Good Friday

Notes on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Hours

Introduction

This piece is only titled Good Friday for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and the ears of Occidentals. As I captioned it in my last post, in ge’ez we call it ስቅለት—siqlet (The Crucifixion), and as we celebrate his death, there is a lot of ስግደት—sigdet (prostration; bowing-down). An innumerable amount. Like the stars of the sky, and the sand at the sea shore; where Sally sells seashells.

The Starry Night. Vincent van Gogh (1889).

I am in my mid-30s, and a family man with a wife and a toddler in his terrible twos. This means I only meet the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, I no longer exceed their righteousness. I only attended about five hours of the six-nine hours of siqlet. I left the rest to the grasshoppers and whippersnappers, and of course the tireless clergy who exceed me in rank; my fathers the priests and our archbishop.

But I also rushed home to feed you again, dear readers. As a schoolteacher, I am now on Resurrection Break for about a week, and so I want to make sure you are properly fed.

The Third Hour

We know from scripture and from Ethiopian culture (especially those who speak Amharic robed in ge’ez) that the third hour refers to 9 ante meridiem.

Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But The Rock, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. (Acts 2:13-15)

As the mockers of Psalm 1 enter the stage again Kefa, in one of his good moments, assures the throngs gathered at Pentecost that he and the apostles are not turnt up, rather filled with the Spirit of God, as it is written in The Prophets. As an aside, note how often the apostles are simply called the twelve. Here they are the eleven, twelve with The Rock, having recently replaced Judas with Matthias (Acts 1:26) according to their will which is the will of man and not God.

Don’t believe me? Why is it that Matthias is not mentioned for the rest of the Acts of the Apostles? Instead, we get the curious figure of Saul of Tarsus who is belittled by Jesus into becoming his Little One. The Little One first appears in Acts 7 as the villain who assists and witnesses the death of stephanos (The Crown), before Christ reveals himself to him and selects him to be his direct assistant in Acts 9, and by the time you reach Acts 13 you are stuck with the Little One till the end of the scroll. Not even the apostles can get in the way of Jesus handpicking and hand-selecting his immediate successors in The Way.

In Amharic, we still have the biblical system of names, which is brought up with every new person that discovers my name is Henok and my ‘last name’ is no last name at all but my father’s first name, Elias. And he is not Elias Elias, but Elias Negash (not to be confused with the musician who begat the sorcerer who shares three names with me), Negash being his father’s first name. Like the list of names in Matthew 1, we have our name and the name of he who begat or sired us.

Likewise, in Amharic, we still have the biblical system of telling time. 6 a.m. is the zero hour, but instead of calling it zero, we call it asra hulet seat (twelve o’clock). Context usually dictates whether this is a.m. or p.m., but if you are talking with a low-context low-inference occidental instead of a high-context high-inference semite, you can specify ke’Tewat (in the morning) ke’seat (in the afternoon/evening). So, when our modified Alexandrine liturgy of siqlet tells us it is the third hour, even those of us who are biblically illiterate understand this to mean 9 a.m. as an organic feature and not a bug of the king’s tongue.

Some Old Amharic I heard from the Gospel According to Matthew, which is oft found in some of our translations which go directly from ge’ez to Amharic, is:

ስመ ጥር የኾነ የሽፍቶች አለቃ በርባን

sime Tr ye’khone ye’shftoch aleqa berban

Whereas berban is just a bad transliteration of bar abbas (son of the father), the strangeness of this variant is in mentioning he has a good name, which is to say reputation. The KJV says notable (Matthew 27:16) and the LEB says notorious. There has to be a better way of referring to him than good name, which elicits Ecclesiastes 7:1

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

And an addition I could not find in any English translation is this title chief amongst cutthroats or outlaws.

In the ge’ez, we chanted this very beautiful chant as we simultaneously bowed down to the Lord of lords and spirits:

geezé selestu seat ahazwo le’eeyesus we’wesedwo yisqilwo

in the third hour, they grabbed jesus and took him so that they could crucify him

The title ahazé kwlu is used of God the Father where the Old Greek of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan creed says Παντοκράτορα (pantocrator) almighty, ruler of all. As the history of icons tells us, especially in the iconic Greek Orthodox monastery located on Mt. Sinai which hosts an icon of Christ Pantocrator (and in addition to Greek manuscripts has ge’ez, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian etc.), it is theologically okay to apply this title to God the Son as well. As in scripture both God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are called paraclete (comforter; cleanser; advocate).

