Terminology - Holy Friday

HOLY WEEK – (Sl. Passion Week) The week preceding Easter in which the sufferings of Christ are commemorated. Each day of Holy Week has its own particular theme. The theme of Holy Monday is that of the sterile fig tree which yields no fruit and is condemned. Holy Tuesday the accent is on the vigilance… Read More

Holy Thursday – Twelve Gospels

^{by Fr. Paul Lazor}

Holy Thursday begins with the celebration of vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil with a Reserved Eucharist in representation of the earthly presence of Christ realized at the Last Supper.

In the evening, anticipating the Matins of Friday morning, the Holy Passion service of the reading of the Twelve Gospels is conducted. In these readings Christ’s last instructions to his disciples are presented, as well as the prophecy of the drama of the Cross, Christ’s prayer, and his new commandment. The twelve readings are:

• 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 19:25-37
• Mark 15:43-47
• John 19:38-42
• Matthew 27:62-66

Great and Holy Friday

^{by Fr. Paul Lazor}

On Great and Holy Friday, Christ died on the Cross. He gave up His spirit with the words: “It is finished” ^{(John 19:30)}. These words are better understood when rendered: “It is consummated.” He had accomplished the work for which His heavenly Father had sent Him into the world. He became a man in the fullest sense of the word. He accepted the baptism of repentance from John in the Jordan River. He assumed the whole human condition, experiencing all its alienation, agony, and suffering, concluding with the lowly death on the Cross. He perfectly fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” ^{(Isaiah 53:12)}

Exodus 33:11-23 (Holy Friday Vespers) Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent.  Moses said to the LORD, “See, thou sayest to… Read More

Zechariah 11:10-13 (Holy Friday Royal Hours – First Hour) And I took my staff Grace, and I broke it, annulling the covenant which I had made with all the peoples.  So it was annulled on that day, and the traffickers in the sheep, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the… Read More

Isaiah 52:13-54:1 (Holy Friday Royal Hour – Sixth Hour) (Read at Holy Friday Vespers also.) Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.  As many were astonished at him–his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men– … Read More

Job 42:12-16 (Holy Friday Vespers) And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.  He had also seven sons and three daughters.  And he called the name of the first Jemi’mah; and the… Read More

Matthew 27:1-56 (Holy Friday Royal Hours – First Hour) When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death;  and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.  When Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned,… Read More

Matthew 27:39-54 (Holy Friday Vespers) At that time, those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads  and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”  So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders,… Read More

John 19:31-37 (Holy Friday Vespers) On the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.  So the soldiers came and broke the… Read More

Luke 23:39-43 (Holy Friday Vespers) One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due… Read More

Mark 15:16-41 (Holy Friday Royal Hours – Third Hour) (Also read the Friday after the Prodigal Son) And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the praetorium); and they called together the whole battalio n.  And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it… Read More

John 18:28-19:37 (Holy Friday Royal Hours – Sixth Hour) Then they led Jesus from the house of Ca’iaphas to the praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover.  So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you… Read More

Matthew 27:55-61 (Holy Friday Vespers) There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to hi m;  among whom were Mary Mag’dalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zeb’edee.  When it was evening, there came a rich man… Read More

I Corinthians 1:18-2:2 (Holy Friday Vespers) Brethren, for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.”  Where… Read More

Romans 5:6-11 (Holy Friday Royal Hours – Third Hour) While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man–though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die.  But God shows his love for us in that while we were… Read More

Psalm 2 (First Royal Hour, Holy Friday) Why have the heathen raged, and the peoples meditated empty things? The kings of the earth were aroused, and the rulers were assembled together, against the Lord, and against His Christ.Let us break their bonds asunder, and let us cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth… Read More

Psalm 5 (First Hour, First Royal Hour, Holy Friday, First Royal Hour, Nativity and Theophany) Unto my words, give ear, O Lord; hear my cry. Attend unto the voice of my supplication, O my King and my God; for unto Thee will I pray, O Lord. In the morning Thou shalt hear my voice.In the… Read More

Psalm 21 (First Royal Hour, Holy Friday) (Psalm 22 – Hebrew Numbering) O God, my God, attend to me; why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my transgressions. My God, I will cry by day, and wilt Thou not hearken? and by night, and it shall not be unto… Read More

Psalm 108 (Third Royal Hour, Holy Friday) (Psalm 109 – Hebrew Numbering) O God, my praise do not pass over in silence; for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful man are opened against me. They have spoken against me with a deceitful tongue, and with words of hatred have they… Read More

Psalm 139 (Mid-hour of Ninth Hour, Sixth Royal Hour, Holy Friday) (Psalm 140 – Hebrew Numbering) Rescue me, O Lord, from the evil man; from the unjust man deliver me. Who have devised injustice in their heart; all the day long have they arrayed themselves for wars. They have whetted their tongue like that of… Read More