HOLY PASCHA WEEK

Monday

PASCHA WEEK: HISTORY

• Emperor Theodosuis, ordered a universal holiday during this time so that all those working within the government or private business sector could assemble in prayer and devotion as one family

• Masters alleviated their slaves from working during this week, allowing them to worship in the Church.

• Prisoners were even set free to go to church and join in the ceremonial prayers.

• The early Church used to celebrate Pascha once every 33 years. But because many died without ever celebrating this feast, the church decided to celebrate it once every year.

• Initial discrepancy between Antioch (which celebrated Easter on Passover, 14th Nisan, even if it was not a Sunday) and Rome/Alexandria (which set Easter as the Sunday following the Passover).

• Council of Nicea resolved this by setting its date as the latter

PREPARING FOR THE END

• The Holy Pascha Week focuses the last week of the of our Lord’s earthly life, and ministry

• Saturday, Christ attended a feast in Jericho at the home of Simon the leper, where Mary anointed Him with costly perfumes and wiped His feet with her hair • Some disciples protested out of waste of money, but our Lord replied that she was

anointing him for his burial

• Sunday, the Lord entered into Jerusalem. So the church welcomes the Lord into our hearts and the church as the King of Glory

EVENTS OF LAZARUS SATURDAY & PALM SUNDAY

Days Theme Vespers Matin Liturgy

Lazarus Saturday

Raising Lazarus

n/a The Lord comes to heal and take away your iniquities

Demonstration of the Spirit and power of Christ in the raising of Lazarus

Palm Sunday

Entry Into Jerusalem greeted as in the feast of Tabernacles

Mary at the house of Lazarus prepares him for his burial

The procession where all of the Heavenly hosts and saints praise the Lord for his Salvation

Christ enters as King, Prophet and High Priest to redeem his people

EVENTS OF LAZARUS SATURDAY

The Incident The Main Prophecy The Link / Symbol / Meaning

Lazarus brought back from the dead

Genesis 49:10-11

A foreshadowing of Christ's resurrection

Line of Judah and root of Jesse now revived

Christ the fulfillment of the OT image of Shiloh

Jesus Christ is Lord and King over the dead, the living, and all to come and all will pass on.

Feast at Bethany & Mary pouring Oil on Jesus Feet

1 Samuel 10:1 A foreshadowing to Christ's burial and resurrection

Exodus 28:41 The Final Resurrection a feast of love

1 Kings 19:16 Christ Priest, Prophet, and King

EVENTS OF PALM SUNDAY

The Incident The Main Prophecy The Link / Symbol / Meaning

Disciples getting the

Donkey & Colt

Zechariah 9:9 Donkey represents the Old Testament believers – House of Israel

Genesis 49:12

The foal represents the Gentiles and the New Israel (the Church)

[St. Cyril of Alexandria]. Christ riding on the foal leading in the

donkey shows the new direction of the New Testament

Jesus entering Jerusalem

Psalm 118: 24-26 Jesus resembles the King coming from Conquer

Judges 10:4

Judges 12:14

People broke out into praise and saying Hosanna as they saw this

and started singing the psalm which Jewish tradition says is the

Psalm for the Messiah -> reason why the Pharisees became very

angry

The people heard about Lazarus coming back from the dead, and

even more confirmation of Christ being God.

Jesus Accepting to undergo the pain and suffering for us

Cleansing the Temple

Exodus 12: 3

Sunday was the Lamb Choosing Day according to the Jewish

rituals for the Sabbath & Jesus is that chosen Lamb for Sacrifice

Jesus purified the temple and this means the purification of the

alter upon which the lamb is to be slaughtered

The Money exchangers & pigeon sellers were the ones who

falsely witnessed against Jesus. Both that the Court of the

Gentiles had become a temple of the god of money and the way

they were swindling the people

THEMES: LAZARUS SATURDAY & PALM SUNDAY

Jesus as the:

Prophet Disciples getting the Donkey & Colt

Jesus prophesied what will happen when the Disciples will go to get the Donkey & Colt

King Jesus entering Jerusalem

Jesus entered Jerusalem like a King returning Victorious from War

Priest Cleaning the Temple Jesus did the job of the Arch Priest by Cleansing the Temple & Altar

Friend Feast at Bethany & Mary pouring Oil on Jesus Feet

Jesus is always with us at times of Sorrow (When Lazarus was dead) & Times of Joy (During the Feast)

Lord Lazarus brought back from the dead

Jesus is the Lord who can do anything even bringing the dead whose body has started to decay back to life

