Great and Holy Wednesday: Judas betrays the Master

Venerable and God-bearing Father Theodore the Studite: CATECHESIS 72

On the saving Passion; and teaching on humility and patient endurance. Given on the Wednesday of Holy Week-Holy Father Theodore the Studite

Brethren and Fathers, the present day is holy and to be venerated, for from this day the Lord begins to take on himself the sufferings of the Cross for our sake, in accordance with David’s words: Why did the nations rage and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth rose up and the rulers assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ [Psalm 2:1-2]. They assembled together to plot an evil plan against the Master.

The deceitful Judas denied him utterly and betrays the teacher with a deceitful kiss. The Lord of all things is led away prisoner, stands before the judgement seat, is interrogated and answers; and when he answers—O fearful report!—he is struck by a slave and bears it with longsuffering, saying: If I have spoken evil, give testimony to the evil; but if well, why do you strike me? [John 18:23]

Then he is scoffed at, mocked, jeered at, ridiculed, spat at, buffeted, scourged. He ascends the Cross, and when he has ascended he prays for his murderers: Father, forgive them their sin, for they do not know what they do [Luke 23:33]. Then he is given gall with vinegar to drink, he is pierced by a lance, the immortal is put to death.

These in brief are the Master's sufferings, and one who hears them with understanding is not angry, or embittered, or enraged, or puffed up, or arrogant towards his brother; is not envious, or filled with vainglory. Rather he is humbled, crushed, considers himself to be earth and ashes, desires communion in Christ's sufferings, to is eager to be conformed to his death, so that he may have a part in the glory of his resurrection.

But you too take courage, because you have shared and are sharing in the Master's sufferings. For you see where you are. Is it not for the sake of his word and his testimony that you are in exile and persecution? [These Catecheses were given when St Theodore and his monks were in exile from Constantinople in the reign of Michael II (820-829).] Have you not previously experienced prison? Have you not shed your blood under tortures? Have not some of our brothers died a martyr's death? Such then is our boast in the Lord, such our gift.

But since until the end beatitude is not assured because of the ease of reversal and the impossibility of knowing what the morrow will bring to birth, stand your ground unflinching and unmoving in the Lord striving side by side with one spirit and one soul for the faith of the Gospel, in no way intimidated by your opponents [Phil. 1:27-6], not giving offence in anything, but in everything recommending ourselves as God's ministers [2 Cor. 6:3-4], by obedience, humility, meekness, longsuffering, great endurance. For you need endurance in order to do God's will and obtain the promise. For in a little while he who is coming will come and not delay [Heb 10:36-37].

But if he will come and not delay, why do we hate being in afflictions and do not rather choose to die each day for the Master? For it is written: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him; if we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful; he cannot disown himself [1 Tim. 2:11-13]. How great joy the saints will have when they see the Lord coming from heaven with the angels of his power [2 Thess. 1:7], inviting them with inexpressible joy, crowning them and becoming their companion for ever and ever? What anguish will they have who have disobeyed the Gospel and transgressed his commandments? They will suffer the penalty, as it is written, of eternal destruction, cut off from his presence and from the glory of his strength, when he comes to be glorified in his saints and marvelled at among all who have believed [2 Thess. 1:9-10].

And so, brethren, as we contemplate and think on these things, again and again let us purify ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God [2 Cor, 7:1], zealous for what is better, striving for what is more perfect, hating what is evil, holding fast to what is good, loving one another with brotherly affection, outdoing one another in showing honour, not lagging in zeal, being ardent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in affliction, persevering in prayer [Rom. 12:9-12], that by such sincerity we may worthily celebrate the imminent Pascha, and be counted worthy to enjoy the eternal blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and might with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Great and Holy Wednesday: Judas betrays the Master

Great and Holy Wednesday: Why trouble ye the woman?

 Troparion of the Bridegroom: Behold! The bridegroom approaches in the middle of the night, And blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching; But unworthy he whom He shall find careless. Beware, therefore, O my soul. Be not overcome with sleep, lest thou be given over to death and shut outside the kingdom. But arise and cry:  Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O God! Through the prayers of the Theotokos have mercy on us!


Kontakion, Tone 4:  Though I have transgressed, O Good One, more than the harlot, I have never offered Thee a flood of tears, but, praying in silence, I fall down before Thee, with love embracing Thy most pure feet, that Thou as Master mayest grant me remission of sins.
And I cry to Thee, O Saviour: Deliver me from the defilement of my evil deeds.

St. John Chrysostom: Matthew 26:6-7, Homily 80, part I

"Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head, as He sat at meat."

This woman seems indeed to be one and the same with all the evangelists, yet she is not so; but though with the three she does seem to me to be one and the same, yet not so with John, but another person, one much to be admired, the sister of Lazarus.

But not without purpose did the evangelist mention the leprosy of Simon, but in order that He might show whence the woman took confidence, and came unto Him. For inasmuch as the leprosy seemed a most unclean disease, and to be abhorred, and yet she saw Jesus had both healed the man (for else He would not have chosen to have tarried with a leper), and had gone into his house; she grew confident, that He would also easily wipe off the uncleanness of her soul. And not for nought does He name the city also, Bethany, but that you might learn, that of His own will He comes to His passion. For He who before this was fleeing through the midst of them; then, at the time when their envy was most kindled, comes near within about fifteen furlongs; so completely was His former withdrawing Himself a part of a dispensation.

