† GREAT WEDNESDAY April 18/May1 ns 2024 •The Harlot Who Anointed the Lord with Myrrh • St. John, Disciple of St. Gregory; St. Athanasía of Ǽgina • Fast day •

 HOLY AND GREAT WEEK

THE WEEK OF

INCONCEIVABLE JOY

Today is 

 HOLY AND GREAT WEDNESDAY

April 18/May 1 ns 2024

FAST DAY

The first part of Holy Week presents us with an array of themes based chiefly on the last days of Jesus' earthly life. The story of the Passion, as told and recorded by the Evangelists, is preceded by a series of incidents located in Jerusalem and a collection of parables, sayings and discourses centered on Jesus' divine sonship, the kingdom of God, the Parousia (Theology), and Jesus' castigation of the hypocrisy and dark motives of the religious leaders. The observances of the beginning of Great Week are rooted in these incidents and sayings. They constitute a single liturgical unit. They have the same cycle and system of daily prayer. The Scripture lessons, hymns, commemorations, and ceremonials that make up the festal elements in the respective services of the cycle highlight significant aspects of salvation history, by calling to mind the events that anticipated the Passion and by proclaiming the inevitability and significance of the Parousia.

The Orthros of each of these days is called the Service of the Bridegroom (Akolouthia tou Nimfiou). The name comes from the central figure in the well-known parable of the ten virgins (St. Matt 25:1-13). The title Bridegroom suggests the intimacy of love. It is not without significance that the kingdom of God is compared to a bridal feast and a bridal chamber. The Christ of the Passion is the divine Bridegroom of the Church. The imagery connotes the final union of the Lover and the beloved. The title Bridegroom also suggests the Parousia. In the patristic tradition, the aforementioned parable is related to the Second Coming; and is associated with the need for spiritual vigilance and preparedness, by which we are enabled to keep the divine commandments and receive the blessings of the age to come. The troparion "Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night…", which is sung at the beginning of the Orthros of Great Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, relates the worshiping community to that essential expectation: watching and waiting for the Lord, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.

The Harlot Who Anointed

the Lord with Myrrh

St. John, Disciple of St. Gregory; 

St. Athanasía of Ǽgina

On Holy Wednesday the Church invites the faithful to focus their attention on two figures: the sinful woman who anointed Jesus shortly before the passion (St. Matt 26:6-13), and Judas, the disciple who betrayed the Lord. The former acknowledged Jesus as Lord, while the latter severed himself from the Master. The one was set free, while the other became a slave. The one inherited the kingdom, while the other fell into perdition. These two people bring before us concerns and issues related to freedom, sin, hell and repentance.

The repentance of the sinful harlot is contrasted with the tragic fall of the chosen disciple. The Triodion make is clear that Judas perished, not simply because he betrayed his Master, but because, having fallen into the sin of betrayal, he then refused to believe in the possibility of forgiveness. If we deplore the actions of Judas, we do so not with vindictive self-righteousness but conscious always of our own guilt. In general, all the passages in the Triodion that seem to be directed against the Jews should be understood in this same way. When the Triodion denounces those who rejected Christ and delivered Him to death, we recognize that these words apply not only to others, but to ourselves: for have we not betrayed the Savior many times in our hearts and crucified Him anew?

I have transgressed more than the harlot, O loving Lord, yet never have I offered You my flowing tears. But in silence I fall down before You and with love I kiss Your most pure feet, beseeching You as Master to grant me remission of sins; and I cry to You, O Savior: Deliver me from the filth of my works.

While the sinful woman brought oil of myrrh, the disciple came to an agreement with the transgressors. 

She rejoiced to pour out what was very precious, he made haste to sell the One who is above all price. 

She acknowledged Christ as Lord, he severed himself from the Master. 

She was set free, but Judas became the slave of the enemy. 

Grievous was his lack of love. 

Great was her repentance. 

Grant such repentance also unto me, O Savior who has suffered for our sake, and save us.

Beloved of God,

If you know Blessed Ephraem by name and prayer, now know him by love.  

Click HERE and read a love letter from Jerusalem on High!
The Harlot Who Anointed the Lord with Myrrh

"The Sinful Woman"

by Saint Ephraem the Syrian