Suggested Morning Prayers on Holy Wednesday

As we will not be offering the Presanctified Liturgy this morning, you are invited to add the following to your morning prayers:

Three-Ode Canon

Ode 3. Tone 2.

Irmos. O God, the husbandman of all good trees and fruit, make fruitful my barren mind in Thy compassion.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

It is the moment of the end: let us turn back, attentive to Christ's teaching. For He shall come in the twinkling of an eye; He shall come and shall not tarry, to judge His world.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

To show us how sudden will be His Coming, Christ spoke of the unforeseen destruction that overwhelmed the earth in the days of Noah.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The door of the bridal chamber is open; God's wedding feast has been prepared within; the Bridegroom is at hand and calls us. Let us then make ready.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The house of Simon contained Thee whom nothing can contain, O Jesus our King, and the woman who was a sinner anointed Thee with oil of myrrh.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The woman was filled with a mystical fragrance and was delivered from the stench of her many sins, O Saviour: for from Thee flows the myrrh of life.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

In loving self-abasement, O Christ, Thou hast eaten with men, although Thou art Thyself the heavenly food and the Life of those that hunger.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The ungrateful disciple turned traitor and denied Thee, O Christ; and taking the whole band of wicked men, he brought them to seize Thee.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

I worship Thee, O Son, with the Father and the Spirit of righteousness: I sing in praise of the one Nature, distinguishing the Persons but uniting the Essence.

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Ewe that bore Thee, O Jesus my God, Shepherd and Lamb, ever makes intercession for all those born on earth who believe in Thee.

Kathisma. Tone 1.

Lo, the evil council has gathered in hatred to condemn the Lord who sits on high as Judge of all. Herod and Pilate, Annas and Caiaphas now join together, to try Him who alone is longsuffering.

Ode 8. Tone 2.

Irmos. The Lord of old foreshadowed the miracle of the Virgin to Moses in the bush upon Mount Sinai: let us praise, bless and exalt Him above all forever.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Although Thou wast not ignorant of the time of our end, for Thou dost watch over all the ages, yet Thou hast said Thou knewest not that day; and so Thou hast set bounds to all men's knowledge, to keep them in humbleness of mind.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

When Thou sittest in judgement, like a shepherd dividing the sheep from the goats, as Thou hast said, then deprive us not, O Saviour, of a place at Thy divine right hand.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Christ, Thou art our Passover, sacrificed as Lamb and Victim on behalf of all; Thou art the propitiation for our sins; and we exalt Thy divine Passion above all forever.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

All thy life, my soul, is like a mill, a field, and a house: therefore acquire a heart ready for God, that the corruption of the flesh may not hold thee back.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Not only with Pharisees, O Saviour, not only with Simon wast Thou pleased to eat as guest; but publicans and harlots also share in Thy compassion.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

In his love for money the traitor Judas, when the ointment was poured out, took thought how he might sell the Master; and going to wicked men he agreed with them upon the price.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O blessed hands, O blessed hair and lips of the chaste harlot! With her hands, O Saviour, she poured out the ointment on Thy feet, and she wiped them with her hair, and kissed them often with her lips.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

As Thou was sitting at supper, O Word, a woman came to Thee; and, weeping at Thy feet, she took the alabaster box and poured the oil of myrrh upon Thy head, who art the myrrh of immortality.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

With the Father we glorify the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity one in Godhead, and we cry: Holy, holy, holy art Thou unto all ages.

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

At the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and of Thine apostles, O Saviour, send down Thy mercy on us in abundance and grant Thy peace to Thy people.

Ode 9. Tone 2.

