Explanation of the readings of the day.
The readings of this day refer to four points that were linked together in the Gospels, on the path of suffering of the cross.
- The conspiracies of people and rulers against Christ
- God’s proclamation of His Godly and eternal measures which sought His glory in the cross
- Betrayal of man
- Glory to man’s love for Christ
In the readings, we also see a detailed description of these four aspects in the five hours.
- We see the conspiracies of the people and rulers in the following points:
- Hypocrisy as shown in Proverbs of the 3rd hour: because they live on the bread of hypocrisy.
- Evil lips as described in Proverbs (3rd hour): put perverse lips far from you.
- The hardening of the heart that God lets due to their stubbornness as presented in Exodus (6th hour): the Lordhardened the heart of Pharaoh.
- The enslavement to form rather than substance as revealed in Isaiah (6th hour): those ‘who swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, butnot in truth or in righteousness’.
- The lack of fear of God in them as explained in Proverbs (9th hour): and they participated in murderers… Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.
- The absence of truth and justice and the abundance of injustice as illustrated in Isaiah (9th hour): one calls for justice, nor does anyplead for truth.
- Not staying awake and vigilant as revealed in Isaiah (11th hour): When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.
- We see in God’s plan that:
- He healed us by his death and resurrection and gave us the grace of healing from every pain we go through as shown in Hosea’s book (1st book): After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. This is also described in the Wisdom of Sirach (1st hour): Prepare your soul for temptation…Because gold is tested in fire.
- He reveals the plots of those who oppose his glory and declares his will through unfaithful leaders as explained in Psalms (1st hour): The Lordbrings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect
- He interferes in the path of His people in the world to protect them, guide them and lead them by day and night as presented in Exodus (3rd hour): God did not lead them byway of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds… And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light.
- His glory and dominion are revealed to those who resist as revealed in Exodus (6th hour): I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen
- As he proclaims to his elect, explained in Isaiah (6th hour): Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you.
- He does not leave His people to perish, but saves them with His righteousness as illustrated in Isaiah (9th hour): For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head.
- He accepts the offerings of pure love for his children as shown in Gospel of the 11th hour: Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me…For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she didit for My
- He lays the cornerstone of His salvation in His Holy Church as written in Isaiah (11th hour): Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.
- We see the human betrayal in the following points:
- Complaining as seen in Exodus (1st hour) and Numbers (9th hour): Whyis it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?
- Hypocrisy, absence of the fear of God, and dishonesty of the heart as shown in Sirach (1st hour): Do not disobey the fear of the Lord and do not approach Him with two hearts…Keep watch over your lips.
- Refusing the heavenly light as presented in Sirach (3rd hour): (Weep for the dead,for they have left the light behind.
- Sticking to the ground as revealed in Job (3rd hour): Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up clothing like clay.
- Not being conservative in the heart as illustrated in Proverbs (3rd hour): Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of itspring the issues of Put away from you a deceitful mouth.
- Hypocrisy and malice as described in Psalm (3rd hour): he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself.
- Satan enters as shown in the Gospel of the 3rd hour: Then Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot.
- Satan makes man cruel and not merciful as shown in Isaiah (6th hour): Because I knew that youwere [a]obstinate, and your neck was an iron sinew, and your brow bronze.
- For this reason, man’s sin doubled as shown in Sirach (6th hour): if they neglect their obligation, the sin is doubly great.
- Man’s neglect appears in his underestimation of sin as seen in the Gospel of the 6th hour: because he was a thief andhad the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
- The love of silver as presented in Proverbs (9th hour): We shall find allkinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse.
- Even to the extent of the shedding of blood as explained in Isaiah (9th hours): Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood.
- This, at the lowest prices as seen in Zechariah (9th hour): theyweighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
- With the hypocrisy of speech as seen in Psalm (9th hour): And if he comes to see us, he speaks in vain. His heart gathered lawlessness to itself.
