Orthodox Christian Holy Week — Bridegroom Matins for Holy Monday
The church is dimly lit by the small but bright flames in the glass vigil lamps, illuminating the golden halos of the icons. The official start of Holy Week is upon us and Orthodox Christians all over the world gather this evening for one of the most beautiful services of the year — the Bridegroom Matins for Holy Monday.
The priest has set aside his gold vestments from the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and now wears deep purple, and the faithful have brought their palm boughs home and set them in their icon corners, another year’s testimony to arriving this far in the journey, and the sweet anticipation of Pascha. The cloths on the analogions and throughout the church have also been changed to royal purple, fitting for the King of kings and adding to the solemnity of the night.
The priest censes quietly, not using the usual censer with the little bells, but a humble hand-held one made of clay, while the reader intones the first words of the opening psalms: “The Lord hear thee in the day of affliction, the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee. Let Him send forth unto thee help from His sanctuary….” and the rest of psalms 19 and 20 (Septuagint translation). After a short litany the Six Psalms are read solemnly, carrying with them a tradition entwined with the Second Coming, and everyone stands reverently.
Once again the choir intones “Out of the night my spirit waketh at dawn unto Thee, O God, for Thy commandments are a light upon the earth...” followed by the melodic and rich Alleluias chanted in Plagal of fourth tone.
Now we know we have arrived, at last, in Holy Week and our souls prepare to hear the moving words of the Dismissal Hymn that is only chanted in church during this special time of the year:
Behold, the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching; and again unworthy is he whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, lest thou be born down with sleep, lest thou be given up to death, and be shut out from the Kingdom. But rather rouse thyself and cry: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O our God; by the protection of the Bodiless Hosts, have mercy on us.
Since this is the very first Bridegroom service of the year, the clergy process out of the altar with the icon of our Saviour called Extreme Humility, as the choir chants “Behold the Bridegroom” slowly and compunctionately three times. The congregation prostrates on the floor, gratefully aware of the gift to be here, to once again welcome the Bridegroom of our souls in this special way, yet aware of our own unworthiness. What could possibly compare to the extreme unfathomable humility of God Himself becoming man, walking among us, and enduring mockery and hardship at the hands of His own creatures? And yet, out of love for us, He does so, and He does it willingly and with forgiveness. All of this is understood and meditated on at these solemn moments.
More hymns follow, along with a Gospel reading (St. Matthew 21:18–43), then the canon of the day, and before we know it the choir is chanting the other signature hymn for these matins services, making a full prostration each time.
Thy bridal chamber O my Saviour, do I behold all adorned; and a garment I have not that I may enter therein. Illumine the garment of my soul, O Light Bestower, and save me.
It is the time of reflection…death is now just a “passing over”, and Christ’s Bridal Chamber awaits on the other side, but will we have garments of light with which to meet the Bridegroom? Nearly everyone who chants this has received their Baptismal robe, but have we kept it pure? Will Christ see His image in us? We beseech Him to illuminate us with His uncreated grace, transforming us once again into children of light so that we will not be cast out of the Wedding Banquet… cast out not by God, but by our sheer inability to abide in that overwhelming Eternal Pure Brightness.
The verses for the Praises start with the beautiful hymn that calls us to accompany our Saviour now as He goes up to Jerusalem, so that we later may hear Him crying out to us “I no longer go to the earthly Jerusalem to suffer, but I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and unto My God and your God; and I will raise you up together unto the Jerusalem on high, in the Kingdom of the Heavens.”
Two additional themes run throughout the service: Calling to mind the All-comely Joseph who was a type of our Saviour, since he too was thrown in a pit by his brethren, and he sets an example of reigning over the passions in purity.
The second can be understood in this hymn: “Christ my God hungered for the salvation of man, being Himself the Bread of Life. And coming to the synagogue, and beholding it covered like the fig tree with the leaves of the Law, but without fruit, He cursed it.”
When Adam and Eve turned away from bearing within themselves God’s uncreated light, they tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. Here we encounter the fig tree once again…full of leaves but without fruit. And our Saviour is saying to the synagogue that their exacting following of the letter of the Law will never provide for them the fruits of holiness, humility, grace and compassion, the fruits that He looks for in His true children. He is now opening the way to a more whole way of encountering God, His own Incarnation, and also calling in the nations to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.
Passing along the paths of life, O my Saviour, Thou didst willingly hunger, desiring the salvation of all: for it was this that Thou didst hunger for, even the return of them that were gone astray from Thee.
O Fountain of Compassion and Haven of Salvation, Lord, glory be to Thee.
Next: Tuesday of Holy Week
