ἀφοβία του ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ τοῦ Πιλάτου ὅταν διεκήρυττε τὴν ἀλήθεια; τὴν ταπείνωσί του, μέχρι ση-μείου νὰ σκύψῃ νὰ πλύνῃ τὰ πόδια τῶν μαθητῶν του; ἢ πρὸ παντὸς τὴν ἀγάπη του πρὸς τὸ Θεὸ καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποὺ ὑποφέρουν; Ὅλα αὐτὰ συνθέτουν τὴ μεγαλειώδη εἰκόνα τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ μας στὴ γῆ. Μερικοὶ προ-σπάθησαν νὰ τοῦ βροῦν ἐλαττώματα· ἔψαξαντὰ Εὐαγγέλια, πίεσαν τὸν ἐγκέφαλό τους, μὰ δὲν μπόρεσαν νὰ βροῦν ψεγάδι. Ὁ ἥλιος ἔχειτὶς κηλῖδες του, ἀλλὰ ὁ Χριστὸς εἶνε ὁ ἀκηλίδωτος ἥλιος. Εἶνε ἐκεῖνος ποὺ εἶπε «Τίς ἐλέγχει με περὶ ἁμαρτίας;» (Ἰω. 8,46) , καὶ τὸ ἐρώτημά του μένει ἀναπάντητο διὰ μέσου τῶν αἰώνων.
⃝ «Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος» , τὸ ἀποδεικνύουν ἡ διδασκαλία του, τὰ θαύματά του, ἡ ἁγιότης τοῦ βίου του, τὸ ἀποδεικνύει τέλος ἡ μαρτυρία τῶν αἰώνων. Δὲν τὸ μαρτυρεῖ μόνο ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος· τὸ μαρτυροῦν οἱ γενεὲς γενεῶν τῶν ἁγίων· μικρὰ παιδιὰ σὰν τὸν ἅγιο Κήρυκο ποὺ κρατοῦν στὴν ἀγκαλιὰ οἱ μητέρες, σεμνὲς παρθένες, ἁπλοϊκοὶ ἰδιῶτες ὅπως οἱ ψαρᾶδες, σοφοὶ ἐπιστήμονες· ὅλοι ὁμολογοῦν, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς εἶνε Θεὸς ἀληθινός.
Θεαταὶ κ᾽ ἐμεῖς σήμερα, ἀγαπητοί μου, τοῦ πάθους τοῦ Σωτῆρος μας. Πῶς παρακολουθοῦμε τὸ θεῖο δρᾶμα; Ὅπως οἱ ἄγγελοι μὲ ἀγάπη καὶ λατρεία, ἢ ὅπως ὁ ὄχλος ποὺ ξέχασε τὰ «Ὡσαννά» καὶ φώναζε «Σταύρωσον σταύρωσον αὐτόν»; (Ἰω. 19,6) . Ἂς τὸ παρακολουθοῦμε ὅπως ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος, ποὺ ἄφησε τοὺς δισταγμούς, πίστεψε καὶ τὸν ὡμολόγησε Υἱὸ Θεοῦ.Ἂν ὑπάρχῃ κάποιος ποὺ ἔχει κάποια ἀμφιβολία γιὰ τὸ πρόσωπο τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δὲν ἔχειπαρὰ νὰ τὸν πλησιάσῃ, νὰ ἐξετάσῃ, νὰ ἐρευνήσῃ μὲ εἰλικρίνεια . Καὶ τότε σὰν τὸν ἑκατόνταρχο θὰ ὁδηγηθῇ ἀπὸ τὰ πράγματα νὰ ὁμο-λογήσῃ κι αὐτός, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς εἶνε «ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱός» , ὅτι εἶνε τὸ ἕνα ἀπὸ τὰ τρία πρόσωπα τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος, ὅτι εἶνε ὁ Θεάνθρωπος Λυτρωτής· ὅν, παῖδες Ἑλλήνων, ὑμνεῖτε καὶ ὑπερυψοῦτε εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.
(†) ἐπίσκοπος Αὐγουστῖνος-
Ἀπομαγνητοφωνημένη ὁμιλία, ἡ ὁποία ἔγινε στὸν ἱ. ναὸ Ἁγ. Παντελεήμονος Φλωρίνης τὴν 24-4-1981.
http://agiameteora.net/index.php/megalis-evdomadas/4951-megali-paraskevi-proi-lith-s-theo-y-s-n-o-tos.html
Introduction
On Great and Holy Friday the Orthodox Church commemorates the death of Christ on the Cross. This is the culmination of the observance of His Passion by which our Lord suffered and died for our sins. This commemoration begins on Thursday evening with the Matins of Holy Friday and concludes with a Vespers on Friday afternoon that observes the unnailing of Christ from the Cross and the placement of His body in the tomb.
Commemoration of Great and Holy Friday
Icon of the Extreme Humility provided by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA.
On this day we commemorate the sufferings of Christ: the mockery, the crown of thorns, the scourging, the nails, the thirst, the vinegar and gall, the cry of desolation, and all the Savior endured on the Cross.
The day of Christ's death is the day of sin. The sin which polluted God's creation from the breaking dawn of time reached its frightful climax on the hill of Golgotha. There, sin and evil, destruction and death came into their own. Ungodly men had Him nailed to the Cross, in order to destroy Him. However, His death condemned irrevocably the fallen world by revealing its true and abnormal nature.
In Christ, who is the New Adam, there is no sin. And, therefore, there is no death. He accepted death because He assumed the whole tragedy of our life. He chose to pour His life into death, in order to destroy it; and in order to break the hold of evil. His death is the final and ultimate revelation of His perfect obedience and love. He suffered for us the excruciating pain of absolute solitude and alienation - "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me!" (Mark 15:34). Then, He accepted the ultimate horror of death with the agonizing cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30). His cry was at one and the same time an indication that He was in control of His death and that His work of redemption was accomplished, finished, fulfilled. How strange! While our death is radical unfulfillment, His is total fulfillment.
The day of Christ's death has become our true birthday. "Within the mystery of Christ dead and resurrected, death acquires positive value. Even if physical, biological death still appears to reign, it is no longer the final stage in a long destructive process. It has become the indispensable doorway, as well as the sure sign of our ultimate Pascha, our passage from death to life, rather than from life to death.
From the beginning the Church observed an annual commemoration of the decisive and crucial three days of sacred history, i.e., Great Friday, Great Saturday and Pascha. Great Friday and Saturday have been observed as days of deep sorrow and strict fast from Christian antiquity.
Great Friday and Saturday direct our attention to the trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Christ. We are placed within the awesome mystery of the extreme humility of our suffering God. Therefore, these days are at once days of deep gloom as well as watchful expectation. The Author of life is at work transforming death into life: "Come, let us see our Life lying in the tomb, that he may give life to those that in their tombs lie dead" (Sticheron of Great Saturday Orthros).
Liturgically, the profound and awesome event of the death and burial of God in the flesh is marked by a particular kind of silence, i.e. by the absence of a eucharistic celebration. Great Friday and Great Saturday are the only two days of the year when no eucharistic assembly is held. However, before the twelfth century it was the custom to celebrate the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts on Great Friday.
The divine services of Great Friday with the richness of their ample Scripture lessons, superb hymnography and vivid liturgical actions bring the passion of Christ and its cosmic significance into sharp focus. The hymns of the services on this day help us to see how the Church understands and celebrates the awesome mystery of Christ's passion and death.
Icons of the Commemoration of Great and Holy Friday
Christ is depicted nailed to the Cross. The wound on His right side pours out both blood and water.
The mount where Christ was crucified was known as Golgotha, or the "place of the skull". A skull can be seen below the Cross.
On Great and Holy Friday, Orthodox churches display the icon known as the "Axra Tapeinosis - The Extreme Humility." This icon depicts the crucified dead body of Christ upright in the Tomb with the Cross in the background. It combines the two awesome events of Great Friday - the crucifixion and burial of Christ.
On the left-hand side of the icon are depicted Mary, the Mother of God (front) and Mary Magdalene (right). On the right-hand side of the icon are depicted Saint John and Saint Longinus, the Centurion.
The Church also has an icon of the Crucifixion of Christ. He is shown nailed to the Cross. His right side is pierced and from the wound flows blood and water. At the foot of the Cross is a skull. (Golgotha, the Mount of the Crucifixion, means "the place of the skull.") Tradition related that the Cross of Christ stood directly over the grave of our Forefather Adam. On the top bar of the Cross is the inscription "I.N.B.I.", the initials for the Greek words meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." To the left of Christ, the Theotokos and St. Mary Magdalene are often pictured as well; the youthful St. John the Beloved Disciple and St. Longinus the Centurion (Mark 15:39) are shown to the right if they are depicted.
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the Mother of God, John the beloved disciple, and Joseph of Arimathea are shown preparing Christ's body for the tomb. Icon of the Epitaphios Thrinos provided by Athanasios Clark and used with permission.
Another icon that depicts the events of Holy Friday is known as the Epitaphios Thrinos. In this icon, Christ has been taken off of the Cross, and His body is being prepared for burial. Shown around the body and mourning His death are His mother, the Theotokos and Virgin Mary, John the beloved disciple, Joseph of Arimathea, and Mary Magdelene.
