Category: Food for Thought

Great and Holy Friday

Photo of a Past Holy Friday

Today is the saddest day of the Church Year.

Today, He is slapped by hands that He, Himself, hath made.

Today all Creation weeps.

Today the sun hides its rays and the earth quakes with fear.

Today He who hung upon the earth upon the waters is hung upon the tree.The King of the angels is decked with a crown of thorns. He who wraps the heavens with clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery. He who freed Adam in the Jordan is slapped on the face. The Bridegroom of the Church is affixed to the cross with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a spear. We worship Thy Passion, O Christ. We worship Thy Passion, O Christ. Show us also Thy Glorious Resurrection!

Great and Holy Thursday

Altar Mosaic – St. Sophia Orthodox Church, Canada

Greetings on Great and Holy Thursday!

Let no fear separate you from Me… Do this in remembrance of Me.

Of Thy Mystical Supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant; for I will not speak of Thy Mystery to Thine enemies; nor like Judas will I give Thee a kiss; but like the thief will I confess Thee: Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom.

Thursday evening, the Twelve Passion Gospels are read aloud, and The Wise Thief is sung.

May we, wherever we are… particularly during pandemic isolation, blossom forth through the efforts of repentance, love, hope and faith in God’s Mercy.

Although these are trying times… This is just for now.

Great and Holy Wednesday

Greetings on Great and Holy Wednesday. Today, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated for the last time. 

“When he came to himself… he came to his father …”

“The light of Christ shineth for all…”

On Tuesday night (for the Wednesday service), the beautiful Hymn of Kassiani is sung.

May we wherever we are… particularly during pandemic isolation, blossom forth through efforts of repentance, love, hope, and faith in God’s mercy.

Although these are trying times… This is just for now.

May your Holy Week be full of blessings.

Great and Holy Monday

Thank you Irena, for sharing this photo.

Greetings on Great and Holy Monday.

As we begin Holy Week, earthly life ceases for the faithful as we go up with the Lord to Jerusalem. ~Matins of Great and Holy Monday

During the Presanctified Liturgy Let My Prayer Arise is sung.

During the harsh weather at winter’s end, the crocus… also known as the penitent flower, springs up and blossoms forth in time for the spiritual lenten season of repentance, efforts, and hope.

May we, wherever we are… particularly during pandemic isolation, blossom forth with efforts of repentance, love, hope and faith in God’s mercy.

Although these are trying times… This is just for now.

May your Holy Week be full of blessings.

St. Matthew’s Passion Music

St. Matthew’s Passion is a musical work composed by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev. It focuses and takes us through the services of Holy Week, as recorded through the Gospel of St. Matthew. The music and Scripture are poignantly entwined. It’s beautiful.

Palm Sunday Greetings

Basket of Palm Sunday Blessed Willow Branches in Old Chapel of St. Sophia, Canada

Today is Palm Sunday, the Feast Day commemorating the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem. Following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, the people went out to meet the Lord with palms and branches. They welcomed Him with honour and shouts of praise. Today is also a bittersweet joy, for we know of the sad events to come during Holy Week.

On this day, we too, wherever we are, (particularly during pandemic isolation) may still bend the knees of our hearts and souls, to worship Christ as King and Lord.

…Let the events themselves – and not just memories break us in body and soul. Then, when we forget ourselves and think rather of Christ, about what is really taking place during these days, we will reach also that Great Saturday when Christ is laid to rest in the tomb – and we also will find rest. When at night we hear the announcement of the Resurrection, we too will be able to suddenly come alive from that terrible numbness, from that terrible death of Christ, from Christ’s dying, of which we shall partake  at least a little during these days of the Passion. ~ Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. ~ Zechariah 9:9

God is the Lord, and hath appeared unto us; make ye a feast, and with gladness, come, let us magnify Christ with palms and branches, with hymns crying aloud: blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord our Saviour. ~ Ode 9 of the Feast

Lazarus Comes Forth!

I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever believeth in me shall never die. ~ St. John 11:25-26

Today Bethany proclaims beforehand the Resurrection of Christ, the owner of Life, and it rejoices at the raising of Lazarus. ~ 1st Ode in Orthros

From the earliest times, the Church has remembered the miracle of the Raising of Lazarus, and its celebration is closely tied to the Feast of the Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Marking the end of Great Lent, Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are a two-day festal pause, prior to Holy Week. 

In Constantinople, Lazarus Saturday was one of the four ancient baptismal days of the Church. We sing the Traditional Trisagion hymn at the Divine Liturgy for this day, As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ… Reminding us that we too, through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, have buried our old nature. By putting on Christ, we come forth reborn anew.

Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in the newness of life. ~ Romans 6:4

In giving us, before Thy Passion an assurance of the General Resurrection, Thou hast raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ, our God. Therefore, like the children, we also carry tokens of victory, and cry to Thee, the Conqueror of Death: Hosanna in the highest; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. ~ Troparion, Tone 1

Displaying Thy two energies, O Saviour, Thou hast made manifest Thy two natures: for Thou art both God and man. Though Thou art the Abyss of knowledge, Thou dost ask where they have laid the body of Lazarus. For it was Thy purpose, O Giver of Life, to raise him from the dead. Going from one place to another, Thou hast, as mortal man, appeared circumscribed; but, as God uncircumscribed, Thou fillest all things. At Thy divine word, Thou hast raised Lazarus, O Christ. I pray Thee, raise me also, dead through my many sins. As true God Thou hast known of the falling asleep of Lazarus and hast announced it beforehand to Thy disciples, giving them a proof, O Master, of the infinite power of Thy divinity. Thou who art by nature uncircumscribed wast circumscribed in the flesh; coming to Bethany, O Master, as man Thou dost weep over Lazarus, and by Thy power as God Thou dost raise him on the fourth day from the dead. ~ Beatitude Verses: Ode 3, 4 6, of the Triodion

…If he was not flesh, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if he was not God, who by his command brought out one four days dead? If he was not flesh, who sat on the foal? And if he was not God, whom did the crowds go out to meet with glory? ~ St. Ephraim the Syrian

Lazarus Saturday ~ Glory to God for All Things by Fr. Stephen Freeman

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