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May 3, 2013
A dread and marvelous mystery today is coming to pass.
He Whom none may touch is seized;
He Who looses Adam from the curse is bound.
He Who tries the hearts and inner thoughts of man is unjustly brought to trial;
He Who closed the abyss is shut in prison.
He before Whom the powers of Heaven stand with trembling stands before Pilate;
The Creator is struck by the hand of His creature.
He Who comes to judge the living and the dead is condemned to the Cross;
The Destroyer of Hades is enclosed in a tomb.
O thou who dost endure all these things in thy tender love,
Who hast saved all men from the curse,
O long suffering Lord, glory to thee.
--from the Apokathelosis ("the unnailing") service of Holy and Great Friday afternoon.
What you're hearing:
The Lamentations, excerpts from the first, second,
and third stanzas, in Greek, chanted by Photios Ketsetzis.
Chanted on the night of Holy and Great Friday.
(from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America's website)
English translation of the excerpts:
The First Stanza:
1. O Christ, the Life, You were laid in the tomb, and ranks of angels were amazed, glorifying Your condescension.
2. O Life, how can You die? How can You dwell in the tomb? You break apart the kingdom of Death, and raise up the dead in Hades.
The Second Stanza:
1. It is fitting to magnify You, the Giver of Life, Who extended Your Hands upon the Cross, and shattered the power of the enemy.
2. It is fitting to magnify You, the Creator of all; for by Your sufferings, we are delivered from suffering the corruption.
The Third Stanza:
1 All generations offer a hymn to Your Burial, O my Christ.
2. Taking You down from the Wood, Joseph of Arimathea buries You in a tomb.
27. The myrrh-bearing Women came very early in the morning and sprinkled the tomb with myrrh. (repeat 3 times)
If you can't hear the hymn, click the badge to download and install QuickTime Player from Apple.
The Great and Royal Hours, 10:00 AM
The readings:
The
First Hour:
Prophetic reading: Zechariah
11:10-13
Epistle reading: Galatians 6:14-18
Gospel reading: Matthew
27:1-56
The Third Hour:
Prophetic reading: Isaiah 50:4-11
Epistle reading: Romans
5:6-10
Gospel reading: Mark
15:6-41
The Sixth Hour:
Prophetic reading: Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12,
and 54:1
Epistle reading: Hebrews
2:11-18
Gospel
reading: Luke
23:32-49
The
Ninth Hour:
Prophetic reading: Jeremiah
11:18-23, 12:1-5, 9-11,
and 14-15
Epistle reading: Hebrews
10:19-31
Gospel
reading: John
18:28-19:37
The
Apokathelosis (The
unnailing and removal from the Cross),
3:00 PM
The readings:
Prophetic readings: Exodus
33:11-23, Job
42:12-17, Isaiah
52:13-15, 53:1-12,
and 54:1
Epistle reading: I
Corinthians 1:18-31 and 2:1-2
Gospel readings: Matthew
27:1-38, Luke
23:39-43, Matthew
27:39-54, John
19:31-37, Matthew
27:55-61
The Lamentations,
7:00 PM
The readings:
Prophetic reading: Ezekiel
37:1-14
Epistle reading: I
Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians
3:13-14
Gospel reading: Matthew
27:62-66
Observance of the strict fast continues.
