Triodion

Great and Holy Thursday

Bridegroom Matins


The Canon

Tone 6

Canticle one:


Irmos: At a stroke the Red Sea was parted in two,
The swelling depths dried up:
A path for those unarmed,
A grave for those in full array.
A song befitting God was sung,
For gloriously has Christ our God been glorified!

Glory to you, our God Glory to you!

Cause of all and giver of life,
The infinite wisdom of God
Has built a house from a pure, unwedded mother!
For clothed in the temple of his body,
Gloriously has Christ our God been glorified!

Initiating his friends into the mystery,
The true wisdom of God
Has set a table that nourishes the soul,
And has mixed a cup of immortality for the faithful.
Let us draw near with reverence and cry out:
Gloriously has Christ our God been glorified!

Let us the faithful all listen
As the uncreated and innate wisdom of God calls out with a loud voice.
For he cries: taste, and knowing that I am God, exclaim:
Gloriously has Christ our God been glorified!

Katavasia: (The Irmos is repeated throughout as Katavasia)

Canticle three

Irmos: The Lord and creator of all, the changeless God,
Descended to unite the creature to himself.
Now as the Passover he offers himself
To those for whom he is about to die,
Crying: eat my body and be confirmed in faith!

Glory to you, our God, Glory to you...

You filled your cup of gladness,
Which redeems all the race of men,
And gave it to your disciples to drink, good one.
You offered yourself, crying:
Drink my blood and be confirmed in faith

Foolish is the man among you who is a betrayer,
Foretold the patient one to his disciples.
He shall not know these things, and being without understanding,
He shall not understand.
Yet abide in me and be confirmed in faith.

- The Little Litany -

Sessional hymns
Tone 1

The Lord, who alone loves mankind,
Who created the lakes, the rivers, and the seas,
Gave us a special commandment of love:
When he wrapped a towel around his waist and washed the feet of his disciples;
He humbled himself in the greatness of his goodness,
Raising us from the depths of evil.

Glory...

Tone 3

In your goodness you humbled yourself,
Washing the feet of your disciples.
Peter would not allow this, not seeing the divine plan.
When you revealed it, he obeyed and was washed!
We fervently pray to you: grant unto us great mercy!

Now and ever...

Tone 4

Eating with your disciples, master,
You revealed a holy mystery to them:
That you would be slain,
Delivering us from corruption,
For we venerate your holy passion.

Canticle four

Irmos: Foreseeing your ineffable mystery,
The prophet foretold you, O Christ:
You have shown mighty love, compassionate Father,
By sending your only-begotten Son into the world as its atonement.

Glory to you, our God, Glory to you!

Going to the passion
Which pours forth freedom from passion to all of Adam's race,
You said to your friends, O Christ:
I have earnestly desired to share this Passover with you.
For the Father has sent me, the only-begotten son,
Into the world as its atonement.

Partaking of the cup,
You cried out to your disciples, immortal one:
No more shall I drink of the fruit of the vine,
While I am living among you.
For the Father has sent me, the only-begotten son,
Into the world as its atonement.

You said to your friends, O Christ,
In my kingdom I shall drink a new vintage beyond understanding,
So that I shall be with you as God among Gods.
For the Father has sent me, the only-begotten son
Into the world as its atonement.


Canticle five

Irmos: The apostles were united by a bond of love,
Dedicated to Christ, who rules over all.
Their beautiful feet were washed
For the preaching of the Gospel of peace to all.

Glory to you, our God, Glory to you!

The wisdom of God
Who rules the ungovernable waters of the heavens,
Who tames the deeps and restrains the seas,
Now pours water into a basin,
And the master washes the feet of his servants.

The master shows the disciples an example of humility;
He who wraps the vault of heaven in clouds
Girds himself with a towel;
He who holds in his hands the breath of all that exists
Kneels down to wash the feet of his servants.


Canticle six

Irmos: The final abyss of sins has encompassed me.
Unable to bear its waves, like Jonah I cry to you:
Lead me from corruption, O master!

Glory to you, our God, Glory to you!

You call me Lord and teacher, disciples,
For so I am.
Therefore imitate the example which you have seen in me.

He who has no filth does not need to wash,
Except for his feet.
And you are clean, disciples,
But not all of you.
For a mad impulse rages within one of you.


Ikos
Let us all approach the mystical table in fear and receive the bread with pure souls; and let us stay with the master so that we may see how he washes his disciples' feet and wipes them with a towel. Let us do as we have seen him do, submitting to one another and washing one another's feet, for Christ himself thus commanded his disciples.

Canticle seven:

Irmos: The youths in Babylon
Were not afraid of the flaming furnace.
When cast into the midst of the flames,
They were washed in dew and sang:
Blessed are you, Lord God of our Fathers!

