{{Short description|Day in Holy Week}} {{External links|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox holiday |holiday_name = Holy Monday |type = Christian |longtype = [[Christianity|Christian]] |image = 5208-20080122-1255UTC--jerusalem-calvary.jpg |caption = An [[icon]] of Christ the Bridegroom, sitting above the star at [[Golgotha]] in the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]], [[Jerusalem]] |nickname = Great and Holy Monday |observedby = Christians |date = Monday before Easter |date{{LASTYEAR}} = {{Unbulleted list | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday |format=infobox |year={{LASTYEAR}}}} (Western) | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{LASTYEAR}}}} (Eastern) }} |date{{CURRENTYEAR}} = {{Unbulleted list | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday |format=infobox |year={{CURRENTYEAR}} |cite=y}} (Western) | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{CURRENTYEAR}}}} (Eastern) }} |date{{NEXTYEAR}} = {{Unbulleted list | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}} (Western) | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}} (Eastern) }} |date{{NEXTYEAR|2}} = {{Unbulleted list | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}} (Western) | {{Moveable date |holiday=Holy Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}} (Eastern) }} |observances = [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] |relatedto = [[Holy Week]] |frequency = annual |duration = 1 day }} '''Holy Monday''' or '''Great and Holy Monday''' (also '''Holy and Great Monday''') ([[Greek language|Greek]]: ''Μεγάλη Δευτέρα'', ''Megale Deutera'') is a day of the [[Holy Week]], which is the week before [[Easter]]. According to the gospels, on this day Jesus Christ [[Cursing the fig tree|cursed the fig tree]] ({{bibleverse||Matthew|21:18-22|KJV}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|11:20-26|KJV}}), [[Cleansing of the Temple|cleansed the temple]], and responded to [[Authority of Jesus questioned|the questioning of his authority]] ({{bibleverse||Matthew|21:23-27|KJV}}).

It is the third day of [[Holy Week]] in [[Eastern Christianity]], after [[Lazarus Saturday]] and [[Palm Sunday]], and the second day of Holy Week in [[Western Christianity]], after Palm Sunday.

==Biblical narrative== The [[Gospels]] tell some of the events that occurred on the day of the Biblical Holy Monday. Some of the most notable and recognizable of these were the [[Cursing the fig tree|cursing of the fig tree]] ({{bibleverse||Matthew|21:18-22|KJV}}, {{bibleverse||Mark|11:20-26|KJV}}), [[Authority of Jesus questioned|the questioning of Jesus' authority]] ({{bibleverse||Matthew|21:23-27|KJV}}), the [[Cleansing of the Temple]] and some diverse parables, depending on which Gospel is read.

==Western Christianity== {{Lent_calendar.svg}} In the [[Roman Catholic Church]], the [[Gospel]] lesson at [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] is {{bibleverse||John|12:1-9|KJV}}, which chronologically occurred before the [[Palm Sunday|Entry into Jerusalem]] described in {{bibleverse||John|12:12-19|KJV}}. Other readings used are {{bibleverse||Isaiah|42:1-7|HE}} and {{bibleverse||Psalm|27|HE}}:1-3, 13-14.

In the [[Revised Common Lectionary]], which is used by the [[Anglican Communion]], [[Methodist Church]]es, [[Lutheran Church]]es, [[Old Catholic Church]]es and [[Reformed Church]]es,<ref name="Holmes2012">{{cite book|last=Holmes|first=Stephen Mark|title=The Fathers on the Sunday Gospels|date=1 October 2012|publisher=Liturgical Press|language=en |isbn=9780814635100|page=22|quote=The ''Revised Common Lectionary'' has been subsequently adopted by many English-speaking Protestant denominations such as the Church of Scotland and various Methodist, Lutheran and Reformed Churches. It has also been adopted by some Old Catholic Churches and is widely used throughout the Anglican Communion, for example by the Church of Ireland, Scottish Episcopal Church, Church in Wales the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Churches of Canada, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand and Polynesia, Melanesia, the West Indies, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. In the Church of England the two-year Sunday Lectionary of the ''Alternative Service Book 1980'' was replaced in 2000 by an adapted version of the ''Revised Common Lectionary'' in ''Common Worship''.}}</ref> the [[Scripture lesson]]s are {{bibleverse||Isaiah|42:1-9|NRSV}} (First Reading), {{bibleverse-nb||Psalm|36:5-11|NRSV}} (Psalm), {{bibleverse||Hebrews|9:11-15|NRSV}} (Second Reading), and {{bibleverse||John|12:1-9|KJV}}, (Gospel Reading).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/lections.php?year=A&season=Holy%20Week|title=Year A - Holy Week : Revised Common Lectionary|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University Divinity School]]|language=en|access-date=22 March 2016}}</ref>

In traditional Methodist usage, ''[[Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965)|The Book of Worship for Church and Home]]'' (1965) provides the following Collect for Holy Monday:<ref name="BOW1964">{{cite book|title=The Book of Worship for Church and Home: With Orders of Worship, Services for the Administration of the Sacraments and Other Aids to Worship According to the Usages of the Methodist Church|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ckw6vgAACAAJ|access-date=25 March 2017|year=1964|publisher=Methodist Publishing House|language=en |pages=101}}</ref> {{quotation|Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that we, who are in so many occasions of adversity, by reason of or frailty are found wanting, may yet, through the passion and intercession of thine only begotten Son, be continually refreshed; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. '''Amen.'''<ref name="BOW1964"/>}}

==Eastern Christianity== [[File:Konstantin Flavitsky 001.jpg|thumb|[[Joseph (Genesis)|Joseph]] sold into slavery by his brothers ([[Konstantin Flavitsky]], 1855).]]

