Reading the Four Gospels during Passion Week, which chapters are read. What you need to know about Holy Week so you don’t miss anything During Holy Week, how the Gospel is read at home

In the morning, returning to the city, Jesus became hungry; and seeing a fig tree along the road, he approached it and, finding nothing on it except some leaves, said to it: Let there be no fruit from you henceforth forever. And the fig tree immediately withered. Seeing this, the disciples were surprised and said: How did the fig tree immediately wither? Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but if you also say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” it will happen; and whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive.

And when He came into the temple and taught, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him and said: By what authority are You doing this? and who gave you such power? Jesus answered and said to them: I will also ask you one thing; If you tell Me about this, then I will tell you by what authority I do this; Where did John's baptism come from: from heaven, or from men? They reasoned among themselves: if we say: from heaven, then He will tell us: why didn’t you believe him? and if we say: from men, we are afraid of the people, for everyone reveres John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus: We do not know. He also said to them: And I will not tell you by what authority I do this. What do you think? One man had two sons; and he, approaching the first, said: son! Go today and work in my vineyard. But he answered: I don’t want to; and then, repenting, he left. And going up to the other, he said the same thing. This one said in response: I’m going, sir, but I didn’t go. Which of the two fulfilled the will of his father? They tell Him: first. Jesus says to them: Truly I say to you, publicans and harlots go ahead of you into the kingdom of God, for John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but publicans and harlots believed him; But you, having seen this, did not repent afterwards to believe him. Listen to another parable: there was a certain owner of a house who planted a vineyard, surrounded it with a fence, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and, having given it to vinedressers, went away. When the time for fruit approached, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to take their fruit; The winegrowers seized his servants, beat some, killed others, and stoned others. Again he sent other servants, more than before; and they did the same to them. Finally, he sent his son to them, saying: They will be ashamed of my son. But the vinedressers, seeing their son, said to each other: This is the heir; Let's go, kill him and take possession of his inheritance. And they seized him, took him out of the vineyard and killed him. So, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with these vinedressers? They say to Him: These evildoers will be put to an evil death, and the vineyard will be given to other vinedressers, who will give him the fruit in their own time. Jesus says to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner? Is this from the Lord, and is it marvelous in our eyes? Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people bearing the fruits of it.

Holy Week, Maundy Monday, begins with the parable of the barren fig tree. The Lord, on His way to Jerusalem, where He goes to accept suffering for us, became hungry. He is truly a Man, and He shared all the infirmities of our nature and all the poverty that people have. And He is our true God, performing miracles with His Divine power. Completing His earthly path, before taking on the feat of saving the human race, He experiences fatigue at the end of this difficult path, fatigue and hunger. And he finds nothing on earth to satisfy this hunger. We understand that behind physical hunger there is infinitely more.

The barren fig tree, on which there is nothing but leaves, is an expression of the utmost barrenness of all creation, which cannot offer anything to its Creator at this hour. The world was created for man, and everything in it is done for the sake of man. And this event-parable is, of course, about a person. First of all, about those from whom the Lord had the right to expect fruit. The Lord denounces the outward appearance of faith. “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead,” He says today, addressing many.

The sin of barrenness is rightly punished by the curse of barrenness. “Let there be no fruit from you forever”! As joyful as the first blessing given to man was: “be fruitful and multiply,” so sad will be the curse of infertility for a hypocritical faith. Those who hypocritically profess faith dry up, like a fig tree cursed by God, usually while still in this world. The fig tree, which had no fruit, soon lost its leaves. Hypocrites may make a favorable impression on others for a while, but sooner or later their pretense will be exposed to everyone.

The Lord speaks about the condition of the entire people chosen by God of Israel. This chosen people of God was a fig tree planted by the road along which Christ God walked. And these people greatly upset the Lord. He came to him, expecting to find some kind of fruit, but found nothing except leaves. The Jerusalem temple was bustling with activity, but there was no life in it. The spiritual leaders of Israel preached about waiting for the promised Messiah, but when the Messiah came, they did not accept Him and condemned Him to death. Therefore the Lord says that they will have no fruit forever. This fig tree was so huge that its shadow covered the entire Jerusalem Temple. But those who rejected Christ never had anything good. Inevitably, they became worse and worse over the course of history. Blindness and bitterness overcame them more and more.

How quickly their fig tree withered after they said, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Today, some blasphemously claim that Christianity and Judaism are moving along different paths towards the same goal, towards the same Messiah - Christ in His Second Coming. But the word of God, the word of our Savior, speaks of something else. The mystery of the rejection of Christ and the mystery of the acceptance of Antichrist are one and the same “mystery of lawlessness.”

Christ, going to his free Passion, shows those who believe in Him His power before His suffering. Before the victory of the Resurrection, He shows this Divine power, and His disciples are amazed at the suddenness of the fulfillment of what He told them. And Christ tells them about the power of true faith. By the gift of God, the Church of Christ can perform no less miracles. “Not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but if you also say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” it will happen.” Doubt about the power of God's promise is always destructive. To the extent that God’s promises are unshakable, our whole life should be filled with trust in God. The fruit of grace is revealed in faith, in living by faith. And this faith overcomes any insurmountable difficulties and sorrows, which Christ figuratively calls mountains.

These mountains can be very high, so that they seem to completely cover the sky. Nothing is visible except the difficulties and sorrows that stand in our way. But nothing is impossible for God. And therefore, everything that He promises us will be fulfilled, no matter how impossible it may seem to us. “Whatever you ask in prayer in faith,” says the Lord, “you will receive.”

But faith must be true, because there are many false faiths in the world. And a lot of false spirituality. If faith is true and not false, then there will be true prayer. And, naturally, prayer is false if it is not inspired by true faith. The only condition for our victory: we must ask in prayer with faith, and we must preserve our true Orthodox faith so that it is not damaged by any false spirituality. And so that it is a deeply personal faith for each of us. How we must beware so that it does not turn out to be distracted, as it once was among God’s chosen people, by the emptiness of external piety that has no fruit. How terribly simple life is: just ask so that we have everything we need. It is enough to believe and receive. But at what high price is the miracle of this simplicity given to us - at the price of Christ’s complete giving for us and at the price of our readiness to give ourselves completely to the Lord.

