Great and Holy Tuesday

Tomorrow is Holy Tuesday. Here is how S. V. Bulgakov describes the day's commemoration:

In Matins on this day events written by the Evangelist Matthew (22:15-23:1) are recalled. But actually the composition of its service for Tuesday borrows from the parables of the ten virgins and the talents and from the continuation of the prescribed narration from Monday about the second coming of Christ. With this memory the Holy Church will especially guide the faithful to spiritual watchfulness, so appropriate in view of the sufferings of the Lord for us, for the expedient use of the gifts and power bestowed on us, especially in works of mercy, which the Lord accepts, as a personal merit for Himself when He speaks about them: "inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Mt. 25:40). In its hymns for this day the Holy Church with special persistence inspires us also about the specially seasonable obligation of spiritual watchfulness and religious-moral perfection for us, calling out: “Let us love the Bridegroom, O brethren, Let us adorn our lamps, shining with virtues and right belief: that like the wise virgins of the Lord we may be ready to enter with Him into the marriage"; "O come, faithful, let us work zealously for the Master, for He distributes wealth to His servants. And let each of us according to his ability increase his talent of grace: Let one be adorned in wisdom through good works, let another celebrate a service in splendor. The one distributes his wealth to the poor; the other communicates the word to those untaught. Thus we shall increase what has been entrusted to us, and as faithful stewards of grace, we shall be accounted worthy of the Master's joy".

Liturgical service:

• Triodion service, translated by Fr Ephrem.
• Triodion service, translated by Holy Myrrbearers Community.
• Triodion service in Greek and Slavonic.
  

Scripture readings:

• Matins: Matthew 22: 15-23, 39.
  
• Sixth Hour: Ezekiel 1: 21-2:1.
• Vespers: Exodus 2: 5-10; Job 1: 13-22.
• Presanctified Liturgy: Matthew 24: 36-26:2.
  

From the Fathers:

• St John Chyrsostom, Homily on the parables of the ten virgins and the talents.
• St Augustine, Homily on the parable of the ten virgins.
• St Augustine, Homily on the parable of the talents.
  

Other articles:

• Fr Alkiviadis Calivas, Great Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
• Fr Alexander Schmemann, Holy Week - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: The End.
• Peter Bouteneff, Holy Tuesday: A Hymn of Invitation.
• Bishop Alexander (Mileant), on the parables of the talents and the ten virgins.
  
• Fr Victor Potapov, on the parables of the talents and of the ten virgins.
  

For many more Holy Week links, see here.