Today’s selected Byzantine hymn for Holy Thursday is a bit more solemn as it commemorates two major events: the Last Supper of Christ with His disciples and the betrayal by Judas Iscariot.
Both events represent the ultimate revelation of God’s redeeming love for mankind, of love as the very essence of salvation. They also stress the importance of forgiveness.
You can listen to the hymn here:
The Last Supper & The Betrayal:
The events initiated by Jesus at the Last Supper were profoundly significant. By establishing the Eucharist, He gave a radical new meaning to the food and drink of the sacred meal. He identified himself with the bread and wine: “Take, eat. This is my Body. Drink of it all of you, for this is my Blood of the New Covenant” (Matthew 26:26-28).
By washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus wanted to teach them that they must be humble in order to serve their fellow man with love. While the disciples were enlightened at the washing of their feet before the Supper, the betrayer Judas was darkened by the sickness of avarice.
That night, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, the sign of friendship and love. Jesus knew he would be betrayed but he was to forgive Judas, because the forgiveness of sinners is a major part of the Christian faith.
#KeepItGreek
Η Μεγάλη Πέμπτη σύμφωνα με τον Χριστιανισμό είναι η ιερή μέρα κατά την οποία εορτάζεται ο Μυστικός Δείπνος του Ιησού Χριστού με τους 12 Αποστόλους. Η ημέρα αυτή είναι η τέταρτη ημέρα της Μεγάλης Εβδομάδας, η οποία καταλήγει στη γιορτή του Πάσχα. Μένουμε σπίτι αυτές τις ημέρες του Θείου Πάθους και μέσω του «Ελληνικού Κήρυκα» συμμετέχουμε στη μυσταγωγία των ημερών, ακούγοντας καθημερινά τους ύμνους της Μεγάλης Εβδομάδας.