Let us constantly beg the Lord for the most important thing: “As you yourself wish, and as you yourself know, just save me,” as the holy fathers pray. And let us not be afraid to bother Him even in the most humble needs of life, because He Himself says so clearly: whatever you ask will be given to you. His words apply to our entire life, not just to the promise of our salvation. If we fill our whole life with such prayer, even now on earth it will have a reflection of heaven. "Anything you ask for." What should we ask? If we ask for the fulfillment of only our earthly needs and the Lord will fulfill everything, what will we tell Him when we stand face to face with Him in eternity, and will ask for nothing more earthly? Let us ask Him for everything, but not for that which could be offensive to His Cross. So that we do not turn out to be a fig tree without fruit.

In His infinite wisdom, the Lord sees everyone who comes to Him and judges our thoughts and intentions of the heart. The high priests and elders stand before the Lord. “By what authority are You doing this? and who gave you such power? - they ask the Lord. The authority of the Lord comes from the same source as the authority of John the Baptist. If John's baptism was from God, then why do they not believe what the Forerunner says about Christ? But they are afraid to say that it was from men, because all the people consider him to be a prophet. And they give the most pathetic answer that can be: “We don’t know.” And the Lord does not answer their hypocritical questioning. He calmly reveals to them His Divine power, the depths of which are impossible for the unenlightened human mind to penetrate. At all times, the Lord confronts His Church with the most important questions. And only when we, not thinking about earthly gain, not fearing anything, answer Him, He reveals His secrets to us. How scary it is to hear from the Lord: “I will not tell you.” When we receive such an answer from Him, the first thing we should think about is whether we have not, by our questioning, transgressed the boundaries of the commandments of the Kingdom, which we think we are seeking. Like the scribes and Pharisees and the first son of the parable of those sent to work in the vineyard, we say all the right words - almost automatically pronouncing them according to the prayer book in our evening and morning rules. But the Lord is not waiting for the answer of our lips - “I go, Lord, and did not go” - but for the answer of our heart. Our repentance. Word and deed are two different things. Many people say and don't do. Many approach God with their lips, speaking of love for Him, but their hearts are far from Him.

And finally, the Lord offers us today a parable about the evil vinedressers. The vineyard is human life, which the Lord created, perfectly arranged and protected with His wisdom, strength and truth, so that it would become a joy for man, a blooming garden, a paradise. God trusts man, He gives us freedom to do as we want. However, we are responsible for everything - Judgment comes and we must give an answer to God. Christ tells the high priests and scribes that He is God who became man, coming after the prophets to save everyone. He clearly realizes that death awaits Him ahead. And he openly denounces those who are preparing this crime. The worst thing about these evil winegrowers is their management. They seek to kill Him not because they do not know that He is the Messiah, but precisely because they know it. Not because He is a false Messiah, but because He is the true Messiah. They never doubted His miracles or denied His power. But they are finally given the opportunity to free themselves from all His commandments and become free masters of life. And for this you need to kill God. Soon, when Good Friday arrives, we will witness this happen again.

And we hear the judgment of Christ: “The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people bearing its fruits.” This people is us, Christians, and God expects us to bring Him a hundredfold fruit from our vineyard. The Apostle Paul says that Christ is crucified again in the world. Don’t we also kill Christ every time we consciously go against His will? Will the Kingdom of God be taken away from us too? This may well be the case. But the long-suffering and all-merciful Lord never ceases to wait for our repentance. For the fire of Christ's love on the Cross cannot be extinguished by any human hatred - just as the immortal God cannot die without being resurrected after death.

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him alone and asked: Tell us, when will this be? and what is the sign of Your coming and the end of the age? Jesus answered and said to them, Beware that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many. You will also hear about wars and war rumors. See, do not be horrified, for all this must happen, but this is not the end yet: for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in places; yet this is the beginning of diseases. Then they will hand you over to torture and kill you; and you will be hated by all nations because of my name; and then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another; and many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and, due to the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold; he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come. So, when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything from his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his clothes. Woe to them that are pregnant and to those who nurse at the breast in those days! Pray that your flight does not happen in winter or on the Sabbath, for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be. And if those days had not been shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Then, if anyone tells you: behold, here is Christ, or there, do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I told you in advance. So, if they say to you, “Behold, He is in the wilderness,” do not go out; “Behold, He is in the secret chambers,” do not believe it; for just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man; for where the carcass is, there the eagles will gather. And suddenly, after the sorrow of those days, the sun will darken, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken; then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He will send His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Take the likeness of a fig tree: when its branches become soft and put out leaves, you know that summer is near; So, when you see all this, know that it is close, at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are done; heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Today the Lord tells us about the mystery of the Judgment, which is taking place over the Church now and which will be revealed at His Second and Glorious Coming. When He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him in private and asked: “Tell us when this will happen.”

The disciples ask the Lord about times and seasons and about the signs of His Coming and the end of the age. The Lord, without saying a word about times and seasons, begins with a warning: “Beware that no one deceives you.” Seducers and deceivers are more dangerous enemies of the Church than persecutors. Verily, those who kill genuine prophets are first caught by false prophets. And those who crucified the true Messiah Christ first allowed themselves to be deceived by false Christs and false messiahs. But this test must come, so that those who are Christ's will be revealed.

The Lord tells us that under the guise of the greatest good, the greatest evil can be hidden. Who are false prophets? First of all, those who are seduced by the inspiration of false spiritualities, false religions. And those false prophets that we saw in the last century, when millions of people were deceived by the spirit of the enemy. But false prophets can also be from among those who are in the Church, moreover, those who can teach in the Church and occupy an important place in it. They pose the greatest danger because they are least likely to be suspected of deception.

