Great and Holy Wednesday

Categories: orthodox-life, hymns, holy-week

Date: 11 April 2012 05:13:50

Great and Holy Wednesday marks the end of the Bridegroom services and we are ever nearer to the Feast of Feasts, Pascha. Tonight we have the Service of the Holy Unction, the anointing with holy oil, for the healing of our bodies, physical and spiritual, as per St James' instructions in his letter. With Psalms 142 [143] and 50 [51], beautiful hymnody, the reading of seven Epistles and seven Gospels (training perhaps for the twelve Gospel readings tomorrow evening!), with seven prayers for God's mercy and blessing through the anointing with oil, and the anointing itself, it is a beautiful service and one I eagerly look forward to. Holy Wednesday's hymnography in the Bridegroom service wondrously contrasts the loving action of the woman who anointed the head of Jesus before his Crucifixion and Burial with the action of his disciple, Judas; I have quoted some parts of the service in previous years, but I never tire of hearing and reading them; and in each year different hymns speak louder than others. Judas' betrayal of Christ on Wednesday is the reason, from the earliest times, the church has fasted on Wednesdays; with the Friday fast in remembrance of Christ's crucifixion.

She who was immersed in sin, washed the feet of the Creator with her tears, and dried them with her hair. She was forgiven for all that she had committed in her life, and cried aloud: "All the works of the Lord, praise the Lord and exalt Him forever." Going to the lawless rulers, Judas says: "What will you give me and I will deliver to you the Christ, Whom you want and seek?" From the closest bond with Christ, Judas is drawn away by gold. Spare our souls, O Christ God, and save us. While the sinful woman was offering the myrrh, the disciple was making terms with lawless; she rejoiced in emptying out that which was precious, he hastened to sell Him Who was above all price. She acknowledge the master, he severed himself from the Master; she was set free, and Judas became a slave to the enemy. Monstrous was his callousness! Great was her repentance! Grant me this also, O Saviour, who suffered for us and save us. O misery of Judas! He saw the harlot kissing the feet, and with guile he meditated the kiss of betrayal. She unbound her tresses, and he bound himself with fury, bringing instead of myrrh his foul wickedness, for envy knows not to appreciate even its own advantage. O wretchedness of Judas! From this, O God, deliver our souls!

We also have the moving Hymn of Kassiani the Nun and Hymnographer who wrote this, I believe, for the woman who washed Christ's feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee; one translation, not the same as the video below, is on a previous post of mine. Father chanted this hymn beautifully last night; and as we only hear it once a year it was a blessing to hear it and hear it chanted beautifully, as it is a complex piece. A blessed Great and Holy Wednesday to all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHIqvNngR2c