The woman therefore having seen Him, and having taken confidence from thence came unto Him. For if she that had the issue of blood, although conscious to herself of nothing like this, yet because of thatnatural seeming uncleanness, approached Him trembling and in fear; much more was it likely this woman should be slow, and shrink back because of her evil conscience. Wherefore also it is after many women, the Samaritan, the Canaanite, her that had the issue of blood, and other besides, that she comes unto Him, being conscious to herself of much impurity; and then not publicly but in a house. And whereas all the others were coming unto Him for the healing of the body alone, she came unto Him by way of honor only, and for the amendment of the soul. For neither was she at all afflicted in body, so that for this most especially one might marvel at her.

And not as to a mere man did she come unto Him; for then she would not have wiped His feet with her hair, but as to one greater than man can be. Therefore that which is the most honorable member of the whole body, this she laid at Christ's feet, even her own head.

"But when His disciples saw it, they had indignation," such are the words, "saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. But when Jesus understood it, He said, Why trouble ye the woman? For she has wrought a good work upon me? For you have the poor always with you, but me you have not always. For in that she has poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her."

And whence had they this thought? They used to hear their Master saying, "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," and blaming the Jews, because they omitted the weightier matters, judgment, and mercy, and faith, and discoursing much on the mount concerning almsgiving, and from these things they inferred with themselves, and reasoned, that if He accepts not whole burnt offerings, neither the ancient worship, much more will He not accept the anointing of oil.

But though they thus thought, He knowing her intention suffers her. For indeed great was her reverence, and unspeakable her zeal; wherefore of this exceeding condescension, He permitted the oil to be poured even on His head.

For if He refused not to become man, and to be borne in the womb, and to be fed at the breast, why do you marvel, if He does not utterly reject this? For like as the Father suffered a savor of meat, and smoke, even so did He the harlot, accepting, as I have already said, herintention. For Jacob too anointed a pillar to God, and oil was offered in the sacrifices, and the priests were anointed with ointment.

But the disciples not knowing her purpose found fault unseasonably, and by the things they laid to her charge, they show the woman's munificence. For saying, that it might have been sold for three hundred pence, they showed how much this woman had spent on the ointment, and how great generosity she had manifested. Wherefore He also rebuked them, saying, "Why trouble ye the woman?" And He adds a reason, as it was His will again to put them in mind of His passion, "For she did it," He said, "for my burial." And another reason. "For you have the poor always with you, but me you have not always;" and, "Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached, that shall be told also which this woman has done."

Do you see how again He declares beforehand the going forth unto the Gentiles, in this way also consoling them for His death, if after the cross His power was so to shine forth, that the gospel should be spread abroad in every part of the earth.

Who then is so wretched as to set his face against so much truth? For lo! What He said has come to pass, and to whatever part of the earth you may go, you will see her celebrated.

And yet neither was the person that did it distinguished, nor had what was done many witnesses, neither was it in a theatre, but in a house, that it took place, and this a house of some leper, the disciples only being present.

Great and Holy Wednesday: Why trouble ye the woman?

Great and Holy Tuesday

Yesterday's prayers of anticipation for the Bridegroom were stern warnings calling to mind the price of spiritual lassitude, letting us know that nothing good befalls those who are not prepared to greet the Bridegroom.  Today, Great and Holy Tuesday continues the theme of anticipating the arrival of the Bridegroom and emphasizing the dangers of unpreparedness, and so the Troparion of the day refrains the Troparion from Monday.

But now there is a shift in emphasis from a description of negative consequences of spiritual death to an exhortation to positive response that calls upon us after a long period of fasting and interior preparations to burn with love for the Bridgroom, burn with the oil of charity in radiant faith:

Troparion: Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom he finds watching; but unworthy is the one whom he finds slothful. Take care then, my soul, not to be overcome with sleep, lest you be given up to death, and be shut out of the kingdom; but rouse yourself and cry: Holy, holy, holy are you, O God.   Through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy on us.

Sessional Hymn I:  O faithful, let us be on fire with love for the Bridegroom, and with lamps burning, let us go out to meet him.  May the light of our virtue burn brightly, and may our faith be radiant.  With the wise Virgins, let us prepare to enter the banquet hall of the Lord; for the Divine Spouse offers us all the crown of Immortality.

Hymn of Light:  I see your bridal chamber completely engulfed with light, O my Savior, and I do not have a wedding garment to enter and enjoy your brightness; fill the garment of my soul with light, and save me, O Lord, save me.

Great and Holy Tuesday

Great and Holy Monday

Troparion: Behold, the Bridegroom is coming in the middle of the night.  Blessed is the servant He shall find awake.  But the one He finds neglectful will not be worthy of Him.  Beware therefore, O my soul!  Do not fall into a deep slumber, lest you be delivered to death and the door of the Kingdom be closed to you.  Watch instead, and cry out: Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O God.

Through the intercession of the Mother of God, have mercy on us.

Matins Canon Ode 8:  While going to his Passion, the Lord said to those whom he loved: Everyone will know that you are my disciples if you keep my commandments;  be at peace among yourselves and with all others;  be humble in your thoughts and you shall be exalted;  praise your Lord and exalt Him above all forever.

Great and Holy Monday