Contemplations on the Passion week Coptic rite

©HEARTLIGHT http://www.heartlight.org Paul Lee & Phil Ware
Getting Ready For Pascha Week

Introduction
• The Holy Pascha week is
the holiest week in the entire
year. The artistic beauty and
spiritual depth of the rites of
this week are at its zenith.
• Pascha – Pesach refers to
the Old Testament Jewish
feast of the first night of the
Unleavened Bread and means
Passage.

The Last Week
The Holy Pascha Week clearly revolves
around the last week of the ministry of
our Lord.
• Saturday, Christ attended a feast in
Jericho at the home of Simon the leper,
where Mary anointed Him with costly
perfumes and wiped His feet with her
hair. Some disciples protested out of
waste of money, but our Lord replied that
she was anointing him for his burial.
• Sunday, the Lord entered into
Jerusalem. So the church welcomes the
Lord into our hearts and the church as
the King of Glory.

Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday
Days Theme Vespers Matin Liturgy
Lazarus
Saturday
Raising
Lazarus
The Lord comes to
heal and take
away your
iniquities
Demonstration of
the Spirit and
power of Christ in
the raising of
Lazarus
Palm
Sunday
Entry
Into
Jerusal
em
greeted
as in
the
feast of
Taberna
cles
Mary at the
house of
Lazarus
prepares
him for his
burial
The procession
where all of the
Heavenly hosts
and saints praise
the Lord for his
Salvation
Christ enters as
King, Prophet and
High Priest to
redeem his people

Lazarus Saturday
Why has our lovely church put the
reading of the raising of Lazarus
on the day before Palm Sunday?
• Death can have no dominion
over Christ, for He is the Lord of
life and of death. So Holy Week
begins with a foreshadowing of its
end.
• The cross and death will be
followed by the triumph of Him
Who is the Resurrection and the
Life. This assurance gives us hope
through the darkest moments of
the Passion of Christ.

Lazarus Saturday: The Setting

Its History
• Emperor Theodosuis, ordered a universal holiday during this
time so that all those working within the government or
private business sector could assemble in prayer and devotion
as one family.
• Masters alleviated their slaves from working during this week,
allowing them to worship in the Church.
• Prisoners were even set free to go to church and join in the
ceremonial prayers.
• The early Church used to celebrate Pascha once every 33
years. But because many died without ever celebrating this
feast, the church decided to celebrate it once every year.
• Initially, there was some discrepancy between the Church of
Antioch (which celebrated Easter on Passover, the 14th
of
Nissan, even if it was not a Sunday) and the Churches of
Rome and Alexandria (which set Easter as the Sunday
following the Passover). The Council of Nicea resolved this by
setting its date as the latter.

Lazarus Saturday
Matins of Lazarus Saturday
• Gen 49:1-28
10 The scepter will not depart from
Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between
his feet,
until he comes to whom it
belongs
and the obedience of the nations is
his.
11 He will tether his donkey to a
vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.

Lazarus Saturday
• The Church reminds us of
the prophecy given by Jacob
to his sons that speaks of the
messiah coming from the line
of Judah. It says that Judah
will continue to rule until him
to whom it belongs comes.
• Judah always had a king in
history after that until Herod
was placed there by the
Romans. He was not of the
line of Judah and it was
during his reign that our Lord
was incarnate.

Lazarus Saturday
• Why Four Days?
• What is the meaning of
the Stench?
• Why allow His friends to
suffer if He loved them?
• Why did He weep?
• Why ask others to roll
the stone?
• Why the need to pray to
The Father?

Shiloh – The One to Whom it
belongs
• The Rabbis agree that
'Shiloh' refers to Messiah.
Rabbi Yohanan taught : "all
the world was created for
Messiah. What is His name?.
The school of shiloh taught:
His name is Shiloh, as it is
written in Genesis 49:10."
(Midrash Rabbah, Genesis
98:7).
• The Prophets refer to the
coming of Messiah as being
the time that He comes to
the Temple.

Daniel’s Prophecy
• The prophecies revealed to
Daniel which containing the
coming of Messiah are found in
the book of Daniel chapter 9.
• Earlier in the book Daniel had
been given insights into a
number of visions about the
future of his nation and he
understood and believed what
had been revealed to Him by the
Lord God.
• Daniel was deeply distressed
and concerned for the sins of his
people and he prayed to the
Lord God in deep humility with
fasting, the wearing of sackcloth
and ashes. He confessed the
sins and shame of his people
and prayed to the Lord God to
have mercy on them.

Daniel’s Prophecy
• Daniel was told that "from the
command going forth to build
Jerusalem until the cutting off
(crucifixion) of Messiah there would be
a total of "sixty-nine sevens". These
"sevens" are called Heptads (weeks of
years) and the time given to Daniel is
a period of 483 years from the
command until the Messiah would
come and die.
• The decree to rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem was made by Artaxerxes
Longimanus, King of Persia in the year
BCE 445.
• Using the lunar year of 360 days per
year it was exactly 483 years to the
time when Jesus of Nazareth made
his public entry into Jerusalem in
the week preceding the Passover in 30
AD and the week in which he was
crucified.

Lazarus Saturday
The Incident
The Main
Prophecy
The Link / Symbol / Meaning
Lazarus
brought back
from the dead
Genesis 49:10-
11
A foreshadowing of Christ's resurrection
Line of Judah and root of Jesse now
revived
Christ the fulfillment of the OT image of
Shiloh
Jesus Christ is Lord and King over the
dead, the living, and all to come and all
will pass on.
Feast at
Bethany &
Mary pouring
Oil on Jesus
Feet
1 Samuel 10:1
A foreshadowing to Christ's burial and
resurrection
Exodus 28:41 The Final Resurrection a feast of love
1 Kings 19:16 Christ Priest, Prophet, and King

Palm Sunday
Disciples getting the
Donkey & Colt
Zechariah 9:9
Donkey represents the Old Testament believers –
House of Israel
Genesis 49:12
The foal represents the Gentiles and the New Israel (the
Church) [St. Cyril of Alexandria]. Christ riding on the foal
leading in the donkey shows the new direction of the
New Testament
Jesus entering
Jerusalem
Psalm 118: 24-26 Jesus resembles the King coming from Conquer
Judges 10:4
Judges 12:14 People broke out into praise and saying Hosanna as
they saw this and started singing the psalm which
Jewish tradition says is the Psalm for the Messiah ->
reason why the Pharisees became very angry
Also, they did hear about Lazarus coming back from the
dead, and even more confirmation of Christ being God.
Jesus Accepting to undergo the pain and suffering for us
Cleansing the Temple Exodus 12: 3
Sunday was the Lamb Choosing Day according to the
Jewish rituals for the Sabbath & Jesus is that chosen
Lamb for Sacrifice
Jesus purified the temple and this means the purification
of the alter upon which the lamb is to be slaughtered
The Money exchangers & pigeon sellers were the ones
who falsely witnessed against Jesus. Both that the Court
of the Gentiles had become a temple of the god of
money and the way they were swindling the people

Saturday and Sunday Summary
Jesus
the:
Prophet
Disciples
getting the
Donkey &
Colt
Jesus prophesied what will
happen when the Disciples
will go to get the Donkey &
Colt
King
Jesus entering
Jerusalem
Jesus entered Jerusalem like a
King returning Victorious from
War
Priest
Cleaning the
Temple
Jesus did the job of the Arch
Priest by Cleansing the Temple &
Altar
Friend
Feast at
Bethany &
Mary pouring
Oil on Jesus
Feet
Jesus is always with us at times
of Sorrow (When Lazarus was
dead) & Times of Joy (During the
Feast)
Lord
Lazarus
brought back
from the dead
Jesus is the Lord who can do
anything even bringing the dead
whose body has started to decay
back to life

Summary of Holy Week Themes

Days Theme 1st
3rd
6th
9th
11th
Eve of
Tuesday
The Lord as
Our
Bridegroom
and our
preparednes
s
Strive to
Return and
enter the
narrow
gate
I love you
as a
bridegroom
and a
mother hen
I know you
and will
deliver you
watch
therefore
The more I
called the more
they went from
me
Come up to
me and be
watchful
Tuesday Be prepared
for the
second
coming of
our Lord
Come close
to me, hear
my voice
and know
me
Strive to
enter by the
narrow
gate
Know me
as the Way,
Truth and
Life, that I
am your
saviour
Signs of the
second coming,
be prepared
Strive to be
faithful.
Well done
good and
faithful
servant
Eve of
Wednesd
ay
Preparing
for the
wedding
banquet
with our
Lord
I go to
prepare a
place for
you
prepare
your hearts
Be ready so
that you
will
blessed as
one God
chooses
and calls
If we are
ready at His
second
coming we
can join the
wedding
Be careful not to
be a hypocrite
just following
the law with
hearts not in it.
The Lord
will rescue
you from
calamity we
should trust
in him

Days Theme 1st
3rd
6th
9th
11th
Wednesday The betrayal of
the Lord by
Judas – we
should be more
like the woman
pouring the
costly oil.
Sin is betrayal
of the Lord
and first starts
with doubting
His Words.
Judas betrays
the Lord – do
we betray Him
despite seeing
the Pillar of
cloud and fire?
The woman
gave a precious
offering of
Love for the
Lord while
Judas betrays
The Chief Priests
conspire, Judas asks
for silver the woman
expends her savings
for the Love of the
Lord
The lord
faithfully offers
himself up that
as He is lifted
up He may draw
all peoples to
Him with this
act of Love
Eve of
Thursday
The
condemnation
of the elders of
the Jews
They defiled
themselves by
their
abominations
and doubted
his authority –
do we?
Judas seemed
to love the
Lord but war
was in his
heart how
about us do we
just seem to
love Him
The Lord
showed them
many signs and
wonders yet
they betrayed
Him. Do we do
the same?
The Lord revealed
Himself to them as
the ‘I Am’ and they
accused Him of
blasphemy – do we
know Him as God
They are judged
because they
rejected the
Word of the
Lord.
Covenant
Thursday
Preparing for
and receiving
the True
Passover
Satan is
defeated by
the True
Passover.
Let’s prepare
ourselves to
eat.
The True
Passover is
needed to
cleanse us
from our sin
We should
mend our ways,
put away evil
to prepare the
room for the
Passover
Isaac and
Melchizadek point to
the sacrifice of Christ
as both offering and
High Priest.
Before eating we
need to be washed –
crossing of the red
sea and the washing
by The Holy Spirit
Come eat of my
Body and drink
my Blood be
one with Me.
Judas did not
partake and
went to betray

Days Theme 1st
3rd
6th
9th
11th
Eve of Good
Friday
The Lord
Intercedes for
us in the
anguish of the
garden
The Lord
comforts us
knowing that
His time is
near and
promises us
The Comforter
The Lord
reveals what
will happen so
that they may
be
strengthened
The Lord prays
in Gethsemane
and
experiences
extreme
anguish for us
The betrayal by
Judas and the chief
priests
The previous
high priest
Annias
interrogates the
Lord, Caiaphas
then assembles
false witnesses
and he is
mocked and
beaten. Peter
denies the Lord
three times
Good Friday The third
interrogation
before Pilate,
The fourth with
Herod,. The
fifth with Pilate
again. They
reward evil for
good.
The people
call for his
crucifixion,
the soldiers
beat him and
place a crown
of thorns on
Him then beat
him. He
carries His
Cross
willingly for
us to Golgotha
The Lord asks
for the
forgiveness of
those who do
not know what
they are doing.
The thief on
the right is
granted his
request to be
in the Lord’s
Kingdom
Let’s praise His
work for us,
and repent of
our sins. The
church gathers
in one voice to
request
forgiveness and
to repent
together
The Lord thirsts and
cries out that it is
finished and commits
His Spirit to the
Father. This is the
price of our
salvation, the extent
of His love for us.
The veil of the
temple is torn as
no further
sacrifice will be
accepted. The
earth quakes in
response and his
side is pierced.
He is taken
down off the
Cross and is
buried

Sunday of Holy Pascha
The readings here of the ninth
and eleventh hour point us to
the plan our Lord has for Israel
to free them.
9th
Hour:
Lam 1:1-4
Zeph 3:11-20
Psalm 8:2,3
Matt 21:10-17
11th
Hour:
Isaiah 48:12-22
Nahum 1:2-8
Psalm 8:2,1
Matt 20:20-28

Sunday of Holy Pascha: 9th
Hr
Lamentations 1:1-4
The reading from lamentations
paints the picture of desolate
and captive Israel in need
of salvation
1 How deserted lies the city,
once so full of people!
How like a widow is she,
who once was great among the
nations!
She who was queen among the
provinces
has now become a slave.

Hr
Zephaniah 3:11-20
• Declares the Lords
intention for saving Israel
by taking away her sin
and ransoming her from
the hand of her enemies
by Himself coming in her
midst!
• Emmanuel Himself will
ransom her and take away
her sin. He entered
Jerusalem with palm
branches to greet Him

Hr
• Palm branches symbolise
not only freedom, defiance
and joy, but palm branches
are also used in the feast of
Tabernacles. This feast
commemorates God being
with the tribes of Israel in
the desert for 40 years in
the form of the pillar of fire
and cloud. And so
unknowingly the people
were welcoming our
Lord as the one who
came to Tabernacle with
His people and to
ransom them by His
death.

14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your
punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD , the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
"Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singin
Hr

The Gospel reading continues the
account of Palm Sunday with Our
Lord, after his Jubilant entrance into
Jerusalem going straight to the
temple.
We read in Matthew 21:10-13:
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem,
the whole city was stirred and asked,
“Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is
Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in
Galilee.”
12Jesus entered the temple area and
drove out all who were buying and
selling there. He overturned the
tables of the money changers and
the benches of those selling doves.
13“It is written,” he said to them, “
‘My house will be called a house of
prayer,’] but you are making it a
‘den of robbers.’”
Hr

But what was the significance of
our Lord going straight to the
temple on that day.
• The significance is shown in Exodus
12: 2-7:
2 "This month is to be for you the first
month, the first month of your year.
3 Tell the whole community of Israel
that on the tenth day of this month
each man is to take a lamb for his
family, one for each household.
…
6 Take care of them until the
fourteenth day of the month, when
all the people of the community of
Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
7 Then they are to take some of the
blood and put it on the sides and tops
of the doorframes of the houses where
they eat the lambs.
Hr

In John’s Gospel we get a confirmation of
that time – John 12: 1 & 12-13:
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus
arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived,
whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
12The next day the great crowd that had
come for the Feast heard that Jesus was
on his way to Jerusalem. 13They took
palm branches and went out to meet him,
shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed
is the King of Israel!”
Our Lord entered Jerusalem 5 days
before the Passover and later that day
went into the temple when all were
selecting their Passover sacrifice, because
it was lamb selection day. John the
Baptist cries out to us, “Behold, the lamb
of God who takes away the sin of the
World” John 1:29. He himself the True
Lamb of God enters into the temple as
the chosen Passover Lamb.
Hr

As the True Lamb and Healer of the
world they bought to Him those who had
need of healing in the temple and He
healed them: Matthew 21: 14-17
14The blind and the lame came to him
at the temple, and he healed them.
15But when the chief priests and the
teachers of the law saw the wonderful
things he did and the children shouting
in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son
of David,” they were indignant.
16“Do you hear what these children
are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never
read, “ ‘From the lips of children and
infants
you have ordained praise’?”
17And he left them and went out of
the city to Bethany, where he spent the
night.
Hr

The prophecy of the eleventh hour
from Isaiah the prophet talks about
our Lord’s deliverance of Israel and his
wrath on his enemies. It contains a
very powerful testament to the Holy
Trinity and to the Person and purpose
of the Messiah.
Isaiah 48:12-22:
12 "Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:
I am he;
I am the first and I am the last.
13 My own hand laid the foundations
of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the
heavens;
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.
Hr

14 "Come together, all of you,
and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold
these things?
The LORD's chosen ally
will carry out his purpose
against Babylon;
his arm will be against the
Babylonians.
15 I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed in his
mission.
Hr

16 "Come near me and
listen to this:
"From the first
announcement I have not
spoken in secret;
at the time it happens, I am
there."
And now the Sovereign
LORD has sent me,
with his Spirit.
17 This is what the LORD
says-
your Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God,
Hr

Nahum 1:2-8
“God is jealous, and the Lord
avenges; The Lord avenges
and is furious. The Lord will
take vengeance on His
adversaries, And He reserves
wrath for His enemies; The
Lord is slow to anger and
great in power; and will not
at tall acquit the wicked.
Hr

The theme of this day focuses on
how we should be prepared.
In each gospel of the hours the
Lord prepare his disciples for his
suffering.
In the First hour, he compares
the cross to the grain of wheat
that must die to rise again.
In the Third, Sixth & Ninth He
clearly explains how He must
suffer, be killed and rise again.
Leading to the Eleventh hour
when the disciples react in fear –
as when St. Peter is rebuked.
Eve of Monday of the Holy Pascha:
Theme

The theme of the first day of the
Holy Pascha week is our fall
and rise again. The story of our
salvation from the beginning.
It deals with images such as the
fig tree, that Adam and Eve used
it leaves to hide their sin, to
warn us of hypocrisy.
In the first hour’s gospel we get
the cursing of the fig tree and
condemnation of hypocrisy.
Again the third hour condemns
hypocrisy.
Monday of the Holy Pascha:
Theme

The sixth hour sees Moses as
type of Christ interceding for his
people and deals with the need
to be cleansed.
The Ninth Hour shows us the
true meaning of Wisdom and
that ‘to fear God is the beginning
of Wisdom’.
The Eleventh hour in the
homily of St. Shenouda warns us
of the dangers of showing
indifference to hypocrisy.
Monday of the Holy Pascha:
Theme

Contemplations on the Passion week Coptic rite

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