The Weekly Festal Cycle
The Fourth Day (Tetarti-Wednesday)
By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
The Fourth Day (Tetarti-Wednesday)
By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
The Fourth Day points us to the week of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and especially to the Council of the High Priests, Scribes and Elders that took place in the court of the High Priest Caiaphas, in order to arrest Jesus by deception and to put Him to death, but not on the feast of Passover so that there is no commotion among the people (Matt. 26:1-5).
Also, on this day we remember the fact that on the same day that this Council was held, Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Disciples of Christ, went to the High Priests and asked them what they would give him to hand over Jesus to them. And they gave him thirty pieces of silver and from then on Judas sought to find the right opportunity to hand Him over to them (Matt. 26:14-16).
These two sad events happened on the Fourth Day, so we have the beginning of the plan of the High Priests and Pharisees for the arrest of Christ and His death. That is why this day is considered liturgically mournful and the Church prescribed a strict fast, in order to remember these tragic events and not to continue them in our lives.
I think we should remember the events that took place the previous two days, that is, on Monday and Tuesday in Jerusalem.
On Palm Sunday, Christ entered Jerusalem after the resurrection of Lazarus. Two important days followed (Monday, Tuesday) when a lot happened, that is, Christ drove the merchants out of the Temple (Matt. 21:12-17) and discussed with the High Priests and Elders of the people who asked Him by what authority He did this, and He answered accordingly (Matt. 21:23-27). Also, Christ told various parables (Matt. 21:28-22:1-13).
Also, on these two days the Pharisees with the Herodians and the Sadducees went to Christ to ensnare Him with words (Matt. 22:15-45). Afterwards, Christ afflicted the Scribes and Pharisees with the terrible words "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites" (Matt. 23:1-36). Then, He revealed the things related to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (Matt. 24:1-2), He spoke about the end of the world and various parables about how people should be ready for the judgment (Matt. 24:36-51; 25:1-46).
After these events, on Wednesday the Council was held to put him to death and the next day, Thursday, the Secret Supper took place and the arrest of Christ followed.
Thus, in the period from Palm Sunday to Wednesday, there was a great conflict between Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees or vice versa, in which the divinity of Christ was revealed, but also the wickedness of the then religious establishment, which could not bear to see and to listen to what Christ did and taught.
The Apolytikion of the day is the well-known troparion: "Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance; grant victory to our rulers over the barbarians. And protect Your commonwealth, by the power of Your Cross."
It is a prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ to save His people and to bless His inheritance (the Christians), to grant victories to the Kings - High Priests against the barbarians and to protect the commonwealth through the Cross.
After the Passion, the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ and, of course, after Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the new people of the Grace of God, the Orthodox Church, was formed, with the ascetic and sacramental life, the theology of the Ecumenicals Synods, which continues the tradition of the Prophets and Apostles.
This new people of divine Grace, which is united with the Suffering, Crucified and Risen Christ, is experiencing the reaction of the world, as Christ faced it with the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, who interpret the Christian teaching according to their passions and their idiosyncrasies. In every age there appear those who secularize the Revelation of Christ, adapt it to their own standards, mix it with the philosophies and religious concepts of each age. That is why we need to faithfully preserve the revealed truth and live according to it.
This, indeed, is a life of the cross, which cannot be faced with our own strength, but with the power and energy of the Cross of Christ. That's why the Exapostelarion of the day is important: "O Cross, you are the guardian of the whole world. O Cross, you are the height of the Church’s beauty. O Cross, you are what strengthened the Emperors. O Cross, the believers’ firm support. O Cross, the glory of Angels and the defeat of the demons."
All these spiritual meanings make up the festive atmosphere of Wednesday. We Orthodox do not see the days externally with secular definitions, but we color them based on the life of our Church. Therefore, when we fast on this day we have all these spiritual meanings in mind and we give meaning to the day and to our lives. And we strive not to resemble the harsh reaction of the Scribes and Pharisees and not to betray Christ, as Judas did, by living anti-Christian and anti-ecclesiastical.
