On Monday evening, April 18, 2011, Archimandrite Zacchaeus together with visiting Priest Andrei Tregubov and parish Deacon Dmitry Asratyan concelebrated the Matins for Holy Tuesday at St Catherine the Great Martyr Church.
The following day, April 19, 2011, Priest Ioann Kechkin and Deacon Gleb Kraezhevskykh concelebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the parish with Archimandrite Zacchaeus hearing confessions of the faithful.
Information about Holy Tuesday:
On Tuesday: At Matins: Matthew 22: 15-23, 39. Condemnation of Pharisees, i.e. of the blind and hypocritical religion, of those who think they are the leaders of man and the light of the world, but who in fact "shut up the Kingdom of heaven to men."
At the Presanctified Liturgy: Matthew 24: 36-26, 2. The End again and the parables of the End: the ten wise virgins who had enough oil in their lamps and the ten foolish ones who were not admitted to the bridal banquet; the parable of ten talents ". . . Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." And, finally the Last Judgment.
3.These Gospel lessons are explained and elaborated in the hymnology of these days: the stichiras and the triodia (short canons of three odes each sung at Matins). One warning, one exhortation runs through all of them: the end and the judgment are approaching, let us prepare for them: '"
"Behold, O my soul, the Master has conferred on thee a talent Receive the gift with fear; Lend to him who gave; distribute to the poor And acquire for thyself thy Lord as thy Friend; That when He shall come in glory, Thou mayest stand on His right hand And hear His blessed voice: Enter, my servant, into the joy of thy Lord." (Tuesday Matins) (www.oca.org)