False Christs and false prophets have legions of their servants everywhere, through whom they attract human souls to themselves. As a result of accepting the false teachings of these false prophets, there will be great disasters on earth. And when the troubles become so intolerable that people are ready to lay hold of anything that seems to them to be a deliverance, then they will be told: “Here is Christ and there is Christ,” and “He is in the deserts and in the hidden places.” To prove their claims, the servants of the enemy of the human race will “perform great signs and wonders.” Not those genuine miracles that capture the grace and truth of Christ, but those with which they will deceive many, “if possible, even the elect.”

“If possible, even the chosen ones.” The Lord speaks about the power of deception. It will be such that many will be captured by it, and few will be able to resist. Even those who think they are standing strong. And the elect - not those who consider themselves such, but those whom the Lord has chosen - and the devil will try to deceive them.

However, the words “if possible” mean that it will be impossible for the enemy. Although a person always remains free, no matter where he is, no matter what spiritual height he reaches. But true freedom lies in such affirmation in goodness, when a person is already free from evil and can reject any of its attacks. He is already so united with Christ that Christ lives in him (Gal. 2:20). Where the grace of God operates, it is impossible to separate a Christian from Christ. Therefore, it will be impossible for the enemy to completely defeat the Church of Christ.

The Lord prophesies about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. And He gives an image of the end of the world. One plan overlaps with another. The destruction of the world will be in the image of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, this greatest shrine before the Coming of Christ, which existed in order to preserve in holiness the elect of God and through them - all humanity - for the acceptance of Christ the Messiah.

The Lord speaks about wars. Living in such a sinful state, humanity will naturally have wars. He warns of ongoing disasters and persecution of the Church. When the twentieth century began, many, listening to these Gospel words about the persecution of the Church, thought that this prophecy had already been fulfilled, like many other prophecies of the Savior. However, the twentieth century saw something that far surpassed everything that came before. Don’t we think the same way now, listening to these words of the Lord, that this prophecy has already been fulfilled, and all the main trials are behind us? Soon the wolves in sheep's clothing will throw off their masks and appear simply as wolves before the flock of Christ's sheep.

But, probably, the most terrible of all the prophecies of the Lord is the prophecy that “because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold.” One is a consequence of the other. The world always lies in evil, but special times are coming in which it can be said that lawlessness is increasing. And the more brazenly evil acts, the weaker will be the resistance of good, that is, love - the highest manifestation of good. Although, it seems, everything should be the other way around.

What terrible words: “love will grow cold.” This is the same as saying: life will die. This is the same as saying “the abomination that makes desolate will be in the holy place.” To be a Christian is to be a loving person. Where is the love in the world? In the Church of Christ. If there is no love in the Church, then there cannot be it in the world. Therefore, today’s judgment of the Church, before the Church, each of us stands before the Cross of Christ, consists in our testing ourselves, whether we have this love. Of course, we do not achieve what the word of God tells us about love as a union of perfection, as grace that always lives in our hearts. However, we cannot live without striving for love. Only thanks to this we are alive, and thanks to this the world is alive. If we stop striving for love, then the light that is in the world, that is, the Church of God, will become darkness, and what kind of darkness will there be in the world?

But even in a world that does not even know God, human love is always present as a residual light, as something thanks to which a person still exists. Where does this residual light primarily exist? In family. However, before our eyes today everything is being done to destroy the family and very successfully, as we see. Where else is human love manifested? Where the most intimate and sublime relationship is between a man and a woman. What is happening now? What was previously called fate, the dream of a betrothed, is now increasingly being replaced by an easily replaceable, as they say, partnership. Finally, the children. Where there are children, it is impossible for there not to be love. He who does not love children has a dangerously sick soul, a mortally sick one. But now it is a mass phenomenon. Increasingly, our children are treated simply as a nuisance. We know very well that millions of children are killed before birth and molested almost from birth. False prophets of the media day and night propaganda of unlove leave no stone unturned from what is the basis of human life.

The Lord tells us today that in the midst of this horror and “the abomination of desolation in the holy place,” not only in the Church, where love grows cold, but in the entire human race, “he who endures to the end will be saved.” We must endure to the end - not only amidst persecution and prison, not only on the bed of a serious illness. But even then, when the world with its lust of the flesh occupies everything - all the culture, all the schools, all the streets with vile advertisements of sin, all the houses where these visible demons enter every day and are welcomed as welcome guests. All minds and hearts. And we, Christians, are like nothing to this world, Christ is no one and nothing to them. And they want to weave us into their stinking fabric as a decorative pattern. Where is there even a spark of the Divine in life, is it left? Truly, love grows cold. Is this not a clear sign of the end?

It is not our business to know times and seasons, says the Lord (1 Thess. 5:1). But it is our duty, because we are Christians, to stand on the last frontiers of the Kingdom of Christ, where love is above all, to the end. Wherever it can still be preserved, both in the Church and outside the Church, in all human relationships. Let the Church today enter into the darkness that was “from the sixth hour to the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:45), but “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend Him” (John 1:5). We will hear these words on Easter night, when the triumph of evil turns into its complete defeat. And we must be this light if we are truly Christ’s. By the word of Christ and by the gift of Christ we are to be that light. God trusts us to be faithful to Him, and He says that this word of light that is offered to us today will be heard correctly.

“The love of many will grow cold,” says the Lord. But He does not say that love will grow cold in everyone. In the worst times, such as those when the prophet Elijah, amid the general apostasy, thought that he was left alone, the Lord reveals that there is a remnant who remains faithful to Him. There are those for whom it is more important than anything in the world, more than their own life, to preserve even a drop of the love that the Lord gives.

“Love will grow cold.” But the Lord does not say that she will die. Is it in vain that before our eyes, again and again every year, the Lord reveals the same, simplest and deepest secret? When everything seems dead under the snow, we know there is life in the roots and it will flourish once winter passes. When the Lord's Easter comes, we will hear these words: “Today spring is fragrant.” This love of God, which conquers all the hatred of hell, all the malice of the world, triumphs, and we are called to enter into the joy of our Lord.

“He who endures to the end will be saved,” but only in love. The Church of God will endure, but only through love. And although many will be tempted, there will always be those who will endure to the end. Who are we and where are we among the Last Cross Judgment of the Lord?

The page layout of this electronic article corresponds to the original.

Dmitrievsky A. A.

