Introduction
Blessed be our Lord, brothers and sisters.
We... and for us our Lord has paid a great price. Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus, brothers and sisters. Today I would like to present the sufferings and torments that the Lord bore for us, in our place, through the words of Narekatsi.
The Humility of the Creator
Blessed and light-renewing, great and miraculously glorious is that awesome day, when the created ones, with intense dread, were divided into two parts: by the humbling of the exalted and the elevation of the ruined. Now, the opportune hour has arrived to write this sighing, joy-mingled melody with awe and fear.
I wish to speak here of Your sufferings, which You bore because of me, O God of all. You stood humbly in my likeness before the tribunal of Your creation, and You did not speak, O Giver of words. You did not utter a sound with Your establishing tongue, You did not raise a voice to shake the earth, You did not roar, O most resounding trumpet of awe. You did not reproach them for Your favors, nor did You boast of their wickedness. You did not betray to shame those who betrayed You to the torments of death. You did not resist when bound, nor did You become slightly bitter when slapped. You did not despise them when they spat in Your face, nor did You sigh when they mercilessly beat You. You did not fret when they mocked You, You were not altered and subjected to scorn and derision.
The Mockery and Crucifixion
As if weak, they took Your robe from You and dressed You again like a helpless prisoner. If You had not drank twice the vinegar mixed with gall, my stored-up bile of past bitterness would not have been poured out. You tasted in despair and immediately rejected it with hesitation, and severely scourging You before the chaotic crowd, they brought You to Your knees to mock You, placing a crown of thorns on Your head in contempt.
They gave no rest to You, the Life-Giver; they forced You to carry the prepared instrument of death. You accepted it as long-suffering, took it as meek, raised it silently, as patient. Exaltingly bearing that life-giving weapon, like the lily of the valley, that You might protect us from the terrors of the night. Replacing the throne of our existence, created by You, from a place of corporeal condemnation to a place of rejoicing.
They brought You out as a burnt offering, spread You on the altar of the cross as a sacrifice, nailed You firmly as an evildoer, bound You tight as a rebel. Even You, our heavenly peace, as a bandit. You, worshipped by Cherubim, as despised; You, the cause of life, as a bandit. You, the painter of the Gospel, as a breaker of the law; You, the inspirer of prophets and the Lord, as an abolisher of scriptures. You, the ray of glory, the unutterable seal of the Father's counsel, as one condemned before the Father's will. You, the Blessed One, as an exiled law-breaker; You, surrounded by unapproachable light, as a captured earthling.
Infinite Love and Resurrection
O long-suffering beneficence, sweet and abundant mercy, who for this lawless and ungrateful servant took upon Yourself all this willingly, voluntarily with the body that You united to Yourself. And until Your slumber in the tomb, in complete silence You remained always the same unfathomable God, bearing the same sufferings with Your unutterable patience. And then again You resurrected sovereignly, with luminous glory, always praised with blessed compassion and mercy, from ages unto ages.
A Call to Stand by the Lord
Blessed be our Lord, beloved. All these sufferings Narekatsi understood well, that it was because of him and for him. And the Holy Scripture advises us thus:
Let us go out outside the camp, where Christ was crucified.
Beloved, if I have understood that Christ was crucified in my place, no longer out of obligation, no longer at someone's request or command, but that duty, that love will compel us to go outside the camp, where our Lord was crucified, so that we too may stand beside our Lord.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Blessed be the name of our Lord, brothers and sisters. Shall we pray? Yes, let us pray. Let us pray that the Lord directs our hearts to the cross of the Lord, from whence is our power, our victory, our life. Amen.
Hallelujah, Almighty God, our beloved Savior, gratitude and glory to You.
- We thank You from the bottom of our hearts, Lord, that You were crucified for us
- Lord, that You laid down Your life for us
- Lord, that You shed Your blood
We thank You from the bottom of our hearts, Lord. Help, strengthen us, Lord, help, strengthen us to deeply understand, Lord, Your crucifixion, Lord, from where our life began, Lord. Help, strengthen us, and grant that we live that crucified life, that crucifixion throughout our lives, Lord. Help, strengthen, and be glorified, be magnified in everything: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hallelujah, amen.