In addition to these icons, Orthodox churches process with and display a large wooden Crucifix with an image of Christ attached. At the Vespers on Friday, the image of Christ is removed from the Cross and wrapped in a white cloth. Another icon, one that depicts the body of Christ removed from the Cross, appears on the Epitaphios that is carried and placed in the Tomb during this service.
Orthodox Celebration of Great And Holy Friday
The commemorations of Holy Friday begin with the Matins service of the day which is conducted on Thursday evening. The service is a very unique Matins service with twelve Gospel readings that begin with Christ's discourse at the Last Supper and end with the account of His burial: John 13:31-18:1, John 18:1-29, Matthew 26:57-75, John 18:28 - 19:16, Matthew 27:3-32, Mark 15:16-32, Matthew 27:33-54, Luke 23:32-49, John 19:38-42, Mark 15:43-47, John 19:38-42, Matthew 27:62-66
These readings relate the last instructions of Christ to His disciples, the prophecy of the drama of the Cross, the dramatic prayer of Christ and His new commandment. After the reading of the fifth Gospel comes the procession with the Crucifix around the church, while the priest chants the Fifteenth Antiphon:
"Today is hung upon the Tree, He Who did hang the land in the midst of the waters. A Crown of thorns crowns Him Who is King of Angels. He is wrapped about with the purple of mockery Who wrapped the Heavens with clouds. He received buffetings Who freed Adam in Jordan. He was transfixed with nails Who is the Bridegroom of the Church. He was pierced with a spear Who is the Son of the Virgin. We worship Thy Passion, O Christ. Show also unto us thy glorious Resurrection."
Photo courtesy of John Thomas and used with permission. Experience more of Holy Week in pictures through John Thomas' book "Sacred Light: Following the Paschal Journey"
During the Procession, Orthodox Christians kneel and venerate the Cross and pray for their spiritual well-being, imitating the thief on the Cross who confessed his faith and devotion to Christ. The faithful then approach and reverently kiss the Crucifix which has been placed at the front of the church.
Photos courtesy of John Thomas and used with permission. Experience more of Holy Week in pictures through John Thomas' book "Sacred Light: Following the Paschal Journey"
On Friday morning, the services of the Royal Hours are observed. These services are primarily readings of prayers, hymns, and passages from the Old Testament, Epistles, and Gospels. The Scripture readings for these services are: First Hour: Zechariah 11:10-13, Galatians 6:14-18, Matthew 27:1-56; Third Hour: Isaiah 50:4-11, Romans 5:6-10, Mark 15:6-41; Sixth Hour: Isaiah 52:13-54:1, Hebrews 2:11-18; Luke 23:32-49; Ninth Hour: Jeremiah 11:18-23,12:1-5,9-11,14-15, Hebrews 10:19-31, John 18:28-19:37.
Photo courtesy of John Thomas and used with permission. Experience more of Holy Week in pictures through John Thomas' book "Sacred Light: Following the Paschal Journey"
The Vespers of Friday afternoon are a continuation of the Royal Hours. During this service, the removal of the Body of Christ from the Cross is commemorated with a sense of mourning. Once more, excerpts from the Old Testament are read together with hymns, and again the entire story is related, followed by the removal of Christ from the Cross and the wrapping of His body with a white sheet as did Joseph of Arimathea.
Photo courtesy of John Thomas and used with permission. Experience more of Holy Week in pictures through John Thomas' book "Sacred Light: Following the Paschal Journey"
As the priest reads the Gospel, "and taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a white cloth," he removes the Body of Christ from the Cross, wraps it in a white cloth and takes it to the altar. The priest then chants a mourning hymn: "When Joseph of Arimathea took Thee, the life of all, down from the Tree dead, he buried Thee with myrrh and fine linen . . . rejoicing. Glory to Thy humiliation, O Master, who clothest Thyself with light as it were with a garment." The priest then carries the cloth on which the Body of Christ is painted or embroidered around the church before placing it inside the Sepulcher, a carved bier which symbolizes the Tomb of Christ. We are reminded that during Christ's entombment He descends into Hades to free the dead of the ages before His Resurrection.
The Scripture readings for the Vespers are: Exodus 33:11-23; Job 42:12-17; Isaiah 52:13-54:1; I Corinthians 1:18-2:2; and from the Gospels Matthew 27:1-38; Luke 23:39-43; Matthew 27:39-54; John 19:31-37; and Matthew 27:55-61.
Photos courtesy of John Thomas and used with permission. Experience more of Holy Week in pictures through John Thomas' book "Sacred Light: Following the Paschal Journey"
Hymns and Prayers for Great and Holy Friday
Fifteenth Antiphon of the Matins (Plagal of the Second Tone)
Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross. He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns. He who wraps the heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery. He who in Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face. The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ. Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.
Exapostelarion
On the same day, O Lord, You granted the Robber Paradise. Now by the wood of the Cross, illumine me and save me.
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