Reading the Gospels on the sixth and first three days of Holy Week.

We find the clearest and most definite instructions about reading the gospels in the first three days of Holy Week in the current Typikon on l, 384 (ed. Kiev, 1824). “And the abiye (i.e., after reading the Mother of God of the third hour: “O Theotokos you are the true vine”) the analogy is decorated, we read in the current Rule, the holy Tetroevangelium is placed on top of it, and the lamp is lit, and the priest burns incense around the analogy, and the altar , and the whole Church, and the brethren according to rank.” Be aware, adds the Charter, that the Gospel of Matthew is still revered, likewise from

Mark, and from Luke, from John, it is revered before the beginning of the holy passions, as if before “Now is the Son of Man glorified.” The taco is read in three days, that is, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and is performed on Wednesday at the ninth hour. There are three readings from Duka, and two others. Together there are nine readings and nothing more.” This prescription of the Charter is also set out in the Greek original.(Τυπικ . edit . Venet . 1643 l. 79 vol.). But no matter how clearly and accurately expressed the prescription of the Charter, which unconditionally depicts the ideal of church and liturgical orders, church practice, the thought of a weak and weak person, under many different kinds of external purely physical conditions, seeks in such strict and categorically expressed prescriptions of the Charter condescension and justification for one’s bodily weakness. This is how it was before, and how it continues to this day. A small change in practice, regarding the time of reading the Gospel during Holy Week, is undoubtedly a condescension towards the modern Orthodox person, and this change is not anyone’s personal business, but a fact of history, which speaks for the difficulty of fulfilling the above instructions of the Charter has been recognized for a long time and not only by parish pastors, but even by our famous monasteries. In fact, if we take into account the duration of the service during Holy Week in general, bypassing the readings of the Gospels for now, if we do not lose sight of the fact that this service is celebrated in most of our Russian villages in cold churches, sheathed only with boards, in quite severe frosts, especially in the north, since very often we still have frosts even in the last week of Lent (this must be expected this year, on the occasion of early Easter), then no matter how great the fiery desire and deeply religious inspiration, there is no physical opportunity for the priest to read , and for those praying to listen “attentively”

niya”, as required by the Charter, over the course of three days, almost four evangelists. For the former, this work is hard and exhausting, but for the latter it is positively overwhelming. Therefore, it is not surprising that in practice we see many deviations and violations of this instruction on the part of priests so that the service of these days of Holy Week is not difficult and beyond the strength of the fasting parishioners.

For example, priests who want to literally fulfill the instructions of the Charter come two and three hours before the bell rings in the church and, after reading the beginning of the third hour, stand to read the Gospel, in the complete absence of worshipers, with the exception of the church watchman. Even the reader, after reading the psalms and kathismas, goes home to fulfill his household needs, knowing that the reading of the gospels will continue until the bell rings the gospel. These priests, when the worshipers gather in the temple, at the sixth and ninth hours already read only a few chapters from the gospel, thereby significantly shortening the services. To avoid the cold that prevails in churches, the priest sometimes reads the Gospel before the bell rings in the church gatehouse. Priests who deviate from the letter of the instructions of the Church Charter, but who want to read all the evangelists and certainly in the first three days of Holy Week, read several chapters from the gospel at the morning and even at the evening service. Finally, there are priests who are well aware of the difficulty of fulfilling this instruction only during one Holy Week, but without deviating one iota from it, they allow themselves to read one or even two evangelists in the sixth week, when the service is shorter (See Nikolsk. Aid. studied, Statutory Law of the Church, St. Petersburg, 1874, p. 592). We personally know examples of such practice in two dioceses, and what is especially remarkable is that in one of the dioceses such a reading of the Gospel

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We heard the sheets even in the Cross Church of the bishop’s house, in the presence of the bishop himself. Sometimes there are completely arbitrary and groundless deviations from the Charter. For example, in some churches they read only one gospel from John or some other evangelist, or, using the well-known “Sacred History” of the late Protopresbyter of Theology, they read, based on samples from the evangelists, the entire history of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. Where the priests literally, in the full sense of the word, fulfill the Church Charter and begin reading the Gospels with the ringing of the bell on Monday of Holy Week, we see that the church is empty for a very long time after the ringing and the priest reads the Gospel for himself, the clergy, and a few chosen ones and chosen ones—old men and women. Most of the worshipers come to the temple much later and thus make their work easier...

Thus, from this description and the options regarding the reading of the Evangelists during Holy Week, the conclusion that actual practice has allowed several forms or types of changes in relation to this custom, clearly and precisely described in the Charter, in order to alleviate the severity of this prescription for priest and laity. But in every change, with the exception of the above-mentioned cases of direct violation of the Charter, there is or can be seen to one degree or another an approximation to the ideal that the Charter outlines. Each form of evasion, meaning to ease the burdensomeness of the service of these days for those who pray and perform it, at the same time tries not to diverge from the requirement of the Charter, which is obligatory for every Orthodox Christian and son of the Church, but on the contrary, with accuracy, we do not say literal, because the ideal, as ideal, which will never be realized in life, to implement this prescription in practice with approximate accuracy, to fulfill it to the extent

The strength and understanding of individuals allow, someone should know. We have, therefore, the task of indicating which of the above forms of deviation is closest to this ideal and at the same time corresponds to the needs of the given time and does not contradict history.

