Presanctified Liturgy: Great and Holy Wednesday

 

Tone 1:  O Son of the Virgin, /

the harlot knew Thee to be God /

and she prayed to Thee lamenting, /

for she had committed sins worthy of  tears.  /

“Loose me from my debt”, she cried, “as I unloose my hair.  /

Show love to her who loves Thee, /

though rightly she deserves Thy hatred, /

and with the publicans I shall proclaim Thee, //

O Benefactor who lovest mankind.”

 

The harlot mingled precious oil of myrrh with her tears /

and poured it on Thy most pure feet, as she kissed them; /

and straightway Thou hast proclaimed her justified.  /

To us also grant forgiveness, //

O Lord who hast suffered for our sake, and save us.

 

While the sinful woman brought oil of myrrh, /

the disciple came to an agreement with the transgressors.  /

She rejoiced to pour out what was very precious, /

he made haste to sell the One who is above all price.  /

She acknowledged Christ as Lord, /

he severed himself from the Master.  /

She was set free, but Judas became the slave of the enemy.  /

Grievous was his lack of love!  /

Great was her repentance!  /

Grant such repentance also unto me, //

O Savior who hast suffered for our sake, and save us.

 

O misery of Judas!  /

He saw the harlot kiss Thy feet, /

and deceitfully he plotted to betray Thee with a kiss.  /

She loosed her hair and he was bound a prisoner by fury, /

bearing in place of myrrh the stink of evil: /

for envy knows not how to choose its own advantage.  /

O misery of Judas!  //

From this deliver our souls, O God.

 

Tone 2: The sinful woman hastened to buy precious oil of myrrh, /

with which to anoint the Benefactor, /

and she cried aloud to the merchant: /

“Give me oil of myrrh that I may anoint Him //

who has cleansed me from all my sins.

 

Tone 6: Drowning in sin, she found in Thee a haven of salvation, /

and pouring out the oil of myrrh with her tears, she cried to Thee: /

“Lo, Thou art He who accepts the repentance of the sinful.  //

O Master, save me from the waves of sin in Thy great mercy.”

 

Today Christ comes to the house of the Pharisee, /

and the sinful woman draws near and falls down at His feet, crying: /

“Behold me sunk in sin, /

filled with despair by reason of my deeds, /

yet not rejected by Thy love.  /

Grant me, Lord, remission of my sins, and save me.”

 

The harlot spread out her hair before Thee, O Master, /

while Judas stretched out his hands to the transgressors: /

she, to receive forgiveness; and he, to receive money.  /

Therefore we cry aloud to Thee //

who wast sold and hast set us free: O Lord, glory to Thee.

 

Evil-smelling and defiled, the woman drew near to Thee, /

shedding tears upon Thy feet, O Savior, /

and proclaiming Thy Passion.  /

“How can I look upon Thee, O Master?  /

Yet Thou hast come to save the harlot.  /

I am dead: raise me from the depths, /

as Thou has raised Lazarus on the fourth day from the tomb.  /

Accept me in my wretchedness, //

O Lord, and save me.”

 

Full of despair on account of her life, /

her evil ways well known, /

she came to Thee, bearing oil of myrrh, and cried aloud: /

“Harlot though I am, cast me not out, O Son of the Virgin; /

despise not my tears, O Joy of the angels; /

but receive me in repentance, O Lord, //

and in Thy great mercy reject me not, a sinner.”

 

Glory… Both now… Tone 8:  The woman who had fallen into many sins, /

perceiving Thy divinity, O Lord, /

fulfilled the part of a myrrh-bearer; /

and with lamentations she brought sweet-smelling oil of myrrh to Thee /

before Thy burial.  /

“Woe is me”, she said, “for night surrounds me, dark and moonless, /

and stings my lustful passion with the love of sin.  /

Accept the fountain of my tears, /

O Thou who drawest down from the clouds the waters of the sea.  /

Incline to the groanings of my heart, /

O Thou who in Thine ineffable self-emptying /

hast bowed down the heavens.  /

I shall kiss Thy most pure feet and wipe them with the hairs of my head, /

those feet whose sound Eve heard at dusk in Paradise, and hid herself for fear.  /

Who can search out the multitude of my sins /

and the abyss of Thy judgments, O Savior of my soul?  /

Despise me not, Thine handmaiden, //

for Thou hast mercy without measure.”

 

Prokimena and Old Testament Readings

 

Tone 4:

O give thanks unto the God of heaven; / for His mercy endureth for ever.

 

Stichos: O give thanks unto the God of gods; for His mercy endureth forever.

 

Reading: Exodus 2:11-22.

 

Tone 4:

O Lord, Thy mercy endureth for ever; / disdain not the work of Thy hands.

 

Stichos: I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; and before angels will I chant unto Thee.

 

Reading: Job 2:1-10.

 

Gospel: Matthew 26:6-16.

 

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