With Baptism and Chrismation we have been reborn, we have become the new people of divine Grace and we must live a crucified life, that is, crucify the passions and live the resurrected life which is a continuation of the Cross. Thus, we are initiated into the mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ and we escape all the snares of the enemies of the Cross of Christ and the Church. Fasting on this day also has this meaning and we should fast with joy.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Also, on this day we remember the fact that on the same day that this Council was held, Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Disciples of Christ, went to the High Priests and asked them what they would give him to hand over Jesus to them. And they gave him thirty pieces of silver and from then on Judas sought to find the right opportunity to hand Him over to them (Matt. 26:14-16).
These two sad events happened on the Fourth Day, so we have the beginning of the plan of the High Priests and Pharisees for the arrest of Christ and His death. That is why this day is considered liturgically mournful and the Church prescribed a strict fast, in order to remember these tragic events and not to continue them in our lives.
I think we should remember the events that took place the previous two days, that is, on Monday and Tuesday in Jerusalem.
On Palm Sunday, Christ entered Jerusalem after the resurrection of Lazarus. Two important days followed (Monday, Tuesday) when a lot happened, that is, Christ drove the merchants out of the Temple (Matt. 21:12-17) and discussed with the High Priests and Elders of the people who asked Him by what authority He did this, and He answered accordingly (Matt. 21:23-27). Also, Christ told various parables (Matt. 21:28-22:1-13).
Also, on these two days the Pharisees with the Herodians and the Sadducees went to Christ to ensnare Him with words (Matt. 22:15-45). Afterwards, Christ afflicted the Scribes and Pharisees with the terrible words "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites" (Matt. 23:1-36). Then, He revealed the things related to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (Matt. 24:1-2), He spoke about the end of the world and various parables about how people should be ready for the judgment (Matt. 24:36-51; 25:1-46).
After these events, on Wednesday the Council was held to put him to death and the next day, Thursday, the Secret Supper took place and the arrest of Christ followed.
Thus, in the period from Palm Sunday to Wednesday, there was a great conflict between Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees or vice versa, in which the divinity of Christ was revealed, but also the wickedness of the then religious establishment, which could not bear to see and to listen to what Christ did and taught.
The Apolytikion of the day is the well-known troparion: "Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance; grant victory to our rulers over the barbarians. And protect Your commonwealth, by the power of Your Cross."
It is a prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ to save His people and to bless His inheritance (the Christians), to grant victories to the Kings - High Priests against the barbarians and to protect the commonwealth through the Cross.
After the Passion, the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ and, of course, after Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the new people of the Grace of God, the Orthodox Church, was formed, with the ascetic and sacramental life, the theology of the Ecumenicals Synods, which continues the tradition of the Prophets and Apostles.
This new people of divine Grace, which is united with the Suffering, Crucified and Risen Christ, is experiencing the reaction of the world, as Christ faced it with the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, who interpret the Christian teaching according to their passions and their idiosyncrasies. In every age there appear those who secularize the Revelation of Christ, adapt it to their own standards, mix it with the philosophies and religious concepts of each age. That is why we need to faithfully preserve the revealed truth and live according to it.
This, indeed, is a life of the cross, which cannot be faced with our own strength, but with the power and energy of the Cross of Christ. That's why the Exapostelarion of the day is important: "O Cross, you are the guardian of the whole world. O Cross, you are the height of the Church’s beauty. O Cross, you are what strengthened the Emperors. O Cross, the believers’ firm support. O Cross, the glory of Angels and the defeat of the demons."
All these spiritual meanings make up the festive atmosphere of Wednesday. We Orthodox do not see the days externally with secular definitions, but we color them based on the life of our Church. Therefore, when we fast on this day we have all these spiritual meanings in mind and we give meaning to the day and to our lives. And we strive not to resemble the harsh reaction of the Scribes and Pharisees and not to betray Christ, as Judas did, by living anti-Christian and anti-ecclesiastical.
With Baptism and Chrismation we have been reborn, we have become the new people of divine Grace and we must live a crucified life, that is, crucify the passions and live the resurrected life which is a continuation of the Cross. Thus, we are initiated into the mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ and we escape all the snares of the enemies of the Cross of Christ and the Church. Fasting on this day also has this meaning and we should fast with joy.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.