At first superficial glance, the closest thing to fulfilling the prescription of the Charter is the practice that allows for the reading of the Gospels at all services of Holy Week in its first three days. This practice is rooted on the basis that if you read the Gospels on the clock, then it is tiring and difficult for those praying, but if you diversify this reading with services and read with rest, then the worshipers will not notice such fatigue. But in this case, the fact that even without Gospel readings the service of these days is very long is overlooked; and it is not without labor and effort that you can maintain good spirits and attention until the end. But suppose that after the night’s rest, those praying cheerfully stand at Matins and listen attentively to the Gospel readings in the first hour, as they are usually included here, it is unlikely that they will retain the same receptivity and freshness of attention during the hours and the liturgy, and even more so at Great Compline. This practice only divides the work at certain intervals, but does not shorten or make it easier for those praying, to whom our Church Charter prescribes unremitting “attention” during all Gospel readings. It can be positively said that with such a distribution of readings from the Gospel and with the duration of the service in general, physical vigor and freshness of attention and receptivity are unlikely to remain among the worshipers until the end of their fasting, and the pastors will thus be able to stop their parishioners’ deviations from listening to the Gospel word from start to finish and delay them to the clock and other services. In this case, human weakness can find another outcome, so as not to bear

all the severity of the church service... In addition to all this, the present, apparently the weakest form of evasion has the disadvantages that it requires special adaptations and devices, not provided for and not approved by the Church Charter, for reading the Gospel, especially during Great Compline or evening worship. That is why we cannot agree and recommend this form of deviation from the Church Charter, as a form that does not satisfy either the Church Charter, or the pastor, and especially the flock, who must “attentively” listen to the Gospel reading.

In our opinion, it is closer to the realization of the ideal and fully satisfies the purpose for which St. The Church has established the reading of the Gospels during Holy Week, a form of deviation that divides the Gospel readings into two weeks, that is, into the sixth and seventh. In this case, without deviating from the letter of the prescription, except that the Gospels will be read, so to speak, in two parts, one can be sure that the purpose of the present institution will be fully achieved. The shepherd and his flock will willingly and lovingly fulfill the strict instructions of the Church Charter and from such a reading, which, given the short duration of the service on the sixth week and the shortening on the seventh, will no doubt be listened to “with attention” and with benefit for those praying. The very service of the sixth week, when mostly family people are fasting, who in the seventh week will have troubles and bustle in preparation for the upcoming holiday, will become more solemn by adding readings from the gospel to it and will acquire greater interest and significance in their eyes. Be that as it may, in any case, we place this form of evasion from the Charter much higher than the literal fulfillment of its instructions, when the priest comes to the temple or church gatehouse several hours before the start of the ringing of the clock and alone, in the complete absence of worshipers, begins reading gospel,

just to fulfill the letter of the charter and make the work of their fast workers easier. In this case, the pastors, chasing after the letter of the charter, lose sight of its spirit, or the purpose of Christian worship and its rituals in general, and commit a crime in this regard. In fact, it is not for the priest that the above-mentioned prescription of the Charter exists, who (i.e., the priest) knows the entire Gospel and reads it very often; it is not to him or his church watchman, an involuntary constant pilgrim, that this remark is addressed, recommending “ attention,” isn’t it for the walls of the church that the priest pronounces the exclamations: “Vonmen,” “Peace to all,” “And make us worthy of hearing,” etc. before the very beginning of the Gospel readings, etc.? Obviously, this whole remark is mainly directed to the worshipers, who are now not in the temple and for the sake of whose relief all this is being done without witnesses. Strange and unworthy of either a shepherd or the temple of God...

The form of evasion from the prescription of the currently valid statute, which we approved, was recognized as most approaching its ideal and satisfying the purpose for which the Church established the custom of listening “with attention” to the entire Gospel on the three days of Holy Week, and in ancient Russian liturgical practice. The Charter or “Obikhodnik” of the 16th century, famous in Russia, of the monastery of St. Anthony of Siysk prescribed that reading the gospels should begin on Monday of the sixth week. While remaining faithful to the Rule of St. that was dominant at that time and continues to be in force to this day. Sava the Sanctified, the 16th-century “Obihodnik” mentioned by us, notes that this reading should continue in the first three days of the sixth week and only the first two evangelists should be read. “And this week, we read in this charter, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday two evangelists (i.e. Matthew and Mark) will read, and on

Holy Week (also) two—Luke and John” (Rkpp. 16th century: Solov. bib. (Kazan. ecclesiastical academic) No. 1117 l. 200 vol., 201; M. Synod. bib. No. 814 l 236 vol. - 238; Volokolamsk bibliography (Moscow spiritual academician) No. 338 l. 227). The rituals or actions that preceded and accompanied the reading of the Gospel are no different from the actions now laid down in the charter for Holy Week. This eloquent fact of ancient Russian liturgical practice says as clearly as possible that the difficulty of implementing in practice the requirements of the charter has always been recognized, not only in parish practice, but even in the practice of our ancient Russian famous monasteries, for which our current church charter was actually drawn up and where it should be the most strict and punctual implementation of it in practice was expected. The same fact, on the other hand, shows us to what heights of approach to one’s ideal a real form of evasion from the regulations could reach. Here we see not only identity in the services at which the Gospels are read, in the rituals preceding and following the present reading, but even in the days indicated by the Charter for Holy Week. The present form of evasion did not go further than this in its approach to the ideal; neither history nor our contemporary liturgical practice presents us with anything like this. Although this is the last circumstance, indicating the identity and imitation of one practice, not provided for by the Charter, of another, nevertheless, we cannot help but make a small reservation about it. In fact, we cannot understand all this attachment to the letter of the charter and the order that even in the sixth week the Gospel should be read only on the first three days. It seems to us much more expedient to read the Gospel throughout the week or already on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, when only short hours are celebrated, and not to read on Wednesday and Friday, when the service

The liturgy of the presanctified gifts is significantly lengthened, even without reading the Gospel. But in any case, even if the reading of the Gospels will take place on the clock on all days of the sixth week and the first two evangelists will be read, then you can be sure that the priest and those praying will perform all the services of this week with eagerness and full zeal, and the priest and those praying on the seventh Weeks there will be no need to come up with all sorts of inadmissible and contrary to the Charter and purpose of Christian worship, retreats and indulgences for the sake of bodily weakness...

