Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America
(AACCA)

01. Today the shining forth of the ineffable light of our salvation is completed. He is humbling himself at the consummation of the foreshadowed feast in the upper room. Before the sacramental supper the one who is clothed in light dressed himself in a towel. And he took water. Like a servant he washed the feet of the disciples.

02. Peter did not consent to the word of the Father, the glory of the light touching his feet. Those hands which fashion the heaven and the earth, through which the eyes of the blind were opened, the deaf and the mute were liberated, those hands which saved him from the sea, hushed the waves and they were quieted.

03. He hushed the chosen head of the small flock who did not comprehend the mystery. Consequently, Peter repented and obeyed. He asked Òclean this head and these feet." Christ answered, ÒIt is not necessary that this head be cleaned by water, for it is already clean. You who are the feet must be cleansed so that you may unite to this head in holiness."

04. What he first taught the class of his disciples by words, today he demonstrated by works. The epitome of humility. The one who is not seen by those made of fire waited on those made of dirt. The one to whom service is rendered by the seraphim rendered service to his own servants.

05. He said, ÒIf I, the Lord of every being and the teacher of everyone washed away the dirt of the old from the feet of you the disciples and you the slaves, you who have the same nature, show the same humility to each other. Let the one who has exalted himself be thrown down, and this will make upright your nature."

06. You who cleansed their feet in the basin with clean hands and taught them to be victorious over the evil proud one by humility, in the same way, wash the mud of my sin with the prayers of the holy group, and guide the goings of my feet, through the ascension of humility, into the heavens.

07. He fulfilled the law of Moses which he spoke on Sinai. He ate the lamb of the law and the unleavened bread with the chicory, changing the old to new, averring the foreshadowed to light. By offering himself to God instead of the Lamb, he himself became the lamb.

08. Instead of the unleavened bread he gave his heavenly body. The one who was born from the virgin without means of sperm, the incorruptible and the spiritual. Instead of the covenant of the blood of the Lamb, he gave us a new covenant. And instead of bitter chicory, he gave us the lifestyle of God.

09. The king of creatures gave the hungry the bread of life; and to those who were saddened by Adam, the cup that makes joyful. ÒThis is a new covenant of my blood, instead of the old covenant of bloods, which you will do in my memory until I come the other time.Ó

10. We who are gathered beseech you along with the gathered eleven. You who distributed your life giving body with the cup, grant to us as well, O Lord, to be with them at your table; communing you who are the bread of life which we desire and the drink for which we thirst.

11. From the elected disciples Judas separated himself from the holy lamb. The Lamb of God, the carrier of sins, he betrayed to death for money. The insolent and hypocritical one approached the spiritual supper. By eating with the teacher his betrayal intensifies.

12. The light was pleading with the darkened to repent. ÒSomeone among you brothers is going to betray me to death.Ó Peter, hearing this, became alarmed and signed to John with his eyes to ask who might be the betrayer of the teacher.

13. With care, the one who is love cleared away sadness form his beloved ones. He gives a dipped morsel to Judas. The thief and betrayer was uncovered. Taking it, he was stripped of the divine gifts of the Spirit. In return for the betrayal of the master, he was betrayed into the hands of the first evil one.

14. Deprived of the highest light, the one who loved darkness went out. The Lord revealed to those who became light that they would be scandalized that night. Peter spoke confidently, and was rebuked by the talk of the rooster. He (Jesus) was saying he would leave this world and talking of the coming of the Spirit.

15. In the mystical upper room he went beyond the Kidron valley. He entered into a garden instead of the garden he made Adam enter into, the garden of Eden. Let you, O Lord, make us enter as well with him from whence you expelled us the first time so that again we may be worthy to inherit what is of our father.

16. Sorrowfully, he was worrying about his sufferings while apart with the other three. ÒMy soul is willing to save the world but the nature of my body is weakÓ. Not as the one being powerful and strong and not as the other being without strength and endangered. But being one and the same person he carried these sufferings willingly.

17. With prayerful voice he was asking his natural Father for my sake. The one to whom all bend their knees fell humbly to his knees. ÒIf it is possible for men to be saved without my death which has been written, let this cup of death pass from me. Not by my will, but according to your will let my soul see deathÓ.

18. (He was) Drenched in the fear of sudorific sweat that dripped down drops (from him). An angel came near to him in order to strengthen him. Because God the Word assumed perfect human nature he had to suffer fear and sorrow in his economy.

19. Ray of the glory of the being, according to his human nature, you anguished in the night you prayed to the father in the heavens. Dawn in us, you who are the light of heaven, and sweep away the fear of evil. Let the parts of our souls and our body be nailed to your holy fear.

20. Judas, who was to betray, approached together with the ranks of the Pharisees. They fell down like fallen angels, never to rise again. Judas hypocritically gave the signal to the cause of death by kissing. Instead of love, he betrayed him, returning evil instead of Good.

21. At that time Peter, for the compassion of love, cut off the right ear of the servant Malchus which did not listen to his Lord. Yet our Lord quickly reached to the ear as a healer. As God he healed him. Yet the blind ones did not see.

22. The new small flock was dispersed because the brave shepherd was hit; only Peter followed. The rock was moved by the girl. The bird set as a sign spoke. The Lord signaled to Peter. Remembering the word he cried bitterly. He was reinstated from his fall.

23. You kept the rock of the church from being crushed and you made him stand from his fall because he cried with all his heart. Lord, make me stand as well together with him from the fall caused by the trap layer, by giving abundant tears to my eyes and water like the sea to my head.

24. You who let your hands be tied, the hands that set free, were being taken to the place of Caiaphas and Annias. The servant slapped the face from which the seraphim would cover their face with their wings. Saliva was spat from the profane mouth on the one who gave sight to the blind by his saliva.

25. You who untie the evil ties of men, you were tied in the place of the one who was tied. Set me, who have tied myself through sins to the ties of the hellish one, free. You who, instead of the sins of the debtor innocently stayed in the middle of the court; when you come with the glory of the Father, do not judge me with them.

26. You who were whipped by the shame of the old Adam, wipe away the shame of sin which covers my face. You who forgave the evil slave for slapping you with hands, hit with power the face of the evil one, just as he strongly struck me.

27. The torch of light in the morning of the Friday of the old Passover was standing before the judge. The servant was sitting as judge. When he asked the questions, the Lord did not answer so that the foretold prophecy would be fulfilled, ÒI was like a man who did not speak.Ó

28. The vulgar ranks of soldiers put clothes of scorn on the one who wears as clothing the glory of the light like a mantle on his shoulders. They mocked, coming down on their knees. They were hitting the head with the reed. They were making a crown of thorns for the one who lifted out the thorn of sin.

29. The one who is awful to the cherubim was carrying by himself the wood of the cross, until the place of Golgotha where they put the first man. They made him wine mixed with myrrh and food mixed with chicory; by which he made the bitter taste of the fruit sweet and desirable for us.

30. Those who are above panicked seeing the Lord naked, the clothes divided and lots being cast on the tunic. They pierced the hands and the feet according to the clear voice of David. They nailed to the wooden cross the hands that wrote on the table.

31. Stretching arms in place of arms, feet in place of fleeing feet, wood in place of the wood with the bitter fruit, he was changing death into life. The giver of the laws was standing naked between two lawless people. Except for the one among the robbers, the nation of the blind did not recognize him.

32. At that time the sun made the day become as night; casting the darkness around his nakedness so that no unworthy eyes could see him. At midday, when Adam died through sin, the sun eclipsed. At the ninth hour the light returned; when, through death, death was dissolved.

33. The mother of the Lord who was standing next to the cross was shedding sorrowful tears when she was listening to the only begotten die of thirst. They gave vinegar mixed with bitter to the one who made the river flow in Eden; and made the generations of sinners drink from the good stream of the rock.

34. At the third hour the serpent wore down the mind of the first mother Eve. At the sixth, the first man fell with his consenting word. At this same hour the Lord was on the cross so that he might atone for their sins. And when the old Adam was expelled, he put the robber into the garden.

35. He was crying to the Father the lovely cry ÒEli, Eli,Ó in my place. He was giving his soul willingly to the Father. He was offering the souls of all men to the same. The foundations of the earth were shaken and the curtain was ripped from the center. The rocks ripped by themselves and the tombs of death opened.

36. From these miracles it is proclaimed that God was crucified for me bodily. God, dying with our nature, is confessed immortal. From the double flowing fountain from his side the church is established. She is cleansed by the water and she drinks the blood. She glorifies the Son with the Father.

37. Renewer of the universe who clothed us with the light of glory, you were clothed by the soldiers with the red mantle of scorn. Strip the sorrowful rags of sin from me covering me with your blood, and clothe me with the previous robe, the joyful one.

38. Falling to the ground they were making light of you the heavenly king. And covering you who are the head, they were punching you and striking you with the reed. I too have fallen to the ground the moment I obeyed the will of the evil one. Do not allow me to make light, but stand me up again.

39. After the verdict of the judge, your body was surrounded, and received intense beating for the beating of the first created. Give to me who suffers from my feet to my head with great pain health again, for a second time, with the grace of the font.

40. In place of the glorious and holy insignia that you put on Aaron, the keepers of the vineyards of Israel put on you a crown of thorns. Remove the thorn of sin from me that my enemy wounded me with and heal the bitten wound so that the taste of the most bitter fruit might become sweet. Through this act, remove the bitterness of the evil one that has been poured throughout my spirit, and let your love be sweet.

41. Instead of the budding death bearing tree that sprouted in the middle of Eden, you carried the wood of the cross up to Golgotha. Receive my soul, which has fallen in sin and is carrying a very heavy burden, and carry it upon your shoulders like a lamb, to the promised heavenly place.

42. On Friday at the third hour you were nailed, Oh Lord, to the cross. You freed the shackels of the first man and bound the enemy. Protect me under the cover of your life giving symbol and enlighten me with its light when it dawns from the east.

43. You opened the door of the garden of Eden to the blessed robber. You accomplished his request according to the faith of his heart. Grand me, Oh Lord, to hear the same answer, ÒToday you will be in Eden, in your previous FatherlandÓ.

44. By speaking ÒEli, EliÓ, the foundations of the earth were shaken and the curtain of the old law was rent from top to bottom. Now, with the rocks, shake my unshakable heart, to do the good. With the tear of the curtain, tear also the record of my sins.

45. The light of the sun veiled. In the middle of the day it darkened. The tombs were opening and the bodies of the saints were rising. With the eclipsing of the light givers, clear from me the deeds of darkness. Make my soul, dead with sins, rise with those who were rising from the dead.

46. You, the Word, became the fulfiller of the new commandment of love by praying to the Father to forgive the sins on the cross. Forgive me who believed in spirit, worshipping you the only-begotten. Do not remember by previous sins, but by your order give me forgiveness.

47. When you surrendered your soul to the father hell trembled. You who descended into hell; to the depths of the prison of death and darkness, bound the death birthing prince and freed the imprisoned souls. Lord, may it be that you will free me too with them, from the prison of dark death.

48. Open my mouth to the incorruptible springs that, after your death, sprang double flowing for the sake of making new the one born from the rib, so that I may drink your life giving blood; and wash me again in the font; not only with grace, but also with tears.

49. In place of the death of you the immutable, give life to my dead spirit. Through your burial in a new tomb bring me, who am buried in my sins, out. By descending in to the pit of sin, raise me up from the pit of my sins. By your dwelling in the shadow of death, enlighten my Spirit.

50. My heart cries for you who are the Word with the Father from the beginning; who willingly suffered bodily all these things. Make me hear your voice calling to your kingdom, and bless you with the ancient choirs always eternally.