Journey to Pascha Series - Holy Week; Great and Holy Monday (Sung on Sunday Evening)

In the Eastern Orthodox Church liturgical tradition, the Bridegroom Matins service of Great and Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday is a significant liturgical event during Holy Week, marking the final journey of Jesus Christ toward His Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. This service is a preparatory reflection on the events leading up to Christ’s betrayal and sacrificial death. These three days emphasize Christ’s teachings, the call to repentance, and His approach to the suffering that He would soon endure for the salvation of humanity. Here’s a detailed explanation of the theological significance of each day’s Bridegroom Matins:

Great and Holy Monday – The Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Cursed Fig Tree

On Holy Monday, the Bridegroom Matins focuses on the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) and the incident of Christ cursing the barren fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22). These events reveal deep theological truths about preparedness, faith, and the fruits of repentance.

1. The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13):
   
   

• This parable emphasizes the need for vigilance, preparedness, and living a life in anticipation of the Lord’s return. The wise virgins who kept their lamps filled with oil are symbols of faithful Christians who live in a state of constant readiness, maintaining their spiritual lives in prayer, repentance, and virtue. The foolish virgins, in contrast, represent those who fail to keep watch and let their spiritual lives deteriorate.
  
  

• Theologically, the parable speaks to the Orthodox understanding of salvation: it is not a one-time event but a continual process of vigilance and holiness. It also highlights the mystery of the "Bridegroom" (Christ), who is coming for His Bride (the Church), calling all believers to prepare themselves by living a life of grace and repentance.
  
  

2. The Cursed Fig Tree (Matthew 21:18-22):
   
   

• Christ curses the barren fig tree for not bearing fruit, which is symbolic of spiritual barrenness—unfruitfulness in repentance, faith, and good works.
  
  

• The fig tree incident serves as a warning: those who fail to bear the fruits of righteousness will face judgment. This is a call to examine one’s spiritual life during Holy Week and to repent for the times one has failed to produce spiritual fruit.

Tone 8 Troparion

Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, 
and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching; 
and again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. 
Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep, 
lest you be given up to death, 
and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom!
But rouse yourself, crying: “Holy, holy, holy, are You, O our God!”
Through the Theotokos have mercy on us!