Great Friday
On Great Friday we commemorate the redeeming sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sakes voluntarily endured being spat upon, beaten, buffeted in the face, jeered at, pierced with the nails and the spear, and, in conclusion, — death upon the Cross. Wherefore, the Service for Matins is entitled: The Office of the holy and redeeming Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ; and its characteristic feature consisteth in the reading of the Twelve Gospels, which narrate the same.
Matins beginneth in the same manner as on Thursday. While: Alleluia, and: When the glorious disciples (see Great Thursday) are being sung, the Clergy come forth from the Sanctuary with the book of the Gospels to the centre of the Temple, place the book on the lectern, light tapers (as do the People also), and cense the Temple and those present.
Then the Little Litany: Again, yet again,.. with the Exclamation: For thine are the kingdom and the power
That he will graciously vouchsafe unto us: and the rest. (See page 30.) Glory to thy Passion, O Lord. (Before each Gospel.)
Then the Gospels. (1) John xiii. 31-xviii. 1. (2) John xviii. 1-28. (3) Matt. xxvi. 57-75- (4) John xviii. 28-xix. 16. (5) Matt, xxvii. 3-32. (6) Mark xv. 16-32. (7) Matt, xxvii. 33"54- (8) Luke xxiii. 32-49. (9) John xix. 25-37. (™) Mark xv. 43-47 (11) John xix. 38-42. (12) Matt, xxvii. 62-66.
Glory to thy long-suffering, O Lord. (After each Gospel.) After the first Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone VIII.
The Princes of the people are assembled against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Thou hast laid upon me the word of transgression, O Lord: Lord, forsake me not.
Let us offer unto Christ our pure affections, and as his friends let us sacrifice our souls for his sake; and let us not be oppressed, like unto Judas, with the cares of life, but in our closets let us cry aloud: Our Father, who art in heaven, from the Evil One deliver thou us.
After the second Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone V. To-day doth Judas abandon the Master, and accept the devil: he is blinded by the passion of cupidity; being darkened, he falleth away from the light. For how can he see who, for thirty pieces of silver, hath sold the Light? But he who hath suffered for the world hath shone upon us. Unto him let us cry aloud: O Lord, who hast suffered, and who hast compassion upon men, glory to thee.
After the third Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone VIII. Unto those who unlawfully did seize thee, having suffered much, thus didst thou cry, O Lord: If ye smite the Shepherd, and scatter abroad the
twelve sheep, my disciples, I might summon more than twelve legions of Angels. But I will forbear, that the obscure and secret things, which I have revealed unto you through my prophets, may be fulfilled. Glory, O Lord, to thee.
After the fourth Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone VI. He who decketh himself with light as it were with a garment, stood naked at the judgment seat, and received bufferings upon the cheek from the hands of those whom he had created. The iniquitous people, also, did nail to the Cross the Lord of glory. Then was the veil of the Temple rent in twain, and the sun was darkened, for it could not endure to behold affronted God, before whom all things do quake. Unto him let us bow down.
After the fifth Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone VI. The assembly of the Jews besought Pilate to crucify thee, O Lord. For though they found no fault in thee, they liberated the guilty Barabbas, and condemned thee, the Just One, and became guilty of the sin of foul murder. But grant, O Lord, their reward unto those who vainly wrought evil against thee.
But besides the above Antiphons, between the reading of the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth Gospels, are sung three more Antiphons. The Little Litany and a Sitting-Hymn (Syeddlen) are said and sung; and the customary censing of the Temple is performed.
After the sixth Gospel, the Beatitudes, with their Hymns (Tropari), are chanted, and the Gradual (Prokimen):
They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
Verse. O God, my God, hear me. Why hast thou forsaken me? After the seventh Gospel, Psalm It. is read. After the eighth Gospel, is sung the Three-Song Canon, in Tone VI.
Theme-Song V. (Irmos). My soul awaketh early unto thee, who through tenderness of heart didst empty thyself, yet without change of Essence; and being thyself without passion, didst condescend unto thy Passion, O Word of God. Grant peace unto me who have fallen, O thou who lovest mankind. (Twice.)
Refrain. Glory to thee, O our God; glory to thee.
And its two Hymns, each six times, with the Refrain: Glory now, and ever,.; the Theme-Song; the Little Litany; the Collect-Hymn (Konddk) (see page 217); and the Ikos. Then,
Theme-Song VIII. (Irmos). The divine Children put to shame the Champion of blasphemous wrath. And the unlawful Council of the impious, raging against Christ, took counsel in vain, when they sought to slay him who holdeth life in the hollow of his hand; whom, also, let all creation bless, magnifying him unto all the ages.
