Today is hung upon the Cross, He Who suspended the Earth amid the waters. A Crown of Thorns crowns Him, Who is the King of Angels. He, Who wrapped the Heavens in clouds, is clothed with the purple of mockery. He, Who freed Adam in the Jordan, received buffetings. He was transfixed with nails, Who is the Bridegroom of the Church. He was pierced with a lance, Who is the Son of the Virgin. We Worship Your Passion, O Christ. Show us also, Your Glorious Resurrection.
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And so the pen was dipped and the verdict was signed by unjust judges. And Jesus was convicted and sentenced to the Cross. Creation suffers as it sees the Lord on the Cross. O Lord, who suffer for me in the nature of Your Body, Glory to You!
All Creation trembled when it saw You Crucified, O Christ.
Come, let us all extol Him who was Crucified for us. Mary beheld Him on the Cross and she said, “Though You endure the Cross, You are my Son and my God.”
Seeing her own Lamb being led to the slaughter, Mary, the Ewe, was worn out, and she followed Him with the other women, and cried, “Where are You going, Child? Why are You going so fast? Maybe there is another wedding in Cana, and You are hurrying now to make wine out of water for them? Shall I come with You, Child, and stay with You? Say something to me, O Word, who preserved my chastity. Please do not pass by me in silence. You are my Son and my God.”
You are a living God, even though You were lifeless on the Wood. O naked corpse, You are the Word of the Living God.
Every member of Your Holy Body endured dishonour for us. Your Head, the thorns; Your Face, the spittings; Your Cheeks, the smitings; Your Mouth, the taste of vinegar mixed with gall; Your Ears, the impious blasphemies; Your Back, the lash; Your Hand, the reed; Your whole Body, stretched out on
the Cross; Your Joints the nails; and Your Side, the spear. O Almighty Saviour, Who in Your Mercy condescended to suffer for us, and set us free from suffering, having raised us up, have mercy on us.
Chant: On seeing Your unjust slaughter, O Christ, Your Pure Mother cried in grief: O most sweet Child, how is it that You die so lawlessly? How is it that You, Who suspended all the Earth upon the waters are now Yourself suspended from the Tree? O most Merciful Benefactor, do not leave me, Your Mother and handmaid, alone.
Thus says the Lord to the Jews, “O My people, what have I done to you, how have I upset you? I gave sight to your blind; I cleansed your lepers; I raised the man who lay paralyzed on his bed. O My people, what have I done to you, and how have you repaid me? Instead of manna, you fed Me gall; instead of water, you gave Me vinegar; instead of loving Me, you nailed Me to the Cross. So, I will no longer hold back, but I will call My Gentiles, and they will Glorify Me and the Father and the Spirit; and I will grant them Eternal Life.”
O Christ God, the Creator of all, Your Mother, who without seed gave Birth to You, saw You hanging on the Cross, and she cried out in anguish, “O my Son, where has the handsome sight of You set? I cannot bear to see You unjustly Crucified. So, hurry and rise again, so that I may see Your Resurrection from the dead on the third day.”
Today the Master of Creation stands before Pilate; the Creator of all is delivered to be Crucified; like a Lamb, He is brought of His own Will to the Cross. He is fixed with the nails, He is pierced in the side, and He sips from the sponge, He who caused the manna to rain down of old. The Redeemer of the world is smitten on the cheek. The Maker of all is mocked by His own servants. Such is the Master’s benevolence! He prayed to His Father for those who Crucified Him, and He said, “Forgive them this sin, for the lawless do not know what they are unjustly doing.”
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On Great Friday we observe the Holy, saving, and awesome Passion of Our Lord, and God, and Saviour Jesus Christ; the spittings, the scourgings, the buffetings, the scorn, the mocking, the purple robe, the reed, the sponge, the vinegar, the nails, the spear, and above all, the Cross and Death, which He willingly suffered for us. We also observe the confession unto Salvation of the penitent thief, who was crucified with Him.
The King of Glory
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“In tradition, a bird the redneck, when he saw Christ on the Cross, with the thorny wreath on His head, went and sat on His forehead and with his beak removing the thorns from His head (and there his throat bleed and looks red always). This is what this bird could do… So let’s do what we can to the needs of others.” ~ Dimitrios Panagopoulos Preacher
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