Great and Holy Wednesday

Tomorrow is Holy Wednesday. Here, once again, S. V. Bulgakov explains the day's significance:

On Wednesday night the Lord passed into Bethany (Mt. 26:6-17). Here while He was in the house of Simon the leper and the high priests, scribes and elders in assembly already decided to seize Jesus Christ by trickery and to kill Him, a certain "sinful" woman poured precious myrrh on the head of the Savior and in this way prepared Him for burial as He Himself judged her action. Here at the same time, as opposed to the disinterested action of the sinful woman, the criminal intention to betray his Teacher and Lord to the lawless assembly was born in ungrateful soul of Judas, one of twelve disciples of the Savior. Therefore in the church services of Great Wednesday the sinful woman is glorified and the love of money and betrayal of Judas is censured and cursed. "As the sinful woman", the Holy Church sings this day, "was bringing her offering of myrrh, the disciple was scheming with lawless men. She rejoiced in pouring out her precious myrrh. He hastened to sell the Priceless One. She recognized the Master, but He departed from the Master. She was set free, but Judas was enslaved to the enemy"; "O the impieties of Judas! O God, deliver our souls from this".

Liturgical service:

• Triodion service, translated by Fr Ephrem.
• Triodion service, translated by Holy Myrrbearers Community.
• Triodion service in Greek and Slavonic.
• Office of the Holy Oil (Euchelaion).
  

Scripture readings:

• Matins: John 12: 17-50.
• Sixth Hour: Ezekiel 2:3-3:3.
• Vespers: Exodus 2: 11-22; Job 2: 1-10.
• Presanctified Liturgy: Matthew 26: 6-16.
  

From the Fathers:

• St Theodore the Studite, Catechesis 72.
• St Leo the Great, Homily 59.
• St John Chrysostom, Homily 80 on Matthew.
  

Other articles:

• Fr Eugen Pentiuc, Judas' Profile in the Psalms: Meditation on the Holy Wednesday.
• Fr Alkiviadis Calivas, Great Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
• Fr Alexander Schmemann, Holy Week - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: The End.
• Fr Paul Wesche, The Service of Holy Unction.
  

For many more Holy Week links, see here.