Twelve Gospels. Nikiforov-Volgin. Maundy Thursday - from the first Eucharist and the Passion Gospels to prejudice

To suffering and death.

Vespers is served on Maundy Thursday morning in conjunction with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Instead of the Cherubic Hymn, "Thy Secret Supper is this day" is sung three times. On this day, all Orthodox Christians are trying, having properly prepared, to begin to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Great Heel Matins is usually performed on Thursday evening. The main content of Great Heel Matins is reading 12 gospels- selected chapters from the gospel of all four evangelists. These Gospels describe in detail the last hours of the Savior's earthly life, beginning with Him after the Last Supper and ending with Him.

When reading the Gospel, the clergy and the people stand with lighted candles, thereby expressing their fiery love for the Divine Sufferer and becoming like the wise virgins who came with lamps to meet the Bridegroom. After each of the first five Gospels, touching antiphons are laid, which complement the gospel reading, revealing the deep spiritual meaning of the remembered event.

And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and giving it to the disciples, he said:take, eat: this is my body.

And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said:drink from it all, for this is My Blood of the New Testament,poured out for many for the remission of sins.

Matt. 26, 26-28

On the day of unleavened bread, when, according to the Old Testament law, the Passover lamb was to be slaughtered and eaten, and when the hour comes, let the Savior pass from this world to the Father (John 13:1), Jesus Christ, who came to fulfill the law, sent His disciples - Peter and John to Jerusalem to prepare Pascha, which, like a lawful canopy, He wanted to replace with a new Pascha - with His own body and blood. When evening came, the Lord came with His twelve disciples to a large, lined, ready upper room of a Jerusalemite (Mark 14:12-17) and lay down. Inspiring that in the Kingdom of God, which is not of this world, not earthly greatness and glory, but love, humility and purity of spirit distinguish the true members, the Lord, having risen from supper, washed the feet of his disciples. After washing his feet and lying down again, the Lord said to the disciples: Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you speak correctly, for I am exactly that. So, if I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, then you must also wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

After washing his feet, Jesus Christ celebrated Pascha, first according to the law of Moses, then he established a new Pascha - the great sacrament of the most holy Eucharist. The establishment of the sacrament of Holy Communion is the second event that the Orthodox Church commemorates on Great Thursday.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion, established by the Lord before His suffering and death, according to the commandment of Jesus Christ: Do this in remembrance of Me, from the first times to the present, it has been continuously performed on the numerous thrones of the Universal Church.

At the supper, the Lord definitely predicted to the disciples that one of them would betray Him, and this is precisely the one to whom the Lord would give a piece of bread, dipped in salt, and dipped, gave it to Judas Iscariot. Satan entered into him by the bread; and the traitor immediately departed from Christ and His Church. It was already night (John 13:1-30). Having stopped the dispute of the Apostles about the primacy, which between them should not consist in domination and possession, but which of you is greater, be like the least, and the one in charge - like the employee, and predicting to the Apostles a common temptation, and to Peter a threefold denial of Christ and His appearance to them after resurrection in Galilee, the Lord entered with them into the garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:24-28; Matt. 26:30-35). Here began His suffering: first of the soul, and then of the body. Initiating His sufferings, the Lord said to the disciples: sit here while I go and pray there, and taking with Him Peter, James and John, who were witnesses of His glory during the Transfiguration, he began to grieve and yearn. My soul mourns mortally; stay here and watch with me, the God-man said to his disciples. Departing from them at a stone's throw, He bowed His head and knees, and prayed to the bloody sweat, like a man, feeling the cup of suffering, and completely surrendering to the will of the Father. An angel from heaven appeared to Jesus Christ and strengthened Him. During His prayer, the Lord approached His Disciples three times and said to them: watch and pray so as not to fall into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. But the disciples could not prayerfully watch with the Lord, for their eyes were heavy.

The Gethsemane prayer of Jesus Christ instructs us that in the midst of temptations and sorrows, prayer gives us high and holy consolation and strengthens our readiness to meet and endure suffering and death. The power of prayer, comforting and strengthening, the Lord instructively showed both by His example before His sufferings and death, and at the same time by suggestions to the grieving Apostles: watch and pray, so as not to fall into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Around midnight, a traitor comes into the garden with a multitude of armed people sent from the chief priests and elders. The Lord Himself goes to meet them and with the words: It is I, with which He made them aware of Himself, casts them to the ground and then humbly allows the traitor to kiss and take Himself to suffering and death (Mt. 26, 36-56; Mk. 14 , 32-46; Luke 12, 38-53). So the Lord, who manifested the continuation of His earthly life, Divine omnipotence and power over the law of nature, in a word: It is I who cast down a traitor with the people to earth, who had legions of Angels in My power, but who came to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, voluntarily and humbly betrays Himself into the hands of sinners!

By tradition, all believers partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ on this day.

Archpriest G.S. Debolsky,

"Days of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church", v.2

Chants from the Thursday Service of Holy Week of Great Lent

Thy secret supper this day, Son of God, take part in me; we will not tell the secret to your enemy, nor kiss you like Judas, but like a thief I confess you: remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

"Son of God! make me now a participant in Your last supper (worthy to take communion), because I will not tell secrets to Your enemies, I will not give You such a kiss as Judas (I will not betray You with a bad life), but, like a robber, I confess You: remember me, Lord in your kingdom."

Instead of the Cherubic Hymn

Whenever the glorious disciple at the ablution of the supper is enlightened, then Judas, the wicked with the love of money, having become darkened, and betrays the righteous Judge to the lawless judges. Look, the estate of the zealot, for the sake of this strangulation used! Flee the unsatiated soul, the Teacher is so daring: Who is good about all, Lord, glory to Thee.

