NEBAB #39: Holy Thursday

NEBAB #39

The Orthodox Tewahedo Magazine

HOLY THURSDAY 



The Spiritual Education Unit

Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Archdiocese of the Caribbean and Latin America



In this issue:
Gospel: St Matthew 26:20-30

    1. A New Commandment

    2. The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

    3. Faith and works

    4. “Ask Abba/Kes”

    5. A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam

    6. Children’s corner

    7.ይበል ግዕዝ 

    8. Orthodox Q&A


Commentary on the Gospel:
St Matthew 26:24
"The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."

Our father the golden mouthed St John Chrysostom, commenting on the gospel, answers a common question about Judas Iscariot, and comments on its implications for us:

Someone will ask- "God already knew Judas would betray Him, and He even revealed it in prophecy! Why is Judas to blame?" Judas did not betray the Lord thinking "I must fulfill the prophecy"- his motives were betrayal and financial gain. If we do not consider the wicked motives behind actions, we would even pardon the devil for his crimes! We must not go down that path, but hold those who do wickedness to account.

We must also not thank Judas Iscariot for the salvation of the world. "His betrayal got the Lord on the cross, so in a way, it's a good thing he betrayed his Lord"- absolutely not! It was not the treachery of Judas that performed the work of salvation for us, but the wisdom of Christ, and the skill with which He used the wickedness of others for our advantage.

"Well if Judas hadn't betrayed Him, someone else would have had to do it!" the disingenuous inquirer continues- "If no one had betrayed Him, His plan of salvation would not have been accomplished!" This is a backwards approach. The reason that our Lord declares the wickedness of Judas is so that no one would think of him as a 'minister of the dispensation', like a fire that burns the tree but fertilises the soil- not so. Judas was corrupt in his mind- he was in control of his actions, and He chose to betray the Lord.

"Jesus said it would be good if Judas were never born, so then why even create him?" They ask the same question about our parents- "Why did God make Adam and Eve knowing they would sin?". This contrarian misplaces the blame. It is correct and proper to blame the corrupt- who have the power not to become corrupt, but choose to be so. Abandoning this- the insincere accuser busies himself with what is none of his business- examining God's morals! In doing so he willfully forgets that it is not out of necessity, rather, it is by malicious intent, that people do one another great harm.

May we hear the words of life!

 
A New Commandment

" A new commandment I have given you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another" - St John 13:34

The Ge'ez name for the Thursday of Holy Week is ሐሙስ ኀበ ኲሉ hamus habe kwilu, (literally "Thursday of All") or "Great Thursday." This name reflects the significance of the day in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, commemorating the Last Supper, the washing of the disciples' feet, the institution of the Eucharist, and the beginning of Jesus' Passion. The New Covenant which He delcared when He gave the disciples His body and blood differed from the Old Covenant because it is for all mankind, hence the name.

On this day our Lord gave a command:
ፍቅር እስከ አንዱ ለእለ አንዱ fiqir iske andu le-ile andu

 ፍቅር fiqir - Love
 እስከ iske - As, even as
አንዱ ለእለ አንዱ andu le-ile andu - a phrase describing a back-and-forth relationship, in this case 'one another' or 'each other'

It translates to "love one another as I have loved you," emphasizing the reciprocal and imitative nature of the love commanded by Jesus.

The Lord declares this, after the washing of the disciple's feet and predicting his betrayal by Judas Iscariot in the gospel of St John. Some may ask the question, was this not already commanded in the Old Testament? Where it is written "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"? - Leviticus 19:18. Why is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ calling this a new commandment? Christ has given us a new commandment in that we should love one another as He also has loved us. The type of love that renews us, making us new men, heirs of the New Testament and singers of a new song. This type of love transforms us. It is not the carnal love that corrupts - the love of adulterers, adulteresses and fornicators or as men who love one another in a human way. This type of love is the same that renewed those of olden times, all of the righteous, the Patriarchs and the Prophets, as it did afterwards the blessed Apostles, and is now renewing the nations- and from among the universal race of man, which overspreads the whole world, is making and gathering together a new people, the body of the newly-married spouse of the only- begotten Son of God.