- Man also agreed upon evil described in the Gospel of the 9th hour: Judas agreed to evil when he asked the chief priests ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’
- We are glorified for love in:
- Relying on God with all our heart, a life of piety and giving, and craving for divine wisdom is better than everything that is present as described in Proverbs (1st hour): Trust in the Lord with all your heart… and depart from evil… more honorable to God than your labors… Happy is the man who finds wisdom.
- The fear of God that overflows with the glory of His knowledge as explained in Sirach (1st hour): To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… She rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension, and she heightened the glory of those who held her fast.
- God places upon this person a crown of grace and a crown of joy as illustrated in Proverbs (3rd hour): she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your headan ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.
- His heart does not stop glorifying the Lord and praising Him, the praise of salvation as presented in Exodus (6th hour): I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously.
- The giving of his love does not stop at the precious and the most precious as illustrated in the Gospel of the 6th hour: Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus.
- There shall be no limits to his fidelity as seen in Genesis (9th hour): So Abraham saidto the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had “I entrust all his money to me..”
- The Lord makes his remembrance in every time and place as portrayed in the Gospel of the 9th hour: Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
- To the greatness of his or her faith as presented in Isaiah (11th hour): Donot fear, for you will not be ashamed.
- Extent his cry or need as revealed in Psalms (11th hour): turn not Your face from Your child for I am afflicted; hear me speedily.
Inspired by the readings on Wednesday:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” Gospel of the eleventh hour
This verse was said about the elevation of the Lord on the cross. However, it can also be interpreted as a rule for the life of God’s children on earth as well as the radiance of service, care and leadership in the Church. The verse represents us when we rise above earthly matters and worldly thoughts and people around us notice this, not only in our preaching but primarily in the way we lead life and interact with others. In this way, service and care become an attractive force for those who serve heaven. As the light of Christ shines brighter in us, it also shines brighter through us and it (the light) attracts others without words, capabilities or achievements. It attracts others in ways they will never forget; it touches them and this influence becomes engraved in their hearts more than any recorded sermon they will ever listen to. The strange thing is that this effect extends even beyond death as written in Hebrews 11:4 ‘and through it he being dead still speaks’. In this way, the biography of Father Anthony still touches the hearts of many all over the world and attracts them to Christianity (the most famous of which is Saint Augustine).
The first hour of Wednesday
We see in the readings of this hour:
The danger of tempting God and our doubt in His presence. (The book of Exodus).
We see the great benefit and blessing of His testing of our faith for our recommendation (the Proverbs of Solomon, Hosea and Joshua ben Sirach).
And God’s economy is above the thoughts and intrigues of superiors (Psalms and gospels).
Prophecy
The book of Exodus (Exodus17: 1-7)
The book of Exodus begins with the sin of complaining (like Judas) and the people’s opposition to Moses and their doubt of His divine presence in their midst:
“and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
Therefore the people contended with Moses
And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
[Father Caesarius (ARL) says that the people here thirsted for water and did not thirst for justice (righteousness), makes a comparison between the thirst of the righteous for God and the thirst of sinners for the world and cites the verse that says “My soul thirsts for God,for the livingGod,” so he says that if people do not thirst for God, their thirst will continue even if they drink water (the world).
He also adds here that the rock with the water inside here is Christ ,Glory be to Him, and just as it needed to be struck with the rod of Moses in order for a spring of water to come out of it, so also Christ , glory be to Him, when H wase hung on the cross and through His sufferings (like Moses ‘ rod that hit the Rock) blood and water came out and he cites the verse that says “He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
St. Ambrosius says that it is not strange or impossible for a rock to bring out water, for a virgin to give birth, and for water to have a fence or wall (for the people to cross)] [2]
The Proverbs of Solomon
And in the proverbs of Solomon we see the blessing of giving, and the love of God is greater than all material treasures (like the woman who poured the fragrant oil.
“Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.”
It also proclaims the purpose of God’s economy of the chastenings of love:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”
Hosea
As we also see this in Hosea’s prophecy:
“Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.”
