Journey To Pascha.pdf

JOURNEY TO PASCHA

A DAILY GUIDE THROUGH HOLY WEEK

Text taken from the “Holy Week Meditation and Study Guide”

which was generously provided by Rev. Father Andrew J. Demotses

Additional texts on the “Orthodox Celebration of Great and Holy Friday”,

the “Orthodox Celebration of Pascha”, and the “Icon of the Cruciixion”

compiled by Rev. Father Nektarios Morrow.

Icons of “he Epitaphios hrinos”, and “he Anastasis”

courtesy of Athanasios Clark and used with permission.

Icons of “he Bridegroom”, “he Mystical Supper”,

“he Cruciixion”, “he Apokathilosis”, and “he Myrrh-Bearing Women”

courtesy of heologic Systems, Inc. ( www.theologic.com ) and used with permission.

“Christ is risen from the dead, by death He has trampled down

death, and to those in the tombs He has bestowed life.”

— Apolytikion for Pascha (Plagal of the First Tone)

Photographs courtesy of John homas Photography

and used with permission.

This booklet has been made possible by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Internet Ministries.

For more information, visit www.goarch.org

The ServiceS of holy Week

EASTER SUNDAY MORNING

Christ’s Resurrection and victory is

airmed in this morning’s theme. he

Gospel is read in several languages to

illustrate the universality of the Good News

of the Resurrection and its proclamation to

the very ends of the earth. Love, forgiveness,

reconciliation, triumph and joy—these are

the gifts which we receive because Christ

lived and died and triumphed for our sake.

Scripture readings for this service are

taken from: John 20:19-25.

T he services of Holy Week transform us into eyewitnesses

ORTHODOX CELEBRATION

OF PASCHA

During the forty days of the

Resurrection period, Orthodox Christians

greet one another by saying: “Christ is

Risen”, the Easter salutation. hey likewise respond with the airmation: “Truly

He is Risen!”

anddirectparticipantsintheawesomeeventsofthePassion

andResurrectionofJesusChrist.

he Gospel according to John (20:19-25) is read in various languages,

proclaiming the Good News of the Resurrection all over the universe without

discrimination. he fruit of faith in the Resurrection of the Lord is love in

His Name; therefore, this day is called “Sunday of Agape” (love feast), a day

dedicated to Christian principles, especially to forgiveness and charity. At this

time, Christians seek to end misunderstanding and arguments among those

with whom they may be at odds.

In readings taken from both Old and New Testaments, in

hymns, processions, and liturgical commemoration, we see the

fulfillmentoftheMessianicprophecies,andthemightyactsbywhich

GodHimself,inthepersonofJesusChrist,grantsusforgivenessfor

oursins,andrescuesusfromthepainofeternaldeath.

GLORY BE TO HIM FOR ALL THINGS,

AND MAY YOUR EASTER BE BLESSED

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Icon of “The Myrrh-Bearing Women”

The ServiceS of holy Week

HOLY SATURDAY MORNING

On Holy Saturday morning we celebrate

the theme of faithfulness receiving its reward.

he cruciixion is over, Christ is buried, the

twelve apostles and other disciples are scattered

and defeated. And yet, three myrrh-bearing

women come in faithfulness to perform the

last act of love—to anoint Jesus according to

the Jewish burial custom. heir unwavering

devotion is rewarded—they are the irst to share

in Christ’s triumph over evil and death. hey

are the irst witnesses to the Resurrection. his

joy is commemorated through the scattering of

bay leaves and rose petals by the priest. Scripture

readings for this service are taken from: Romans

6:3-11 and Matthew 28:1-20.

PALM SUNDAY EVENING

his evening’s service calls to mind the

beginning of Jesus’ sufering. he Gospel describes

the plotting of the priests and elders to trap Jesus into

convicting Himself as a religious heretic. hrough

parables, Jesus tells us of His coming betrayal,

trial, conviction and execution by cruciixion. he

hymns of this service commemorate two things:

he irst, the prophetic igure of Joseph, who,

while virtuous, nonetheless sufered unjustly at the

hands of his brothers before being greatly rewarded;

and the second, the parable of the ig tree, which

in failing to bear fruit, became a symbol of fallen

creation, and of our own lives, in which we also

have failed to bear spiritual fruit. Scripture readings for this service are taken

from: Matthew 21:18-43.

