Monday, February 26 : Saint Nerses Chnorhali

Because of sin, O innocent one,
You were set before the criminal’s judgement seat;
When you return in the Father’s glory
Do not judge me together with him. You were put to scorn with sacrilegious spittle On account of the first created man’s shame;
Wipe away the dishonor of the impudent man’s sins
With which my face is covered… You have put on crimson,
Set the scarlet cloak over you As a dishonor and an affront,
As Pontius Pilate’s soldiers thought it to be (Mt 27,28). Remove sin’s shirt of hair from me,
Crimson red, color of blood,
Reclothe me in the garment of joy
With which you clothed the first man. Kneeling, they made sport,
Fooling around, they mocked;
When they saw it, heaven’s armies
Worshipped in fear. This you underwent that you might remove
The shame of being sin’s accomplice from Adam’s nature in us
That, from my soul and my conscience,
You might suppress my sorrowing shame… Following the judge’s verdict,
You received the terrible blows of flagellation
Over your whole body
And on your limbs’ every part. As for me who, from foot to head
Suffer unbearable pain:
Be pleased to heal me once again
As through the grace of baptism’s fount. In exchange for the thorns of sin
That the curse caused to grow up for us (Gn 3,18)
A crown of thorns was set on your head
By the laborers in Jerusalem’s vineyard (Mt 21,33f.). Pull out the thorns of sin from me,
Which my enemy planted within me,
And heal in me the bite of the wound
That the marks of sin might be erased.
maronite readings – rosary,team