“When the meritorious disciples were enlightened while washing their feet during the supper, then the wicked Judas, embraced by the affliction of the love of money, became darkened, and betrays You, the righteous Judge, to the lawless judges. Look, who cares about riches, at the one who strangled himself because of them! Avoid such fury of the soul that dared to go against its Teacher! Good Lord to all, glory to Thee!”

Troparion

Gospel of Matthew

When evening came, He lay down with the twelve disciples; and as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad, and began to say to Him, each of them: Is it not I, Lord? He answered and said, He who dips his hand with me into the dish, this one will betray me; However, the Son of Man goes as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for this man not to have been born. At the same time, Judas, betraying him, said: Is it not I, Rabbi? Jesus says to him: You said.

And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and having blessed it, broke it, and giving it to the disciples, said, Take, eat: this is my body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: Drink everything from it, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. I tell you that from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father.

And having sung, they went up to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, You will all be offended because of Me this night, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered; after my resurrection I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered Him, “If everyone is offended about You, I will never be offended. Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. Peter says to him, Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you. All the students said the same.

Then Jesus comes to a place called Gethsemane and says to the disciples: Sit here while I go and pray there. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grieve and yearn. Then Jesus said to them: My soul is grieving to death; stay here and watch with me. And going a little way, he fell on his face, prayed and said: My Father! if it is possible, let this cup pass from me: however, not as I will, but as you.

Matt. 26, 21-3

Interpretation of the holy evangelist Matthew

As many now say: I would like to see the face of Christ, the image, the clothes! Now, you see Him, touch Him, taste Him. You want to see His clothes, but He gives Himself to you and not only to see, but also to touch, and taste, and take in. So, no one should approach with disdain, no one with cowardice, but all with fiery love, all with a warm heart and cheerfulness. If the Jews ate the lamb with haste, standing up and having boots on their feet and wands in their hands, then much more should you watch. They were preparing to go to Palestine, but you are preparing to go to heaven. Therefore, one must always be awake - no small punishment awaits those who partake unworthily. Think how indignant you are with the traitor and with those who crucified Christ. So beware lest you also become guilty of the body and blood of Christ. They slew the all-holy body; and you receive it with an unclean soul after such great blessings. In fact, He was not content with simply becoming a man, being beheaded and put to death; but He still communicates Himself to us, and not only by faith, but by deed itself makes us His body. How pure must he be who delights in bloodless sacrifice? How much purer than the rays of the sun should be - a hand that crushes the flesh of Christ, a mouth filled with spiritual fire, a tongue stained with terrible blood! Think what an honor you have been awarded, what a meal you are enjoying! At the sight of what the angels tremble, and at what they do not dare to look without fear, because of the radiance emanating from here, we feed on that, with that we communicate and become one body and one flesh with Christ. What shepherd feeds the sheep with his own members? But what am I saying - a shepherd? Often there are mothers who give newborn babies to other wet nurses. But Christ did not tolerate this, but Himself nourishes us with His own blood, and through this unites us with Himself. Consider, then, that He was born of your nature. But you will say: this does not apply to everyone. On the contrary, to everyone. If He came to our nature, then it is obvious that He came to all; and if to all, then to each individually. Why, you say, did not everyone benefit from this? It does not depend on Him who was pleased to do this for everyone, but on those who were not willing. He unites with every believer through the mysteries, and he himself nourishes those whom he has begotten, and does not entrust to anyone else; and by this again he assures you that He has taken on your flesh. So, having been rewarded with such love and honor, let us not indulge in carelessness. Don't you see with what readiness babies take their nipples, with what eagerness they press their lips to them? With the same disposition, we should also approach this meal and the nipple of the spiritual cup—or, to put it better, with a greater desire, we should attract to ourselves, like infants, the grace of the Spirit; and we should have only one sorrow - that we do not partake of this food. The actions of this sacrament are not performed by human power. He who did them then, at that supper, still does them now. We take the place of ministers, and Christ Himself sanctifies and transforms the gifts. May there not be a single Judas here, not a single money-lover. If anyone is not a disciple of Christ, let him depart; the meal does not admit those who are not. This is the same meal that Christ offered, and nothing less than that. It cannot be said that Christ does the one and man does that; both are performed by Christ himself. This place is the same upper room where He was with the disciples; From there they went out to the Mount of Olives. Let us also go out to where the hands of the poor are stretched out; this very place is the Mount of Olives; but the multitude of the poor are the olive trees planted in the house of God, yielding oil, which will be useful to us there, which the five virgins had, and which they did not take, the other five perished. Taking this oil, let's go in so that we can go out with burning lamps to meet the Bridegroom. Taking this oil, let's get out of here. Not a single inhuman, not a single cruel and unmerciful one, in a word, not a single impure one, should come here.

On Maundy Thursday in the evening, or rather, on the night of Good Friday, a special service is performed according to the order of matins with the reading of the 12 Gospels about the Passion of the Lord, alternating with the corresponding hymns. The 12 Gospels to be read set forth the entire history of the Lord's suffering, from the farewell conversation with the disciples at the Last Supper to the removal from the Cross and the burial of the Body of the Lord by Joseph and Nicodemus in the presence of the myrrh-bearing women. Let us consider in more detail the content of this service, which takes us to Golgotha.

