[ewriggs]

The sons of perdition and the children of darkness went out in the darkness to arrest the Sun, Who had the power to consume them in an instant.
But the Master, knowing their effrontery
and the force of their anger, with gentleness, by His own authority, gave Himself up into the hands of the ungodly.
And lawless men, having bound the most pure Master,
mocked the One Who had bound the strong one with unbreakable bonds, and set us free from the bonds of sins.
They plaited a crown of their own thorns, the fruit borne by the vine of the Jews. In mockery they called Him ‘King’.
The lawless spat in the face of the Most Pure, at Whose glance all the Powers of Heaven and the ranks of Angels quake with fear.
See, once again grief and tears grip hold of my heart,
as I contemplate the Master enduring outrage and insults,
scourgings, spitting from slaves, and blows…
Let us fear, my brethren and not simply listen. The Saviour endured all these things for us…
You that are longed for and loved by Christ, draw near, with compunction and longing for the Saviour. Come, let us learn what took place today in Sion, David’s city.
The longed-for and chosen offspring of Abraham, what did they do today? They gave up to death the most pure Master on this day. Christ our Saviour was unjustly hanged on the tree of the Cross through lawless hands.
Come, let us all wash our bodies with tears and groans,
because our Lord, the King of glory, for us ungodly people
was given up to death… Let us always be fearful, keeping before our eyes the Saviour’s sufferings. Let us always keep in mind His sufferings, because it was for us He suffered, the dispassionate Master; for us, He was crucified — the only sinless One.
What return can we make for all this, brethren?
Let us be attentive to ourselves and not despise His sufferings. Draw near all of you, children of the Church,
bought with the precious and holy blood of the most pure Master. Come, let us meditate on His sufferings with tears,
thinking on fear, meditating with trembling, saying to ourselves: ‘Christ our Saviour - for us, the impious - was given over to death’.
Learn well, brother, what it is you hear: God Who is without sin, Son of the Most High, for you was given up.
Open your heart, learn in details His sufferings and say to yourself, God, Who is without sin:
today was given up,
today was mocked,
today was abused,
today was struck,
today was scourged,
today wore a crown of thorns,
today was crucified,
He, the heavenly Lamb.
Your heart will tremble, your soul will shudder.
Shed tears everyday by this meditation on the Master’s sufferings. Tears become sweet, (for) the soul is enlightened that always meditates on Christ’s sufferings.
Always meditating thus, shedding tears every day,
giving thanks to the Master for the sufferings that He suffered for you, so that in the day of His Coming your tears may become your boast and exaltation before the judgment seat. Endure as you meditate on the loving Master’s sufferings — endure temptations, give thanks from your soul. Blessed is the one who has before his eyes
the heavenly Master and His sufferings, and has crucified himself from all the passions and earthly deeds, who has become an imitator of his own Master. This is the understanding, this is the attitude of servants who love God, when they become ever imitators of their Master
by good works.
Shameless man, do you watch the most pure Master hanging on the Cross,while you pass the time that you have to live on earth in pleasure and laughter? Don’t you know, miserable wretch, that the crucified Lord will demand an account of all your disdainful deeds, for which, when you hear of them, you show no concern; and as you take your pleasure, you laugh and enjoy yourself with indifference?
The day will come,that fearful day, for you to weep unceasingly and cry out in the fire from your pains, and there will be no one at all to answer and have mercy on your soul.

~ St. Ephraim the Syrian, “On the Passion.”