The Epistle reading is from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 5:6-8
BRETHREN, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Cleanse out the
old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.
For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore,
celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and
evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (Galatians
3.13-14) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a
curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a
tree” – that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon
the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith.
Reading from the Synaxarion:
When Friday dawned, Christ was sent bound from Caiaphas to Pontius
Pilate, who was then Governor of Judea. Pilate interrogated Him in many
ways, and once and again acknowledged that He was innocent, but to
please the Jews, he later passed the sentence of death against Him.
After scourging the Lord of all as though He were a runaway slave, he
surrendered Him to be crucified.
Thus the Lord Jesus was handed over to the soldiers, was stripped of
His garments, was clothed in a purple robe, was crowned with a wreath
of thorns, had a reed placed in His hand as though it were a
sceptre, was bowed before in mockery, was spat upon, and was buffeted in
the face and on the head. Then they again clothed Him in His own
garments, and bearing the cross, He came to Golgotha, a place of
condemnation, and there, about the third hour, He was crucified between two
thieves. Although both blasphemed Him at the first, the thief at His right
hand repented, and said: “Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy
Kingdom,” to which our Saviour answered, “Today shalt thou be with Me in
Paradise.” As He hung upon the Cross, He was blasphemed by those who were
passing by, was mocked by the high priests, and by the soldiers was given
vinegar to drink mixed with gall. About the ninth hour, He cried out with
a loud voice, saying, “It is finished.” And the Lamb of God “Which
taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) expired on the day when
the moon was full, and at the hour when, according to the Law, was
slain the Passover lamb, which was established as a type of Him in the
time of Moses.
Even lifeless creation mourned the death of the Master, and it
trembled and was altered out of fear. Yet, even though the Maker of
creation was already dead, they pierced Him in His immaculate side, and
forthwith came there out Blood and Water. Finally, at about the setting of
the sun, Joseph of Arimathea came with Nicodemus (both of them had
been secret disciples of Jesus), and they took down the all-holy Body
of the Teacher from the Cross and anointed it with aromatic spices,
and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. When they had buried Him in a
new tomb, they rolled a great stone over its entrance.
Such are the dread and saving sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ
commemorated today, and in remembrance of them, we have received the Apostolic
commandment that a fast be observed every Friday.
Kontakion:
Come, let us all praise Him Who was crucified for us. Mary beheld Him
on the Tree and said, “Though You endure even the Cross, You are my
Son and my God.”