Because of this, the members thereof have mutual interest in one another, and if one member suffer, all members suffer with it; and one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it (1 Corinthians 12: 25-26). Therefore, this love itself is our death to the world and our life with God as if hidden. As it is written "For you have died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" Colossians 3:3. For if that is death when the soul quits the body, how can it be other than death when our love quits the world? Such love is strong as death!  And what is stronger than that which binds the world? Think not then, my brethren, that when the Lord says, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another", there is any overlooking of that greater commandment, which requires us to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind"; for along with what may seem to be an oversight, the words 'that you love one another' appear also as if they had no reference to that second commandment, which says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". For on these two commandments, He says, hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Both commandments may be found in each of these by those who have good understanding. For, on the one hand, he that loves God cannot despise His commandment to love his neighbor; and on the other, he who in a holy and spiritual way loves his neighbor, what does he love in him but God? That is the love, distinguished from all mundane love, which the Lord specially characterized, when He added, "as I have loved you." 

May we hear the words of life!


The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist 


In the Old Testament, the first form of worship was fasting. A law that was made for man to know God, His dominion, His affluence and His love. After the fall, His worship was associated with offering sacrifice- for example, the offering of Abel and Cain, the burnt offering by Noah, peace offering, offering for atonement and reconciliation. All the sacrifices of the Old Testament were symbols of the sacrifice of the New Testament. In the New Covenant, there is only one sacrifice for worship, peace and reconciliation, bringing in a new kind of worship. (Hebrews 9:26; Hebrews 10:12).  Since the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the symbolism of Orthodox worship no longer moves between events of the Old Testament and New Testament but principally between the resurrection and the second coming of Christ.

At the Last/Mystical Supper (a day before His crucifixion) Christ offered the bread to his disciples, saying “this is My body which is given for you;” and also the chalice, saying: “this is My blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:26-28).

Thus, the Eucharist of the Last Supper is the mystical anticipation of the sacrifice of Golgotha/Calvary and of the Resurrection. This is to say that, at the Last Supper, Christ experienced His sacrifice and Resurrection in mystical way. So does He experience them in the Eucharist of the Church (whenever the Divine Liturgy is celebrated) in order to imprint them on our body and blood. Since Christ told His disciples: “do this in remembrance of me” (Lk. 22:19), through the Eucharist we proclaim the death and resurrection of the Son of God, not as past events but as a reality that has been extended to us on a real and mystical level.

The church honoring the occasion of the institution of the Eucharist annually on Holy Thursday is not merely a historical memorial. Christ and all the faithful apostles who were gathered together that evening are present with us now in this church when the Mystery is presented. It is not only them, but also all of those whom the church has added to the Body of Christ. The mystery in its essence constantly unites all of those who are saved. If we imagine a big cloud that stretches across the height of the sky and then examined every single water particle, and discover that each of these particles is a saint or the spirit of a righteous person that was perfected in glory, this would give us a good concept of the church. If we look closer, we will find that there is a force that brings all of these particles together, creating this central image of a small table with the Lord in the center and His disciples sitting around it. This is the closest picture of the mystery of Thursday’s supper. Union with Christ in the Eucharist is the basis and the source of a total love among the members of the Church, for the members are of the same body, not only with Christ but also among themselves.

The mystery also communicates to us Christ's eternal kingdom. This is the idea in 1 Cor. 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Indeed, in this mystery, Christ will communicate us in His Kingdom. It is a lived eschatology, always focused on the future Kingdom of God that is already experienced in this world. Thus these representations are not historical but eschatological.

“I will appoint you as my Father has appointed me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom,” Lk. 22:29-30.


Faith and Works:
Wash One Another's Feet

A simple commandment, a powerful practice. While we Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo faithful are accustomed to our feet being washed by the priests once a year, should we  who are not priests only ever be on the receiving end? Of course not! We can incorporate washing of one another's feet into our lives more often, and through it, learn deep theological lessons without words.

Ethiopian culture- Christocentric as it is- includes washing of feet in its practices of hospitality. When a guest comes to your home, you can wash their feet to welcome them (Luke 7:44). Husbands and wives can build a very strong marriage on the foundation of washing one another's feet. Children, you can wash the feet of the elderly, both to serve them and to receive their blessing- they will definitely appreciate it.

Despite being so simple, and a little obvious, washing one another's feet is such a powerful practice, and no Christian should pass up the opportunity to wash someone's feet, especially as the priests wash our feet every year.


Ask Abba/Kes

"How did Satan enter into Judas when he received Holy Communion?"

Because he received it without understanding or repentance.

