"How O life can you die? In a grave how can You dwell?..."
Categories: orthodox-life, hymns, holy-week
Date: 12 April 2012 13:30:51
How O life can you die? In a grave how can You dwell? The proud domain of death You destroy now, And the dead of Hades You now make to rise. O my dear Christ Jesus, King and Ruler of all; Why to them who dwelt in Hades did You descend? Was it not to set the race of mortals free? Right it is indeed, Maker of all things to magnify You; For by Your dear passion have we attained, Victory over the flesh and rescue from decay. The Seraphim trembled, O Saviour at beholding You in the highest; With the Father, indivisible, And on Earth below stretched out dead. Wailing bitter tears, Word of God Your spotless mother mourned you; When she saw that in a grave You were laid, O ineffable and everlasting God. Joseph is entombing, helped by Nicodemus, The body of His Saviour. Women to anoint Him, with their myrrh are coming, To Christ Who is Divine Myrrh. Snared now is the snarer; man ensnared is ransomed; My God through Your great wisdom.A selection of hymn verses from the Holy and Great Saturday Lamentations service on Friday evening, where these verses are chanted between the lines of Psalm 118 (119). In Antiochian, and Greek I believe, practice, only a selection of the over 170 verses are sung; I believe the Slavonic Orthodox chant all verses.
While lamenting is the main theme, some of the verses -- as shown by a few I quoted above -- contain the expectation of hope through Christ's conquering of the powers of death; as do a number of other hymns as part of the service. Even the icon of the Crucifixion, with icons in Orthodoxy showing theological truths rather than attempts to portray an exact reproduction of the event, is not presented in the same way 'western' depictions of the Crucifixion are, valid, correct and useful as they are, showing reality, with a lot of blood and Jesus' body twisted and an agonised expression on his face. Christ in Orthodox icons of the Crucifixion seems at peace, for He willingly ascended the Cross; a skull underneath points to a tradition that Christ was crucified where Adam was buried -- its aim is to show Christ as the new Adam, who has defeated the power and sting of death: death has been defeated. And they are but two points; there are more.
You can hear several of the lamentation verses sung in Arabic and Greek by the talented (an understatement) Lebanese singer Fairuz and what may be a men's choir (I am unsure) here which give you an idea of the melodies used in Antiochian churches (in which I am worship); a selection in English, in different melodies, can be heard here.
Even tonight, on the Service of the Twelve Passion Gospels where we heard and hymned Christ's final teachings as recorded in John, His trials and crucifixion, the Resurrection is mentioned and what we look forward to, as this hymn, which is sung as an icon of Christ affixed to a cross is carried by the priest over his right shoulder around the Church:Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon Tree (x3). The King of Angels is decked with a crown of thorns. He, who wrapped the Heavens in clouds, is wrapped with the purple of mockery. He, who freed Adam in the Jordan, is slapped on the face. The Bridegroom of the Church is affixed to the Cross with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a spear. We worship Your Passion, O Christ. (x3) Show us also Your glorious Resurrection!Tomorrow (Friday) we have 3 services, including the Service of Royal Hours (Psalms hymns and prayers), the Removal of Christ from the Cross (in which the icon of Christ is taken down from the cross) and the Lamentations I mentioned above, where a decorated bier containing a cloth icon of Christ being laid in the grave and mourned by those who were at his crucifixion (an epitaphios) is carried around and outside the church while the lamentations are chanted; via the ever-useful Wikipedia you can get an idea of the epitaphios and a very richly-decorated bier . Saturday morning is a Divine Liturgy, always a celebratory service, where we celebrate Christ's descent and preaching to those in Hades, and his triumph shown by the priest throwing, usually bay but I have seen others, leaves all over the church to celebrate the triumph over death, and the shattered gates and broken chains of Hades. And then, that evening, the Feast of Feasts, Pascha, the Paschal Matins and the Paschal Divine Liturgy. A blessed journey to Pascha and my warmest and heartfelt prayers and wishes for a blessed Pascha to all celebrating it this weekend.