Jerusalem. Calvary

Matins begins in the usual way. After the Six Psalms and the Great Litany, "Alleluia" is sung with sweet singing and the troparion "Whenever the disciples are glorious", as on the eve of Great Wednesday. The temple is filled with candles in the hands. At the end of the troparion and a small litany, according to the Gospel of John, the farewell conversation of the Lord with His disciples is read in full: “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him ...” Despite the duration of the conversation, she listens with unflagging attention and tenderness every time as something new. The author of these lines has the happiness and great joy during his 40-year priesthood to read this conversation of the Savior 37 times, and each time with the same tenderness and consolation. A detailed account of the Lord's farewell discourse was made by us elsewhere in our manuscript, and we will not repeat it. Between the first six Gospels, 15 hymns called antiphons are sung, with three antiphons between the Gospels. After every three antiphons, a small litany is pronounced and a sedalion is sung. The first antiphon begins with the words: "The princes of the people gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ." “You put the word of the law upon Me, Lord, Lord, do not leave Me.” “Let us present our feelings pure to Christ,” is sung in the first antiphon, “and, as friends, let us sacrifice our souls to Him. Let us not, like Judas, be crushed by worldly cares, but from the depths of our hearts let us pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, deliver us from the evil one!

“Judas hastens to the lawless scribes. – What will you give me and I will betray Him to you? In the midst of those conferring, invisibly stood the One about Whom they conferred: Knower of the hearts, Lord, have mercy on our souls!

“Let us serve God with love, like Mary at the supper, and let us not be greedy like Judas: may we always be with Christ our God!”

“After the resurrection of Lazarus, the Jewish children exclaimed: Hosanna to you! But the lawless Judas did not want to understand this.”

“At the Last Supper You foretold to Your disciples: one of you will betray Me. But lawless Judas did not want to understand this!”

“When asked by John, who will betray you? “You pointed out a traitor with bread, but the lawless Judas did not want to understand this!”

“Washing the feet of the disciples, You commanded them, Lord: and you do what you see. But lawless Judas did not want to understand this!”

“Watch and pray so as not to fall into temptation,” You told Your disciples, but lawless Judas did not want to understand this!

The Second Gospel is also read from John: about the taking of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, about His interrogation by the high priest Anna, and about Peter's threefold denial. The opposite psychology of the two apostles is involuntarily contrasted - the gloomy Judas, frozen in his motionless despair, and the penitent, weeping, soft and pure-hearted Peter! Touching hymns are sung on further antiphons: “Today Judas leaves the Teacher and accepts the devil, is blinded by the love of money, falls away from the light; and how can he see, having sold the Source of Light for thirty pieces of silver? But, who suffered for the world, shine upon us, crying out to You: who suffered and sympathized with people, glory to You!

“Today the Creator of heaven and earth said to His disciples: The hour is at hand, Judas is coming to betray me. Let no one deny Me, seeing Me on the Cross between two thieves: I suffer as a man, and as a Lover of mankind I will save those who believe in Me!”

“Today, the Jews are nailing to the Cross the Lord, who cut the sea with a rod and led them into the desert. Today they pierce His side with a spear, Who covered Egypt with ulcers for their sake. And they gave bile to drink the manna that waited for them to eat.”

“Walking on a free Passion, You said to the disciples: if you could not watch with Me even for one hour, then how do you promise to die for Me? Look at Judas, how he does not sleep, trying to betray Me to the lawless. Stand up, pray, let none of you refuse Me when you see Me on the Cross.”

At the next saddle, the Church sings: “What reason has made you, Judas, a traitor? Have you been excommunicated from the apostolic countenance? Or were you deprived of the gift of healing? Or with others, sharing food, you were removed from the meal? Or, washing the feet of others, you were bypassed? How many blessings are you forgetting! In all this, your ungrateful disposition and the infinite long-suffering of the Lord are revealed!”

The Third Gospel is read from Matthew - about the judgment of the Lord at Caiaphas, about the testimony of false witnesses: about the direct question of the high priest: “I conjure you by the living God, tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of God?” And about the affirmative answer of the Lord; about the indignation of the high priest, and about the unanimous decision of the Sanhedrin to put Christ to death for blasphemy. mockery of Christ. Renunciation of Peter.

After the third gospel, antiphons 7, 8 and 9 are sung.

Then the fourth gospel is read - from John: Christ is led from Caiaphas to Pilate, but they enter Pretoria so as not to be defiled in view of the upcoming Easter. Pilate went out to them. Interrogation of Christ by Pilate. Pilate does not find any fault in Him and wants to let Him go according to custom for the sake of the Easter holiday. The Jews demand not to release Christ, but Barabbas. Pilate subjects Christ to scourging and abuse. In desecrated form, he leads Him to the Jews. But they even more fiercely demand the death of Christ. After some resistance, Pilate "delivered him to them, that he might be crucified."

Antiphons 10, 11 and 12 are sung, corresponding in their content to the read Gospel.

“He who dresses with Light as with a garment, stands naked in judgment and receives blows on the cheek from the hands He created. On the Cross they nail the Lord of Glory. The veil of the church is torn, the sun is dimming, not enduring outrage at God, before Whom everything trembles - let us worship Him!

“For the good that You did to the Jewish race, they condemned You to crucifixion, gave You bile and vinegar to drink. But reward them, Lord, according to their deeds, because they did not understand Your condescension.

“Neither the shaking earth, nor the broken stones, nor the curtain of the church, nor the resurrection of the dead convinced the Jews. Repay them, O Lord, according to their deeds for the evil they have done."

“Thus says the Lord to the Jews: My people! What have I done to you? Or what offended you? Healed your blind, cleansed your lepers, raised up the weak... My people, what have I done to you? And what did you give Me? For manna - bile; for water - otset; instead of loving Me, they nailed Me to the Cross!.. I can’t stand it any longer – I will call on My pagans, and they will glorify Me with the Father and the Spirit, and I will give them eternal life.”

After the saddle, the Fifth Gospel of Matthew is read - about the suicide of Judas and about the further trial by Pilate. The intervention of Pilate's wife. Pilate washes his hands. “His blood is on us and on our children!” Departure to the place of execution. After the Gospel, the last antiphons 13, 14 and 15 are sung. “Christ, the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, before Whom everything is terrified and trembling, and Whom every people sings, the priests strike on the cheek and bile is given to Him. And He is ready to endure everything in order to save us from our iniquities with His own blood.”

