Sunday of Meatfare (Sunday of the Last Judgment)
Tropar, Tone 3
Let rejoicing fill the heavens, let gladness fill the earth,* for the Lord has shown the power of his arm by conquering death by death.* He has become the first born of the dead. He has delivered us from the bowels of hell,* and upon the world he has bestowed great mercy.
[Death is referred in the resurrectional troparia as the common inheritance of mankind. The purpose of Christ’s coming into the world, of His suffering, death and resurrection, was to free us from the corruption of Death. Christ’s life makes it possible for us to participate in real life again, as well as to enjoy peace and reconciliation with God. In the Resurrection of Christ from the dead we see the victory of our nature over Death and a communion with God, which we can all share.]
Glory…Now…
Kondak of the Triodion, Tone 1
When You come on earth, O God, in glory, and the universe trembles, while the river of fire flows before the seat of judgment, and the books are opened and all secrets disclosed, then deliver me from the unquenchable fire, and count me worthy to stand at Your right hand, O Judge who are most just.
[There is an ancient tradition that the icon of the Last Judgment is often depicted on the west wall of the church. In this way, this icon is the last image that the people see as they leave the church. The church building represents the created universe. One day, we will have to leave this world. We will face the judgment of Christ before we pass over the eternal life or to eternal punishment.]
Prokimen, Tone 3
Great is our God and great is is strength;* and of His knowledge there is no end.
v. Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; may praise be sweet to Him.
A READING FROM THE 1st LETTER OF SAINT PAUL
TO CORINTHIANS:
Brethren, food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better off if we do. But make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. If someone sees you, with your knowledge, reclining at table in the temple of an idol, may not his conscience too, weak as it is, be "built up" to eat the meat sacrificed to idols? Thus through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died. When you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences, weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin. Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? Although I may not be an apostle for others, certainly I am for you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. (1 Cor. 8,8-9,2)
Alleluia, Tone 6
Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us acclaim God our Saviour.
v. Let us come before His face with praise, and acclaim Him in psalms.
A READING
The Lord said: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Mt. 25,31-46)
[The funerary chapel of the Chora Monastery near Constantinople has a fascinating and edifying icon of the scene described in today’s gospel reading. The icon of the Last Judgment is the dome painting of the chapel. Christ is portrayed seated in the center of a great vortex that carries the elect clockwise up into the Eternal Kingdom
It is the holiness of God that moves the entire Creation towards its consummation: evil naturally flees from Him, while that which is good and wholesome is drawn to Him. In a sense it is true that all of life is judgment, since, through the deeds of our lives, we habituate ourselves to good or to evil. Because of what we have done in this life, when we leave this life, we will either be drawn to the holiness of God, or we will shrink from it in horror.]
Communion verse
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you just. Praise befits the righteous.
Alleluia (3)
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