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Holy Tuesday


Holy Tuesday (Μεγάλη Τρίτη or Great and Holy Tuesday) is the third day of Holy Week in the Roman Catholic Church. Several events happened on this day when Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem including seeing the cursed fig tree, Jesus and the Pharisee's conversation and the Olivet Discourse.


On their way into the town, they passed the fig tree Jesus had cursed the day prior:


Matthew 21:20-22

20 And the disciples seeing it wondered, saying: How is it presently withered away?

21 And Jesus answering, said to them: Amen, I say to you, if you shall have faith, and stagger not, not only this of the fig tree shall you do, but also if you shall say to this mountain, Take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done.

22 And in all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.


The leaders of the Temple conspired heavily on this today to discredit Jesus. Specifically, they tried three different "traps" for Jesus, the Tribute to Caesar, the Marriage at the Resurrection and the Whose Son is Christ.


Tribute To Caesar:

Matthew 22:15-22

15 Then the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves how to insnare him in his speech.

16 And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou dost not regard the person of men.

17 Tell us therefore what dost thou think, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

18 But Jesus knowing their wickedness, said: Why do you tempt me, ye hypocrites?

19 Shew me the coin of the tribute. And they offered him a penny.

20 And Jesus saith to them: Whose image and inscription is this?

21 They say to him: Caesar's. Then he saith to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God, the things that are God's.

22 And hearing this they wondered, and leaving him, went their ways.


Marriage at the Resurrection:

Mark 12:18-27

18 And there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying:

19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, that if any man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.

20 Now there were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no issue.

21 And the second took her, and died: and neither did he leave any issue. And the third in like manner.

22 And the seven all took her in like manner; and did not leave issue. Last of all the woman also died.

23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise again, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

24 And Jesus answering, saith to them: Do ye not therefore err, because you know not the scriptures, nor the power of God?

25 For when they shall rise again from the dead, they shall neither marry, nor be married, but are as the angels in heaven.

26 And as concerning the dead that they rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke to him, saying: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You therefore do greatly err.


Whose Son is Christ:

Matthew 22:41-46

41 And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them,

42 Saying: What think you of Christ? whose son is he? They say to him: David's.

43 He saith to them: How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying:

44 The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool?

45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

46 And no man was able to answer him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.


On the return to Bethany, Jesus delivered the Olivet Discourse:


24 And Jesus being come out of the temple, went away. And his disciples came to shew him the buildings of the temple.

2 And he answering, said to them: Do you see all these things? Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed.

3 And when he was sitting on mount Olivet, the disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the consummation of the world?

4 And Jesus answering, said to them: Take heed that no man seduce you:

5 For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ: and they will seduce many.

6 And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in places:

8 Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then shall many be scandalized: and shall betray one another: and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall seduce many.

12 And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.

13 But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.

15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand.

16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains:

17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.

19 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.

20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath.

21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.

22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.

23 Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him.

24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.

25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.


And lastly, the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Parable of the Talents:

Matthew Chapter 25

25 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.

2 And five of them were foolish, and five wise.

3 But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps.

5 And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.

9 The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.

11 But at last come also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not.

13 Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.


14 For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods;

15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey.

16 And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five.

17 And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two.

18 But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord's money.

19 But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them.

20 And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above.

21 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22 And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two.

23 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 But he that had received the one talent, came and said: Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and gatherest where thou hast not strewed.

25 And being afraid I went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold here thou hast that which is thine.

26 And his lord answering, said to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not, and gather where I have not strewed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury.

28 Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents.

29 For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away.

30 And the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

31 And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.

32 And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.

34 Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.



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