Glory to you, our God, Glory to you!

Nodding his head in agreement,
Judas deliberately stirs up evil,
Seeking an opportunity to hand over to condemnation the judge
Who is Lord of all and God of our Fathers.

Christ cried out to his friends,
One of you will betray me.
They forgot their gladness and were seized by anxiety and grief saying:
Tell us who it is, O God of our Fathers.

He that boldly dips his hand in the same dish with me.
It would be better for that man if he had never passed through the gate of life.
Thus the God of our Fathers
Disclosed the one who would betray him.

Canticle eight:

Irmos: The blessed youths in Babylon
Braved dangers for their Fathers' laws.
They ignored the ignorant command of the king.
United by a fire which did not consume them,
They sang a hymn worthy of the almighty:
Praise the Lord, all works of the Lord!
Exalt him throughout all ages!

Glory to you, our God, Glory to you!

The blessed apostles,
Those guests faithfully present with the word in Zion,
Followed the shepherd like sheep;
And united by Christ, from whom they were not parted,
They fed upon the divine word,
Crying out in thanksgiving:
Praise the Lord, all works of the Lord!
Exalt him throughout all ages!

Iscariot, that man of ill-omened name,
Forced from his mind the law of love,
And moved to betrayal the feet which you had washed, O Christ.
He that ate your bread, even your divine body,
Lifted up his heel against you,
And knew not how to cry:
Praise the Lord, all works of the Lord!
Exalt him throughout all ages!

Let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Lord, Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Without conscience Judas accepted the body that cleanses from sin
And the blood that was shed for the world.
But he was not ashamed of drinking what he had sold for a price.
He was not offended at evil, and knew not how to cry:
Praise the Lord, all works of the Lord!
Exalt him throughout all ages!

Canticle nine

Irmos: 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!

Glory to you, our God, Glory to you!

Go, says the Word to his disciples,
And in the upper chamber
Prepare the Passover which confirms the mind
Of those whom I initiate with the unleavened word of truth;
And magnify the strength of grace.

Before the ages the Father begot me,
His creative wisdom.
He made me the beginning of his ways for his works,
Which now have been mystically perfected.
For being by nature the uncreated Word,
I make my own the words
Of that nature which I have now assumed.

Just as I am man in essence
And not in imagination,
So also the nature which has been united to me is God
By reason of communion.
Therefore know me, the one Christ,
Who am saving those things
From which and in which I was brought forth.


The Praises

Tone 2

The assembly of the Jews gathers together
To deliver to Pilate the maker and creator of all.
What lawlessness! What faithlessness!
The judge of the living and the dead, they prepare for judgment.
The healer of suffering, they prepare for sufferings.
How great is your mercy!
Long-suffering Lord, Glory to you!

The transgressor Judas, Lord,
Dipped his hand in the plate with you at supper.
But now he unlawfully stretches forth his hand for silver.
He calculated the price of the woman's myrrh,
Yet he does not shudder in selling you, the priceless one.
He let the master wash his feet,
Yet he deceitfully kisses him in betrayal to lawless men.
Cast out from the ranks of the apostles,
He casts away the thirty pieces of silver,
Not seeing the resurrection of the third day.
By it, have mercy on us!

Judas, the treacherous deceiver,
With a deceitful kiss betrayed the Lord and savior.
He sold the master as a slave to lawless men.
And the lamb of God, the Son of the Father,
The only greatly merciful one,
Was led as a sheep to the slaughter.

Servant and deceiver,
Disciple and betrayer, friend and devil,
Judas has been revealed by his deeds.
While following the master, he plotted his betrayal.
He said to himself: I shall betray him and gain the purse.
He sought to have the myrrh sold
And by deceit to have Jesus seized.
He gave the kiss and gave up the Christ.
But like a sheep led to the slaughter,
So went the only compassionate lover of mankind.

Glory... Now and ever...

The lamb whom Isaiah proclaimed
Goes willingly to the slaughter.
He gives his back to scourging, his cheeks to buffeting.
He does not turn his face from the shame of spitting.
He is condemned to a shameful death.
He who is sinless willingly submits to all,
To grant to all the resurrection from the dead.

Apostikha
Tone 8

Today the evil assembly gathers against the Christ
And devises false charges against him,
To deliver the innocent one over to Pilate to die.
Today Judas sets up for himself the gallows of wealth,
Abandoning both earthly and heavenly life.
Today Caiaphas prophesies unwittingly, saying:
It is expedient that one man should die for the people.
For truly Christ came to suffer for our sins,
To free us from bondage to the enemy,
For he is good and loves mankind.

