Word Magazine May 1962 Page 5/24

REMINISCENCES OF HOLY WEEK

By Father Michael J. Buben

PALM SUNDAY The glorious Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem. With palms and branches and lighted candles we greet the Lord with the shouted refrain from the psalm: “Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is he who walketh in the Name of the Lord!” With these words we happily greet Him immediately before the coming of the terrible days of His dreadful passion … It is especially joyous and heartwarming on this day to watch the procession of children, with palms and lighted candles, circle the church. The procession reminds us about the original children who came forth despite the Scribes and Pharisees to greet our Saviour after He had resurrected Lazarus from the grave. HOSANNA! HOSANNA! Words which so shortly — later in the week are to be turned into CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM! by corrupt mankind … During the evening of Palm Sunday the vestments are changed from a golden to a black or purple color for with Orthros the Services will begin to portray the passion of Our Lord. Passions which were for our salvation, mysterious, somber but yet highly festive. For the rest of the week there will be more reading and less singing even then during the 40 days of Great Lent …

PASSION OR HOLY WEEK

GREAT MONDAY — During the Orthros of Great Monday we hear the sad song: “Behold the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching:”… and “Thine halls I behold, O my Savior, all adorned and I have no garments that I may enter therein; irradiate the vestment of my soul, O Giver of Light, and save me.”… The lessons of this day remind us of the history of the Israelites. The story of Joseph and his brothers is portrayed. The innocent sufferer of the Old Testament, Joseph was sold into bondage to Egypt by his brothers only to become the conqueror over famine and savior of his nation, people, and brothers. Joseph is a proto-type of Christ. This is an eternal barrier against those who rise up against the providence of God … To the story of Joseph is added the story of the barren fig tree. It reminds us of those souls who are barren because they go through life without performing even one good work…

GREAT TUESDAY — Holy Church reminds us anew of the Last Judgment; gives us the parable of Talents. The Ten Maidens — for those who are not preparing themselves to answer when the Bridegroom calls. O heart of man! Even if you are hard like the rock of Gibraltar! Listen to the lessons of this day and be enlightened with the meaning of life in a clear manner in all depth.

GREAT WEDNESDAY — The repentful soul can sorrow over its sins and together with the women of this day wipe the feet of our Lord with the rich spikenard: The harlot wipes the anointed head and feet of Christ with the hair of her head. For this Judas the treasurer became angry, but was rebuked by Christ lest he embarrass the woman. From here Judas went to the house of Caiphas to begin plotting the work of betrayal… During the evening of this day the Mystery of Prayer — Oil is performed and parishioners are anointed and take home a little Holy Oil.

GREAT THURSDAY — The Mysterious Supper or The Last Supper. The faithful receive Holy Communion with the life-giving Mysteries. Christ at the Last Supper with the twelve Apostles institutes this Sacrament of the Eucharist. Our Savior shows a lesson in humility by washing the feet of the disciples. Already at the Supper we can feel the coming separation between Christ and the Apostles, but He comforts them. Only Judas Iscariot feels no emotion during this sorrowful scene … On this day the Reserved Gifts are prepared anew …

ORTHROS OF GOOD FRIDAY — (Served Thursday Evening — Reading of Twelve Passion Lessons). In the twelve passion lessons from the four Gospels, all the fullness of God’s love for us and His sorrow is revealed. The Incarnate God suffers as Man and carries the sins of the world on His shoulders. How wondrous is the story! How intelligent the words and music of the antiphons! Who does not remember from childhood the Scripture reading of this night? The twelve burning candles, then eleven, then ten, then nine, etc., etc.? The congregation holding candles. An ocean of light divided into individual tapers of fire. The priest carrying the Cross in the darkened church … Who cannot feel the suffering of Our Lord through the words and music? Remember the Exaposteilarion of the Ninth Ode? — “The repentful thief Thou hast made worthy of Paradise on this same day, O Lord. Wherefore, illuminate me too by the tree of Thy Cross and save me.” The twelve Gospel Lessons narrate the passion of Christ from His last conversation with the apostles and end with His entombment in Joseph of Arimathaea’s garden. Between the lessons Judas’ malice is denounced in Triodion and sticherae …

GREAT FRIDAY — The universal sorrow of this day forbids the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. The faithful are given an insight into the redeeming Sacrifice for the sins of mankind made by the sorrow, suffering, and death of the God-man … In the morning the Royal Hours are read. During the reading of Old Testament prophecies, epistles of St. Paul, the Gospel lessons, the Troparia and Paramaia — we begin to realize how the Lord, through His unspeakable and bountiful love for Mankind, became the Savior of the world which fell through the snares of Satan … Vespers begin at the Tenth Hour (3 p.m.). The Szcheenez is carried to the middle of the church. On the Szcheenez is the icon of Christ’s Body. While this rite is taking place the choir sings, “The noble Joseph, having taken Thy immaculate Body from the Tree, and wrapped it in clean linen cloth with spices, laid it and covered it in a new grove.”… Until the evening people begin to venerate the Szcheenez by kissing the wounds of Christ, in the side, the hands, and the feet … At the Evening Service lamentations are sung, then the Szcheenez is carried around the church by members of the parish, signifying the entombment of Christ; While the choir sings the funeral Trisagion — “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal Have Mercy on us.” Finally the Winding Sheet is held high near the Ambon of the church while the parishioners circle their way under it before it is placed back into place … It seems that every parishioner attends this crowded service each year. How wonderful to see the old and infirm. Truly, everyone feels the sorrow of Golgotha and the closeness to Joseph and Nicodemus while the air is filled with the aroma of incense and sweet rose water.

GREAT SATURDAY — On this day the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated combined with Vesper Services … Fifteen paroemia are read which contain prophecies and prototypes of salvation through the passion and resurrection of Christ … The epistle lesson is the one used at every baptism telling us that in baptism we are entombed with Christ. The Gospel lesson tells of Christ rising from the dead … In place of the Cherubimic Hymn the choir sings, “Let all human flesh keep silence, nor think in itself of anything earthly; for the King of kings and Lord of lords cometh to be immolated, and to give Himself as Food to the faithful. And before Him go to the angelic hosts, with their Principalities and Powers, the many eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, veiling their faces and loudly singing ‘Alleluia.’ … It was ancient custom to spend the rest of the day in church. Bread, wine and wheat were blessed and consumed and the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles was read. .. At 11 p.m. the midnight service begins. About quarter to twelve all parishioners with candle go forth to the candle held by the priest after his exclamation, “Come take light from the light that is never darkened by night.”… They circle the outside of the church … while in the church good trustees change black coverings to white and light up everything … The winding sheet was placed on the altar by the priest where it will remain for forty days. The priest vested in white now waits before the closed church doors for midnight … The choir gets ready … The people cup the candles to keep the wind away … Then begins the Feast of Feasts and the Triumph of Triumphs … All wait full in Christ Crucified but also Resurrected.