HOLY SATURDAY EVENING/

EASTER SUNDAY MORNING

he lamentations of the previous night

are repeated and the church is plunged into

darkness to symbolize the despair and defeat

experienced before the dawn of Christ’s victory

over the Enemy of our salvation. Precisely at

midnight, a single light emerges from the

altar representing the victory of Christ over

death, the defeat of the Prince of Darkness

by Jesus, the Light of the World. As the light

is passed from person to person, it pushes

back the darkness of the church and defeats

it completely. he Resurrection is proclaimed

in song and triumphant procession, and after the Liturgy, its light is carried

into our homes so that they too might be illed with its light and warmth and

triumph. Scripture readings for this service are taken from: Mark 16:1-8.

HOLY MONDAY EVENING

his evening’s theme is the need for watchfulness and preparation,

lest we be called unprepared before the awesome judgement seat of Christ

to render an account of ourselves. he gospel reading contrasts the eforts of

the Pharisees to trick and discredit Jesus with the forceful resistance which

Christ mounts against their evil. he hymns remind us of the parable of the

Ten Virgins, in which the faithful Christian is exhorted to vigilance. Scripture

readings for this service are taken from: Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39.

Icon of “The Descent Into Hades”

HOLY TUESDAY EVENING

he need for true repentance is the concern of Tuesday evening’s

service. his transformation from the life of sin to a life of faith and obedience

is exempliied for us in the person of the sinful woman who received the gift

of forgiveness when she anointed Jesus with myrrh and washed His feet. he

highlight of this service is the hymn written in honor of this woman by St.

Kassiani. he Gospel meditation foretells of the coming sufering of Christ

and recalls His inner struggles and agony. Scripture readings for this service

are taken from: John 12:17-50.

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Journey To Pascha: A Daily Guide Through Holy Week • lent.goarch.org

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After the reading of the Epistle on Holy Saturday morning,

the priest follows the custom of tossing laurel, saying: “Arise,

O God, and judge the earth; for You shall take all nations to

Your inheritance”.

Icon of “The Bridegroom”

The ServiceS of holy Week

HOLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING

he primary theme of Holy Wednesday is our human need for

the healing and forgiveness that comes into our lives when we establish a

relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are reminded that the way

to this relationship is to be found, above all else, through the life of prayer.

In the Sacrament of Holy Unction, the faithful are anointed and thus, healed

both physically and spiritually. hey are also reconciled to God and one

another so that they might receive the gift of the Holy Eucharist instituted

by Christ at the Last Supper.

HOLY FRIDAY EVENING

On Holy Friday evening, the theme is

Christ’s descent into Hades during which the

Gospel of repentance and reconciliation with

God is shared with those who died before

Christ’s saving dispensation in the lesh. he

service begins with lamentations sung as we

stand before the tomb of Christ commemorating

His unjust punishment and the shedding of His

innocent blood. But the service ends on a note

of joy and hope, with the reading of the Prophet

Ezekiel in which he describes his vision of our

resurrection yet to come; in the midst of despair,

we are told there is hope, for not even death can

separate us from the unfailing love and power of

God. Death is about to be conquered and faithfulness rewarded. Scripture

readings for this service are taken from: Ezekiel 37:1-14, I Corinthians 5:6-8,

Galatians 3:13-14, Matthew 27:62-66.

Scripture readings for this service are taken from: Epistle readings:

James 5:10-16, Romans 15:1-7, I Corinthians 12:27-31-13:1-8, II

Corinthians 1:8-11. Galatians 5:22-6:2, I hessalonians 5:14-23. Gospel

readings: Luke 10:25-37, Luke 19:1-10, Matthew 10:1 & 10:5-8, Matthew

8:14-23, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 15:21-28, and Matthew 9:9-13.