Verse: He who ate of my bread has lifted his heel against me.

Today Judas abandons all pretense of love for the poor.
Not caring for them, he assumes the very shape of greed.
Instead of selling the sinful woman's myrrh,
He sells the anointed one of God and steals the proceeds.
He runs to the lawless Jews and asks:
What will you give me if I betray him to you?
Cursed be the traitor's love of silver!
He lowers the price and bargains like a trader.
He sells Jesus like a runaway slave, not asking much.
For thieves never regard the value of precious things;
Now the disciple casts holy things to the dogs.
Maddened with avarice, he howls against the master.
Let us flee from his example and cry:

Long-suffering Lord, Glory to you!

Verse: When he goes out, he tells it abroad.

Your life, lawless Judas, is filled with deceit.
Sick with avarice, you gained the contempt of all men.
If you desired wealth, why did you follow him who taught poverty?
If you loved the priceless one, why did you sell him?
Why did you hand him over to be murdered?
Shudder, sun! Earth, lament and cry with fear:

Long-suffering Lord, Glory to you!

Verse: He utters lawless words against me.

Let no one be ignorant of the Lord's supper, believers.
Let no one approach the banquet with deceit like Judas,
For he received a morsel, yet abandoned the bread of life.
He looked like a disciple, but in fact he was a murderer.
He lived with the apostles, but he rejoiced with the Jews.
With hatred he kissed, and with a kiss he sold God,
Who had redeemed us from the curse, the savior of our souls.

Glory...

Your life, lawless Judas...

Now and ever...

Tone 5

Instructing your disciples in the mystery, Lord,
You said to them:
My beloved, see that no fear separates you from me.
Though I suffer, it is for the sake of the world.
Let me not be a cause of scandal to you.
I came, not to be served, but to serve,
To give myself for the redemption of the world.
If you are my friends, then imitate me.
Let the first among you be the last.
Let the master be like the servant.
Abide in me and bear fruit, for I am the vine of life.

Triodion

Great and Holy Thursday
The Bridegroom

Kontakion
Tone 2

With his hands the betrayer receives the bread;
With his hands he secretly receives the silver,
The price of him who fashioned man with his hands;
So the servant and deceiver Judas remains depraved.

Triodion

Great and Holy Thursday

Bridegroom Vespers


Lord I call...


Tone 2

The assembly of the Jews gathers together
To deliver to Pilate the maker and creator of all.
What lawlessness! What faithlessness!
The judge of the living and the dead, they prepare for judgment.
The healer of suffering, they prepare for sufferings.
How great is your mercy!
Long-suffering Lord, Glory to you! (twice)

The transgressor Judas, Lord,
Dipped his hand in the plate with you at supper.
But now he unlawfully stretches forth his hand for silver.
He calculated the price of the woman's myrrh,
Yet he does not shudder in selling you, the priceless one.
He let the master wash his feet,
Yet he deceitfully kisses him in betrayal to lawless men.
Cast out from the ranks of the apostles,
He casts away the thirty pieces of silver,
Not seeing the resurrection of the third day.
By it, have mercy on us! (twice)

Judas, the treacherous deceiver,
With a deceitful kiss betrayed the Lord and savior.
He sold the master as a slave to lawless men.
And the lamb of God, the Son of the Father,
The only greatly merciful one,
Was led as a sheep to the slaughter. (twice)

Servant and deceiver,
Disciple and betrayer, friend and devil,
Judas has been revealed by his deeds.
While following the master, he plotted his betrayal.
He said to himself: I shall betray him and gain the purse.
He sought to have the myrrh sold
And by deceit to have Jesus seized.
He gave the kiss and gave up the Christ.
But like a sheep led to the slaughter,
So went the only compassionate lover of mankind. (twice)

The lamb whom Isaiah proclaimed
Goes willingly to the slaughter.
He gives his back to scourging, his cheeks to buffeting.
He does not turn his face from the shame of spitting.
He is condemned to a shameful death.
He who is sinless willingly submits to all,
To grant to all the resurrection from the dead. (twice)

Holy Thursday Lord I call (continued) page two

Glory... Now and ever...


Tone 6

Today Judas is descended from those vipers
Who ate manna in the wilderness
Yet murmured against him who nourished them.
For while the food was still in their mouths,
Those ungrateful men reviled God.
So too this Godless man,
While still bearing in his mouth the heavenly bread,
Contrived the betrayal of the savior.
What greedy purpose!
What inhuman insolence!
He sells him who nourished him.
He delivers to death the master whom he loved.
Truly this lawless man is their son.
With them will he inherit perdition.
Spare our souls of such inhumanity,
Only Lord of boundless mercy.



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