392. Holy Friday afternoon: Vespers (“Taking down from the Cross”)

At last! a Holy Week service (and the only one) that is “in sync” with the time of day. We’re going to cover: 1 The ceremonies, 2 The Scripture readings. Beginning with last night’s Procession of the Cross of Christ and continuing through Pascha, the ceremonies are intended to draw us more fully in these wonderful closing events of […]

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393. Holy Friday night Matins: “The Lamentations Service”.

Please get to church for this service. I’m sending out this Blog a full day early, so you can plan. If you cannot get to church, find yourself a place to worship live-stream tonight. This is too beautiful to miss – my favorite service of the year.     Is this a funeral service? Is this […]

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391. Holy Friday morning: 1) The Royal Hours, 2) Some often-overlooked Lessons to be Learned from Holy Week

The Royal Hours of Holy Friday These are the relatively short (by Orthodox standards) services sung regularly in monasteries at certain “hours”  – First Hour (dawn), Third Hour (9 a.m.), Sixth Hour (Noon), Ninth Hour (3 p.m.). Before great feasts they are appointed also for parish churches – this week on Holy Friday morning, or […]

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390. Holy Thursday Night Matins: The Twelve Gospels

courtesy of Pravmir Some advice:  For the remaining three days of this Holy Week, do not read this Blog. Or rather: Do not read this Blog in place of going to church. Go to church. If you can’t get to church, worship Live-stream either live or by video.  This Blog may help you (and me) […]

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389. Holy Thursday morning Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil

We all know that in the Orthodox Church the Divine Liturgy is always a celebration, not allowed during the penitential weekdays of the Great Lenten Fast. We also know that Holy Week is our most penitential period. Furthermore, running with our peculiar Holy Week schedule (which I’ll not go into again here), this actually turns […]

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