Monday, March 29, 2010

Holy Week - 2010

The second evening of Bridegroom Matins.
So many of us are posting these words:
***

Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight,

and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching,

and again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless.

Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep,

lest you be given up to death, and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom.

But rouse yourself crying:

Holy, Holy, Holy, art Thou, O our God,

Through the Theotokos have mercy on us.

***

Bridegroom Matins is one of my all time favourite services.

***

We have to stay, as the Bridegroom Matins service says,

ever watchful,

ever vigilant

and continue to cry out for God's mercy.

The Devil wants to destroy;

we must hold the Cross of Christ high and say the Name of Jesus

and be saved.

***

This Holy Week will be complicated for me by the fact that I

will have classes until Holy Friday

(thank God Pascha is the same as the Western Christian calendar this year,

as it often is not on the same liturgical calendar)

so that I do not have to skip class to for our Holy Friday...

It is hard to study however,

but by God's mercy I did pass my midterm.

***

Blessed Holy Week to everyone!

May we repent, may our lamps be always with oil,

may we be ever watching for the Bridegroom

who comes at Midnight.

12 comments:

margaret said...

I love that photograph you've used. I have missed Church last night and tonight because of my cousins wanting to help me pack but I have put my foot down about tomorrow. I already feel like a foolish, oil-less creature.

RW said...

We are kind of in the same boat... complicated lives until Wednesday. I always take Thursday through Monday off .. which means this year I only have to take two holidays so that is a nice bonus. We will start our Holy Week with the prescanctified liturgy on wednesday.

fr. Tom Hopko has a good piece on Ancient Faith Radio on the Bridegroom Service.

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

Thank you for this lovely post. I was not able to get to Bridegroom Matins, and really appreciated this.

I hope to get the Akathist to St Spyridon to you in Bright Week:-)
Well done with the mid-term paper !

Pres. Kathy said...

I am glad you passed your midterm. I just love Holy Week services!

Meadowlark Days said...

Yes indeed! Blessed Holy Week and Pascha!

Janelle thegeekywife said...

Blessed Holy Week and Pascha!

(don't know if I already said that, but it won't harm to repeat it!)

Good job on the midterm!

Mimi said...

Oh my goodness, I cannot believe we are at Holy Week, and my garments are not ready.

Beautiful Holy Week to you.

Anonymous said...

The picture is so beautiful and touching.

elizabeth said...

Thank you so much everyone. I wish you all a good and Holy Weekend and Pascha.

Margaret - I feel the same.

Thank you so much for commenting Alssya - you are always welcome here. May our Good Lord bless you!

Michelle M. said...

Thank you for your prayers for my family! I hope you have a blessed weekend!

Peacocks and Sunflowers said...

Dear Elizabeth, Christ is risen! Хрїстóсъ воскрéсе! Χριστός ἀνέστη! Christ est ressuscité! Je vous souhaite la joie de la Résurrection, et de la joie et le renouvellement de (ahem) Bright Week! Merci pour vos messages et commentaires pendant le Carême - ils sont toujours encourageants.

margaret said...

Christ is Risen!