Great Wednesday

Great Wednesday or Wednesday of Holy Week is the day on which Judas succumbed to temptation and decided to betray Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. At the same time, the sinner repented of her actions, shed precious myrrh on Christ, thereby preparing him for burial. According to biblical records, on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, Jesus was in Bethany. Simon the leper invited him to dinner at his house. There is still debate about who this man was. According to the law of Moses, healthy people had to refuse contact with those with leprosy. If Simon once suffered from this disease and was later cured, then it is unlikely that such a nickname could stick with him for a long time. Some believe that Jesus healed the sick man the day before. Simon was completely healthy, but he still retained his nickname, since too little time had passed since the miraculous recovery. Others believe that Simon the leper and Simon the Pharisee, who refused to honor Christ, are one and the same person, but this version has too many contradictions. Anyway, Jesus accepted the invitation and came to dine at Simon's house. At this time, the council of high priests had already decided to use cunning and kill Christ. When Jesus was in Simon's house, an unknown woman, who is called a sinner, poured myrrh on him. While the Savior was dining, a woman entered the room carrying an alabaster vessel in her hands. It was full of the precious backgammon world. The woman's name is not mentioned anywhere. There are several versions that reveal her identity. Only three women anointed Jesus with chrism. The first was Mary Magdalene in the house of Simon the Pharisee - a man whose image for some merges with the image of Simon the leper. The second woman was Lazarus' sister. The third remains a stranger, but many interpreters believe that it was still Mary Magdalene - a sinner who had already anointed the Savior in the past. The woman approached the sitting Jesus, stood behind him, quickly knocked off the neck of an elegant vessel and poured precious myrrh on his head. The disciples began to murmur as the wonderful aroma spread throughout the room. They did not understand why this senseless waste of such a rare incense. Jesus lived poorly. He didn't even have a permanent home. The disciples began to be indignant that this ointment could be sold and the money distributed to the poor. The Savior stopped dissatisfied conversations and protected the woman. Jesus said there was nothing wrong with what she did. Caring for the poor is a laudable deed, but the poor will always be before the eyes of the disciples, and Christ will not be with the disciples for long. The Savior said that the woman anointed his body for the upcoming burial and everyone would know about this good deed of the sinner. In sermons about Christ, the action of this woman will certainly be mentioned. At the same time, in contrast to the repentance of the sinner, the soul of one of the twelve disciples of Judas succumbed to temptation. Judas decided to betray Christ and took payment in the amount of thirty pieces of silver. On this day, churches condemn the act of Jesus' disciple and praise the sincere repentance of the sinner from the house of Simon the Leper. On Wednesday evenings, general confession is performed in many churches. On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Jesus had the last supper with his disciples, at which he instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist. The next morning will be dedicated to this event. The Liturgy of Holy Thursday will be served in all Orthodox churches around the world. On Wednesday they started cleaning the house. Carpets were carefully beaten, floors were washed, clothes were washed. In Rus' there was a rather interesting ritual that was supposed to heal a person from illnesses. It was equated with some kind of rebirth. First, a person had to go to a river or well to scoop up a mug of clean water. He made the sign of the cross three times and covered the container with a clean cloth. Usually a towel was used. At two hours after midnight you had to get up, cross yourself three times again, take off your clothes and wash your body with this water, leaving a little on the bottom. There was no need to wipe yourself after this ritual. They put clean clothes directly on the wet body. The remaining water was poured out of the mug within the next hour after the ceremony.