Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Liturgical Color: Violet
Palm Sunday
Almighty and everlasting God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the Cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and come to share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Holy Week
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. For our sins he was lifted high upon the Cross, that he might draw the whole world to himself; and by his suffering and death he became the author of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in him.
Most liturgical texts are from the Book of Common Prayer (2019) of the Anglican Church in North America.
The New Coverdale Psalter, © 2019 by the Anglican Church in North America. Used by permission.
Red Letter Day
Bishop, Missionary, and Pioneer of the Ecumenical Movement
Anglican Commemoration
Known as Spy Wednesday, recalling Judas Iscariot's agreement to betray Jesus. The last ordinary day before the Triduum begins at sundown on Thursday.
Wednesday of Holy Week carries the informal name 'Spy Wednesday' — a medieval English designation recalling Judas Iscariot's agreement to betray Jesus to the chief priests (Matthew 26:14–16, Mark 14:10–11, Luke 22:3–6). The Synoptic Gospels place this arrangement two days before Passover, and the tradition of associating Wednesday with Judas's treachery is attested from at least the early medieval period. In the Byzantine tradition, this day is called 'Holy and Great Wednesday' and is associated with the anointing at Bethany (Matthew 26:6–13), where the woman's lavish devotion stands in deliberate contrast to Judas's calculating betrayal — the one pouring out costly nard, the other selling his Master for thirty pieces of silver. The Western lectionary tradition has varied over the centuries in which Gospel passage it assigns: some years emphasizing the anointing, others the conspiracy. The day also holds typological significance as the last 'ordinary' day before the Triduum begins at sundown on Thursday. In the early Church, Wednesday and Friday were already established as station days — days of fasting and prayer — which gave Wednesday of Holy Week a natural intensification of the regular Wednesday fast. The overlap with Passover preparation in Jesus's own time adds a further layer: as the Jewish community prepared lambs for slaughter, the Lamb of God was being handed over by one of his own.
The liturgical observance of Wednesday in Holy Week has been shaped by two parallel streams. In the East, the emphasis falls heavily on the anointing at Bethany and the contrast between devotion and betrayal; Byzantine hymnography for this day is rich with references to 'the sinful woman' who recognized Christ while Judas did not. In the West, the medieval tradition gave the day its popular name 'Spy Wednesday,' and the focus shifted more toward the conspiracy narrative. The BCP 2019 places this day within the protected days of Holy Week — no other observance can displace its propers. When the Annunciation (March 25) falls during Holy Week, it is transferred, illustrating the absolute liturgical precedence of these days. Some parishes observe Tenebrae services on Wednesday evening as anticipatory preparation for the Triduum, though the BCP itself assigns the principal Tenebrae elements to Maundy Thursday. The day serves as a hinge between the teaching ministry of Holy Week's earlier days (when Jesus taught in the Temple) and the Passion narrative that begins in earnest at the Last Supper.
Charles Henry Brent (1862-1929) was a Canadian-born Episcopal bishop who pioneered the modern ecumenical movement. Serving as Bishop of the Philippines (1901-1918) and later Bishop of Western New York, he founded and chaired the Faith and Order movement, convening the historic Edinburgh Conference (1910) and Lausanne Conference (1927). He also served as Chief of Chaplains for the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and was a vigorous anti-opium campaigner.
Charles Henry Brent was born in 1862 in Canada and ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. Recognizing the spiritual needs of colonial subjects in the newly acquired Philippines, he accepted appointment as Bishop of the Philippines in 1901, where he served for 17 years. During his Philippine episcopate, Brent developed a worldwide vision for Christian unity, becoming convinced that the divisions between Christian denominations were a scandal that hindered Christian witness. In 1910, while attending the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, Brent proposed the creation of a new movement dedicated to restoring communion between separated Christian bodies through theological dialogue. This initiative became the Faith and Order movement, which he chaired for the remainder of his life. The first official Faith and Order Conference convened in Lausanne in 1927, representing a watershed moment in the modern ecumenical movement. Brent served as Bishop of Western New York from 1918 onwards and during World War I was appointed Chief of Chaplains for the American Expeditionary Forces, a role in which he advocated for pastoral care and spiritual resources for soldiers. He was also a passionate advocate for international narcotics control and social reform. He died on March 29, 1929, leaving behind the Faith and Order movement as his primary legacy to the modern church.
Brent is honored as one of the founding fathers of the modern ecumenical movement. His conviction that Christian unity should be pursued through theological dialogue rather than organizational merger established the Faith and Order methodology, which remains central to ecumenical work. He exemplifies the Anglican conviction that visible church unity is both theologically necessary and practically achievable. His legacy includes the continuing work of Faith and Order commissions within the World Council of Churches.