Holy Mid Lent Feast to be celebrated on Wednesday March 7

The 25th day of the lent, which is always a Wednesday, is known as mid lent. This is one of the very few days during the great lent when the Holy Qurbana is celebrated on a weekday other than Sunday or Saturday. On this day, there is a procession around the church carrying the cross. This is followed by an exaltation of the cross (Sleeba Aaghosham) facing the four directions; East, West, North, and South. Then the cross is placed on a big decorated cross like stand covered with a red cloth (Golgotha) in the middle of the church. This remains in the church until the Feast of Ascension of our Lord, which occurs 40 days after the Kyomtha (Feast of the Resurrection or otherwise known as Easter).

This exaltation of the cross has a direct link to the Gospel reading from the Holy Qurbana of Mid Lent. John 3: 14-15 says "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Moses lifted up the bronze serpent around the middle of the Exodus, the journey of the Israelites from slavery to their promised land. He lifted up the serpent so that those who are bitten by the snake might look at it and have life. Similarly, we at the middle of our Lenten journey, must also lift up the cross so that those who are bitten by sin can look at it and gain eternal life by the cross.

Evening

St. Matthew 17: 22-27

Morning

St. John 3: 13-21

Holy Qurbana

Reading of the Old Testament

Numbers 21: 4-9

Psalms 34: 1-9

Zechariah 12: 6-14

Reading of the New Testament

Acts 15: 22 -33

II Corinthians 9: 1-15

Reading of the Gospel

St. John 3: 13-21

Source: NE American Dicoese, Syrian Orthodox Site