A blessed, prayerful and powerful celebration of the Great and Holy Thursday to all!
Tag: Great and Holy Week
Great and Holy Tuesday
On Holy Tuesday the Byzantine Church calls to remembrance two parables, which are related to the Second Coming. The one is the parable of the Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-3); the other the parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30). These parables deal with such subjects as spiritual vigilance, stewardship, accountability and judgement.
Describing Holy Week
On our way to Jerusalem
Holy Week Schedule 2024
Our Holy Week schedule.
Holy Thursday, March 28
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy
7:00 p.m. Matins and the Proclamation of the Passion Gospels
Good Friday, March 29
4:00 p.m. Vespers and Veneration of the Holy Shroud
Holy Saturday, March 30
8:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy
4:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
6:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
The church is open for private prayer before the Tomb of Christ.
Easter Sunday, March 31, Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ
9:15 a.m. Procession and Paschal Matins
10:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy (bi-lingual): Liturgy for the people of the parish
Blessing of Artos and Anointing-Myrovann
Blessing of Ester Foods
Holy Week 2023
Holy Week Schedule 2022
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Wednesday, 4/13, Holy Priest Martyr Artemon
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Thursday, 4/14, Holy and Great Thursday
7:00 p.m. Matins with the Passion Gospels
Friday, 4/15, Holy and Great Friday
4:00 p.m. Vespers and Veneration of the Holy Shroud
Saturday, 4/16, Holy and Great Saturday
9:00 Divine Liturgy
4:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
6:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
7:00 p.m. Prayers at the Tomb
Sunday, 4/17, Holy and Great Resurrection of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
9:00 a.m. Procession and Paschal (Easter) Matins —Blessing of Arts (bread)
10:30 a.m. For the people of the parish —Anointing
Blessing of Easter Foods following the Divine Liturgy in the church hall.
Epistle: Acts 1:1-8
Gospel: John 1:1-17, Tone 1
From Desolation to Rebirth: Holy and Great Week 2021
Join us for prayer, personal and communal
Thursday, 4/01, Holy and Great Thursday
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
6:00 p.m. Matins with the Passion Gospels
Friday, 4/2, Holy and Great Friday —Strict Fast and Abstinence—NO meat or dairy
2:00 p.m. Vespers and Veneration of the Holy Shroud
Saturday, 4/03, Holy and Great Saturday
9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great
4:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
5:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
6:00 p.m. Prayers at the Tomb
Sunday, 4/04, Resurrection of Our Lord
9:00 a.m. Procession and Paschal Matins
10:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy —Blessing of Artos and Anointing, followed by the Blessing of Easter Foods
At home with Holy Week and Pascha
Here is a wonderful resource for celebrating the Holy Week and Pascha at home. The resource is curated by the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery (Ohio). It is the best thing found so far and perhaps it can aid you in this time!
Great and Holy Saturday
Great and Holy Saturday is the day on which Christ reposed in the tomb.
The Church calls this day the Blessed Sabbath. The great Moses mystically foreshadowed this day when he said:
God blessed the seventh day.
This is the blessed Sabbath.
This is the day of rest,
on which the only-begotten Son of God rested from all His works . . . .
(Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday)
By using this title the Church links Holy Saturday with the creative act of God. In the initial account of creation as found in the Book of Genesis, God made man in His own image and likeness. To be truly himself, man was to live in constant communion with the source and dynamic power of that image: God. Man fell from God. Now Christ, the Son of God through whom all things were created, has come to restore man to communion with God. He thereby completes creation. All things are again as they should be. His mission is consummated. On the Blessed Sabbath He rests from all His works.
THE TRANSITION
Holy Saturday is a neglected day in parish life. Few people attend the Services. Popular piety usually reduces Holy Week to one day — Holy Friday. This day is quickly replaced by another — Easter Sunday. Christ is dead and then suddenly alive. Great sorrow is suddenly replaced by great joy. In such a scheme Holy Saturday is lost.
In the understanding of the Church, sorrow is not replaced by joy; it is transformed into joy. This distinction indicates that it is precisely within death the Christ continues to effect triumph.
TRAMPLING DOWN DEATH BY DEATH
We sing that Christ is “. . . trampling down death by death” in the troparion of Easter. This phrase gives great meaning to Holy Saturday. Christ’s repose in the tomb is an “active” repose. He comes in search of His fallen friend, Adam, who represents all men. Not finding him on earth, He descends to the realm of death, known as Hades in the Old Testament. There He finds him and brings him life once again. This is the victory: the dead are given life. The tomb is no longer a forsaken, lifeless place. By His death Christ tramples down death.
Great and Holy Saturday
Great and Holy Saturday, 4/20
8:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy
4:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
6:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter Foods
7:00 p.m. Prayers at the Tomb
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