Luke 22:1–39

Great Thursday, at Matins.

The Gospel of Luke, conceived 109

In those days Jesus went as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, Pray, that ye may not fall into temptation. And He Himself departed from them to cast a stone, and kneeling down, prayed, saying: Father, forgive them! Oh, that Thou wouldst be pleased to carry this cup past Me! however, not My will, but Yours be done. And when he came to the disciples, he found them asleep with sorrow, and said to them, Why are you sleeping? Stand up and pray that you may not fall into temptation. While He was still saying these things, the multitude appeared, and one of the twelve, called Judas, went ahead of him, and he came up to Jesus to kiss Him. For he gave them such a sign: Whom I kiss, He is. And Jesus said to him, "Judas! Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? And those who were with Him, seeing what was going on, said to Him, "Lord! shall we not strike with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. Then Jesus said, "Leave it, it is enough." And touching his ear, he healed him. And to the chief priests, and to the rulers of the temple, and to the elders who were gathered against him, Jesus said, "As if you had come out against a thief with swords and stakes to take me?" Every day I was with you in the temple, and you did not lift up your hands against Me, but now is your time and the power of darkness. And they took him, and led him away, and brought him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed from a distance. When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter also sat down among them. A certain maidservant, seeing him sitting by the fire and looking at him, said, "This one was also with him." But he denied Him, saying to the woman, "I do not know Him." Soon afterwards another, seeing him, said, "Thou art also one of them." But Peter said to the man, "No! An hour passed, and someone still insistently said, "Surely this one was with Him, for he is a Galilean." But Peter said to the man, "I don't know what you say." And immediately as he was still speaking, a crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as He had said to him, "Before the crows, you will deny Me three times." And going out, he wept bitterly. The people who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him; And having covered Him, they smote Him in the face, and asked Him, Prophesy, who smote Thee? And many other blasphemies were uttered against Him. And when the day came, the elders of the people, the chief priests, and the scribes, gathered together, and brought Him into their Sanhedrin, and said, Art thou the Christ? Tell us. He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe; but if I ask you, you will not answer me, neither will you let me go; henceforth the Son of Man will sit down at the right hand of the power of God. And they all said, "Are you therefore the Son of God?" He answered them, "You say that I am." And they said, "What more testimony do we need?" For we ourselves have heard from His mouth. And all the multitude of them arose, and brought him to Pilate.

Luke 22:39–42; 45b - 23:1

Tuesday of Cheese Week.

The Gospel of Luke, conceived 110

In those days the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, took Jesus to Pilate, and began to accuse him, saying, "We have found that he corrupts our people, and forbids us to give tribute to Caesar, calling himself Christ the King." Pilate asked Him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered and said unto him, Thou speakest. Pilate said to the chief priests and the people, "I find no fault in this man." But they insisted, saying that He was stirring up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee to this place. And when Pilate heard of Galileo, he asked, "Is he a Galilean?" And when he knew that he was from the province of Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem in those days. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see Him, because he had heard much about Him, and hoped to see some miracle from Him, and he asked Him many questions, but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and accused Him mightily. But Herod and his soldiers, having despised Him and mocked Him, dressed Him in bright clothes and sent Him back to Pilate. And on that day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for they had formerly been at enmity with one another. And Pilate called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, and said to them, "You have brought this man to me, as a perverter of the people; and behold, I have examined in your presence, and have not found this man guilty of any of the things of which you accuse him; and Herod also, for I sent Him to him; and nothing was found in Him worthy of death; therefore, having punished him, I will let him go. And he needed to release one prisoner for the holiday. But all the people began to cry out: Death to Him! but let Barabbas go to us. Barabbas was put in prison for the indignation and murder he had committed in the city. Pilate raised his voice again, wanting to let Jesus go. But they cried out: crucify Him, crucify Him! And he said unto them for the third time, What evil hath he done? I found nothing worthy of death in Him; therefore, having punished him, I will let him go. But they continued with a great cry demanding that He be crucified; and he prevailed over their cry and the chief priests. And Pilate decided to be at their request, and released him who had been put in prison for rebellion and murder, whom they asked; and Jesus was delivered up to their will. And when they led Him away, they took a certain Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the field, and laid a cross on him, so that he might carry after Jesus. And a great multitude of people and women followed Him, weeping and weeping for Him. And Jesus turned to them, and said, Daughters of Jerusalem! weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children, for the days are coming in which they will say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not begotten, and the breasts that have not suckled. Then they will begin to say to the mountains: Fall on us! and to the hills: cover us! For if this is done with a verdant tree, then what will happen to a dry one? They also led two evildoers with Him to death. And when they came to a place called Skull, they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right and the other on the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them! Forgive them, for they know not what they do. And it was about the sixth hour of the day, and darkness fell over all the land until the ninth hour: and the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in the middle. Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Father, forgive them. into Thy hands I commend My spirit. And when he had said this, he gave up his spirit. And the centurion, seeing what was happening, glorified God and said, "Truly this man was a righteous man." And all the people who had come to this spectacle, seeing what was happening, returned, beating their breasts. Yet all that knew Him, and the women who followed Him out of Galilee, stood afar off and looked at it. Then there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and truthful man, who had no part in the council and in their work; from Arimathea, a city of Judea, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God, came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; and having taken him down, he wrapped him in a shroud, and laid him in a coffin hewn out of the rock, where no one had yet been laid. That day was Friday, and Saturday was coming. And the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed and looked at the tomb, and how His body was laid; and when they returned, they prepared spices and ointments; and on the Sabbath they remained at rest according to the commandment.

Luke 23:1b–34a; 44–56

Thursday of Cheese Week.

The Gospel of Luke, conceived 111

In those days, two evildoers were also led with Jesus to death. And when they came to a place called Skull, they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right and the other on the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them! Forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments, casting lots. And the people stood and watched. And the rulers mocked with them, saying, "I saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ, the elect of God. And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him vinegar, saying, If Thou art the King of the Jews, save Thyself. And there was an inscription over Him, written in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew words: This is the King of the Jews. One of the hanged evildoers cursed Him and said: If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us. The other, on the contrary, rebuked him and said: "Do you not fear God, when you yourself are condemned to the same thing?" and we are justly condemned, because we have received what is worthy according to our works, and He has done nothing evil. And he said unto Jesus, Remember me, O Lord, when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. And it was about the sixth hour of the day, and darkness fell over all the land until the ninth hour: and the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in the middle. Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Father, forgive them. into Thy hands I commend My spirit. And when he had said this, he gave up his spirit. And the centurion, seeing what was happening, glorified God and said, "Truly this man was a righteous man." And all the people who had come to this spectacle, seeing what was happening, returned, beating their breasts. Yet all that knew Him, and the women who followed Him out of Galilee, stood afar off and looked at it.

Luke 23:32–49

Great Friday, 8 Gospel at Matins.