“Lord, You have chosen as Your companion a robber who defiled his hands with blood: receive us also according to Your love for mankind!”

“The robber on the Cross said few words, but he acquired great faith, in an instant he was saved, and the first, having opened the gates of paradise, entered them: Glory to Thee, who accepted His repentance!”

“Today hangs on a tree, hanging the earth on the waters. The King of Angels is crowned with a crown of thorns, he is clothed with a false scarlet, covering the sky with clouds. Accepts the temptation that freed Adam in the Jordan. The bridegroom is nailed with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a copy. We worship Your Passion, Christ! (3 times). Show us your glorious Resurrection!” After a small litany, a sedal is sung: “You redeemed us from the oath of the law with Your most pure Blood, nailed to the Cross and pierced by a spear, and gave people immortality! Glory to Thee, our Savior!”

Then the Sixth E in the Gospel of Mark is read. Describes the mockery of the soldiers over Christ in the courtyard of Pilate and the procession to Golgotha. Along the way, the Cross is laid on the oncoming villager Simon of Cyrene. On Golgotha, the garments of the Lord are divided among the soldiers by lot. They give Him to drink wine "esmirnismeno" - mixed with myrrh. "He's not nice." Two thieves are crucified on both sides of Him and an inscription of His guilt is placed over Him: "King and Jews". Passers-by and priests mock Him: “He saved others, can’t he save himself?” “Come down from the Cross, and we will believe You!”

The singing of the antiphons has ended. The beatitudes are sung with stichera. After a small litany, instead of a luminary, a prokeimenon is sung: “You will divide My garments for yourself and about My clothing, metasha lots.” - "God! My God! get out mi! Thou hast left Me!” The feeling of being abandoned by God as a result of taking upon Himself the entire burden of original sin weighed heavily on the soul of the Crucified.

The Seventh Evangelion of Matthew is read. It speaks of the arrival of the soldiers with Christ on Golgotha ​​and everything else, as in the previous account of Ev. Mark. From the 6th hour until the 9th, darkness covers the earth. At the 9th hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice: "Either, Or, lima savahthani." These words were not clear to everyone. One of the soldiers, having soaked a sponge in vinegar, brought it on a cane to the lips of Jesus. With another loud cry, Jesus expires. The veil of the church is torn, the earth is shaking, the stones are falling apart. The tombs are opened - many dead are resurrected and appear to many in the city. The centurion and others with him, seeing what is happening, say: “Truly, this Man was the Son of God!” The 50th psalm is read, giving some respite to the heavy Calvary experiences. After the psalm, the Gospel is read again - the eighth, from Luke, again about the crucifixion. Jesus prays, “Father, let them go! They don't know what they're doing!" Again mockery from the people, warriors and chiefs. One of the robbers also takes part in them, but the other robber holds him back and prays to Jesus, who promises him paradise with Himself. Meanwhile, darkness covers the earth - from the sixth hour to the ninth. At the ninth hour, Jesus loudly exclaimed, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." And died. Seeing what was happening, the centurion, who stood at the Cross, said: "Truly, this man was a righteous man." And all the people who had gathered for the spectacle, seeing what was happening, went home, beating their chests. All who knew Him, including the women who accompanied Him from Galilee, stood and watched from afar.

After the Eighth Gospel, the singing of the Three Songs begins (i.e., a canon with a reduced number of songs - instead of nine, only three), composed by Cosmas of Maium: fallen, Lover of mankind." “Having washed your feet and having been cleansed by the communion of Your Divine Mystery, Your servants, O Christ, ascend with Thee from Zion to the great Mount of Olives.” “Look, friends, you said to them, do not be afraid: the hour has come for me to be taken and killed by the hands of the lawless. You will all be scattered and leave Me, but I will gather you together so that you can preach about My love for mankind.”

Kondak: “Come, let us glorify the Crucified for us! Seeing Him on the Cross, Mary said: although You endure crucifixion, You are both the Son and My God!”

And to s: “Seeing His Lamb drawn to the slaughter, Mary, having loosened her hair, followed Him with other women, exclaiming: where are you going, Child? Why the haste? Does the second marriage take place in Cana of Galilee? And You hasten there to turn the water into wine? Shall I also go with you? Or wait for you? Say a word to Me, do not silently pass by Me, whom You have kept pure: for You are both the Son and My God!

Song 8: “The pillar of malice of the God-opposing divine youths is exposed: the vain council of the staggering lawless council advises Christ, the belly of the one holding the hand is taught to kill: with it all creation will bless, glorify forever.”

“Drive away sleep from your eyes,” Christ said to the disciples, “do not weaken in prayer, so as not to fall into temptation, and especially you, Simone! Stronger more temptation! Understand, Peter, Me, Whom all creation blesses and glorifies forever!”

“I will never say a single bad word to You, Vladyka! I will die with you, even if everyone turns away from you,” exclaimed Peter. “Not flesh and blood, but Your Father has revealed You to me, Whom all creation blesses and glorifies forever.”

“You have not fully experienced the depth of divine wisdom and reason, and you have not comprehended the abyss of My destinies, man,” said the Lord. “Being flesh, do not boast: you will deny me three times, whom all creation blesses and glorifies for all eternity.”

Song 9: “The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the Mother of God, we magnify Thee.”

After the three hymns, the famous luminary is sung, especially revealing the art and feelings of our church singers and especially touching the prayers: “Thou hast vouchsafed the wise thief in one hour of paradise, O Lord: and enlighten me with the wood of the cross and save me!” Listening to the three hymns and luminaries, we enter into a special depth of feelings and experiences that are evoked in us by the Divine Liturgy of Passion Week.