According to the current Charter, the gospel is read by a priest on all three days of Holy Week. “This is how the priest honors the Tetroevangel, notes our Charter, and is wrapped in a phelonion” (fol. 381). This remark is not in the Greek Typikon. But the practice of the ancient Russian Church, and at that the monastic practice, allowed in this regard a deviation from the prevailing Rule. The already mentioned “Obikhodnik” of the 16th century of the monastery of St. Anthony of Siya, the Gospel at the ninth hour directs the deacon to read (RKP. Solov. bib. no. 1117 l. 201 vol.; RKp. M. Synod. bib. no. 814 l. 237 vol.; RKp. Volokol. bib. no. 338 l. 227 vol.). We can call such deviation not inconsistent with general church practice. In fact, if a deacon can and does read the Gospel during the Liturgy on ordinary days, then there is no reason to deprive him of this right on these three days of Holy Week and the sixth week and to place the entire burden of reading on one priest without sharing it with the deacon as his assistant . It can be difficult to listen when priests, especially elders, tired of the length of the service, but unwilling to deviate from the letter of the Rule, continue the Gospel readings in a slurred voice. Allowing deacons, especially those with a good voice and expressive diction, to read the gospels, in addition to making it easier for priests, can

— 228 —

can have both a refreshing and encouraging effect on those praying. There is no need to forget that the variety of voices of the readers is very important during worship and involuntarily attracts the attention of the worshipers...

From what we have said regarding the issue we are considering, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1) The prescription of the church charter regarding the reading of the gospels in the first three days of Holy Week, as history shows and as evidenced by facts from modern liturgical practice, was recognized by pastors and even abbots of the monasteries of the Russian Church always and to this day as difficult to implement in practice, and therefore Previously, and currently, deviations from it have been made and are being made.

2) There are several forms of evasion of the current charter on this issue, but closest to the implementation of the ideal of church practice outlined in the Typikon is the practice that allows the reading of the Gospels not only on the seventh week, but also on the sixth.

3) The reading of the Gospels in the sixth week should be performed throughout the week, at the clock, or only on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, when only the clock is set, therefore, the service is shorter than on Wednesday and Friday of the same week.

4) The actions preceding and following the Gospel readings must be entirely borrowed from the current Charter, from the service on Monday of Holy Week.

5) Finally, the priest can share the work of reading the Gospels with the deacon, where churches have deacons with a good voice and expressive diction. According to ancient Russian liturgical practice, the deacon can be instructed

reading the gospels during the ninth hour, when the attention of the worshipers is already beginning to weaken and it is necessary to introduce a new voice, a new reader to maintain it.

A. Dmitrievsky.

There is less than a week left until Easter. The last days are called Passionate or Great. During this period, the Church is immersed in the Gospel and remembers the last days of the Lord on earth.

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Maundy Monday, Maundy Tuesday, Maundy Wednesday

Holy Week begins on Holy Monday, and Holy Monday begins on Sunday evening. First - Vespers, closing the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, and then - a new day, Matins on Monday.

For three matins in a row, the Church will glorify Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church, with a quiet and gentle troparion, which throughout the year is heard only at Midnight Offices:

Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, / and blessed is the servant, whom the vigilant will find: / but he is not worthy, but the despondent will find him. / Take care for my soul, / not to be burdened with sleep, / so that you are not given over to death, / and the Kingdom is shut up outside, / but rise up, calling: / Holy, Holy, Holy art thou God, / Through the Mother of God have mercy on us.

(Valaam Monastery Choir)

(Women's choir. Disc “Time of Fasting and Prayer”)

Your palace. Bortnyansky

• Holy Week: how to combine work, services and preparation for Easter...

IN Monday of Holy Week I remember the Old Testament character - the chaste Joseph, a prototype of Christ, and the Gospel story about the cursed fig tree. Church tradition says that the withered fig tree is an image of old Israel, which did not bear fruit. To emphasize the tragedy of this symbol, the Church suggests recalling almost the entire 21 chapters of Matthew (vv. 18-44), including the parable of the evil husbandmen.

In the first three days of Holy Week, the last of this year are celebrated. If you did not have time to attend these services during Pentecost, try to fill this gap!

• Maundy Monday: The Beginning of Great Days (+ audio, + video)
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IN Maundy Tuesday I remember the parables of the Savior about His Second Coming, about the ten virgins and about the talents.

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Great Wednesday is the day of betrayal. It is in memory of the betrayal of Christ by Judas that we fast on Wednesdays throughout the year. On the same day, the Church remembers the woman who washed Christ’s feet with myrrh.

On Tuesday evening, “Behold the Bridegroom” is sung for the last time. On Wednesday morning on the last time the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated and read. There will be no more prostrations except before the Shroud until Pentecost.

On Wednesday evening the last big confession takes place; there will be a lot of people there, so it’s better to try to confess in advance.

In many churches there will be no more confession until the end of Bright Week.

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• Great Wednesday: If you loved Him, why did you sell Him like a runaway slave?

Holy days

On Maundy Thursday, the Church remembers the Savior’s last meal with his disciples. On this day, all Orthodox Christians partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday according to the rite of St. Basil the Great is celebrated in conjunction with Vespers, so be prepared for the fact that the service is long.

After the Last Supper, Christ, showing His humility, washed the feet of the disciples, which was also reflected in the liturgical practice of the Church. The rite of washing the feet is performed by the bishop after the Liturgy. He washes the feet of the twelve priests in the image of Christ. In the twentieth century, the ritual was not performed in the Russian Church. It was restored only in 2009 by Patriarch Kirill.

In the evening on Maundy Thursday, Matins of Good Friday is celebrated - one of the longest and most beautiful services of the year, known as "". It recalls the Passion of the Lord from the prayer of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane to the placement of His Body in the Tomb.

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CUSTOMS

There is a folk custom on Maundy Thursday to prepare for Easter: cleaning the house, baking Easter cakes and painting eggs. It's better to do this in advance. Between two services, even if you manage to take time off from work for that day, it is better to pray and rest. It is completely unacceptable to miss the services of the main days of Holy Week for the sake of the pre-holiday bustle.

Good Friday

The day of Good Friday itself begins early in the morning with the service of the Royal Hours. The Gospels of the Passion of the Lord are read again. In the middle of the day (usually around two o'clock in the afternoon) Vespers is performed with the Removal of the Shroud. If you are working, you may find it convenient to walk to the nearest temple during your lunch break.

By the way, lunch is not allowed on this day, nor is breakfast - day is strictly fast.