St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Monastery, Mt. Sinai, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt (formerly grasped by the State of Israel).

ahazé kwlu means grasper of all. He’s got the whole world in his hands, say it with me, he’s got the whole wide world in his hands. selah. Christ the grasper of all. Call him this from now on. Not exclusively, I am just asking you to throw it in your rotations of names of Jesus. Now, think about, remember, how crazy it is that they grasped the grasper of all.

Finally, during the third hour, I heard his beatitude our blessed bishop of Cascadia correcting and editing the ge’ez pronunciation (normally butchering) of Κύριε ἐλέησον—kyrie eleison—Old Greek for Lord have mercy. As far as I know, kyrie eleison is so ubiquitous amongst apostolic churches that perhaps amen is the only loan word transliterated instead of translated with greater frequency. It is such a ubiquitous turn-of-phrase that it made into the final cut of the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). I was immediately smiling from ear-to-ear once I heard our bishop saying the correct pronunciation, according to the Greek, over and over again. I am not sure if he himself went, but I know at least three of his senpai in the bishopry were theologically educated in Greece, and with so much exposure to Copts these days we pick up some extra Old Greek from them.

The context of our kyrie eleisons today was as I mentioned a couple days ago, multiculturalism done right, for Christ. We chant it back-and-forth through call-and-response as we bow-down to Christ the grasper of all who death dared to grasp.

kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison

kyrie elesion, kyrie eleison, ibnodee naynan, kyrie eleison

kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, taos naynan, kyrie elesion

kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, masyas naynan, kyrie eleison

kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, eeyesus naynan, kyrie eleison

kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, kristos naynan, kyrie eleison

kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, amanuel naynan, kyrie eleison

kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison, tisbuTa naynan, kyrie eleison

eeyesus, kristos, and amanuel correspond to Jesus, Christ, and Immanuel; themselves transliterations of Yahweh saves, the Anointed (oily) One, and God is with us. ibnodee naynan is a butchering of the Coptic ephnouti nai nan—God have mercy. How fitting it is that Pharaoh’s descendants would use Pharaoh’s tongue to worship Yahweh three millennia after Pharaoh and his chariots were buried in the Erythraen (Red) Sea. And the Ethiopians (Kushites) would join them in stretching their hands unto Yahweh. taos nai nan is theos (same as the prefix for theology, the study of God) have mercy, and thus also God have mercy. masyas nai nan is messiah have mercy. And finally, tisbuTa nai nan, is despot have mercy.

Synonymic parallelism. We say the same thing over and over again, and sometimes use parallel synonyms or words and phrases that are similar. We do this so that the teaching sinks in deeper. Recalcitrant asses need to be reminded from time-to-time.

After the kyrie eleisons (said 64 times), and the “unto you is power, honor, glory, and command unto forever”, we say this latter prayer again in slightly shorter form to similarly substituting the names of God, so to speak. And we bow-down as we chant in back-and-forth call-and-response (in total 18-24 times):

le’amlak yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’silus yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’mahiyewee yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’3beyu yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’izezu yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’mengstu yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’silTanu yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’mkwnanu yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’eeyesus yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’kristos yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’himamu yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

le’mesqelu yidelu kbr, we’sbhat we’izez iske le’3lem

which in English is:

to God (he who reigns over all; he who owns all; cognate of semitic melek) is due honor and glory and command forever.

to the Holy Three (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) is due honor and glory and command forever.

to the Giver of Life is due honor and glory and command forever.

to his greatness is due honor and glory and command forever.

to his command is due honor and glory and command forever.

to his kingdom is due honor and glory and command forever.

to his authority is due honor and glory and command forever.

to his judgeship is due honor and glory and command forever.

to Jesus is due honor and glory and command forever.

to Christ is due honor and glory and command forever.

to his passion (suffering) is due honor and glory and command forever.

to his cross is due honor and glory and command forever.

And these are repeated during the proceeding canonical hours.

The Fourth Hour

I noticed something special in the fourth hour, which is in between the canonical third hour and the canonical sixth hour; home of the midday demon or noonday devil. The Lord’s Prayer (Our abba, pater who art in heaven…) in monotone recitation ge’ez and Amharic is always proceeded by the Hail Mary. But in the eucharistic liturgy, and in this non-eucharistic liturgy of siqlet, it stands alone, as it is written in holy writ.

There is nothing wrong with the theology of the Hail Mary. We have written evidence of her intercession from the 3rd Century A.D. within the Coptic (though the text is found in Greek) jurisdiction called the See of Alexandria:

Beneath your compassion, we take refuge, O Mother of God: do not despise our petitions in time of trouble, but rescue us from dangers, only pure, only blessed one (Rylands Papyrus 470).

But it is strange that it is compulsorily said immediately after the Lord’s Prayer, sometimes in the same breath without any distinction, in the spoken tradition, but in the oldest written parts of our liturgy the Lord’s Prayer stands alone. To conclude our prostrations from above, we chanted the Lord’s Prayer back-and-forth in call-and-response, clergy and faithful. During the eucharistic liturgy it is simply chanted in unison (begin at 11:27).

We also chanted this back-and-forth:

hayliye we’tseweniye wiitu igzeeiye isme konkenee redaéye ibl be’akwetét

the Lord is my power and refuge, I say in thanksgiving (eucharistically), you have become my helper

The Fifth Hour

From haimanote abew—the faith of the fathers; a ge’ez and Amharic compendium of patristics—I heard read aloud the Arabic phrase il maknun. Attributed to Dionysius, and exegeted as the hidden and invisible God who came down from the sky. We treasure that which is hidden, in our culture. This is why we keep the curtains closed a bit longer (or have them at all), and have elaborate linens as covers for our cup of the Lord.

We also heard read aloud my favorite extra-biblical narrative. I speak of The Dispute Between The Cherub and The Thief. The ‘thief’ is also called gayassa (in East Syriac) and feyatawee ze’yeman (in ge’ez). The Syriac tradition attributes this text to Mor Efrem the Syrian, and the ge’ez attributes it to his disciple Mor Jacob of Serugh. Matthew (27:38) calls the good thief one of the λῃστής (lēstēs): a plunderer, robber, highwayman, bandit, brigand etc. But in John 18:40 this is used of bar abbas, who I understand to be a revolutionary and an insurrectionist, not in the January 6th fashion, rather the bloody American Revolution, French Revolution, Russian Revolution, and Ethiopian Revolution fashion. And of course the two Jewish-Roman wars (prompted by the Zealots) in the 70s and 130s A.D.

Luke (23:39) calls him one of the κακοῦργος (kakourgos): a wrongdoer, evildoer, malefactor, criminal etc. John (19:18) calls him one of the δύο ἄλλος (duo allos): two others. Whatever his job title is (revolutionary, evildoer, nonchalant guy), he is the exception (mercy) that proves the rule (justice).

Low-church Protestant Pastor and apologist Stuart Knechtle (and his papa Cliffe) recently demonstrated eisegesis 101 in interpreting the thief out-of-context during the L he took from friend of the show and the magazine Dcn. Mihret Melaku in their viral debate (millions have seen it on X alone, let alone the combination of all the platforms and channels that shared those excruciating 11 mins or so) with regard to the eucharist and baptism. Mihret has “come down from Rome” (Hermas - The Shepherd), Antioch, and Alexandria. We await his return to Aksum, soon, inshallah.

Anyhoo, here is the translation of the repentant crossfellow of Christ and the cherub in conversation, by our Oriental Orthodox brother in Christ Malfono Sebastian Brock.

At the Crucifixion I beheld a marvel

when the Thief cried out to our Lord,

“Remember me, Lord, on the day when You come

to that Kingdom which does not pass away”. [Luke 23:43]

REFRAIN

Praise to You, Lord, for at Your coming

sinners turned back from their wickedness;

they entered and found shelter

in the Garden of Eden – which is the holy Church.

He made a petition, stretched out and gave it

to the crucified King, asking for mercy;

and He who is full of mercy heard his cry

and opened the door to his request.

“Remember me, Lord”, was what he cried out on the cross,

“in that Kingdom which does not pass away, [Luke 23:43]

and in that glory in which You will be revealed

may I behold Your rest, seeing that I have acknowledged You”.

Our Lord replied, “Since you have acknowledged me

this very day you shall be in the Garden of Eden;

in very truth, man, you will not be kept back

from that Kingdom to which you are looking.

“Take with you the cross as a sign, and be off:

it is a great key whereby the mighty gate

of that Garden shall be opened,

and Adam, who has been expelled, shall enter again”. [Gen. 3:24]

The word of our Lord was sealed

like a royal missive from the palace;

it was handed over to the thief

who took it and made off for the Garden of Eden.

The Cherub heard him and rushed up,

he grabbed the Thief at the gate,

stopping him with the sharp blade that he held.

All astonished, he addressed him as follows:

CHERUB “Tell me, my man, who has sent you?

What is it you want, and how did you get here?

What is the reason that brought you here?

Reveal and explain to me who it is who has sent you”.

THIEF “I will tell you who has sent me,

just hold back your blade and listen to my words.

I am a thief, but I supplicated for mercy,

and it was your Lord who sent me on my way here”.

CHERUB “By what powerful means did your arrival take place?

Who brought you to this dread spot?

Who transported you across the sea of fire

so that you could enter Eden? Who is it who sent you?”

THIEF “It was through the power of the Son, who sent me,

that I crossed over and came here without hindrance.

Through Him I subdued all powers

and I have come to enter here, seeing that He has given me confidence”.

CHERUB “You are indeed a thief, just as you have said,

but you can’t steal into this region of ours:

it is fenced in with the sword that guards it. [Gen. 3:24]

Turn back, my man, you have lost your way”.

THIEF “I was indeed a thief, but I have changed:

it was not to steal that I have come here.

Look, I’ve got with me the key to Eden,

to open it up and enter: I will not be prevented”.

CHERUB “Our region is awesome and cannot be trodden,

for fire is its indomitable wall;

the blade flashes out all around it.

How is it you have made so bold as to come here?”

THIEF “Your region is indeed awesome, just as you have said,

– but only until our Lord mounted the cross,

when He transfixed the sword of all suffering

so that your blade no longer kills”.

CHERUB “Ever since the time that Adam left

I haven’t ever seen anyone turn up here;

your race has been banished from the Garden;

you shall not enter it, so don’t argue any more”.

THIEF “Ever since the time that Adam left

your Lord has been angered at our race,

but now He is reconciled and has opened up the gate.

It is to no purpose that you are standing here”.

CHERUB “You should realize that it isn’t possible

for an unclean man to enter in here

– and you are a murderer, and a shedder of blood.

Who is it who has brought you to this pure place?”

THIEF “You should realize that such is the wish

of Him who makes the unclean clean, who was crucified together with me;

with the blood from His side He has washed me completely clean.

It was He who has sent me to Paradise”.

CHERUB “Be off with you, man, and don’t argue any further,

for this is what I have been ordered:

to guard from your race, by means of the sword,

the Tree of Life that is to be found in here”. [Gen. 3:22]

THIEF “Be off with you, angel; you should learn and see

that I’ve left behind, hanging on Golgotha,

that very Fruit of Salvation that’s in your garden

– so that our race may now enter without any hindrance”.

CHERUB “Eve and Adam fell into debt and wrote out

a document that will not be erased: [Col. 2:14]

they went out of here under sentence

to live in low estate in the land of thorns”. [Gen. 3:18]

THIEF “The debt is repaid. Just listen, O Cherub:

the document has now been transfixed on the cross; [Col. 2:14]

by means of both blood and water your Lord has wiped it out,

and pinned it there with nails so that it won’t be exacted”.

CHERUB “Adam was driven out from this Garden

and there is no way he can enter here again,

for the sword’s blade is revolving

and he’ll encounter it should he come near”.

THIEF “He who was driven out has returned to his father’s house,

for the great Shepherd has gone out and found [John 10:11]

that sheep that had left the Garden;

carrying him on His shoulders, He has escorted him back”.

CHERUB “It is something totally novel that I’ve seen today:

a path leading back into the Garden.

But here are Adam’s footprints, take a look:

he has left here and not returned again”.

THIEF “Jesus your Lord has performed a novel deed,

for now He has released Adam who had been confined;

He has raised up whole crowds from inside Sheol, [Matt. 27:52]

and they have sent me in advance, to open up for them”.

CHERUB “I am the cherub: how is it you have transgressed

against my office of guarding, with which I’ve been entrusted?

A fiery being like me cannot be vanquished,

but as for you, an offspring of Adam, how bold you are!”

THIEF “I am your companion and we have but a single Lord

in common for both of us;

His authority is much higher than either yours or mine,

and so I’ve no fear, seeing that it was He who has sent me”.

CHERUB “You simply cannot enter in here,

for it is a resplendent place that no one can tread:

the Shekhina is escorted around inside it,

and the sword of fire is guarding it”.

THIEF “You cannot hold anyone back,

for the sword is not blunted and made dull.

The cross has opened up the Garden of Eden;

there’s no means by which it can still be kept closed”.

CHERUB “Haven’t you heard from the Bible

how the cherub and the sword go round

guarding the way to the Garden of Eden,

so that none of Adam’s offspring can enter here?”

THIEF “Haven’t you heard from the Revelation

that your Lord has come down and become man,

thus reconciling Adam, who was in a state of anger,

bringing back to Eden the one who had been driven out?”

CHERUB “The sign of the revolving sword

that guards the Tree of Life

frightened off Adam when he was driven out,

so how is it that you’re not afraid?”

THIEF “The sign of your Lord is with me,

and by it the sharp sword is blunted;

but it too is the sentence remitted,

and by it, Adam, once expelled, shall return”.

CHERUB “The ranks of fire are standing here,

thousands of them in bands innumerable;

the multitudes are awesome, and quite simply

you can’t travel on any further and enter among them”.

THIEF “The multitudinous ranks of which you’ve told me

are themselves in awe as they look upon the Cross:

the sign of the Son inspires them with awe

and they worship before it, while me they hold in honour”.

CHERUB “The sign of my Lord is upon the Chariot,

resplendent upon the Throne, but from us it is hidden,

so how is that you—as you are claiming—

carry this sign of His and escort it?”

THIEF “His sign is upon the Chariot above,

but look, His Cross is on Golgotha below,

and with His own blood He has written a new missive

permitting Adam to come back into the Garden”.

CHERUB “O agent in blood, who has brought you here?

Who is it has sent you, a murderer?

The sword is drawn, and if you make bold

the blade will flash out against you”.

THIEF “O agent for the King, don’t be upset;

your authority is repealed, for your Lord has willed it so.

It is His cross that I’ve brought to you as a sign:

look and see if it’s genuine, and don’t be so angry”.

CHERUB “This Cross of the Son which you’ve brought to me

is something I dare not look upon at all.

It is both genuine and awesome; no longer will you be debarred

from entering Eden, seeing that He has so willed it”.

THIEF “The Cross of your Lord has breached the fence

that had been built up between us and you,

Anger has passed away and peace has come,

and the path to Eden is no longer cut off”.

CHERUB “He who was slain has sent to me and testified with His own blood

that I should let go of the blame which I’ve been wielding.

Fearful is this sign which you have brought me;

enter in, O heir; I will not turn you back”.

THIEF “Resurrection has occurred for the race of humankind

that had been thrust out of their home.

You cherubim and angels, rejoice with us, [cp Luke 15:10]

for we have returned now to your city”.

CHERUB “Great is the compassion that has been shown to you,

the descendants of Adam who sinned and thus died.

Enter, thief, you will not be kept back,

for the gate is now open for those who repent”.

THIEF “Great and most glorious is the compassion of

my Lord,

for His mercy has effected and His love has constrained Him.

Rejoice with us, O spiritual beings,

for we have been mingled into your race”.

CHERUB “The Gentle One has held back from your race

the blade and the sword that I have been wielding.

Outcasts who have returned, have no fear,

enter inside the Garden with exultation”.

THIEF “Praise be in Eden that is now at peace,

peace on earth which has been liberated.

Blessed is the Crucified One who has reconciled us

so that we shall not longer be deprived of your race”.

Thanks be to You, O Lord of all,

who have brought back Adam who had been driven out,

while to the thief who asked for mercy

You opened up the gate that had been closed.

Thanks be to You, at whose word

the thief entered into the Garden of Eden,

and there was good hope for Adam again

and he returned to the place from which he had gone out.