The prophecy also proclaims the glory of His knowledge in His death and resurrection:
” After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.
Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Joshua ben Sirach
We also see the glory of His knowledge in the prophecy of Joshua ben Sirach, “the arch of wisdom is the fear of the lord, it was created in the womb with believers, it overflows understanding, knowledge, discernment and teaches the glory of those who possess it”.
As it also shows the purpose of God’s love chastenings, ” My son, if you come into the service of the Lord, prepare yourself for trials, for gold is examined in the fire, and sick people are examined in the depths of humility, O pious of the Lord, wait for His mercy”.
It also warns against underestimation and betrayal, like Judas, “be careful that your lips do not rise up, lest you fall, and you will bring upon yourself a weakness, and the Lord will reveal your secrets”.
Psalms
The psalm talks about how God adjusts the intrigues of superiors in favor of His economy and will:
“That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.”
The link between the psalm and the Gospel (father Luke cedarus)[3]
That You may be found just when You speak
Jesus did not suffer by accident, but He intended to suffer in the place of sinners from the very beginning. He did not submit to the death sentence issued by an earthly authority or a world authority, but descended from the bosom of the father submissive and obedient to His will. This is the judgment that the High Priest Caiaphas speaks of-and he does not know-that Christ should die as a representative of the whole world،
This very judgment is the voice of the righteous Father, who gave His only begotten Son away for the world, containing the whole world in His love. And when Jesus accepted this judgment, He accepted it from the Father, saying That You may be found just when You speak”
“that is, the statements of the divine judgment are just and good,” Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”(Romans 7: 12).
And blameless when You judge.
This is a prophecy that when Christ is judged, He prevails, because there is no sin on Him “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8: 46). But this one who prevails,was overcome by His compassion and put himself in the position of sinners to suffer in stead of them.
The Lord divides the conspiracies of nations. The ideas of peoples are squandered…
The Gospel of this hour says, “Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews,” (John 11: 53– 54). It was on this day when they consulted on Him that He went and stayed in Bethany all day.
The Lord has special ways in the face of evil, higher than human thought. The Lord recommends to his children, ” love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,” (Matthew 5: 44). This is a way for the strong to dispel the conspiracy of the weak, to make weakness greater than strength. The Lord may seem weak when He goes from the face of those who are looking for Him to catch Him, He goes to Bethany and hides there, but this is the narrow path that breaks man’s pride in not resisting evil.
Christian love is the most powerful weapon against Satan’s conspiracy, which he works in secret.
The gospel
And this is what we also see in the Gospel how God uses the gift of His talent to evil leaders for the benefit of His will and how not to take it from them, despite their dishonesty. if the High Priest can predict, God allows him to do so, despite his dishonesty:
“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”
Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.”
Strangely enough, the psalm says that ” the Lord divides the conspiracy of nations” and the gospel says that “He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.””, the Lord gathers His scattered children and separates the gatherings of evil.
According to Archdeacon Banoub Abdo, “the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council” :
[The historian Josephus says that since the days of Herod the great, the leadership of the priesthood according to the law did not remain in the House of Aaron (Ex 28), but moved from it because of the disorder of the conditions of the Jews, and the president did not remain so until he died, but stayed until some time, and then was removed.
The Romans were helping this chaos so that from Herod the great to the ruin of Jerusalem, twenty-eight people took the leadership in about 107 years, and Caiaphas’ leadership took eleven years, and every high priest sat in the Great Council all his life, even if he was deposed. It was said that the phrase “high priests” here refers to the heads of the twenty – four divisions into which the priests were divided] (Archdeacon Abanob Abdo) [4].
The third hour on Wednesday
We see in the readings of this hour:
God’s economy and His visitation in the fullness of time. (The book of Exodus).
The danger of betrayal and humiliation (Joshua ben Sirach, the Proverbs of Solomon, the psalm and the gospel).
And the love of silver (Job).
