Wednesday of Passion Week








♰الْمَجْدُ للهِ! ♰Praise be to God always!♰ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ! ♰



Entrance Hymn

Zion’s Daughter Strayed from Me

Syriac: fsheeto (qooqoyo)

tesh-booh-tol mor-yo (To God be glory!)
"Zion’s Daughter strayed from me,"
our Lord lamented.
“She betrayed our covenant and went her own way.
I wept for her.
She had always been my love and joy,
and I cared for her.
In my kindness, she received wine made from water.
But she gave me bitter wine before my last breath."
tesh-booh-tol mor-yo (To God be glory!)
Christ our Savior, you were slain
as it was written.
You became as one large wound, soaked in your own blood.
O tell me, Lord,
are there hearts so cruel to do such things,
that you bleed this way?
“My own people did this deed," our Lord responded.
“Yet my pierced heart heals the wounds of those who draw near."
tesh-booh-tol mor-yo (To God be glory!)
The beloved, only Son of God the Father,
firstborn Son of Mary’s womb, has come to save us.
There is no love
greater than the love of him who died,
having shed his blood.
He was crucified for us; our mouths now praise him.
The Redeemer of the world has brought us new life.

Opening Prayers

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Innocent and spotless Lamb,
you were led to the cross in silence carrying the sins of the world.
Make us worthy to share in your life-giving passion,
as we exchange our sacrifice for your sacrifice
and our love for your love.
May your glorious resurrection fill us with joy,
and we raise glory to you to your Father, and to your Holy Spirit,
forever. Amen.

Prayer of Forgiveness (Husoyo)

Proemion

Let us raise glory, honor, and praise to the Living and Immortal One who became flesh, suffered, and died. By his passion he atoned for our sins, by his death he opened the door of salvation, and by his resurrection he reconciled heaven and earth. To the Good One be glory and honor, at this time, and all the days of our lives, and forever. Amen.

Sedro

Exalted and awesome Lord, you lived among us, became our brother, and showed us the way to salvation. You drank the bitter cup of suffering for our redemption. With enlightened consciences and pure hearts, we cry out, proclaiming: Blessed be your holy, life-giving Passion that has freed us from the slavery of sin and the power of evil.
Blessed be your holy, life-giving Passion that has shown us the way to salvation.
Blessed be your holy, life-giving Passion that has transformed our weakness into strength and our lowliness into glory.
Now, O suffering Lord Jesus who overflows with love for us, we implore you, with the fragrance of this incense, to adorn us with your passion rather than with a royal purple robe, and with your nakedness rather than with a crown, and with your cross rather than with a scepter. Make our souls purer than snow, that we may be dressed in clothes appropriate for your heavenly feast, where we will glorify and thank you with a glory and thanks worthy of your majesty and perfection, together with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

Hymn (Qolo)

How Blest, O Lord, Is Your Passion

Syriac: boteh dhasho

How blest, O Lord, is your passion and humble state.
You have suffered,
O Christ our God;
your faithful Church now shares your pain.
Make her joyful when you are raised;
let her sing praise.
We glorify God: the Father, who sent his Son
to redeem us,
the Son, who came
and suffered death upon the cross,
and the Spirit, who gives us life;
one and true God.

Etro

Lord Jesus, accept and be pleased with the fragrance of this incense from your Church, your flock, whom you have redeemed by your passion and have purchased with your precious blood. Hear the prayers of your Church, your Bride, who embraces and kisses your wounds. Bless her and keep away everything that might distance her from you, that she may share in the sufferings of your passion, rejoice in your resurrection, and raise glory and thanks to you, forever. Amen.

Qadishat Aloho (Trisagion)

ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܚܰܝܶܠܬܳܢܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܠܳܐ ܡܳܝܽܘܬܳܐ.
ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܕܶܐܨܠܶܒܬ ܚܠܳܦܰܝܢ.ܐܶܬܪܰܚܰܡ ܥܠܰܝܢ.
Qadishat Aloho. Qadishat Hayeltono. Qadishat lo moyuto.
MsheeHo deSlebt Hlofayn. EtraHam 3alayn.
You are holy, O God. You are holy, O Strong One. You are holy, O Imortal One.
O Christ who was crucified for us, have mercy on us.
قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا الله، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا قَوِي، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا مَنْ لا يَموتْ،
يا مَسِيح الَّذِي صُلِبَ مِنْ أَجْلِنا، إِرْحَمْنا.

Holy and immortal Lord, sanctify our minds and purify our consciences, that we may praise you with purity and listen to your Holy Scriptures. To you be glory forever. Amen.

Psalm of the Readings

Syriac: ‘onokh yeshoo‘

Our Lord Jesus entered Zion
for the great feast.
He was ready to endure pain
that would save us.
Out of envy leaders made plans
to kill God’s Son,
who had entered holy Zion
for the great feast.
We now suffer with you, Jesus,
in your passion.
Make us joyful, O Redeemer,
when you shall rise.

Epistle

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. Your blessing, Father.

Glory to the Lord of Paul and the apostles! May the mercy of God descend upon the reader and the listeners and upon this parish and her children forever. Amen.

Brothers and Sisters:
Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you." And again, “I will put my trust in him." And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me." Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
(Hebrews 2:5-18)

Praise be to God always!

Gospel

hem oo-hem
For food they gave me gall;
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
(Psalm 69:22)
hem oo-hem

Before the proclamation of the Gospel of our Savior, announcing life for our souls, we offer this incense and ask for your mercy, O Lord.

Peace be with you.

And with your spirit.

From the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John, who proclaimed life to the world.
Let us listen to the proclalation of life and salvation for our souls.

Remain silent, O listeners, for the Holy Gospel is about to be proclaimed to you.
Listen and give glory and thanks to the Word of the living God.

The Apostle wrote:
So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed." He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.
(John 11:47-54)

This is the truth! Peace be with you!

Praise and blessings to Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, for giving us his words of life.