In the week of love, the week when the bridegroom gave a precious wedding gift, His blood, and took His bride, the church, to Him on the cross. She was a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5). He had to suffer to draw His church to Him and flee with it from the world to His eternal kingdom. Thus, Christ laid the basis of union with Him, suffering. It is suffering alone that draws us to Him and unites us with Him. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself”. The cross of Christ was the only power that could attract people to His heart and divine life. From that hour, the cup of suffering became the cup of fellowship with the Lord, and the time of pain became a time of stability.
Palm Sunday:
It fell on the tenth day of the month of Nissan when the shepherds drove their flocks to the temple markets so that every head of a family could choose a Passover evening of the fourteenth day of the month. (Ex 12:1-14). Thus, “the Lamb came with the lambs” ; “the Lamb” was among the Passover lambs. He was not led by a shepherd to be sold, but was led to the slaughter by His everlasting love!
The Lord entered Jerusalem and the whole city was shaken. He entered it in a humility it could not endure and so the foundations of evil in it were shaken. When Christ enters the heard, he shakes it. When He wants to embrace me and I do not want Him, He enters humbly and shakes it. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place… unless you repent” (Rev. 2:5). Grant, Lord, that I may greet you with palm branches. Purify my heart, the holy of holies of my life. Grant that I may offer You my life a pleasing fragrance to You, like the aroma of the olive branches. Grant that I may despise the world and all that is in it, that I may place them at Your feet, that You may walk on them as You did on the clothes they spread in the way. Lord, make a new whip to cleanse my heart and Your temple after I have made it a noisy den.
The day You entered Jerusalem, Lord, was a day of meekness and humility. (He rode an ass and a mule). It was a day of repentance, of purification and cleansing; (He drove the buyers and sellers form the temple). It was a day of despising the world and of freedom from all its lusts; (they spread their clothes in His path). It was a day of consecration, worship, and love; (the palm and olive branches).
“Your love made you descend from Your chariot to the naked ass. Instead of the innumerable hosts of the Cherubim, You are carried by a humble ass from our village. Your mercies made you leave the throne and the luminous and radiant faces and now the son of an ass honors You”. St. Yacoub Al Serougy
Monday of the Paskha:
The Lord returned to Jerusalem on Monday morning after having spent the night in Bethania. On His way to Jerusalem, He saw a leafy fig tree, but when He approached it He found no fruit and it deserved to be cursed immediately. You cursed it, Lord, not only because it had no fruit, but because it was full of broad green leaves. How You hate hypocrisy, You who examines the heart and tests the kidneys.
You then remembered, Lord, our father Adam when he tried to hide his nakedness with the same leaves and was only covered by the work of Your hands when You made clothes of skin for him. Nothing can cover your nakedness, O my soul, except the blood of the slain Lamb. Draw near to Him, O my soul, without deception or hypocrisy so that He sanctifies you. He does not see your attractive appearance that people see, but tests your heart. “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard, hold fast and repent” (Rev. 3:1-4).
Tuesday of the Paskha:
This is the Lord’s third day in Jerusalem and in the temple talking with the scribes and Pharisees in parables about the Kingdom of heaven and the end of the world. (Mt. 24:24). At the end of this day, the Lord announced to His disciples, “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified” (Mt. 26:2). To You be the power, the glory, the honor, and the blessing for ever and ever my Lord Jesus Christ, my righteous Savior. You, O Lord, are the King of glory, the God of all. On Your cross and in Your suffering, You are King and God. “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (the Psalm of the eleventh hour of Tuesday).
Wednesday of the Paskha:
The Lord had to separate the wheat from the chaff. Judas went to plot with the chief priests while the woman anointed Him. The disciple sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver and the sinful women anointed His feet with three hundred dinars. Judas betrayed and pursed the desires of his heart, while the woman kissed His feet and pursued the wealth of His love.
You were wounded, O Lord, in the house of Your beloved. While she comforted Your heart with her love, the world cried out “Why this waste?” You declared that she had poured the fragrance for the day of Your burial. The world says it is a waste and a loss, but the Master announces that it is to preserve and keep.
Lord, can my life and the drops of love comfort Your heart from the pain of betrayal. Accept it please and do not reject it. Cleanse it an accept it. Sanctify it first and then accept it as the outpouring of my love for You.
Passover Thursday:
- It is the Thursday of the New Covenant, the covenant of love
- The lord orders two of His disciples to prepare the Passover in St. Mark’s upper chamber.
- The Lord and the disciples go to the upper room where they are to eat the Passover, and on they way the disciples argue as to who is greatest,
- He eats supper with them; he washes their feet. “One of you will betray Me. Peter, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times”.
- They sing hymns and go to the Mount of Olives.
- In the garden, He struggles with all the human suffering that He bears in His body. His sweat falls like drops of blood.
- An angel appears to strengthen Him.
- They arrest Christ.
The washing of feet was the work of slaves; the masters would sit and the host’s slave would come forward and wash each guest’s feet.
It was enough, Lord, that You took our weak human form, but You also humbled Yourself and did the work of a slave.
They were arguing about who was the greatest and He gave them the answer. “If I who am Lord and Master have washed your feet, you must wash each others feet”. My beloved Lord, I tremble to see You wash the feet of my friends. I watch from afar and say I will not allow Him to wash my feet when He comes to me. I will not let You do this, my Lord and Master.
- You will never wash my feet.
- Why my son? Do you fear for Me or for yourself? Beware of wanting glory for yourself.
- Lord, how can You who are God wash my feet?
- My son, your accepting that I should wash your feet means your accepting to wash the feet of your brothers. Do you now understand why you refused that I should wash your feet? You want to assert my Lordship so that you can lord it over your brothers. If I do not wash your feet, you have no part in Me, also if you do not wash your brothers’ feet. My son, my Lordship derives from my emptying Myself of My glory; it comes from my humility. My kingdom comes with my crucifixion. Do you now accept?
- My beloved Lord, I would willing be crucified with You; I would willingly hand on the cross with You, but I cannot wash my brothers’ feet.
- How strange you are, my son! What does My cross mean? You want them to point to you, to know you, but I want you here in the obscurity of humility at your brothers’ feet where no one can see you, I accepted My cross and laid it at your feet, washing them and drying them… My Savior, grant me this service of washing my brothers’ feet.
Take, eat:
We sat in great shame, watching Him as He dried His hands and removed the towel. We tried to sit away from Him, but He wanted us around Him. He did not speak. He took bread, looked to heaven, broke the bread and gave it to us. “Take, take, eat, this is My body that is broken for you and for many; take, eat”.
My Lord, I am perplexed. I hear You say this is My broken body and I look and see that You are alive among us. I tell myself this is bread, but I heard You say this is My body which is broken for you. Lord, I will take from Your hands and eat; I will always take Your broken body, the Bread of Life. I do not understand but I feel Your life flowing in Your cup, my Lord. You took it and blessed it and gave it to me saying, “Take, drink of it all for it is My blood of the New Testament, a testament of love and forgiveness”.
O my Lord, what can I say? You are within me. I feel the warmth of Your love and the current of Your life. I listen to Your voice and pray. I am yours; are you Mine? I hear Your voice say I love you; do you love Me? I touch You, Lord, and take You to me. You break Your body and give me and Your blood You shed and give me to drink.
How sweet your love is!