Friday of Great and Holy Week
Old Testament Reading
Isa. 52:13 - 54:1

A reading - from the prophecy of Isaiah

See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly ex|al|ted.

Even as many were amazed at him - so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals - So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand | speech | less.

For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall pon| der | it.

Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the Lord been | re| vealed?

He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the | parched | earth;

There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us | to | him.

He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, One of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no | es|teem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our suffering that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and a|fflic|ted.

But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we | were | healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of | us | all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not | his | mouth;

Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not | his | mouth;

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his des|ti|ny?

When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sins of his people, a grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, though he had done no wrong nor spoken any | false|hood.

But the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity. If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished | through | him.

Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness | of | days;

Through his suffering my servants shall justify many, and their guilt he | shall | bear.

Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the | wick|ed;

And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their off|en|ses.

Raise a glad cry, you barren one who did not bear, break forth in jubilant song, you who were not in labor, for more numerous are the children of the deserted wife than the children of her who has a husband, - says - the - Lord.

Epistle
1 Cor 1:18-2:2

A reading from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters: The message of the cross is complete absurdity to those who are headed for ruin, but to us who are experiencing salvation it is the power | of | God.

Scripture says “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and thwart the cleverness of the | cle|ver.”

Where is the wise man to be found? Where is the scribe? Where is the master of wordly ar|gu|ment?

Has not God turned the wisdom of his world in to folly? Since in God’s wisdom the world did not come to know him through “wisdom,” it pleased God to save those who believe through the absurdity of the preaching of the | gos|pel.

Yes, Jews demand “signs” and Greeks look for “wisdom,” but we preach Christ crucified - a stumbling block to Jews, and an absurdity to | Gen|tiles;

but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s folly is wiser than men, and his weakness more power-ful|than|men.

Brothers, you are among those called. Consider your situation. Not many of you are wise, as men account wisdom; not many are influential; and surely not many are | well-|born.

God chose those whom the world considers absurd to shame the wise; he singled out the weak of this world to shame | the | strong.

He chose the world’s lowborn and despised, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who were something; so that mankind can do no boasting be|fore | God.

God it is who has given you life in Christ Jesus. He has made him life in Christ Jesus. He has made him our wisdom and also our justice, our sanctification, and our re|demp|tion.

This is just as you find it written, “Let him who would boast, boast in | the | Lord.”

As for myself, brothers, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming God’s testimony with any particular eloquence | or | “wis|dom.”

No, I determined that while I was | with | you,

I would speak of nothing but Jesus Christ - and - him - crucified.