Each moment of these experiences resonates deeply in our hearts, but does not give rise in us to a feeling of horror and fear of the coming wrath of God, nor a feeling of expectation of a terrible, merciless execution. On the contrary, our heart, overflowing with deep compassion and love, remains filled with deep peace and joy, plunging into the immense abyss of Divine love and indulgence for the human race!

After the lamp, the Ninth Eve in the angel is read (from John). At the Cross of the Lord stood His Mother, and Mary Kleopova, and Mary Magdalene, and the beloved disciple John. The Lord entrusts His Mother to John, and John adopts His Mother. And from that day John took the Mother of his Lord into his house. Jesus Christ was thirsty. One of the soldiers dipped a sponge in vinegar and stuck it on a cane and quenched His thirst. Having said: “It is finished,” the Lord gave up his spirit.

Since it was Friday and Saturday was coming, which coincided with Easter that year, the Jews, not wanting to leave their bodies on the crosses on such a day, asked Pilate for permission to kill the crucified legs and remove their bodies from the crosses. Pilate approved. The robbers, who were still alive, had their shins broken. But Christ, who had already died, was not broken in the legs, but only one of the soldiers struck Him with a spear, and blood and water flowed from the wound. Thus the prophecies were fulfilled: "The bone will not be broken because of Him" ​​and "they will look at the One whom they pierced."

After the 9th Gospel, laudatory psalms are read and laudatory stichera are sung: “My first-born son Israel did two evil deeds: He left me, a source of living water, and dug himself a worthless well. He crucified me on a tree, and begged Barabbas and let me go! The sky was horrified by this, and the Sun hid its rays, but you, Israel, were not ashamed and put me to death: forgive them, Holy Father, for they do not know what they are doing.

Each member of Your most pure Flesh suffered a scolding for us: the head is thorns; face - spitting; lanitis - stupefaction; the mouth took bile diluted with vinegar; ears are wicked blasphemy; shoulders - scourging; hands - cane; the whole body is spread on the cross; hands and feet are nails; ribs are a copy. Who suffered for us and freed us from our passions, who came down to us in mercy and exalted us, almighty Lord, have mercy on us!”

“Seeing You crucified, the whole creation trembled; the foundations of the earth shook from the fear of Your power… The Jewish race perished, the church veil was torn in two, and the dead rose from the tombs… The centurion, seeing the miracle, was horrified; and Your Mother, weeping loudly, exclaimed: “How can I not weep and torment my heart, seeing You naked, like a criminal hanging on the Cross! Crucified, buried and risen from the dead, Lord, glory to Thee!”

After the stichera, the Tenth Gospel of Mark is read: Joseph of Arimathea dared to go in to Pilate and ask for the Body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that He had already died, and, having called the centurion, he learned from him that Christ had indeed died, and allowed Joseph to take the Body. Joseph bought a shroud, removed the Body from the Cross, wrapped it around Him with a shroud, and laid Him in a new coffin, carved from stone, in his garden. And he rolled a stone to the doors of the coffin. At the same time, Mary Magdalene and Mary Josieva (that is, the Mother of God) were present and watched where He was laid.

The Great Doxology is not sung on this day, but read. After the petitionary litany, the Eleventh Gospel is read, according to John. According to this gospel, Joseph, the secret disciple of Christ, "for the sake of the Jews," asks Pilate for the Body and soul. Pilate allows you to take. Nicodemus also came and brought fragrances with him. They took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in clothes with fragrances, as is customary among the Jews. There was a garden in that place, and in the garden there was a new coffin in which no one had yet been laid. There, for the sake of Jewish Friday, since the tomb was near, they laid Jesus.

After the Gospel, verse verses are sung: “The whole creation changes from fear, seeing You hanging on the Cross: the sun has darkened, the foundations of the earth have shaken, everything sympathizes with the Creator of everything; who endured everything for us, glory to Thee!”

“Lord, when You ascended the Cross, fear and trembling seized all creation; You forbade the earth to swallow up those who crucify You, but you commanded hell to release the prisoners, Judge of the living and the dead, who came to renew people, to give them life, not death, - Lover of mankind, glory to You!

“The reed for judgment is already wetted, Jesus is judged by the unrighteous judges and condemned to the Cross; the whole creation suffers, seeing the Lord on the Cross. But, having accepted our bodily nature and suffering for me, good Lord, glory to Thee!”

The Twelfth Gospel according to Matthew is read. “In the morning of the next day, after Friday, the priests and Pharisees gathered to Pilate and said: we remembered that this deceiver promised to rise on the third day. Order to guard the tomb until the third day, so that His disciples, coming at night, do not steal the Body and tell people that He has risen from the dead And the last deception will be worse than the first. Pilate answered: You have guards - go, guard as you know. They went and sealed the coffin and posted guards!” After the reading of the Trisagion, the troparion of the day is sung: “You redeemed us from the oath of the law by Your Most Pure Blood, nailed to the Cross and pierced by a spear, and granted immortality to people, glory to You!” This is followed by the usual end of Matins, without the first hour, which is carried over to the next morning.

The service of the 12 Gospels is of central importance in the worship of the entire Passion Week. It describes and recalls all the amazing events of Maundy Thursday, the nights of Good Friday and Good Friday.

