The Journey from Jerusalem to Calvary
الثلاثاء, 08 ابريل,
2008
The Journey from Jerusalem to Calvary
Pascha means Passover (To Cross
Over) and starts when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ends
by crucifixion on Good Friday. Our church arranged the rite of the Holy week to
share him this journey moment by moment.
Palm Sunday
·
Our Lord entered Jerusalem like a King riding a donkey and colt
·
After completion of the Palm
Sunday Liturgy and Communion, the church arranged the general commemoration of
the departed because the church does not perform funeral service for the
departed Christians during this week as no rising of incense on Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday. The reasons for that:
1.
This week has been devoted to
the memory of the Passion, Crucifixion
2.
This week has been devoted for
prayers, praises and fasting
3.
The church does not any other
grief except for Christ
· The rest of the prayer hours, the 9th and 11th hour.
Then Palm Sunday finished
· The night hours of Monday Eve (1st, 3rd, 6th,
9th, 11th)
· Every day has:
Morning hours (1st, 3rd, 6th,
9th, 11th) and Night hours (1st, 3rd,
6th, 9th, 11th)
· Pascha Prayers are conducted outside the 1st choir
as the Lord Christ suffered and was crucified on Calvarymountain
outside Jerusalem
· Order of the Holy Pascha:
1. The Prophecies
2. Thok te-tegom 12 time (instate of the 12 Psalms in
each normal hr)
3. The Psalm and Gospels
4. Commentries
5. The Litanies (Evnoty Nai nan )
6. The blessing and the end
Monday
· During this week Jesus spent the days in the temple and the night in Bethany
(near to Jerusalem about two miles) Lazarus, Mary and Martha’s house
(Luke 21:37-38)
· On this day He cursed the fig tree because it’s fruitless in spite of many
leaves
· He drove out those who bought and sold in the
temple and overturned the tables of the money exchanger and the seats of those
who sold doves and He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple
(Mark 11:15-16)
Tuesday
·
On the way to the temple in the
morning they saw the fig tree (which he had cursed the day before)
·
In the temple Jesus answered many questions of
1. Pharisees and Sadducees who tried to entangle him
in his talk regarding paying taxes to Caesar (Matthew 22:15-22)
2. Sadducees asked him about the resurrection which
they deny (Matthew 22:23-33)
·
Discussion about the second
coming
1. Signs of 2nd coming
a. Parable of the wicked vine-dressers
(Matthew21:33-46)
b. Parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14)
c. Jesus prediction of the temple’s destruction
(Matthew 24:1-13)
2. Preparation for the 2nd coming
a. Preparation with Wedding garment (Matthew 22:1-14)
b. The ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
3. The great judgment day (Matthew 25:31)
So the Psalm of the 11th hr is a
long hymn called PEK-ETHRONOS means (Your throne, O God, is forever and ever)
(Psalm 45:6) and we add PASOTER EN AGHATHOS which means My Good Savior
·
That last hour of the night (11th hr) the Jewish elders plot to kill the Lord
·
That was last time for Jesus to
be in the temple ‘you shall see Me no more till you say blessed is He comes in
the name of the Lord’ (Matthew 23:38-39)
Wednesday
·
On this day our Savior spent this day in the house ofBethany
·
The reading of this day around
two happenings
1. The woman pouring the ointment bottle on the head
of our Savior (Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9)
2. Betrayal of Judas Iscariot and his dealing with the
chief priests and soldiers leaders on the price of handling over the Savior (Matthew 16:14, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 12:3-6, John
13:1-3). So the Psalm of 3rd hr (Psalm 55:21) of Thursday Eve
is a long song called “Avetchenon” which means “The
word of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart”
Thursday
·
Thursday is the 1st day of unleaved bread
when the lamb must be killed, this is day 14th of Nisan on which the Jews cease work at noon and removed all leaven from their houses (Exodus12:5-7) and at twilight
they killed the Passover lamb (Leviticus 23:5). That is the mass has to finish
before the sun set to not share the Jews their Passover.
·
The duration of the feast was 7
days, beginning on 15thNisan and ending on the 21st of it. The law forbade the Jews to eat anything
during this period except unleaved bread.
·
Our Lord sent 2 disciples to
prepare the Passover in the house of St Mark. Jesus came with his disciples toJerusalem to eat the Passover with them.