Prophecies
The book of Exodus (Ex 13: 17)- etc
We see in this prophecy how God visited His people in ancient times and brought them out of the land of Egypt and saved them from Pharaoh’s slavery as a symbol of the cross and the salvation of mankind in the New Testament from the power of the devil and His constant divine presence with them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
We also see how honest and holy are the men of God, who do not even want their bones to be buried in a strange land: “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”…
” And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.
He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”
Joshua ben Sirach
This prophecy speaks of Judas and calls him a fool (this word was repeated eight times), other times it calls him ignorant or dead:
Who would discipline a fool as if he were sticking a piece on a piece.
The one who speaks with the fool is the one who speaks with the sleepy.
And cry over a fool because he left politeness.
A fool’s life is worse than his death.
And whining at the fool and hypocrite all the days of his life.
Don’t talk too much to the fool.
What is heavier than lead and whose name is also nothing but a fool.
And the thought of the Fool does not subside in front of every terror.
Job
This prophecy warns against the love of silver and money (like Judas) that drives man to destruction:
“Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay…
He builds his house like a moth, Like a booth which a watchman makes…
Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.”
The Proverbs of Solomon
This prophecy proclaims the glory of those who loved God (such as the woman who poured the fragrant oil) and the end of those who betrayed and were hypocritical (such as Judas):
“But accept him and love him, so that he may keep you, and he will take you up with his generosity, and embrace you, and give you a crown of Grace on your head, and support you with a wreath of joy.”
As if the woman who poured the fragrant oil on the head of the Lord deserved to be crowned with grace and pleasure:
“Turn away because they do not sleep until they do evil and the light is removed from them and they do not rest because they live on the bread of hypocrisy and get drunk from the wine of sin the ways of the righteous light up like light, they walk bright until the day is full, but the ways of sinners are dark and they do not know how to stumble”.
As we see:
In the second prophecy (Joshua ben Sirach) weeping for the dead and the ignorant because he left the light.
And in the third prophecy (Job) that darkness takes him at night.
In the fourth prophecy (the Proverbs of Solomon) it is explained that the ways of sinners are dark while the ways of the righteous are bright.
Psalms
“And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself; When he goes out, he tells it.
Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.”
The psalm explains the betrayal of Judas in the accumulation of sin in his heart and the falsity of his words, and that his words about the poor and needy were not about understanding and feeling for them, but about his interest in stealing the box.
The link between the psalm and the Gospel (Luke Cedarus)[5]
And if he comes to see me
The offending Judas was reckoned with the twelve, but the psalm of this hour revealed his secret and exposed his sin. The Lord Himself entered him, opened His heart to him, and made him one of all the disciples.
Judas was at liberty and had to “go in and out and find pasture”.
But the psalm says: he was going in to look… he was not going to live and love the Lord and unite with Him… he was like a spectator looking at the Lord, but he was looking in a bad way. Although the Lord knows his heart and his betrayal, but He did not prevent him from entering and leaving.
A superior knowledge of Christ is not theoretical knowledge… it is not words and information, but a real entry into depth and union with Christ.
He speaks lies
Judas Iscariot in the midst of the disciples speaks the words of the disciples, but outside he speaks poorly. He has the image of godliness, but he speaks the words of Satan himself.
His heart gathers iniquity to itself;
Even if he consults, conspires and harbors evil, he collects evil for himself… he who surrenders himself to Satan goes wrong to himself only. Judas thought to offend the Lord, but he offended himself and gathered sin into his heart.
Blessed is he who considers the poor
There is a more serious thing that this part of the psalm reveals, that Judas was superficial in knowing the Lord, and he did not understand about Him, but did not mean about the Lord’s matters, because Satan filled his heart.
And the Lord Jesus is that poor and destitute, who took the form of a slave and became poor for our sake.
But blessed is he who understands in his matter, knows and realizes the secret of His becoming poor, “and he is rich,” as the Lord said through the mouth of Isaiah the Prophet, ” O blind man, look to see”.
“Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the Lord’s servant?
Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”
The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; ”
(Isaiah 42: 18-21).
