Great and Holy Friday
Categories: hymns, prayer, feast-days
Date: 17 April 2009 00:30:16
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 Your Passion, O Christ. Show us also Your glorious Resurrection.
Today in the Eastern Orthodox Calendar is Great and Holy Friday, the commemoration of the Death of Christ for our salvation.
Three services are being held today, but as I am needed at work I will only attend the last: The Service of the Royal Hours, The Removal of Christ from the Cross and the Burial of Christ and the Lamentations. The Lamentations service is, for me, one of the most beautiful, and most moving, of all Orthodox services, with some of the most wondrous hymnnography. And a procession as well: which I always enjoy.
As mentioned in the previous post, in response to a comment from Unordered, I am finding keeping the Holy Week expectation and the joy of looking to the Resurrection difficult this year. Two years ago, Eastern Orthodox Easter coincided with "Western" Easter, and last year, where there was a difference of several weeks, it seemed a bit easier. Perhaps this one week difference is challenging as many friends and family are in the immediate joy of the Resurrection and we are almost there...so close, yet far away as well. Yet thanks be to God for His Grace and Mercy in leading me through this time of Great Lent and Holy Week: and I look to the Hope and Joy of the Resurrection which draws ever nearer.
My warmest wishes and prayers for a blessed Great and Holy Friday to all!
A dread and marvelous mystery we see come to pass this day. He whom none may touch is seized; He who looses Adam from the curse is bound. He who tries the hearts and inner thoughts of man is unjustly brought to trial. He who closed the abyss is shut in prison. He before whom the powers of heaven stand with trembling, stands before Pilate; the Creator is struck by the hand of His creature. He who comes to judge the living and the dead is condemned to the Cross; the Destroyer of hell is enclosed in a tomb. O You who does endure all these things in Your tender love, who has saved all men from the curse, O long-suffering Lord, glory to You.