·
He instituted the new covenant
to replace the old one (The 1st meal and cup is the Passover supper but the 2nd bread and cup is the New covenant
·
During this time there was among
the disciples a discussion about who is the greatest. Jesus rebuked these vain
thought saying. “He who is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he
who leads as he who serves” (Luke 22:26). Immediately He washed the feet of the disciples, one by one.
·
After they fished they went to
the brook Kidron. He starts to pray and his sweat
fell to the ground as great drop of blood. An angel appeared to strengthen him.
He wakes up the disciples 3 times. Then Judas came with the multitude to betray
him.
·
The Mass
1.
1sthr
a. The chorus and the sanctuary doors are opened
covered with black veil
b. Thok te te-gom 12 times
c. Morning Rising incense (Elyson
emas, Our father, Thanksgiving, Ten-o-osht, be merciful to me O God, Litanies of the sick and
Oblations, Angel Praise, Doxologies, the priest circle the church with incense
without kissing, the creed till incarnated and became man and continue from
truly we believe in the Holy Spirit till the end, Evnote
Nay Nan the Keryalayson, then Fay etaf-enf which
means He who lifted Himself as an acceptable sacrifice on the cross for the
salvation of our race, then the act with long sad tune (Eprak-seynan ton) the Yodas Yodas it is a Roman segments to rebuke Judas while
circulating the church from Lt to Rt, then they say Holy Holy
with the crucifixion tune, the litany of Gospel, then (Psalm 55:21) “Avetchenon” which means “The word of his mouth were
smoother than butter, but war was in his heart” then the Gospel then fining the
1st hr as usual
2. 3rd , 6th and 9th hrs
3. Lakan Mass: As Our Lord rose from supper and start washing
feet (John 51:4-5) (N.B at the end of
this mass the psalm 150 is said and not at the end of liturgy)
4. The Liturgy: The Oblations are offered without (3rd,
6th and 9th hrs psalms) because they already
prayed before the Lakan, without “Alleluia this is
the day” and “You redeemed …” because the Salvation has not made yet. The
priest raises the incense without kissing and the congregation sings (Ten-oosht emmok o-pe
ekhrestos). The Pauline is read with normal tune, the
Catholic and the Act are not read because the church has not performed yet. They (Holy God …) and the Gospel with normal tune. Then the
priest says the 3 great litanies then the Creed (till incarnated and became man
and continue from truly we believe in the Holy Spirit till the end). The Prayer
of reconciliation is not said due to Judas’s kiss and the reconciliation has
not made yet. After the Creed (Through the pleading of the mother of God …),
then the priest continues till (Remember, O Lord, those who have offered these
oblations …) after which the congregation says (As it was …) i.e. congregation
of saints is not said as the reconciliation has not made yet. The priest says
(Guide us into your kingdom) till the end of liturgy.
5. During Communion, the sanctuary are covered with
the black veils, psalm 150 is not said, prayer of the 11th hr
instead. Then blessing and the end.
·
Night hrs: Tell us about the
Paraclete chapters, all the happing at that night, the church add to thok te te-gom (my strength and my praise is the who became my holy
salvation).
Friday
·
The happenings
1. The Jews arrested the Lord Christ,
they prescribed him firstly to Annas the high priest
who send him to Caiaphas facing non-official session (sentence of death)
2. In the morning Our Lord faced the great counsel in
the temple which confirmed the previous non-official sitting. The high priest
asked Jesus “Are you Christ the Son of God?” when Jesus answered Yes the high
priest tore his clothes (Thus from this time the priesthood has taken from the
Jewish). They all sentenced Him to death.