• Chants of Good Friday. Let us bury the Lord...
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• Holy days on Mount Athos: Good Friday and Easter in the Vatopedi Monastery

Holy Saturday: Let all flesh be silent

In the evening, in the parish churches, Matins of Great Saturday is celebrated with the Burial of the Shroud - a long and bright service, around the Shroud richly decorated with flowers. You can already feel the approach of Easter in the air.

In some churches and monasteries (Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Danilov Monastery) The burial of the Shroud takes place at night. Liturgically this is more correct, but physically it is not easy to endure such a service, especially since the Liturgy begins immediately after it. Some say that the most convenient thing after the Removal of the Shroud is to rest longer, come to the night service at 23.00, which will last up to 3-4 hours, and after that rest for 3-4 hours before the start of the Liturgy of Great Saturday in any parish church.

Liturgy of Holy Saturday- also a very long and solemn service, replete with Old Testament readings - proverbs. The mood is already Easter: the proverbs repeat the motif of miraculous salvation (the exit of Israel from Egypt, the salvation of the prophet Daniel and his friends in fire), symbolizing the liberation of humanity from hell and death by the Sacrifice of the Cross and the Resurrection of the Savior, the Gospel of the Resurrection of Christ is read. The priests change from purple Lenten to white festive robes.

This service calls for silence and peace, for this Saturday is the day of rest when the Lord Himself rested. Instead of the Cherubic Song, the troparion is sung: “ Yes is silent any flesh man and let him stand with fear and trembling and let the insignificant earthly thing in himself think: the King of kings and Lord of lords comes to sacrifice and be given as food to the faithful.” Instead of “It is worthy to eat” - irmos 9 of the canon of Great Saturday: “ Not cry Mene, Mati, seeing in the tomb, You conceived Him in your womb without seed, the Son: for I will arise and be glorified and exalt with glory, unceasingly as God, magnifying You with faith and love.”

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After the liturgy begins blessing of Easter cakes, eggs and paskas- usually in the courtyards of temples. It is customary not only to consecrate food for oneself, but also to leave some in the church - for the clergy, altar servers, singers - and donate to the poor.

On Holy Saturday, one is supposed to read the Acts of the Apostles in churches all day, or at least the last hours before the Easter service.

And the Easter service begins with the reading of the canon “Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos” at the Midnight Office, after which the Shroud is taken to the altar. Easter Matins begins - the first service of the Holy Resurrection of Christ.

Due to the fact that the reading of the Gospel of all four evangelists on the hours of the first three days of Holy Week, prescribed by the Charter, greatly increases the duration of the already short services of these days, since ancient times in many churches and monasteries of the Russian Church the practice of reading the Gospel of the first three evangelists on the hours of the week has been established 6 th. This was the case in the 16th century, for example, in the Siysky Monastery (A. Dmitrievsky. Divine services in the Russian Church in the 16th century. Part I, p. 205), and in the first half of the 17th century in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral (A. Golubtsov Officials of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral , p. 108). This is still done today in many churches, where there is daily worship during the 6th week. In places where services during Great Lent take place only on Wednesdays and Fridays, some priests begin reading the Four Gospels on Wednesday of the 2nd week.

For both cases, the following order of reading the Gospel can be suggested. For reading in weeks 2-6

Week 2

Wednesday

3 hours. Matt. 1-8 credits, 1, 1-4, 17.
6 hours. Matt. 9-20 credits, 4, 18-7, 11.
9 o'clock. Matt. 21-34 credits, 7, 12-10, 8.

Friday

3 hours. Matt. 34-46 credits, 10, 9 – 12, 30.
6 hours. Matt. 47-57 credits, 12, 30 – 14, 13.
9 o'clock. Matt. 58-70 credits, 14, 14 – 17, 9.

Week 3

Wednesday

3 hours. Matt. 71-80 credits, 17, 10 – 20, 16.
6 hours. Matt. 81-90 credits, 20, 17 – 22, 22.
9 o'clock. Matt. 91-103 credits, 22, 23 – 24, 51.

Friday

3 hours. Matt. 104-108 credits, 25, 1 – 26, 56.
6 hours. Matt. 109-116 credits, 26, 57 – 28, 20.
9 hours Mk. 1-12 credits, 1, 1 – 3, 19.

Week 4

Wednesday

3 hours Mk. 13-22 credits, 3, 20 – 6, 7.
6 hours Mk. 23-32 credits, 6, 7 – 8, 10.
9 hours Mk. 33-44 credits, 8, 11 – 10, 16.

Friday

3 hours Mk. 45-55 credits, 10, 17 – 12, 27.
6 hours Mk. 56-64 credits, 12, 28 – 14, 42.
9 hours Mk. 65-71 credits, 14, 43 – 16, 20.

Week 5

Wednesday

3 hours Lk. 1-5 credits, 1, 1 – 2, 20.
6h. OK. 6-15 credits, 2, 20 – 4, 36.
9 hours Luke. 16-28 credits, 4, 37 – 7, 1.

Friday

3 hours Lk. 29-38 credits, 7, 1 – 8, 39.
6 hours Luke. 39-50 credits, 8, 40 – 10, 15.
9 hours Luke. 51-62 credits, 10, 16 – 12, 1.

Week 6

Wednesday

3 hours Lk. 63-73 credits, 12, 2 – 13, 35.
6 hours Luke. 74-83 credits, 14, 1 – 17, 4.
9 hours Luke. 84-95 credits, 17, 3 – 19, 28.

Friday

3 hours Lk. 96-107 credits, 19, 29 – 21, 36.
6 hours Luke. 108-109 credits, 21, 37 – 23, 1.
9 hours Luke. 110-114 credits, 23, 2 – 24, 53.

For reading during the 6th week

Monday

3 hours. Matt. 1-17 credits, 1, 1 – 6, 21.
6 hours. Matt. 18-42 credits, 6, 22 – 11, 26.
9 o'clock. Matt. 43-46 credits, 11, 27 – 16, 12.

Tuesday

3 hours. Matt. 67-83 credits, 16, 13 – 21, 17.
6 hours. Matt. 84-105 credits, 21, 18 – 25, 30.
9 o'clock. Matt. 106-116 credits, 25, 31 – 28, 20.