And its four Hymns, with the Refrain. Theme-Song IX. (Irmos). More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.
And its four Hymns, with the Refrain. The Exapostildrion. In one moment thou didst graciously vouchsafe Paradise unto the wise thief, O Lord: Illumine thou me, also, by the tree of the Cross, and save me.
After the ninth Gospel: Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord: with its Stanzas (Stikhiri). As:
Two treacherous things hath my first-born son, Israel, done: He hath abandoned my fountain of living water, and hath digged for himself a well of wretchedness; he hath crucified me on the Cross, and hath asked for himself and hath released Barabbas. Heaven was affrighted thereat, and the sun hid its rays, but thou, O Israel, hast not been ashamed, but hast delivered me over unto death. Forgive them, Father; for they know not what they have done.
After the tenth Gospel: Glory be to God on high,... (see page 34) is read; then the Litany: Let us complete our morning prayer...
After the eleventh Gospel, the Canticles of the Psalms. As: All creation was confounded with terror when it beheld thee suspended on the Cross, O Christ. The sun was darkened, and the foundations of the earth were shaken: all things suffered in sympathy with him who had created all things. O Lord, who of thine own good will didst suffer for us, glory to thee.
Then the final censing.
After the twelfth Gospel, the ending of Matins.
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,... O Holy God, Holy Mighty,... Our Father,...
The Hymn (Tropdr), in Tone IV. Thou hast ransomed us from the curse of the law by thy precious blood; when thou wast nailed to the Cross and pierced with a spear, thou didst pour forth immortality for men, O our Saviour: glory to thee.
The Augmented Litany, and the Benediction. May he who, for the sake of us men, and for our salvation, deigned to endure terrible sufferings, and the life-giving Cross, and voluntary burial, Christ, our true God: and the rest, as usual. (See page 122.)
The First Hour is not joined to Matins, but is read separately, together with the Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours.
The Imperial Hours. (Composed by Kyril of Alexandria.) First Hour. Psalms v., ii., xxii.
Hymn (Tropdr). When thou wast crucified, O Christ, the tormentor was overcome, the power of the enemy was shattered; for neither Angel nor man, but the Lord himself hath saved us: Glory to thee.
The Parable (Paremiya). Zech. xix. 10-13.
The Epistle. Gal. vi. 14-18.
The Gospel. Matt, xxvii. 1-56.
The Collect-Hymn (Konddk), in Tone VIII. Come, all ye, let us sing him who was crucified for us. For him did Mary behold on the Tree, and say: Even though thou sufferest crucifixion, yet art thou my Son and my God.
Third Hour. Psalms xxxv., cix., li.
The Hymn, in Tone VI. The Jews who had passed through the Red Sea by the rod, condemned to death and crucified on the Cross thee, O Lord, the life of all men; and they who had sucked honey from the rock brought gall unto thee; but of thine own good will didst thou suffer, and free us from the works of the enemy-O Christ-God, glory to thee.
The Parable (Paremiya). Isaiah 1. 4-1 1.
The Epistle. Rom. v. 6-10.
The Gospel. Mark xv. 1-41.
The Collect-Hymn. Come, all ye,... (See First Hour, above.)
Sixth Hour. Psalms liv., cxl., xci.
The Hymn, in Tone II. Thou hast effected salvation on earth, O Christ-God, thou hast stretched out thy most pure hands on the Cross, collecting together all the Nations, who cried: Glory to thee, O Lord.
The Parable (Paremiya). Isaiah Hi. 13-15, liii. 1-12, liv. I.
The Epistle. Heb. ii. 11-18.
The Gospel. Luke xxiii. 32-49.
The Collect-Hymn (Konddk). Come, all ye,... (See above.)
Ninth Hour. Psalms lxix., lxx., lxxxvi.
The Hymn (Tropdr). When the thief beheld the Author of Life hanging upon the Cross, he said: If thou, who art crucified with us, wast not God incarnate, the sun would not have hidden its rays, neither would the earth have quaked with trembling. But do thou, who sufferest all things, remember me in thy kingdom, O Lord.
The Parable (Paremiya). Jer\ xii. 18-23, xii. I-15.
The Epistle. Heb. x. 19-31.
The Gospel. John xviii. 28-, xix. 1-37-
The Collect-Hymn. (See above.)
The Typical Psalms are as usual.
