Since the Thursday of Holy Week, popularly called Maundy Thursday, the Orthodox Church, devoting church services to the remembrance of the earthly sufferings of the Savior, depicts some of the events of the last days of the earthly life of the Lord, borrowing the rites partly from the Catholic Church, partly leading them to the traditions of ancient times. Since Maundy Thursday is dedicated to the memory of the Last Supper, at which Christ washed the feet of his disciples, thus showing a deep example of brotherly love and humility, the church also reproduces this rite - washing of feet - in actions and faces. This rite was performed in the main diocesan cathedrals, and in St. Petersburg it could be seen in St. Isaac's Cathedral, in the same form in which it was performed in the 17th century in Moscow.
After the ceremony, the Moscow Patriarch hosted a meal for the powers that be. The tsar bestowed from his own hands with the sovereign's salary the bishops who were in Moscow and distributed alms to almshouses, the sick and the poor, visited prisons, talked with convicts, released several criminals and ransomed those imprisoned for debts.
According to the Novgorod ustav, before the Mass, a general blessing of oil was performed in front of the table, on which, among the sacred objects, were laid seven handles with tassels, entwined with cotton, called “pods”. Upon the completion of the blessing, the clerics poured oil into seven wax vessels, and a table with a copper tub and two jugs of warm water was supplied in front of the northern altar doors, along with two cups and two towels. Seven senior spiritual authorities took a cup of oil and a brush and stood facing the west, anointed themselves with oil, and then received the anointing from the saint; in the altar, they washed the oil on the forehead and hands with warm water, and then proceeded to expose the throne. When singing the psalms, they washed the throne from a vessel with dill, wine and oil, wiped it off with white towels, which were cut into small pieces and distributed to the people.
By the same day, according to an ancient custom, the world-making of the metropolitan departments of Moscow and Kiev was timed.
Miro was still known to the Old Testament church, where it served for the anointing of the paraphernalia of worship, as well as for the anointing of kings, high priests and priests. The Jews prepared myrrh from myrrh, fragrant cinnamon, reed, cassia (Alexandrian leaf) and olive oil. In the Greek Church, up to 50 fragrant substances were taken to compose it, in Russia until 1853, only 26 such substances were required, and after that five more were added.
To prepare the world for 20 poods of oil, 6 buckets of white grape wine were required, which served to ensure that during cooking oil and other substances did not ignite and did not dry out. The composition of the world included from 2 poods to 20 spools of the following substances: styrax (gum, special tree sap), dewy incense, simple, white and black, sandarak (plant resin extracted from a special type of juniper), mastic (also resin), mainly pistachio, pink flowers, basil (fragrant cornflower), roots: violet white, ginger, black, galangal, cardamom, Peruvian balm, Venetian turpentine (turpentine), oils: thick nutmeg, bergamot, lemon, lavender, goddess, clove, lignirodia (coal), pink, brown, marjoram, orange and nutmeg liquid.
In ancient times, only those substances were used that could be found locally. In 1631, under Patriarch Filaret, for the creation of the world, the following were demanded from the tsarist “apothec”: “good amber, dewy palm, divy honey (wild), cinnamon, pertrun, azar root, gulyaf (pink) vodka, smyrna and cassia”.
The first myrrh was brought to Russia from Chersonesos during the baptism of Rus. Under the holy prince Vladimir, myrrh was brought to Kiev from Constantinople in the so-called alavastra, a copper vessel with a narrow neck lined with mother-of-pearl.
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For a long time, a vessel was kept in the richest sacristy of the Moscow Dormition Cathedral, into which ointment was poured to anoint Russian monarchs during the coronation. This vessel, mentioned in the annals and charters under the name "Carnelian August Crabians", was a small bowl with a tray, decorated with enamel and on the lid with an enamel snake tied in a knot, a symbol of wisdom and health. According to legend, this "crab" was sent by the Greek emperor Alexei Komnenos as a gift to Vladimir Monomakh, along with the royal clothes and a golden crown.
