Great and Holy Wednesday and Thursday

 

Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let then pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.

James 5:13-16

Holy Wednesday and Thursday

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Thy bridal chamber I behold, adorned O my Savior. But I have no wedding garment that I may enter. Make radiant the vesture of my soul O Giver of Light and save me.  

 

 

  

 

 

The primary theme of Holy Wednesday is our human need for the healing and forgiveness that comes into our lives when we establish a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are reminded that the way to this relationship is to be found, above all else, through the life of prayer. In the Sacrament of Holy Unction, the faithful are anointed and thus, healed both physically and spiritually. They are also reconciled to God and one another so that they might receive the gift of the Holy Eucharist instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.

	Holy Wednesday Matins: The Service of the Bridegroom Beginning on the evening of Palm Sunday and continuing through the evening of Holy Tuesday, the Orthodox Church observes a special service known as the Service of the Bridgegroom. The name of the service is from the figure of the Bridegroom in the parable of the Ten Virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13.	Requirements: 126 min.
	Holy Wednesday Unction Service   On the afternoon or evening of Great and Holy Wednesday, the Sacrament of Holy Unction is offered for the healing of soul and body and for forgiveness of sins. The body is anointed with oil, and the grace of God, which heals infirmities of soul and body, is called down upon each person.	Requirements: 318 min.

  

The Icon: The Last Supper – Christ: The central figure, St. John the Beloved (Evangelist, Theologian): The figure seated to the right of Christ. Judas Iscariot the Betrayer: He is depicted leaning over the table and dipping into the dish (Matthew 26:20-25).

  

 

 

  

Come, O faithful, let us enjoy the Master’s hospitality: the banquet of immortality, in the upper chamber with uplifted minds. Let us receive the exalted words of the Word whom we magnify.

	Holy Thursday Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great   On Thursday of Holy Week four events are commemorated: the washing of the disciples’ feet, the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the agony in the garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Christ by Judas.	Requirements: 161 min.
	Holy Friday Matins   On Great and Holy Friday the Orthodox Church commemorates the death of Christ on the Cross. This is the culmination of the observance of His Passion by which our Lord suffered and died for our sins. This commemoration begins on Thursday evening with the Matins of Holy Friday and concludes with a Vespers on Friday afternoon that observes the unnailing of Christ from the Cross and the placement of His body in the tomb.	Requirements: 223 min

  

They have stripped me of My garments

   

Today is hung upon the (wood) Cross 

He, who hanged the earth upon the waters.
A crown of thorns is put upon Him,
who is King of the angels.
A fake crimson robe surrounds Him
who surrounds the sky with clouds.
A slap on the face suffers He,
who freed Adam in Jordan. 

With nails was He detained,
the Bridegroom of the Church.
With a spear was He pierced,
the Son of the Virgin.
We venerate Your Passion, o Christ;
We venerate Your Passion, o Christ;
We venerate Your Passion, o Christ;
Show us also Your glorious Resurrection.    

 

  

  

 

Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem