Amendments to texts in Holy Week services

The Ritual Committee presented the following recommendations, which have been read by the Holy Synod:

1. The Committee recommends the following amendments in some of the homilies in the Holy Pascha, so that they are in accordance with the Apostolic tradition that the non-repentant are prohibited from receiving communion. Therefore, the phrases that suggest that Judas partook in the body and blood of the Lord are to be removed, as these are also inconsistent with the teachings of the Gospel.

a.     In the homily of the Eleventh Hour of Tuesday, remove the phrase: “as Judas who delivered the Lord when he partook of him with unworthiness”.

b.     In the homily of Matins of Covenant Thursday, remove the phrase: “like Judas, as it is written that when he partook of the bread, the devil entered him, so he delivered the Lord of Glory.”

c.     These phrases suggest he went forward for the Holy Communion, from what precedes and follows it in the homilies. This is made clear by the comma after the phrase “and let no one evil” instead of a full stop.

2. The Committee recommends the removal of the current statement in the Lectionary of the Holy Pascha, preceding the Rite of Good Friday, which gives the impression that the Lord Christ was moving in the body after his true death on the cross in the flesh. However, despite the good intentions of the writers of the statement, and despite their desire to highlight that the Lord Jesus Christ is alive and immortal, in accordance with His divinity, these phrases and inconsistent with the belief of the complete and true death of the Lord in the flesh, and this [matter] is necessary for the completion of redemption:

“and what proves that He did not die [is immortal] is that when he was stabbed by one of the soldiers, water and blood poured from his side, which is a sign that he is alive and not dead. It is also [recorded] in the history of the Church (which follows the ancient tradition), that Joseph and Nicodemus, when they were undertaking the anointment [mummification] of the Lord, Joseph held His hand and said, ‘this great hand that formed the creation has died and I anoint [mummify] it.’ Then the Lord opened His eyes and smiled in His face, so Joseph cried out saying, ‘Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal’. Therefore, the Church used this praise in its hymns.”

After removing this section from the statement, when the Lectionary is reprinted, care should be taken to ensure that it is not included in the new editions.