395. Holy Saturday night: The Paschal service, Paschal Matins, Paschal Divine Liturgy

GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA!   Christ is risen! Truly he is risen! Father Alexander Schmemann called our Orthodox Paschal celebration “an explosion of joy”. Words are inadequate to describe the services. They speak for themselves. (Every time I preached on Pascha I wished I hadn’t. This year my Pascha sermon will consist of: “Christ is […]

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394. Holy Saturday morning: Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil

Brothers and sisters, there is a whole lot going on this morning, so pay attention. I have discovered that how this service is celebrated varies a little from archdiocese to archdiocese and even parish to parish (I don’t know why), so it can be a bit confusing. But here goes: The Liturgy begins as a […]

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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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