The Lord knew the thoughts of Judas, but He was silent as if He did not know… He knew his entry and exit as if He did not look, and He heard their conspiracies that were hidden as if He did not hear like a deaf person… blessed is he who understands this matter, he gets himself Salvation.
The gospel (Luke 22:1-14)
The gospel concludes with the betrayal of Judas, his contempt and the love of silver, which prompted him to sell his master at the cheapest price:
” Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.”
Note: the soldiers mentioned here are the soldiers of the temple, about whom God says in the book of numbers, “From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
(Numbers 4: 23) (Archdeacon panop Abdo) [6]
The sixth hour on Wednesday
The readings of this hour speak of:
The Divine economy of what the church goes through is as in the cross. (The book of Exodus).
And warn the wicked before they fall. (Isaiah the Prophet).
And the danger of underestimating sin, as it happened with Judas. Joshua ben Sirach
And how the enemies conspire against the church as they did with the son of God. (Psalm).
The richness of the glory of God’s love for Man and God’s reward. (The Bible).
Prophecies
Exodus (Ex14: 15-17, 31)
This prophecy speaks of God’s economy of His people and His church at the time of the tribulation, if pharaoh and his soldiers conspired against Moses the prophet and the people of God, as the Jews and Romans conspired against Jesus the Crucified, but the prophecy shows that everything that happened was before His knowledge and how God turned everything to great salvation by crossing the Red Sea:
“And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.
so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.”
Isaiah the Prophet
Here the Lord warns the wicked before their fall, as He did with Judas, who had the form of consecration but without the essence:
“Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the Lord, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness;
For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel;
Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze,
Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you”
Joshua ben Sirach
This prophecy speaks of Judas, who did not repent and the essence of his sin was ignorance and underestimation until he deserved to be cursed:
“A man who swears a lot is filled with sin and does not let go of the whip of his house, and if he repents, the sin of his heart is forgiven, and if he ignores, his sin is doubled, and if he made a false oath he is not justified, and his house is full of defects … then you would like as if you were not born and curse the day you were born”.
Psalm (Ps 83: 2, 5)
“For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head.
For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You:”
The psalm reveals the intrigues of the heads of the Jews with the Romans against the son of God.
The link between the psalm and the Gospel (Luke Cedarus) [7]
For behold, Your enemies make a tumult
The conspiracies were carried out quickly in the corridors of the temple and were planned in the middle of the day, but in the hours of darkness that hung over the hearts and minds of the chief priests… those who had made themselves enemies of the Lord. However, there are also enemies of the Lord in the center of the feast and among those who lean against Him and those who sit around Him.
The enemies of the Lord cannot bear to see a feast made, or fragrant oil poured at the feet of the Lord, or a head bent down to wipe His feet with her hair… the enemies cannot bear these feelings of love and they cry out “why this waste?”.
For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You:
While the chiefs gathered in their place pledging the Lord’s death, Judas sat among those leaning around Jesus at the feast. but where was his heart?.. His heart was with the conspirators!!
Many are sitting around the Lord,but where are their hearts? This is what the priest chants in the ears of those around the Lord at liturgy, so that someone’s heart is not occupied with the world.
The gospel (John 12: 1-8)
The gospel reveals about the loving souls of Christ, His glory and how the woman gave her greatest of what she had, if we compare the value of this fragrant oil (three hundred dinars) with the parable of laborers (Matthew 20)
We know that the worker’s wage per day was a dinar, and if we calculate his wage per year after deleting the holidays, we will find it within three hundred dinars, that is, the woman provided well with a full year’s work wage (in today’s calculations from ten to fifteen thousand pounds).
Therefore, the Lord praised the woman not for the high value of her offering, but for the greatness of love in her, that is, the Lord values love and appreciates it, as happened in the repentance of a sinful woman (Luke 7: 36-50) and as he said to His disciples that love is the main entrance to the revelation of the Trinity in us, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” (John 14: 23)
And the Lord rewarded her by making this fragrant oil to shroud Him, so how great the honor and reward for her offering are by making mention of her offering in the gospel throughout the world:
“Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil……
But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.”
