Prelude: Prelude in f minor, BWV 534 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

Palm Sunday

Scripture: Matthew 20:17-19

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Ride On Grayston Ives (b. 1948)

Ride on, ride on in majesty! Hark, all the tribes hosanna cry, thy humble beast pursues his road with palms and scattered garments strowed. In lowly pomp ride on to die, O Christ thy triumph now begin o'er captive death and conquered sin. The winged squadrons of the sky look down with sad and wond'ring eyes to see the approaching sacrifice. Ride on, ride on in majesty! Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh; the Father on his sapphire throne awaits his own anointed Son. Ride on, ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die; bow thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O God, thy power, and reign.

Maundy Thursday - Gethsemane

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-44

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Thy Will Be Done Craig Courtney (b. 1948)

Our cup was filled with darkness. Our cup was filled with death. Christ took our cup and drank it, and gave us life, and gave us hope, gave us Himself. My Father, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, O Lord, but Thine be done. In blackest night we hear Him in dark Gethsemane. Pleading with the Father for one more way, for one more hope, for one more day. Then they took our Savior, and led Him to a tree; and there they broke His body, poured out His life, put Him to death—to rise again! My Father, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will, O Lord, but Thine be done.

Scripture: Matthew 26:47-56

While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Tamquam ad latronem Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

Tamquam ad latronem existis
cum gladiis et fustibus comprehendere me:
Quotidie apud vos eram in temlpo docens,
et non me tenuistis:
et ecce flagellatum ducitis
ad crucifigendum.
Cumque iniecissent manus in Jesum,
et tenuissent eum: dixit ad eos:
You come as against a robber
with swords and clubs to apprehend me:
I was daily with you in the temple teaching
and you did not arrest me;
and behold you lead me to be scourged
and crucified.
They laid hands on Jesus
and held Him; He said to them: (I was daily...)

Good Friday

Scripture: Matthew 27:26–31

Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Surely He Hath Borne our Griefs from Messiah George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

Woefully Arrayed William Cornysh (1465–1623)

Woefully arrayed (clothed in sorrow), my blood man, for thee ran, it may not be nayed;
my body blo and wan (black and blue), woefully arrayed.

Behold me, I pray thee, with all thy whole reason and be not hard-hearted, and for this encheason (reason), sith (because) I for thy soul sake was slain in good season, beguiled and betrayed by Judas' false treason, unkindly entreated, with sharp cord sore fretted (scourged). The Jews me threated. They mowed (grimmaced), they grinned, they scorned me, condemned me to death as thou may'st see, Woefully arrayed.

Thus naked am I nailed, O man, for thy sake. I love thee, then love me. Why sleep'st thou? Awake, awake. Remember my tender heart-root (heart-strings) for thee brake. With pains my veins constrained to
crake (crack). Thus tugged to and fro, thus wrapped all in woe, whereas never man was so entreated. Thus, in most cruel wise, was like a lamb offered in sacrifice, Woefully arrayed.

Of sharp thorn, I have worn a crown on my head, so pained, so strained (tormented), so rueful (sad), so red, thus bobbed (buffeted), thus robbed, thus for thy love dead, unfeigned (sincere), not deigned (disdaining), my blood for to shed. My feet and handes sore the sturdy nailes bore. What might I suffer more than I have done, O man, for thee? Come when thou list (wish), welcome to me (I shall welcome you), Woefully arrayed.

Scripture: Matthew 27:32–44

As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

He Trusted in God George Frideric Handel

He trusted in God that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, if he delight in him.

Scripture: Matthew 27:45-50

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

Tenebrae Factae Sunt Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)

Tenebrae factae sunt
dum crucifixissent Jesum Judaei;
et circa hora nonam
exclamavit Jesus voce magna:
Deus meus, ut quid me dereliquisti?
Et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum.
Exclamans Jesus voce magna ait:
Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum.
Et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum.

There was darkness
when the Jews crucified Jesus;
and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice:
My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?
And bowing his head, he gave up the spirit.
Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said:
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
And bowing his head, he gave up the spirit.

Scripture: Matthew 27:57-66

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Crucifixus from Mass in b minor Johann Sebastian Bach

Crucifixus etiam pro nobis
sub Pontio Pilato,
passus et sepultus est.
He was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered and was buried.

Resurrection Sunday

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Te Deum John Rutter (b. 1945)

We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting. To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens, and all the powers therein. To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.”

The glorious company of the apostles praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee. The noble army of martyrs praise thee. The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee: The Father of an infinite majesty: thy honourable, true, and only Son; Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the virgin’s womb. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father. We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants Whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.

O Lord save thy people and bless thine heritage. Govern them and lift them up forever. Day by day we magnify thee; and we worship thy name ever world without end. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. Lord, have mercy upon us. O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee. Lord, in thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded.