There is a clear difference between the atmosphere of Palm Sunday and the atmosphere of Holy Monday. While Palm Sunday spoke of the coming of the King, Holy Monday announces the return of the Son of Man at the end of times. While the entry of our King into Jerusalem - and his entry into our souls if we wish - was a manifestation of his humility and kindness, his second appearance, which the Church contemplates on Holy Monday, will be characterized by the nature of a sudden and violent catastrophe. Before his death, Jesus wants to alert people to the dangerous event.
The Church moves to this new level in the Great Monday sunset prayer held on the evening of Palm Sunday, when it says: (Let us hasten, O believers, moving from one divine feast to another like it, from palms and branches to the continuation of the venerable saving suffering of Christ). Vespers prayer is immediately followed by the “circumcision” service, which is the dawn prayer special for this day, in which we sing, after the dawn psalms and the Alleluia. (29)، طروبارية تبدأ هكذا: (ها هوذا الختن يأتي في نصف الليل. فطوبى للعبد الذي يجده مستيقظاً، أمّا الذي يجده متغافلاً فهو غير مستحق. فانظري إذاً، يا نفسي، ألاّ تستغرقي في النوم…). وتتكلم الكاثسماطات (30) عن آلام المسيح: (إن هذا اليوم الحاضر يشرق للعالم الآلام الموقرة كأنوار مخلّصة… إن هذا اليوم الحاضر يقّدم ببهاء مبادئ آلام الرب). ثم نستمع إلى تلاوة إنجيلية (متى18:21- 43) يمكن تقسيمها إلى ثلاثة أجزاء. يسرد الجزء الأول كيف لعن الرب التينة وكيف يبست هذه. أمّا التفسير الروحي لهذا المقطع فهو واضح: كانت التينة تحمل الأوراق بدون ثمر، وهكذا يُلعن الإنسان الذي يتظاهر بالخصب والعمل بينما يبقى بالفعل عميقاً. يتكلم القسم الثاني من الإنجيل عمّا دار بين يسوع والكهنة في الهيكل: (- بأي سلطان تفعل هذا…؟ – وأنا أيضاً أسألكم عن كلمة واحدة، فإن قلتموها لي قلت لكم أنا أيضاً بأي سلطان أفعل هذا: معمودية يوحنا من أين كانت، أمن السماء أم من الناس ؟). وسكت الكهنة خوفاً من الخزي الذي يمكن أن يلحق بهم من جرّاء جواب إيجابي أو سلبي. أمّا القسم الثالث من الإنجيل فيحتوي على مثلين: مثل الابنين اللذين أرسلهما والدهما للعمل في الكرم، فرفض الأول ثم تاب وذهب، وقبل الآخر ولكنه لم يذهب، وينتهي بالقول: (وهكذا العشارون والزواني سيسبقونكم إلى ملكوت الله). ثم مَثَل عملة الكرم الذين يقتلون المرسلين من قبل صاحب الكرم وحتى ابنه. يقول الإنجيل أن عقابهم سيكون رهيباً، لكنه يزيد أن الحجر الذي رذله البناءون سيصبح حجر الزاوية في البناء. تشير أودية القانون مراراً إلى يوسف الذي أبغضه إخوته وباعوه، ثم حُبس: إن يوسف هو صورة للمسيح المتألم.
Three prophecies are read in the services (sixth and vespers) that precede the Mass (of the previously sanctified Holy Places). We first hear the first twenty verses of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, which speak of his vision of the four winged beings, each bearing four faces, setting off in a rush of spirit. Since ancient times, the Church has considered these beings to represent the four Evangelists. It seems that this passage was chosen to be read on this day, even though it has no connection to Holy Monday or to the entire Holy Week, to be the beginning of the reading of Ezekiel’s prophecy that will be continued during the entire week. We later listen to the reading of the first chapter of the Book of Exodus, which talks about the suffering of the Jewish people in Egypt. Naturally, this passage was chosen because the Book of Exodus tells the story of the salvation of the people of Israel from Egypt, which symbolizes the Christian Passover. Then we hear a reading from the beginning of the Book of Job (1:1-12). Job's suffering makes him another image of Jesus Christ. As for the Gospel that is recited in the Mass (31) (Matthew 3:24-35) He returns to the subject of the terrible second coming of Christ, accompanied by disasters, darkness, wars, and “severe tribulation the likes of which has not occurred since the foundation of the world until now, and never will.” One of the verses of this recitation summarizes the entire teaching of the Great Monday: (Just as the lightning comes from the east and appears to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be).
(29) During Lent and Holy Week, the Greek Church frequently uses the phrase (Alleluia). While the Latin Church stopped using it completely in the same period. On the night of Passover, the Jews used to chant (Hallelujah of Egypt), which is like six psalms in which the word Alleluia is repeated repeatedly. It is possible that Jesus and his disciples sang these psalms before they left the upper room for Gethsemane. The word (Hallelujah) means (Glory be to you, O Jehovah).
(30) Kathismas are pieces of service that can be seated while being sung.
(31) The Progismanian Mass service usually does not contain the reading of an Epistle and Gospel. Their presence here is one of the characteristics of the Holy Week.