The Gospel also reveals Judas ‘ hypocrisy and his arguments with the poor in order to steal the value of fragrant oil:
“Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,
“Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.”
Note: the word “house” is repeated in the readings of this hour:
The House of Jacob, which adheres to form without essence. (Isaiah the Prophet).
The House of a man with a lot of swearing who does not leave the whip, his house is filled with disasters. Joshua ben Sirach.
Bethany, where the Lord was resting. (The Bible).
The house was filled with a pleasant aroma and the Lord praised her. (The Bible).
Ninth hour on Wednesday
The readings of this hour are going in the same direction as the readings on Wednesday:
They speak of the betrayal of Judas. (Book of numbers, proverbs of Solomon, Zechariah the Prophet, Psalm, gospel).
And the love and faithfulness of the woman (Genesis, proverbs of Solomon, the gospel).
And the resistance of the superiors (the Book of Numbers, Isaiah the Prophet).
And God’s economy for salvation (Isaiah, Zechariah, the gospel).
Prophecies
Genesis ( 24: 1-9)
This reading talks about the commandment of our father Abraham to his servant, the head of his house, about which the book says about all his money, as if the reading makes a comparison between him and Judah, between a slave to a human master and a messenger and a disciple of the Lord God, and how the slave kept his master’s money for his son, and how the disciple sold his master for the value of a slave:
“Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh,
and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth,
So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.”
The Book of Numbers (Numbers 20: 1-13)
This reading reveals the repeated complaining of God’s people throughout their journey in the wilderness, even after they have experienced many signs and super heavenly care, which is a reference to the resistance of Jews and superiors to the Lord despite seeing his super divine works:
“And Miriam died there and was buried there.
Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron.
And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?”
The Proverbs of Solomon
This reading speaks of the betrayal of Judas by agreeing with the leaders of the Jews to hand over the Righteous to death unjustly:
” Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;
Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”
The prophecy also speaks of praising the woman in her wisdom and her love for the Lord before the cross to shroud Him with the fragrant oil, which the Lord praised and made her to be praised everywhere:
” Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.
She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.”
Isaiah the Prophet
This prophecy describes the state of mankind before salvation and how everyone was oppressed, corrupted and destitute by the glory of God:
“Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands.
Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood
We look for justice, but there is none; For salvation, but it is far from us…
For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them:
In transgressing and lying against the Lord, And departing from our God, ”
She also describes how only the Lord is able to save us and who saved us with His divine righteousness:
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save;
Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice.
He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; ”
Zechariah the Prophet
This prophecy reveals the price that the traitor Judas received, how impressive and accurate the prophecies are that describe the Lord’s sufferings and what happened in detail at that time, as if their authors were eyewitnesses:
“If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”–that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.”
Psalms
Part of this psalm is repeated at the third hour, but here the reference is mostly to Judas ‘ alliance with the Jewish leaders،
But in the psalm of the third hour, the reference is more to the greatness of giving as a sign of a woman who poured the fragrant oil.
“My enemies speak evil of me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”
And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself; When he goes out, he tells it.”
The link between the psalm and the Gospel (father Luke Cedarus)[8]
My enemies speak evil of me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”
At this hour the prophecy of the psalm was fulfilled to the letter, as the chief priests, scribes and elders of the people gathered in the House of the high priest named Caiaphas and consulted in order to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him., but they said : “But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” (Matt 26: 5).
He speaks lies
When the woman poured out the fragrant oil, Judas spoke as if he pitied the poor and loved the works of mercy, and in fact he was a thief, a lover of money and indifferent to the poor. Falsehood often takes the form of truth, but it will inevitably be revealed one day .
Meditation on the repetition of the pouring of fragrant oil on this day:
Do you not see it as your duty as a lover of Christ on the day of consultation on his murder to pour out the fragrant oil of your life at the feet of the savior, to reveal the purity of heart and sincerity to the Savior?