PALM SUNDAY’S THEMES

MONDAY’S THEMES

Days Themes 1st 3rd 6th 9th 11th

Monday

1. The fall of man & authority of God to save

2. Seek wisdom, avoid hypocrisy

The fig tree’s hypocrisy Examine our hearts

Warning to sinners, and man’s punishment

Foolish deeds, God’s righteous punishment, seek wisdom

The fall of man, and authority of God to save

Crying out for salvation- those who keep His commands will not die

Eve of Tuesday

1. The Lord as our Groom & Salvation

1. Be prepared

Strive to Return and enter the narrow gate

I love you as a mother loves her children (hen & chicks)

I know you and will deliver you; therefore watch

The more I called the more they went from Me

Come to Me and be watchful

TUESDAY’S THEMES

Days Themes 1st 3rd 6th 9th 11th

Tuesday Be prepared for the second coming of our Lord

Come close to me, hear my voice and know me

Strive to enter by the narrow gate

Know me as the Way, Truth and Life, that I am your saviour

Signs of the second coming, be prepared

Strive to be faithful. Well done good and faithful servant

Eve of Wednesday

Preparing for the wedding banquet with our Lord

I go to prepare a place for you prepare your hearts

Be ready so that you will blessed as one God chooses and calls

If we are ready at His second coming we can join the wedding

Be careful not to be a hypocrite Beware following the law without your heart.

The Lord will rescue you from calamity we should trust in him

WEDNESDAY’S THEMES

Days Theme 1st 3rd 6th 9th 11th

Wednesday The betrayal of the Lord by Judas – we should be more like the woman pouring the costly oil.

Sin is betrayal of the Lord and first starts with doubting His Words.

Judas betrays the Lord – do we betray Him despite seeing the Pillar of cloud and fire?

The woman gave a precious offering of Love for the Lord while Judas betrays

The Chief Priests conspire, Judas asks for silver the woman expends her savings for the Love of the Lord

The Lord faithfully offers himself up that as He is lifted up He may draw all peoples to Him with this act of Love

Eve of Thursday

The condemnation of the elders of the Jews

They defiled themselves by their abominations and doubted his authority – do we?

Judas seemed to love the Lord but war was in his heart how about us do we just seem to love Him

The Lord showed them many signs and wonders yet they betrayed Him. Do we do the same?

The Lord revealed Himself to them as the ‘I Am’ and they accused Him of blasphemy – do we know Him as God

They are judged because they rejected the Word of the Lord.

GREAT THURSDAY’S THEMES

Days Theme 1st 3rd 6th 9th 11th

Covenant Thursday

Preparing for and receiving the True Passover

Satan is defeated by the True Passover. Let’s prepare ourselves to eat.

The True Passover is needed to cleanse us from our sin

We should mend our ways, put away evil to prepare the room for the Passover

Isaac and Melchizadek point to the sacrifice of Christ as both offering and High Priest. Before eating we need to be washed – crossing of the red sea and the washing by The Holy Spirit

Come eat of my Body and drink my Blood be one with Me. Judas did not partake and went to betray

Eve of Good Friday

The Lord Intercedes for us in the anguish of the garden

The Lord comforts us knowing that His time is near and promises us The Comforter

The Lord reveals what will happen so that they may be strengthened

The Lord prays in Gethsemane and experiences extreme anguish for us

The betrayal by Judas and the chief priests

The previous high priest Annias interrogates the Lord, Caiaphas then assembles false witnesses and he is mocked and beaten. Peter denies the Lord three times

GREAT FRIDAY’S THEMES

Days Theme 1st 3rd 6th 9th 11th

Eve of Good Friday

The Lord Intercedes for us in the anguish of the garden

The Lord comforts us knowing that His time is near and promises us The Comforter

The Lord reveals what will happen so that they may be strengthened

The Lord prays in Gethsemane and experiences extreme anguish for us

The betrayal by Judas and the chief priests

The previous high priest Annias interrogates the Lord, Caiaphas then assembles false witnesses and he is mocked and beaten. Peter denies the Lord three times

Good Friday The third interrogation before Pilate, The fourth with Herod,. The fifth with Pilate again. They reward evil for good.

The people call for his crucifixion, the soldiers beat him and place a crown of thorns on Him then beat him. He carries His Cross willingly for us to Golgotha

The Lord asks for the forgiveness of those who do not know what they are doing. The thief on the right is granted his request to be in the Lord’s Kingdom

Let’s praise His work for us, and repent of our sins. The church gathers in one voice to request forgiveness and to repent together

The Lord thirsts and cries out that it is finished and commits His Spirit to the Father. This is the price of our salvation, the extent of His love for us.

The veil of the temple is torn as no further sacrifice will be accepted. The earth quakes in response and his side is pierced.

