Friday, April 2, 2010

Holy Friday 2010


Last night I experienced the Service of the 12 Gospels, our introduction into the events of Holy Friday. It can be a grueling service. Three hours on your feet, three hours of suffering, having to hear of the betrayal of Christ, of His suffering, and of His death, as you realize that you have betrayed Him, that you have been a part of His suffering.


But, it comes with preparation: the Lenten Fast, and the preceding days and nights of Holy Week. I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to relate to someone (whether he is non-Orthodox, or an Orthodox who does not partake of the discipline of the Church year) the riches of the Orthodox life, the riches of the sacramental, corporate worship that we enjoy. Nothing in my previous experience compares with it, nothing in my previous life prepared me for its riches.


We sing: "Today hangs from the cross He who hung the earth over the waters. He who is king of the angels is crowned with thorns. Vain purple is thrown over him who casts the sky over the clouds…."


I pray that with each Holy Week that God grant's me that I will be more conscious of what a sinner I am, of how far short I come of the Kingdom, of how much more I am in need of His grace, of how much more I need to do to live the life of Christ, of how much more I need to shed the attachments of this world.


Tonight I will attend the Burial Service of our Lord. The entombment is compared to Moses being hid in the cleft of the rock on Sinai, the resurrection is prefigured in the story of Job being raised up from his sufferings, the words of St. Paul are read: "We preach Christ Jesus crucified…. " The icon of Christ will be put in the tomb, and it will be carried in procession out of the church building. To those passing by it will be a reminder of what Jesus Christ did for them, and continues to do for them whether they accept it or not.


As a monk of the eastern church has said, "It is not enough that on this Holy Friday I should embrace the Cross and the mystery of my salvation through my faith, or in contrition. I must try to obtain from the lips of the Saviour Himself a word of forgiveness. Perhaps I shall hear a word, which is totally personal, spoken by Jesus in the secret depths of my soul. But such a word of forgiveness spoken by the Church or through Scripture has the same value as this intimate declaration, if I know how to welcome it as the word of the Saviour himself. On this Holy Friday, have I sought a word of forgiveness?"