The body and blood of Christ will keep Satan away from us, but when we receive the Holy Sacrament without repentance God punishes us. It is not for our protection anymore. It is like a person with heart problems eating fatty foods and triggering his disease, while people without the disease are helped by fatty foods. Judas was not healed of his sin because the one who sells his lamb receives the money but does not eat the meat. If he accepts in his mouth what he has sold in his heart, he brings Satan to himself.

BIBLE QUIZ!
In which Psalm is the prophecy "Yea, mine own familiar friend, who did eat my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me" found?

 
A Miracle of the Holy Virgin Maryam


In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, [this is] the seventh miracle of Mary. May God bestow the blessing of her prayer upon us, amen!

A virgin vowed to remain a virgin for Mary and was greatly devoted to her.

The virgin said, “My Lady, I don’t have any good deeds. Therefore, protect my virginity so that I won’t be disgraced in front of you.”

That virgin was spectacularly beautiful, and her face was remarkable.

A high official heard about her [beauty], so he sent someone to take her by force and bring her into his private chambers.

Having finished his dinner, the high official entered his chamber, wanting to sleep with her.

She said to him, “Dear sir, you should know that I have vowed to Mary to remain a virgin. She will seek vengeance against you if you [attempt to] overpower her protection.”

That high official replied, “Who is this Mary that I should give up a beautiful woman?”

But before he had even finished speaking these words, Mary came in majesty.

When he saw this, he became terrified and trembled. The walls closed in on him. [literally, ወጸበቦ፡ ኵሉ፡ ቤት፡ (his whole house pressed in on him).]

Mary said to the high official, “Are you going to leave her alone? Or do I need to demonstrate my power against you?”

The high official replied, “Who are you?”

Mary said, “Me? I am Mary.”

He replied, “[Okay,] not only will I leave this woman alone, but also my lawful wife. [literally, ብእሲትየኒ፡ ዘሔማየ፡ (wife of lawful marriage).] I’ll serve your church by engraving [its stones] and sweeping.”

Having said this, the high official left [his home], abandoned everything[, including all his possessions,] and became a monk, pleasing God, and God’s mother, the Virgin.

Our dear Lady, may your prayer and intercession be with us, and with your maidservant Batra Aaron forever and ever, amen.

O Holy Virgin Maryam, pray for us!


LIJOCH! The Children's Corner

Memory verse: St. John 13 : 14
"Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet,"



ይበል:ግዕዝ (yibel Ge’ez)
Let's reclaim our forefathers’ language

On Holy Thursday, instead of the ringing of the bell, the deacons uses a
ጸናጽል
s'enas'il

A tsenatsil is a cymbal or sistrum. It gives us words like አጸንጸለ as'ens'ele - to play a sistrum or make it tinkle, and ጽንጻሌ s'ins'ale -  the ringing or tinkling sound of a bell.

The bell that is usually rung is called the ቃለ ዓዋዲ qale awadi - literally, the 'word of herald/proclamation'. 


ORTHODOX Q&A

"Why in some churches are leaves used during the washing of feet?"

Those leaves are the leaves of a 'wine tree' (a grapevine) and recall the parable of the Good Samaritan, who tended to the wounds of the man he found injured, pouring "oil and wine" on his wounds. As the Good Samaritan tended to the wounds of the injured, so too by the washing of feet we can receive the healing our Lord offers us.

Send us your questions at: seu.eotccarla@gmail.com



Short message on behalf the Spiritual Education Unit:

His Grace Abune Thaddaeus, Head Administrator Archimandrite Abba Gebreyesus, and all clergy and faithful- thank you for the opportunity to share this labour of love with you. Thanks also to the team of the Spiritual Education Unit for their hard work.
-Liqe Teghuan Tekle Mariam Greene


References
Commentary on the Gospel: Adapted from ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110/npnf110.iii.LXXVII.html

A New Commandment: Saint Augustine 430 AD. Commentary on St John 13:34. Von Catena Bible: https://catenabible.com/jn/13 


Fr. Matthew the Poor. Contemplations on the Holy Week Readings.

Miracle of the Holy Virgin Mary: pemm.princeton.edu/en-us/stories/309


CONTACT US:
Archdiocese headquarters: Medhane Alem (Saviour of the World) Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Old Golden Grove Rd. Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago.
Tel. 868-642-4230.
e-mail: eotc.arch.carla@gmail.com

        

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