Holy Tuesday
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Explanation of the Service
by Rev. Demetrios George Kalaris
On Tuesday evening the matins service of Holy Wednesday is chanted.
In this service the Church remembers the act of love of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus with precious oil. This act took place in the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany two days before the Passover. Although the woman was not aware of it, symbolically, she was preparing Christ for His burial. Jesus knew, without a spoken word from her, that she was repenting for her many sins and He said to her, “Thy sins are forgiven.” Judas, whose greed later led him to betray His Master, complained that this precious oil could have been sold for 300 dinars, instead of being wasted, as it was in this act of contrition. This third nymphios ritual is similar to the services of the two previous evenings. All the readings and chants warn us to beware of greed and love of money, which could corrupt even a disciple of Christ. If we allow greed and selfishness to dominate our lives, we, too, shall be betrayers of Christ as Judas was. On the other hand, if we repent with humility and contrition, as the sinful woman in today’s lesson, we shall he forgiven.
The principal troparion of the evening, the doxastikon" known as the Troparion of Cassiane, which is a solemn discourse on the sinful woman mentioned above, Was Written by the nun Cassiane in the year 859. Many misleading beliefs have been accepted by Christians regarding the life and works of this nun, especially concerning her personal relationship with the Emperor Theophilus about which we have no authentic information.
It is said that the troparion was a penitent hymn written by Cassiane because she considered herself as the sinful woman mentioned in the Scriptures. This is not true. Cassiane wrote the hymn after she had read the account of the sinful woman.
This troparion is dedicated to the woman whose example of repentance we are asked to follow. We are incited by the service of Holy Wednesday to seek forgiveness of our sins and to reconciliate ourselves with God from whose grace and favor we have fallen because of our disobedience and sinful life.
The Church instills this message in us especially during Holy Week so that we may carefully prepare ourselves for Holy Communion after self-examination, meditation and contrition, confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Holy Penance, changing our attitude toward life and receiving absolution.
On the morning of Holy Wednesday, the Liturgy of the Presanctified is celebrated for the last time during Lent. On the evening of Holy Wednesday, the Sacrament of Holy Unction, which has its origin in the pre-Christian era, is performed and administered.
During the age of mythology, oil was used as an antiseptic at various public baths to cure sores, heal wounds and for other body therapy.
Homer in his famous Odyssey tells us that the heroes of his time anointed themselves with oil. The renowned philosopher Plato stated that oil was a “help to alleviate pain.” In the Old Testament, we find that Isaiah lists oil among the important medicines.
The prophet Ezekiel mentions that when a Jew was born he was anointed with oil.
In the New Testament we see the good Samaritan carrying in his “first aid kit” oil and wine, as temporary medicines in an emergency. Our Lord and Savior instructed His apostles to anoint the sick and afflicted with oil. St. James in his epistle instructs the Christians to perform the Sacrament of Holy Unction, which Christ apparently instituted since it was known to be practiced by the apostles and the first Christians.
“Is any sick among you? Let him call the presbyters of the church; and let them pray over him, anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
(St. James 5, 14-15)
This sacred tradition is practiced by our Church today, not only for the sick, but for all Christians who need to be strengthened bodily, morally and spiritually. In the passage from the epistle of St. James, we see clearly that the purpose of the Sacrament of Holy Unction is primarily to remedy our ills and at the same time to absolve our sins.
The Roman Catholics call this sacrament Extreme Unction. They perform and administer it only as a last rite to those who are on their death bed. It is evident from studying the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition that this is in antithesis to the teaching of the Scriptures and the practice of the Church. This practice of administering the sacrament as a last rite is an innovation of the Roman Church introduced in the 12th century.
In the beginning, the sacrament was simple in form. One prayer was read invoking the consecration of the oil and water. In the 9th century, Archbishop of Corfu Arsenios wrote a series of troparia for the sacrament. The Patriarch of Constantinople Nikephoros II, in the 13th century, instructed that it be performed by seven priests as it was an ancient tradition. About this time, seven prayers, seven epistles and seven gospel readings were put in the service and the sacrament was conducted as it is today.
Its purpose is twofold. Primarily, Holy Unction remedies the infirmities of our body and, secondly, it cures our spiritual ills.
Through the most comforting Sacrament of Holy Unction, we receive the blessing, the power, the peace and serenity that accompanies us along life’s path so that we may be regenerated and alleviated from the trials and tribulations of life.
Hymns for this Service
TROPARIAN
Hymn of Kassiani
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Sheet Music
Western Notation
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Byzantine Notation
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Gospel Reading
John 12:17-50
At that time, the crowd that had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. The Pharisees then said to one another, "You see that you can do nothing; look, the world has gone after him."
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.
"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show by what death he was to die. The crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?" Jesus said to them, "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."
When Jesus had said this, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him; it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah again said, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to heal them." Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me."