Irmos. With faith let us magnify the only Theotokos, for in ways surpassing nature she has conceived within her womb, according to the flesh, the Word that outside time shone forth from the Father.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

It is the time for work: our aim is salvation. O my soul, take thy talent, the image that was given to thee of old, and by trading gain eternal life.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Let us prepare our souls like shining lamps, and when the Bride groom comes, let us enter with Him into the eternal marriage feast, before the door is shut.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Jesus, wishing to show Thy surpassing humility unto all, Thou who art food to the hungry hast eaten in the house of Simon.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Jesus, life-giving bread, Thou hast eaten with Simon the Pharisee, that the harlot might gain Thy grace that is beyond all price, by pouring out the ointment on Thy head.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

'My hands are filthy and I have a harlot's lips; my life is impure and my body corrupt; but release and forgive me', cried the harlot to Christ.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

The woman drew near to Thee, O Saviour, and poured out the sweet-smelling ointment on Thy feet; and she received the sweet fragrance of forgiveness.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

'Rich in sweet ·scents, yet poor in virtues, I offer Thee what I have: grant me in return what Thou hast, and release and forgive me', cried the harlot to Christ.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

'My oil of myrrh is corruptible, Thine is the myrrh of life, for Thy Name is myrrh poured out upon the worthy. But release and forgive me', cried the harlot to Christ.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou art without beginning, O Father; Thou art uncreated, O Son; Thou dost sit upon the same throne, O Spirit; Unity in Nature, Trinity in Persons, one true God.

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos, the hope of those that ever honour thee, cease not to pray to thy Son, that I may be delivered from danger and all manner of temptations.

Readings

Exodus 2:11-22

It came to pass in that length of days, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people, the children of Israel, and saw their forced labour. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, ‘Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?’

He answered, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’

When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Madiam. On entering the land of Madiam he sat down by a well. The priest of Madiam had seven daughters, who shepherded the flocks of the father Jethro. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father Jethro’s flock. But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defence and watered their flock.

When they returned to their father Jethro, he said, ‘How is it that you have come back so soon today?’

They said, ‘An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.’

He said to his daughters, ‘Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to eat bread.’

Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Sephora in marriage. She conceived and bore a son, and Moses named him Gershom; for he said, ‘I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.’ She conceived again and gave birth to a second son, and he called his name Eliezer, saying, ‘For the God of my father is my helper, and has delivered me from the hand of Pharaoh’.

Job 2:1-10

One day the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the devil also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to the devil, ‘Where have you come from?’

The devil answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down through the whole of it.’

The Lord said to the devil, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, an innocent, true, blameless man who fears God and turns away from every evil deed. He still persists in innocence, although you incited me to destroy his property for no reason.’

Then the devil answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will bless you to your face.’

The Lord said to the devil, ‘Very well, I hand him over to you; only spare his life.’

So the devil went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a potsherd with which to scrape away the discharge, and sat on the dung heap outside the city.

And after a long time had passed his wife said to him, ‘How long will you persist, saying, ‘See, I am waiting yet a little while, expecting the hope of my salvation’? For see, your memorial has been abolished from the earth: the sons and daughters, pangs and labours of my womb, which I bore in vain with sorrows; while you sit among the corruption of worms, spending the night under the open sky, and I am a wanderer and a servant, going round from place to place and from house to house, waiting for the sun to set, that I may rest from the sorrows and pains which now beset me. But speak a word against the Lord, and die’.

But he looked at her and said, ‘Why have you spoken thus, like one of the foolish women? If we have accepted good at the hand of God, shall we not accept bad?’

In all this Job did not sin with his lips before God.

Matthew 26:6-16

When Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar of very precious ointment and she poured it on his head as he sat at table.

When his disciples saw they were indignant and said, ‘Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.’

But Jesus, knowing, said to them, ‘Why are you making trouble for the woman? She has performed a good deed for me. For you always have the poor with you; you do not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it for my burial. Amen, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world what she has done will be told also in memory of her.’

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are willing to give me if I betray him to you?’ They settled with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from then on he was looking for an opportunity to betray him.

Troparion and Kontakion

Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom he finds watching; but unworthy is the one whom he finds slothful. Take care then, my soul, not to be overcome with sleep, lest you be given up to death, and be shut out of the kingdom; but rouse yourself and cry: Holy, holy, holy are you, O God; through the Mother of God, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

I have transgressed more than the harlot, O loving Lord, yet never have I offered Thee my flowing tears. But in silence I fall down before Thee and with love I kiss Thy most pure feet, beseeching Thee as Master to grant me remission of sins; and I cry to Thee, O Saviour: Deliver me from the filth of my works!