The icon of “The Epitaphios Thrinos”

(Lamentation at the tomb)

THE PRAYER OF ANOINTING

O Holy Father, Physician of souls and bodies, Who didst send hine

only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal every inirmity and deliver from

death: Heal hou, also, hy servants from the ills of the body and soul which do

hinder them, and quicken them, by the Grace of hy Christ; through the prayers

of our most Holy Lady, the Birth-Giver of God and Ever Virgin Mary; through

the intercession of the honorable bodiless Powers of Heaven; through the power

of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross; through the protection of the honorable,

glorious, Prophet and Forerunner John the Baptist; of the holy, glorious and

righteous Martyrs; of our righteous and Godbearing Fathers; of the holy and

healing unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, haleleus and

Tryfon, Panteleimon and Hermolaus, Samson and Diomidis, Mokius and

Aniketos; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; and of

all the Saints. For hou art the Fountain of healing, O God, our God, and unto

hee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

ORTHODOX CELEBRATION OF

HOLY FRIDAY EVENING

At the hird Stasis when the verse

“ Erranan ton Tafon, ai muroforoi

mura, lian prwi elqousai /he myrrh-

bearing women came very early in the morning

and sprinkled the tomb with myrrh” is sung the

priest sprinkles the Epitaphios with rosewater,

using the rantistirion (sprinkler). his verse is

usually repeated three or more times. It has

become the custom to sprinkle the people as

well.

The priest sprinkles the Epitaphios with rosewater.

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The ServiceS of holy Week

HOLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON

In this service, we are once again

reverent witnesses to the undeserved

sufering of Christ, to his terrible passion

and death. What is remembered in a special

way through liturgical commemoration and

procession, is the faithfulness and love of

Joseph of Arimathea who tenderly removed

Christ’s body from the cross, wrapped it in

clean linen, and carried it to his own unused

tomb for burial. Scripture readings for this

service are taken from: I Corinthians 1:18-

2:2, Matthew 27:1-38, Luke 23:39-43,

Matthew 27:39-54, John 19:31-37, and

Matthew 27:55-61.

The icon of “The Apokathilosis”

HOLY THURSDAY MORNING

“On the night when He was betrayed, or

rather when He gave Himself up for the life of the

world, He took bread in His holy, pure, and blameless

hands, gave thanks, blessed, sanctiied, broke, and

gave it to His holy disciples and apostles saying...”

— Taken from the Divine Liturgy of Saint

John Chrysostom

On Holy hursday morning, we ascend

Mt. Zion with Christ and the Twelve, and enter

into the upper room. Once there, we witness the

awesome moment when, at the Last Supper, Christ

abolishes the ritual practice of the Old Covenant

and establishes the ritual of the New Covenant,

prophesied by Jeremiah, through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. he

faithful receive Holy Communion at that Holiest of Liturgies. Scripture

readings for this service are taken from: Matthew 26:2-20, John 13:3-17,

Matthew 26:21-39, Luke 22:43-45, and Matthew 26:40-27:2.

ORTHODOX CELEBRATION OF

GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY

As the priest proclaims the Gospel,

“And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a

clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new

tomb...” he removes the Body of Christ from the

Cross, wraps it in a new white cloth and takes

it to the altar. he priest then chants the hymn:

“When Joseph of Arimathea took You, the Life of

all, now dead, down from the Cross, he buried

You in ine linen, after anointing You with myrrh.

He yearned with desire, humbly contained by

awe, rejoicing, he cried out to You: Glory to Your

condescension, O merciful God!”. he priest then

carries the Epitaphios , the cloth on which the Body

of Christ is painted or embroidered, around the

church before placing it inside the Sepulcher, a

carved bier which symbolizes the Tomb of Christ.

ICON OF THE LAST SUPPER

Christ is the central igure at the table. Saint John the Beloved

[Evangelist, heologian] is seated at Christ’s right; as the youngest of the

disciples he is depicted as beardless. Judas Iscariot the Betrayer is the fourth

igure from Christ’s right; he is depicted dipping into the dish (Matthew

26:20-25).

During the Holy Friday afternoon service, the priest removes

Christ from the Cross and wraps Him in a white cloth.

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Journey To Pascha: A Daily Guide Through Holy Week • lent.goarch.org

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The icon of the “Last Supper”

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