He is taken down off the Cross and is buried

• The theme of this day focuses on how we should be prepared.

• In each gospel of the hours the Lord prepares his disciples for his suffering.

• In the First hour, he compares the cross to the grain of wheat that must die to rise again.

• In the Third, Sixth & Ninth He clearly explains how He must suffer, be killed and rise again.

• Leading to the Eleventh hour when the disciples react in fear – as when St. Peter is rebuked.

SUNDAY NIGHT: PREPARE FOR SUFFERING & SALVATION

• The theme of the first day of the Holy Pascha week is our fall and rise again. The story of our salvation from the beginning.

• It deals with images such as the fig tree, that Adam and Eve used it leaves to hide their sin, to warn us of hypocrisy.

• In the first hour’s gospel we get the cursing of the fig tree and condemnation of hypocrisy.

• Again the third hour condemns hypocrisy.

MONDAY: ECONOMY OF SALVATION

• The sixth hour sees Moses as type of Christ interceding for his people and deals with the need to be cleansed.

• The Ninth Hour shows us the true meaning of Wisdom and that ‘to fear God is the beginning of Wisdom’.

• The Eleventh hour in the homily of St. Shenouda warns us of the dangers of showing indifference to hypocrisy.

BACKUP

LAZARUS SATURDAY: LOCATION

HOLY WEEK: DANIEL’S PROPHECY

• The prophecies revealed to Daniel which containing the coming of Messiah are found in the book of Daniel chapter 9.

• Earlier in the book Daniel had been given

insights into a number of visions about the future of his nation and he understood and believed what had been revealed to Him by the Lord God.

• Daniel was deeply distressed and

concerned for the sins of his people and he prayed to the Lord God in deep humility with fasting, the wearing of sackcloth and ashes. He confessed the sins and shame of his people and prayed to the Lord God to have mercy on them.

HOLY WEEK: DANIEL’S PROPHECY

• Daniel was told that "from the command going forth to build Jerusalem until the cutting off (crucifixion) of Messiah there would be a total of "sixty-nine sevens". These "sevens" are called Heptads (weeks of years) and the time given to Daniel is a period of 483 years from the command until the Messiah would come and die.

• The decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem

was made by Artaxerxes Longimanus, King of Persia in the year BCE 445.

• Using the lunar year of 360 days per year it

was exactly 483 years to the time when Jesus of Nazareth made his public entry into Jerusalem in the week preceding the Passover in 30 AD and the week in which he was crucified.

SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA

• The readings here of the ninth and eleventh hour point us to the plan our Lord has for Israel to free them.

• 9th Hour: • Lam 1:1-4 • Zeph 3:11-20 • Psalm 8:2,3 • Matt 21:10-17 • 11th Hour: • Isaiah 48:12-22 • Nahum 1:2-8 • Psalm 8:2,1 • Matt 20:20-28

SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA: 9TH HR

• Lamentations 1:1-4 • The reading from

lamentations paints the picture of desolate and captive Israel in need of salvation:

•“How deserted lies the city, •once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave…”

SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA: 9TH HR

• Zephaniah 3:11-20 • Declares the Lords intention

for saving Israel by: 1. Taking away her sin 2. Ransoming her from the

hand of her enemies by Himself coming in her midst!

• Emmanuel Himself will

ransom her and take away her sin

SUNDAY OF HOLY PASCHA: 9TH HR

• Palm branches symbolize not only freedom, defiance and joy, but palm branches are also used in the feast of Tabernacles

• This feast commemorates

God being with the tribes of Israel in the desert for 40 years in the form of the pillar of fire and cloud o Unknowingly, the people were

welcoming our Lord as the one who came to Tabernacle with His people and to ransom them by His death

• But what was the significance of our Lord going straight to the temple on that day.

• The significance is shown in Exodus 12:

2-7:

• 2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.

• 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.

• …

• 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.

Sunday of Holy Pascha: 9th Hr

• As the True Lamb and Healer of the world they bought to Him those who had need of healing in the temple and He healed them: Matthew 21: 14-17

• 14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

• 16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

• “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”

• 17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Sunday of Holy Pascha: 9th Hr

• The prophecy of the eleventh hour from Isaiah the prophet talks about our Lord’s deliverance of Israel and his wrath on his enemies. It contains a very powerful testament to the Holy Trinity and to the Person and purpose of the Messiah.

• Isaiah 48:12-22: • 12 "Listen to me, O Jacob,

• Israel, whom I have called: • I am he; • I am the first and I am the last.

• 13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,

• and my right hand spread out the heavens; • when I summon them,

• they all stand up together.

Sunday of Holy Pascha: 11th Hr