Before us is a series of great events: the Last Supper, the washing of the feet, the establishment of the Sacrament of Communion, prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the arrest and the whole painful night of interrogations, mockery, abuse and beatings inflicted on the Lord, Peter's denial, the Lord's condemnation to death, the confirmation of the sentence Pilate, the procession to Golgotha, the crucifixion and death of the Lord, the burial of His Body in the garden of Joseph of Arimathea, the sealing of the grave and guarding it. The liturgical chants almost do not touch on the dogmatic meaning of Golgotha, do not give its dogmatic interpretation, but it is clearly felt by a believing and loving heart. There is no question of the wrath of God, no fear of the punishing hand of God. One feels only the sacrifice of boundless love for humanity, and, moreover, the love not only of the Suffering Son of God, but also of God the Father who sent God the Father to this suffering. “God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). This is what Evnagelio says, and this is what the Divine Liturgy of Holy Week says even in its most mournful and shocking moments. Such is the Orthodox perception of Golgotha.

"My soul, my soul, wake up!" Open your eyes and rise from the bed of hell; dare to serve God alive and true, as you have served as an idol of passions until now; and everything else is already ready for your salvation. The Gospel is ready to admonish you in all situations of life; the precious garment of the merits of Christ is ready to cover your spiritual nakedness; the Body and Blood of the Son of God is ready to saturate your gladness; oil and balm are ready to heal your wounds; the almighty grace of the Holy Spirit is ready to strengthen your weak forces; Gogov is the very crown to crown your small deeds. “Rise up, then, may Christ God have mercy on you.” You hear how He speaks with the voice of the Gospel from His most heavenly supper: “And there is still a place” (Luke 15:22). This is the place for you and me, my soul! Let us hasten to become worthy of it, before midnight comes, the doors of the chamber are closed, the oil in the lamp of our life is not extinguished! Amen.

Innocent, apxiep. Kherson

According to Orthodox liturgical books, the service of the 12 Gospels, performed on the evening of Maundy Thursday, that is, on the eve of Good Friday, is called in a very special way: "Following the holy and saving passions of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is noteworthy that the liturgical books do not call this service "Mains", although its modern order is based on the rite of Matins. This is no coincidence - the service of the 12 Gospels is the only Matins of the year that is not celebrated at its usual time (the usual time for Matins, according to the charter, is the pre-dawn part of the night). The service of the 12 Gospels should begin in the evening; The Typikon accepted in the Russian Church determines the time of its beginning as "2 o'clock in the morning", that is, approximately 20.00. Such an unusual - from the point of view of the charter (and not the common practice of serving matins from the evening) - the time of the beginning of the service is determined by the fact that the service of the 12 Gospels is in fact not a matins, but a vigil. It goes back to the practice of the Jerusalem Church of the 4th and subsequent centuries to spend the night from Maundy Thursday to Friday in a vigil consisting of prayers, hymns, readings of the Gospel stories at various places of the Holy City associated with the Passion of the Lord, and processions from one such place to another.

According to the traditional order, the service of the 12 Gospels has the following order:

1) double psalm;

2) six psalms;

3) peaceful litany;

4) the singing of the fasting morning alleluia, and then the troparion of Holy Thursday

5) a small litany and the 1st Gospel - Jn 13:31-18. 1 (Content: Farewell Discourse and High Priestly Prayer of Christ)

6) a cycle of 15 antiphons, 5 sedals and 5 gospels:

a. antiphons 1-3;

b. small litany;

c. saddle;

d. 2nd Gospel - Jn 18.1-28 (content: betrayal of Judas, taking Christ into custody and bringing Him to Anna, denial of the Apostle Peter);

a. antiphons 4-6;

b. small litany;

c. saddle;

d. 3rd Gospel - Matthew 26.57-75 (content: The Lord Jesus before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, the denial and repentance of the Apostle Peter);

a. antiphons 7-9;

b. small litany;

c. saddle;

d. 4th Gospel - John 18. 28-19. 16 (content: the Lord before the court of Pilate, the scourging and reproach of the Lord);

a. antiphons 10-12;

b. small litany;

c. saddle;

d. 5th Gospel - Mt 27.3-32 (content: Judas' suicide, the Lord before Pilate's trial, scourging and mocking the Lord, the Way of the Cross);

a. antiphons 13-15;

b. small litany;

c. saddle;

d. 6th Gospel - Mark 15. 16-32 (content: desecration of the Lord, Way of the Cross, Crucifixion);

7) blessed;

8) prokeimenon "Divide my garments to myself" (Ps 21.18; verse - Ps 21.1b) and the 7th Gospel - Matthew 27.33-54 (content: The crucifixion and death of Christ on the Cross);

9) patristic reading (from the works of St. John Chrysostom or St. Ephraim the Syrian; usually omitted);

10) 50th psalm;

11) 8th Gospel - Luke 23.32-49 (content: repentance of the prudent thief and the death of Christ on the Cross);

12) three hymns of St. Cosmas of Maiumsky;

a. according to the 5th ode of the triode - a small litany, a kontakion with an ikos, a synaxarium (usually omitted);

b. according to the 9th ode of the triode - a small litany and luminaries of the prudent Thief three times;

13) 9th Gospel - Jn 19.25-37 (content: The Most Holy Theotokos at the Cross, Christ's death on the Cross, perforation of His rib, removal from the Cross);

14) laudatory psalms (according to the Typicon - in a festive way, starting with "Every breath") and stichera;

15) 10th Gospel - Mark 15. 43-47 (content: removal from the Cross and burial of the body of the Savior);

16) morning doxology (in everyday edition) and "Worthy, Lord";

17) petitionary litany and prostration prayer;

18) 11th Gospel - John 19. 38-42 (content: removal from the Cross and burial of the body of the Savior);

19) stichera on the stikhovna;

20) 12th Gospel - Matthew 27. 62-66 (content: sealing of the Holy Sepulcher);

21) There is good;

22) The Trisagion, according to the "Our Father" - the troparion of Great Friday Thou hast redeemed us from the legal oath;

23) a special litany;

24) dismissed: Even spitting, and beatings, and beatings, and the cross, and suffering death for the salvation of the world, Christ ...

All points of this scheme, with the exception of No. 5 - 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, belong to the usual order of fasting or daily matins. Thus, from the point of view of the scheme of rites, the service of the 12 Gospels differs from the usual Matins in the presence in it, firstly, of the Gospels themselves, and secondly - a 5-fold cycle of 3 antiphons and a sedal, as well as blessed. It can also be noted that the rite begins with the troparion on Thursday, and ends with the troparion on Friday - this again confirms what was said above that the service of the 12 Gospels is not matins in the strict sense of the word, but a vigil from evening to morning.

Good Friday Matins Gospels

Egeria, a Western pilgrim of the 4th century, who wrote the oldest evidence of the Jerusalem vigil on the night of Good Friday, mentions only 5 stops in the order of this vigil. But already in the Armenian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary of the 5th c. it speaks of 7 stops and 7 gospel readings corresponding to them. But how did 7 readings become modern 12? If we compare the choice of readings in the Armenian and Georgian translations of the Jerusalem Lectionary[i], then we can see that in the modern rank 7 only the first 4 correspond to the ancient readings. The content of the ancient Jerusalem vigil - the remembrance of the Crucifixion, the Death of the Cross and the Burial of the Lord in the Holy City was dedicated to another special service, the daytime standing of Good Friday (elements of this service were included in the rank of Good Friday hours familiar to us). And just from this sequence of the daytime standing of Good Friday, 4 more readings passed into the service of the 12 Gospels, one of which was divided into two parts - these are the four stories of the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John about the Crucifixion and the death of the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, corresponding in service of the 12 Gospels readings 5+7, 6, 8 and 9.

The system of 9 readings that was formed at some point (probably, this happened already outside the tradition of Jerusalem - for example, in Constantinople - when the Jerusalem night vigil spread outside the Holy City and Palestine) was supplemented by two more, telling about the Burial of the Savior (No. 10 and 11), and in this form is already widely represented in Byzantine manuscripts. The final stage of development was the transformation of a cycle of 11 Gospels into a cycle of 12 - obviously, for good measure. At the same time, for example, in modern Greek practice, the memory of the surplus nature of the 12th Gospel is still preserved - it is read not by a priest, like the other 11, but by a deacon.

Antiphons and Sedals of Good Friday Matins

Many of the Good Friday Matins gospels are simply included in the general order of Matins at one point or another in the regular course of the service. But the Gospels 2 through 6 are out of this pattern. They are framed by completely unique hymns, which have no analogues in any other liturgical sequence of the church year - antiphons of Good Friday. The prototypes of these antiphons are already described in the Armenian and Georgian translations of the ancient Jerusalem Lectionary. In the era of their creation, that great Byzantine hymnography of Holy Week, which now constitutes one of the peaks of the liturgical heritage of the Orthodox Church, was just beginning to develop, and the Good Friday vigil was still filled, first of all, with Old Testament hymnography - psalms. The Armenian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary mentions the singing of 15 psalms at the beginning of the vigil; the psalms were sung with a chorus - "antiphon" - which was not any Christian composition, but simply one of the verses of the same psalms (these 15 psalms are grouped into 5 cycles of 3 psalms and one antiphon: 1) Ps 2-4 [antiphon : Ps 2. 2]; 2) Ps 40-42 [antiphon: Ps 40.9]; 3) Ps 58-60 [antiphon: Ps 58.2]; 4) Ps 78-80 [antiphon: Ps 87.6 and 78.13]; 5) Ps 108-110 [antiphon: Ps 108.3]). In addition, the translation also mentions other psalms with similar "antiphons" performed upon arrival at the places of various stops.

***

Passion Week:

• Iconography of Holy Week- Pravoslavie.Ru
• General Composition of the Holy Week Services- Priest Mikhail Zheltov
• How is Holy Week organized?- Ilya Krasovitsky
• About Holy Week- hegumen Siluan Tumanov
• Holy Week: how to combine work, services and preparation for Easter...- Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko
• How to spend Holy Week- Archpriest Igor Pchelintsev
• Holy Wednesday: Only two barriers can stand between God and us
• Holy Week: Christ and I- Olga Bogdanova
• Good Thursday: Let's not hope for our exploits- Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
• Maundy Thursday: The Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane- Tatyana Sopova
• Composition of the 12 Gospel Service (Good Friday Matins)- Priest Mikhail Zheltov
• Why does the Church curse Judas?- Archimandrite Iannuary Ivliev
• Easter vigil. Contents of the rites of Vespers and the Liturgy of Great Saturday and Bright Matins- Priest Mikhail Zheltov
• "Word on Holy Saturday"- Patriarch Photius of Constantinople
• Canons of Great Saturday- Priest Mikhail Zheltov
• Fifteen Steps to Easter(about the meaning of fifteen pre-Easter parimia) - Andrey Desnitsky

***

The Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary no longer speaks of 15 psalms at the beginning of the vigil, but the psalm with the "verse" (i.e., "antiphon") here still opens with a prayer at each of the stops (this is Ps 2 [verse: Ps 2 2] Ps 40 [verse: Ps 40.9] Ps 40 [with non-biblical verse] Ps 108 [with non-biblical verse] Ps 58.2 [with non-biblical verse] Ps 34.1 [with non-biblical verse] ; Ps 21 [with unbiblical verse]). It is easy to see that the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem Lectionary, made later than the Armenian one, reflects the stage of the gradual displacement of the Old Testament hymnography at the expense of the new, Christian one - in most of the psalms, the refrain is no longer a biblical verse, but a Christian composition. In addition, in the Georgian translation of the Lectionary, each of the mentioned psalms ends with one or two ipakoi (troparion), more lengthy than the refrain of the psalm. The analogue of these ipakoi in the later rank of the 12 Gospels are sedals, closing the cycles of 3 antiphons, and performed, according to the charter, in a special way (with repetitions, with censing, with listening to them without fail while standing).

