Great and Holy Thursday - Today is the reading of the 12 Passion Gospels. Technically Holy Friday Matins (all Holy Week services are held in anticipation) this is one of the longest, but most beautiful services of Holy Week (exceed, of course, by tomorrow's incredibly beautiful Great and Holy Friday service, which is of course, technically Holy Saturday Matins).
The Orthodox don't need to see a movie to remember Christ's Passion, we hear every word written on the subject on Holy Thursday night. The nails, the scourging, the vinegar, the "it is finished".
And, in one of the beautifully sad prayers I've ever heard, the Ikos in Ode 5 which says
Beholding her own lamb led to the slaughter, Mary followed with the other women, in distress and crying out: "Where goest Thou, my child" Why dost Thou run so swift a course? Surely there is not another wedding in Cana to which Thou now dost hasten to change water into wine? Shall I come with Thee, my child, or shall I wait for Thee? Give me a word, O Thou who art the Word. Do not pass me by in silence, O Thou who didst keep me pure, for Thou art my Son and my God"
What more can I, as a mother say?
posted by Mimi @ 4/28/2005 10:27:00 AM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
There are two pages in my Holy Week book that have dog ears. The Hymn of Kassiani is one. This is the other. Can't you just picture the grief that tore at this poor soul, that would drive her to such a state of denial? Better to believe *anything* than what she actually saw happening before her eyes. This, BTW, is one of the reasons I didn't go to see The Passion of the Christ -- as soon as I found out there was a scene with Mary seeing Christ fall, and thinking back to when He was little and fell, I knew I'd never be able to handle it.
I find that as the years go by, more and more I identify with this aspect of the Passion -- what His *Mother* went through.
The first time I heard it, I remember being struck by it. I mentioned it to a Russian cradle Orthodox friend of mine, and she'd never had it strike her, interestingly enough.
I've not seen "The Passion" and haven't missed it. You are right, the aspect of his *Mother's* suffering comes through more and more for me each year. Truly, her heart was pierced that horrible day.
(where did you get a Holy Week book? I bought a small Holy Friday service book, but was thinking I'd like a whole week to bring with me each night)
Okay, this is the second time I've read something about how long certain services are. Never having been to a Good Friday service, how long can I expect to be there?! I should probably warn the hubster, eh?
Oh, dear, Mimi, the Greeks sell Holy Week books, but if you are at all interested in the poetry of these services, I wouldn't recommend the Greek books. The English kind of stumbles.
There's also the book "The Lenten Triodion" put out by Mother Mary and Bishop Kallistos Ware -- I think it's available from Light & Life. Slightly better English, and it gives you both the Greek and the Slavonic rubrics, which are very slightly different in a couple of places.
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