In order that the fast which the Holy Church imposeih upon the faithful in her great affliction at the removal of her Bridegroom may not be broken, the Liturgy is not celebrated on Great Friday. The sacrifice, on that day, is offered on Golgotha. (Only in case the Feast of the Annunciation falleth on that day the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated.)
Especially affecting is Vespers, which is celebrated on Great Friday at four o'clock, when the winding-sheet (plashtschantiza) is brought into the centre of the Temple.
Before the beginning of the service the winding-sheet is laid on the Altar. The Senior Priest vesteth himself in all the ecclesiastical vestments pertaining to his rank. The beginning of the service is as usual. The Stanzas (Stikhiri) of: Lord, I have cried:
I. Tone I. All creation was confounded with terror when it beheld thee suspended on the Cross, O Christ. The sun was darkened, and the foundations of the earth were shaken: all things suffered in sympathy with him who had created all things. O Lord, who of thine own good will didst suffer for us, glory to thee.
II. Tone II. To-day the Virgin undefiled, beholding thee, the Word, uplifted upon the Cross, weeping with the tender love of a mother, was sore wounded in heart, and moaned grievously from the depths of her soul, wiping her face with her hair. Wherefore also beating her hands, she cried piteously: Woe is me, O my Son divine! Woe is me, O Light of the World! Why hast thou departed from mine eyes, O Lamb of God? For which cause also the host of the Bodiless Powers were seized with trembling, and said: O Lord Ineffable, glory to thee!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
III. Tone VI. A mystery dread and most glorious to-day is seen to be accomplished: he who is intangible is held fast; he who loosed Adam from the curse is bound; he who trieth the heart and reins unlawfully is tried; he is confined in darkness who confined the abyss; before Pilate standeth he before whom, with trembling, stand the Powers of Heaven; the Creator is buffeted in the face by the hand of the creature; to the Tree he is adjudged who judgeth the living and the dead; the Destroyer of Hell is confined in the tomb. O Benignant Lord, who compassionately endurest all things, and savest all men from the curse, glory to thee.
The Entrance with the Gospels. O gladsome radiance (Page 8.)
The Gradual (Prokimen). They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
O God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.
The Parables (Paremii). Exodus xxxiiir 11-23; J°b xlii. 12-17; Isaiah
The Epistle. I Cor i. 18-, ii. 1, 2.
The Gospel. Matt, xxvii. 1-38; Luke xxiii, 39-43; Matt, xxvii. 39-54; John xix. 31-37; Matt, xxvii. 55-61.
The Augmented Litany. Let us all say,...; The Litany of Supplication. Let us complete. (See page 35.)
When Joseph, together with Nicodemus, had taken from the Tree thee, who clothest thyself in light as in a garment, and beheld thee dead, naked and unburied. that compassionate man was seized with weeping, and
with lamentation said: Woe is me, O sweetest Jesus, beholding whom so little while ago hanging on the Cross, the sun shrouded itself in darkness, while the earth did quake and the veil of the Temple was rent in twain! But lo, now I behold thee, who for my sake, of thine own good will, hast endured death. How shall I bury thee, O my God? Or with what winding-sheet shall I enshroud thee? With what hands shall I touch thy body incorruptible? Or what songs shall I sing at thy forthgoing, O Bountiful One? I exalt thy sufferings, and in song will I glorify thy burial, with Resurrection, crying: O Lord, glory to thee!
During this time, the Senior Priest, accompanied by the Deacon with a taper, censeth round about the Altar, thrice.
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, O Holy God,
Holy Mighty,... Our Father,. For thine is the kingdom,... (See page 13.)
And the Choir singeth:
Noble Joseph, when he had taken thy pure Body from the Tree, did wrap it in fine linen and spices, and sorrowing did lay it in a new sepulchre.
An Angel stood before the Myrrh -bearing Women at the tomb, crying: Spices are meet for the dead, but Christ hath revealed himself as a stranger to corruption.
While these Hymns are being sung, the Clergy lift the winding-sheet from the Altar, and preceded by assistants bearing tapers, they make the circuit of the Altar, bearing the winding-sheet on their heads. And they go to the centre of the Temple and lay it on the tomb there prepared. Then followeth a triple censing of the winding-sheet, and of the whole Temple, and of those present.
An address appropriate to the day is generally made here. Then the
Benediction.
May he who for the sake of us men, and for our salvation, deigned to endure terrible sufferings, and the life-giving Cross, and voluntary burial, Christ, our true God: and the rest, as usual. (See page 122.)
The faithful, following the example of the Priest, approach the tomb of the Lord, kneeling and kissing it.