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and those [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] that follow the [[Byzantine Rite]], this day is referred to as ''Great and Holy Monday'', or ''Great Monday''. On this day the Church commemorates the [[Cursing the fig tree|withering of the fruitless]] [[ficus|fig tree]] ({{bibleverse||Matthew|21:18-22|KJV}}), a symbol of judgement that will befall those who do not bring forth the fruits of repentance.<ref name="Ware"/> The hymns on this day also recall [[Joseph (Hebrew Bible)|Joseph]], the son of [[Jacob]], whose innocent suffering at the hand of his brethren ({{bibleverse||Genesis|37|HE}}), and false accusation ({{bibleverse||Genesis|39|HE}}-{{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|40|HE}}) are a [[Typology (theology)|type]] (foreshadowing) of the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion of Christ]].<ref name="Ware">{{cite book| last=Kallistos (Ware)| first=Bishop| author-link=Timothy Ware| editor-last=Mary| editor-first=Mother| year=1978| title =The Lenten Triodion| pages =59–60| place =South Canaan, PA| publisher =St. Tikhon's Seminary Press| isbn =978-1878997517|ref={{SfnRef|Kallistos|1978}}}}</ref>

The day begins liturgically with [[Vespers]] on [[Palm Sunday]] night, repeating some of the same [[sticheron|stichera]] (hymns) from [[Lauds|the Praises]] of the [[All Night Vigil]] the evening before. At [[Small Compline]] a [[Triode]] ([[Canon (hymnography)|Canon]] composed of three [[Canticle|Odes]]), written by [[Andrew of Crete|St. Andrew of Crete]] is chanted.

The [[Matins]] service for Monday through Wednesday of Holy Week is known as the Bridegroom Service<ref>{{Cite web |title=Holy Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday: Services of the Bridegroom |url=https://www.goarch.org/bridegroom |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America}}</ref> or Bridegroom Prayer in the Greek Orthodox Church, because of their theme of Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church, a theme expressed in the [[troparion]] that is solemnly chanted near the beginning of the service.

On these days, an [[icon]] of "Christ the Bridegroom" is placed on an [[analogion]] in the center of the [[temple]], portraying Jesus wearing the purple [[robe]] of mockery and crowned with a [[crown of thorns]] (see [[Instruments of the Passion]]). The [[Matins Gospel]] read on this day is from the [[Gospel of Matthew]] {{bibleverse-nb||Matthew|21:18-43|KJV}}). The [[Canon (hymnography)|canon]] at Matins has only three [[Canticle|odes]] in it (a ''triode''), and was composed by [[Cosmas of Maiuma|St. Cosmas of Maiuma]].

The four [[Gospels]] are divided and read in their entirety at the [[Little Hours]] ([[Third Hour]], [[Sext|Sixth Hour]] and [[Ninth Hour]]) during the course of the first three days of Holy Week, halting at {{bibleverse||John|13:31|KJV}}. There are various methods of dividing the Gospels, but the most common is:{{sfn|Kallistos|1978|page=518}} ;Holy and Great Monday *Third Hour—The first half of Matthew *Sixth Hour—The second half of Matthew *Ninth Hour—The first half of Mark At the Sixth Hour there is a reading from the [[Book of Ezekiel]] {{bibleverse-nb||Ezekiel|1:1-20|HE}}

At the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]], some of the [[stichera]] from the previous night's Matins ([[Lauds]] and the [[Aposticha]]) are repeated at ''Lord, I have cried'' (see [[Vespers#Eastern.2FOriental Catholic .26 Orthodox|Vespers]]). There are two Old Testament readings: {{bibleverse||Exodus|1:1-20|KJV}} and {{bibleverse||Job|1:1-12|KJV}}. There is no [[Epistle]] reading, but there is a Gospel reading from {{bibleverse||Matthew|24:3-35|KJV}}.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Holy Monday}} *[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=21 Great and Holy Monday] Orthodox [[icon]] and [[synaxarion]] *[http://catholicism.about.com/od/lentenreadings/qt/Reading_MoHW.htm Scriptural Reading for the Monday of Holy Week] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302065018/http://catholicism.about.com/od/lentenreadings/qt/Reading_MoHW.htm |date=2008-03-02 }} from the [[Office of Readings]] (Roman Catholic) *[http://www.textweek.com/festivals/monday.htm Monday in Holy Week] Online liturgical resources

{{Holy Week}} {{Liturgical year of the Catholic Church}} [[Category:Holy Week]] [[Category:Monday]] [[Category:April observances]]