The preparation of substances for the creation of the world began from the week of the Cross. On Monday morning, during Holy Week, the Metropolitan sprinkled the prepared substances with holy water and, pouring holy water into the cauldrons, blessed them to put oil, fragrant herbs, and so on. Then he himself lit the fire under the cauldrons and began reading the Gospel; this reading, as well as the stirring of the cooked with wooden oars, continued day and night until Wednesday evening, when, after letting it cool down, the aromas were put into the prepared myrrh and then poured into alavaster and other vessels and placed on special benches.
On Maundy Thursday, before the start of the liturgy hours, with the bell ringing and the troparion chanting, Vladyka entered the world-channeled chamber and, having performed incense here, handed the senior archpriest "alavastr", and other priests with vessels with the newly prepared peace and marched to the Assumption Cathedral. Here "alavastr" was placed on the altar, and other vessels were placed around it.
During the Great Exit to the Liturgy, all the vessels with myrrh were taken out of the altar in front of the Holy Gifts. "Alavastr" is placed on the throne by the serving bishop, and the vessels with the unconsecrated world are placed around it. After the consecration of the Holy Gifts, myrrh was also consecrated. The bishop opened each vessel and, after proclaiming the words: “… and may the mercies of the Great God be …”, he blessed each vessel three times: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” and then pronounced aloud the prayer set for the consecration of the world. Another prayer was recited in secret with kneeling. At the end of the prayers, Vladyka again blessed myrrh three times, and the vessels were closed. At the end of the liturgy, the consecrated myrrh, with the singing of the 44th psalm, with the bell ringing, with a procession of the cross, was transferred to the storage of the Patriarchal sacristy, from where it was released at the request of the diocesan authorities in churches.
On the evening of Maundy Thursday, the 12 Gospels about the earthly sufferings of the Savior are read. There were also popular superstitions related only to this day. So, according to legend, “at midnight the dead rise from the graves, caused by the bell ringing, inaudible to the living, stand in front of the church, and the dead priest reads a prayer. The church doors open by themselves, the dead enter the temple of God, and the service begins. At the end of the Mass, all are Christed and then, in the same order in which they appeared, they go to their eternal dwelling-graves."
In some places, there was a custom to burn with leavened thick salt, defiled by the touch of the hand of Judas the traitor; this salt, the so-called Thursday salt, was stored as a remedy for all kinds of diseases. In the southern regions that day they swam in the river, trying to completely wash away their sins; some confessed and received communion a second time.
Last supper
Before Easter, the enemies of Christ gathered together and began to consult on how to kill Christ. At that time, one of the Savior's disciples, Judas Iscariot, came to them and said: "What will you give me if I betray Him?" He was offered 30 pieces of silver. Judas agreed, and from that day on he sought an opportunity to betray the Lord.
On Thursday evening, on the eve of Jewish Passover, Christ gathered the disciples in the room where the Passover meal was prepared. When Christ entered the room, He took off His outer garments and, taking a towel, girded about it. Then he poured water into the laver and began to wash the disciples' feet and wiped them off with a towel, which he girded with. Later he sat down with the disciples at the table and said: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you speak correctly. So, if I, the Teacher and the Lord, washed your feet, then you must do the same to each other. " And he continued: “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me. And it would be better not to be born to such a person”. The Apostle John, whom Christ loved, leaning to the breast of Jesus, said: "Lord, who is this?" The Savior answered him: "The one to whom I, having dipped a piece of bread, will give." And dipping a piece of breadgave it to Judas Iscariot. After that, Judas got up and went out.
During this supper Christ took the bread, blessed it, broke it and, distributing it to the disciples, said: “This is My Body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. " And taking a cup of wine, he thanked the Lord, gave it to the disciples and said: “Receive and drink everything from it. This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Thus, the sacrament of the Eucharist was established - the Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is the center of the Christian liturgy, the source and pinnacle of all Christian life.
100 great holidays. Elena Olegovna Chekulaeva