Compare between the false words of Judas with the true, working faith in love praised by Jesus Christ: ” My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.(1John 3: 18).
The gospel (Matt 26: 29-36).
The gospel closes with the great love of a woman, the great betrayal of the disciple and the great conspiracy of the Jewish leaders:
“Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.”
I tell you that wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, it is also told of what this woman has done in memorial to her.
Then, one of the twelve disciples, who claims to be Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said to them,”what have you given me, I will hand it over to you”.
Thirty pieces of silver:
A shekel of silver is worth thirteen and a half piastres, so the total sum of what Judah took is four pounds and five piastres.
Thirty pieces of silver was the value of the slave or the price due to him.
“If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.” (Exodus 21: 32).
Three hundred dinars: the dinar is one of the silver money of the Romans, and its value is about three and a half piasters (ten and a half pounds). (Archdeacon panop Abdo) [9]
The eleventh hour of Wednesday
Wednesday’s readings conclude:
With the cross and the crucified Jesus, the Precious Cornerstone by which, with his cross, He lifted the judgment from His children. (Isaiah).
And endureg the pain and distress about them (Psalm).
He proclaimed the glory of His Father and His glory by the cross in attracting His children to Him (the gospel).
Prophecy – Isaiah the Prophet (Isaiah 28: 16 – 26)
This prophecy speaks of salvation by the cross and that the crucified Jesus is the cornerstone and the source of salvation،
And how beautiful it is to say “ “and make judgment a hope”” and perhaps this is what St. Paul meant by saying
“Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.
Also I will make justice the measuring line, And righteousness the plummet; The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, And the waters will overflow the hiding place.
Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it.”
The prophecy also reveals the fate of those who refuse salvation.
”And those who are entrusted with lying tremble with falsehood, because the tempest does not pass over you, lest your covenant with death be broken and your hope with hell does not end”.
Psalms
The psalm describes the state of the Word, the Incarnate, in the perfection of His manhood and the great sorrow that He experienced when He bore all our pains and aches
The psalm describes the son of God as ” your servant”, which was also said by St. Matthew the evangelist, “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.”(Matthew 12:18)
And also it is what the church prayed for in the time of distress:
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together…… by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
What is also strange is the psalm’s reference to the Lord’s own distress, which is also mentioned in the preface of the Gospel of this hour: “now My soul is greatly troubled”
” Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord–how long?
The link between the psalm and the Gospel (Luke cedarus shirts)[10]
heal me, for my bones are troubled
Because He is the bearer of our sick nature, and the pain of our sins came upon Him.
My soul is greatly troubled
It is not about fear, discomfort or human dread of death, but this expression “Jesus was troubled by the spirit” that we find accompanying the breaking of the thorn of death and the victory over Satan. When the apostles returned and told Him what they had done, “he was troubled in spirit and said, ‘ I saw Satan fall like lightning.’”
And when He broke the thorn of death at the tomb of Lazarus, He was also troubled in spirit and said where you put him, and at this hour the gospel says: now the head of this world is being thrown out. So it was said in the psalm: “my soul has been troubled”.
Don’t take your face off your servant..
Christ is in the bosom of the Father all the time, the Father cannot take His face away from Him. And the souls that are in Christ are always in the pleasure of the Father, and hear His voice from heaven in the hours of distress.
As for the souls that refuse, the Father turns His face away from them and they become in the outer darkness, so the Lord said Believe in the light… walk in the light lest the darkness catches up with you, the souls that refuse the light will inevitably become deprived of the face of the Father.
The gospel
The gospel declares that the cross is the proclamation of the glory of the Father, the end of the power of Satan and the attraction of the children of God to divine love in the cross:
“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again……
Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
This He said, signifying by what death He would die.”
Therefore, the call to all mankind to accept the light of the Son and not to neglect and underestimate the chances of their salvation and the visits of grace to them, and to warn that rejection will lead man to darkness and destruction.
“Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”