Further development of hymnographic refrains to the psalms of the Vigil of Good Friday, including chants from other sources in their number - in particular, 12 troparia of the ancient rite of the daytime standing of Good Friday (of which the modern 12th antiphon is completely composed; they are also included in the 7th and 15 th) - and the addition of the Theotokos to the antiphons led to the gradual displacement of the original basis of these antiphons, that is, the psalms. In the modern rank of the 12 Gospels, only one Psalm verse remains - this is the first line of the 1st antiphon (Princes of mankind ...), which is a paraphrase of Ps 2. 2. Thus, the antiphons - that is, by their origin, refrains - were left without the texts to which they should sing. However, in some Byzantine and Old Russian manuscripts, instructions have been preserved on how the verses of the psalms should be combined with the antiphons of the service of the 12 Gospels in their modern (i.e., later form). These indications may vary somewhat, but they are generally quite stable. The psalms for the antiphons were not chosen by chance - these are the verses of the Psalms that contain the most vivid prophecies about the death of Christ on the Cross. Below is a possible distribution of verses to the 15 antiphons of Good Friday in their modern edition (without taking into account the double repetition of antiphons):

1st antiphon:

1st troparion (=paraphrase of Ps 2.2) - 2nd troparion

Ps 2.4 - 3rd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

2nd antiphon:

Ps 35. 2 - 1st troparion

Ps 35. 3 - 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

3rd antiphon:

Ps 34. 1 - 1st troparion

Ps 34.4 - 2nd troparion

Ps 34.5 - 3rd troparion

Ps 34. 8 - 4th troparion

Ps 34. 11 - 5th troparion

Ps 34.12 - 6th troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

4th antiphon:

Ps 15.4a - 1st troparion

Ps 15.4b - 2nd troparion

Ps 15.10 - 3rd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

5th antiphon:

Ps 16. 1 - 1st troparion

Ps 16. 3 - 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

6th antiphon:

Ps 51. 3 - 1st troparion

Ps 51. 4 - 2nd troparion

Ps 51.6a - 3rd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

7th antiphon:

Ps 7.2 - 1st troparion

Ps 7.7a ​​- 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

8th antiphon:

Ps 58. 2 - 1st troparion

Ps 58. 4 - 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

9th antiphon:

Ps 68. 2 - 1st troparion

Ps 68. 3 - 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

10th antiphon:

Ps 52. 1 - 1st troparion

Ps 52. 4 - 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

11th antiphon:

Ps 87. 2 - 1st troparion

Ps 87. 4 - 2nd troparion

Ps 87.19 - 3rd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

12th antiphon:

Ps 53. 3 - 1st troparion

Ps 53. 4 - 2nd troparion

Ps 53.15 - 3rd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

13th antiphon:

Ps 142.19 - 1st troparion

Ps 142. 3a - 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

14th antiphon:

Ps 98. 1 - 1st troparion

Ps 98. 2 - 2nd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

15th antiphon:

Ps 21.2 - 1st troparion

Ps 21.8 - 2nd troparion

Ps 21.18 - 3rd troparion

Glory, and now - the Mother of God.

In conclusion, it should be emphasized once again that the hymnography of Holy Week (primarily Good Friday and Good Saturday) and Easter is the undisputed pinnacle of Byzantine church poetry. The depth of its content and the beauty of its forms make it an important part of the general church heritage.

References

1. In specific manuscripts, it may vary slightly; see Janeras S. Le Vendredi-Saint dans la tradition liturgique byzantine: structure et histoire de ses offices. R., 1988. (SA. 99 = Analecta Liturgica. 12). P. 51-113.

2. These troparia are contained in the order of the hours of Good Friday - 3 on each of the hours - and even their modern text generally coincides with the text of the ancient Jerusalem monuments.

April 28 this year is a special day - Maundy Thursday. The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, and in the evening - the reading of the 12 Gospels of the Holy Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Great Lent behind. Passion Week is coming - the Holy Days have come. Clean or Maundy Thursday, on this day we remember the established at the Last Supper Jesus Christ, the Sacrament of the Eucharist, during someone else’s time, everyone believes under the guise of bread and wine tastes the true Bodies and Blood Christ-hundred-you. At the Last Supper, the Lord broke the bread and, having blessed it, gave it to the apo-hundred-lames with the words: “this is My Body, someone for you are pre-da-et-sya; this do-ri-te in My re-in-mi-on-ing. Taking the cup and blessing it, he said: “Drink everything from it; For this is My Blood for a new-for-ve-ta, for many because of-w-e-may for the remission of sins.

In the evening the 12 Passion Gospels were read. Amazing services. It is no coincidence that they are so concentrated, quiet and unusually strong. These Holy days from childhood crash into our lives. They strike us in such a way that we no longer just say that we know - yes, there is a God, but we empathize and through this we believe and trust Christ the Son of God.

“I carry a passionate candle from the Gospels, I look at the flickering light: it is holy. Quiet night, but I am very afraid: it will go out! our lamp, and we go to burn the crosses, burn them over the kitchen door, then on the cellar, in the cowshed... It seems to me that Christ is in our yard, and in the cowshed, and in the stables, and in the cellar, and everywhere. candles - Christ has come. And everything we do is for Him. The yard is cleanly swept, and all the corners are cleaned, and even under a canopy where there was manure. Unusual these days are passionate. Christ's days. Now I am not afraid of anything: I am passing through the dark canopy - and nothing, because Christ is everywhere. ("Summer of the Lord" Ivan Shmelev)