Wednesday

3 hours Mk. 1-25 credits, 1, 1 – 6, 45.
6 hours Mk. 26-51 credits, 6, 45 – 11, 26.
9 hours Mk. 52-71 credits, 11, 27 – 16, 20.

Thursday

3 hours Lk. 1-16 credits, 1, 1 – 4, 44.
6 hours Luke. 17-38 credits, 5, 1 – 8, 39.
9 hours Luke. 39-62 credits, 8, 40 – 12, 1.

Friday

3 hours Lk. 63-82 credits, 12, 2 – 16, 18.
6 hours Luke. 83-105 credits, 16, 19 – 21, 11.
9 hours Luke. 106-114 credits, 21, 12 – 24, 53.

If the feast of the Annunciation or a temple feast occurs on the 6th week, then the Gospels can be read on four days:

Day 1

3 hours. Matt. 1-25 credits, 1, 1 – 8, 13.
6 hours. Matt. 26-52 credits, 8, 14 – 13, 30.
9 o'clock. Matt. 53-78 credits, 13, 31 – 19, 15.

Day 2

3 hours. Matt. 79-101 credits, 19, 16 – 24, 35.
6 hours. Matt. 102-116 credits, 24, 36 – 28, 20.

Day 3

6 hours Luke. 1-21 credits, 1, 1 – 5, 39.
9 hours Luke. 22-49 credits, 6, 1 – 9, 62.

Day 4

3 hours Lk. 50-76 credits, 10, 1 – 14, 24.
6 hours Luke. 77-101 credits, 14, 25 – 20, 26.
9 hours Luke. 102-114 credits, 20, 27 – 24, 53.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week the Four Gospels are read at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock.

The Gospel readings begin at hours 3 and 9 after the Theotokos hour, and at hour 6 - after the parimia and prokemne of the 2nd. There are 9 Gospel readings in total.

According to the Typicon, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John are each divided into two parts, and the Gospel of Luke into three. According to this indication, the readings can be divided something like this:

Monday

3 hours. Matt. 1-66 credits, 1, 1 – 16, 12.
6 hours. Matt. 67-116 credits, 16, 13 – 28, 20.
9 hours Mk. 1-39 credits, 1, 1 – 9, 16.

Tuesday

3 hours Mk. 40-71 credits, 9, 17 – 16, 20.
6 hours Luke. 1-38 credits, 1, 1 – 8, 39.
9 hours Lk. 39-82 credits, 8, 40 – 16, 18.

Wednesday

3 hours Lk. 83-114 credits, 16, 19 – 24, 53.
6 hours In. 1-26 credits, 1, 1 – 7, 36.
9 h. In. 27-46 credits, 7, 37 – 13, 32.

If the Gospels of Matthias, Mark and Luke were read earlier (in the 6th week), then the Gospel of John on Holy Week should be read in this order:

Monday

3 hours 1-7 credits, 1, 1 – 2, 25.
6 hours 8-12 credits, 3, 1 – 4, 46.
9 hours 13-18 credits, 4, 47 – 6, 13.

Tuesday

3 hours 19-25 credits, 6, 14 – 7, 13.
6 hours 26-30 credits, 7, 14 – 8, 30.
9 hours 31-34 credits, 8, 31 – 9, 38.

Wednesday

3 hours 35-38 credits, 9, 39 – 10, 42.
6 hours 39-41 credits, 11, 1 – 12, 18.
9 hours 42-46 credits, 12, 19 – 13, 32.

When the reading of a new evangelist is due, then after the Theotokos hour there follows the exclamation “And may we be considered worthy...” When the second or third reading of the same evangelist follows, this exclamation is not pronounced, but only “Wisdom, forgive. Let us hear the Holy Gospel..."

READING THE GOSPEL IN THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF PASSION WEEK

What does it mean to read all the Gospels in the first three days of Holy Week? This is a repetition of the will given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Having died for us, He left a testament to all who had faith in Him - a testament written and signed with His blood. Everyone who comes to the Lord enters into a covenant with Him by faith and undertakes to fulfill the testament He left, as depicted in the Gospels. On Thursday the “passion” is celebrated; On Friday, we are invited to honor our image of the Lord after He was taken down from the cross, tormented and ulcerated. The first thought of anyone who comes to kiss the shroud should be the thought of the covenant confirmed by the death of the Lord. Depleted by His appearance and ulcers, He reminds each of us: “Do you remember and fulfill My testament, which you undertook to fulfill when you entered into a covenant with Me?” It is in order to renew in everyone’s memory the whole picture of the obligations bequeathed by the Lord, in order to open the opportunity for every Christian to conscientiously answer before the shroud: “Yes, Lord, I remember your covenant and I know your testament,” the Holy Church decided to read before the suffering of the Lord all the Gospels.

But what is it about what we remember and know? This will only serve to expose us. Let's force our soul a little - won't it become jealous to apply knowledge and action? Not enough time? No, not a little. And in one minute everything can be fixed. Let’s do this: let’s check our life according to the proposed outline and wash everything that we find faulty with tears of repentance; let’s make a firm intention to be correct in those parts in which we were previously faulty. The Lord who suffers for us on the cross will accept the intention as a deed itself, as long as it is sincere and accompanied by the readiness to stand in it to the point of the stomach. Let us at least please the Lord with this in the days of remembering His suffering. There was a time in the Old Testament when the books of the law were read aloud to the whole people with oaths to the disobedient and blessings to the submissive, and all the people answered: “All, as the Lord has spoken, we will do and listen.” Here the Lord Himself repeats His covenant to us from the cross: let us open the ears of our hearts, put together our feelings and dispositions according to what is written, and say: “Let us, Lord, let us keep everything that You have commanded, even if we had to be mocked and even condemned for it.” death!.."

VII. Great days of Holy Week. After the Sabbath day on which Jesus came to Bethany, many Jews who were passing through Jerusalem on the occasion of the upcoming Passover, having learned that Jesus was staying in the house of Lazarus, hastened there to see Him, who had created