3. Our Lord was taken to the Roman to order his
crucifixion as the Jews has no authority to judge him, they did not enter the
ruler court as it has leaven to able to celebrate the Passover. Pontius Pilot
could not find anything deserve death. He send him to Herod (2nd son
of Herod the great who asked Him to see a miracle but Jesus did not answer him,
he send him back to Pontius who wanted to release him after chastise him but
the Jews cried to crucify him and release Barabas,
then Pontius washed his hands and delivered the Savior
to be crucified
4. Our Lord Crucified and Buried
·
The Hours
1. 1st hr: Concerning the judgmental accusation and the
false fabrications
2. 3rd hr: Our Lord delivered to be scourged, spat on
this face and mocked
3. 6th hr: The hr of Crucifixion
a. Prophesies and rise the incense ,
Thok te te-gom
b. Hymns (Tay shoree,
Fay etafenf , Pauline (Tee apestoli), The sements of the 6th hr, Omonogenees,
Agios)
c. The Psalm (They did not accept me), the Gospels
(The light is turned off when the Gospel says “Now from the 6th hr
until the 9thhr there was a darkness over all the land” (Mat 27:45)
and the commentary
d. The Right Thief’s Creed (Remember me …) then O King
of Kings
e. At the end of this hr the light is turned on again
4. 9th hr: Our Lord Jesus commands His Spirit into the
hands of the Father
a. Prophesies and rise the incense ,
Thok te te-gom
b. Hymns (Tee shoree, Fay etafenf ,
Pauline (Ethvete anastasees),
The sements of the 9thhr, the Agios
c. The Psalm (Save me O God …), the Gospels then
commentary
5. 11th hr: Our Savior is
pierced in His side with a spear
6. 12th hr: The hr of Burial (This
the only 12th hr in the whole week)
The Sanctuary and Chorus doors are opened and the
Altar is attired with cloths suitable for the Joyous Saturday. The candles are
lit and the crucifixion icon is prepared and the crosses. The priests wear
their ministry vestments and equip themselves with the censors and incence.
a. The prophesies from the Laminations of Jeremiah and
Jonah
b. The Psalm (Pekethronous
as in 11th hr on Tuesday) the Gospels
c. Commentary and finishing this hr
d. 400 Metania (100 in every
directions this means God everywhere)
e. Keryalayson and circle the Cross 7 times in the church
f. Hymn Gholgotha while this
runs, the crucifixion icon is wrapped in white linen buried on the altar and
places on it the cross and buries it in the flowers, spices and herbs. 2
Candles are placed one east and the other west resemble the 2 angles on at the
head and one at the feet
g. The 1st 3 psalms are read up to “I
lay down and slept” they stop, then the book of Psalm
is read.
Joyous Saturday Eve (Apocalypse)
·
This night is the passing over
from death to life.
1. The hymns are changed from the ‘Sad tune’ to ‘Happy
tune’ so that ½ of the hymn is said sadly and the other ½ joyfully
2. The praise of Mosses the prophet (the passing over
the red sea)
3. Hannah’s prayer (1Sam. 2:1-11) (the Lord descends
to heads and ascends)
4. Prayer of Habakkuk (2:2-19) (I will joy in the God
of my salivation)
5. Prayer of Jonah (2:2-10) who exist from the belly
of fish to life
6. Prayer of Hezekiah (Isaiah 38:10-20). The Lord
extended his life 15 years
7. The prayer of the 3 young men in the furnace of
fire.
8. Story of Susanna the virgin (who saved from hands
of the evil judges)
·
The church start to pray the
Psalms from the Agbia
·
The Pauline, the Psalm and the
Gospel are said ½ sadly and ½ joyfully
·
The book of revelation
1. Seven flints are lit with oil and with 7 candles
and a cross in the middle
2. There couple of responses at certain part while the
book is reading
3. After the reading finish, the priests anoints the congregation with the oil
4. Prayer of 9th hr
·
Saturday Liturgy
1. The oblations are offered without (Alleluia Fay Pepee)
2. They say (Sotees amen
quickly) then the Ministers Absolution
3. The Pauline ½ sadly and ½ normally, then the
Catholicon and the Act
4. The Psalm and the Gospel are said ½ sadly and ½
normally.
5. The priest prays the 3 great Litanies
6. The Creed is said till (suffered and was buried the
continued with truly..)
7. The Prayer of Reconciliation is not prayed
8. The Commemoration is said
9. At the end of the Liturgy they do not say Psalm
150, they pray 11th hr
Resurrection Feast Liturgy
The only difference is the Act
of Resurrection (The light is turned off and the priest take out the
crucifixion icon which was wrapped in white linen and buried in the flowers,
spices and herbs on the altar while saying Jesus is risen. 2 Candles replaced
back to the right and left the altar, then they turn the light on with Ekhrystos Anesty hymn). Then the
Liturgy is completed as usual.
Glory to God Forever Amen
·
This Sunday was 10th of the month on which they bought a lamb for the
feast (Nisan). “On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself
a lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. Now you
shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month” (Exodus 12
