Strolling through a verdant Blisswood Grove in Costa Rica~ Pura Vida!
…You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. ~ Romans 13:11-12
Wishing you a Blessed Clean Monday! Let us Spring Clean our souls, Grow in God’s Grace… and Bloom in His Sonshine!
As we sail across the Great Sea of the Fast may our Great Lenten Journeys be Peaceful, and Fruitful – helping us to see Christ in others, and preparing us to joyously reach those Shining Shores of Great and Holy Pascha – the Feastof Feasts… the reason why Christ was Born!
Photo is from the week after Pascha called Bright Week, when theRoyal Doors remain fully open. The unblocked view of the altar symbolizes the open door of Christ’s empty tomb as well as the rent veil of the Jewish Temple, which was divinely torn apart at the moment Christ died. The Artos (recalling Christ, the Bread of Life) is blessed, and stands covered, in a place of honour during Bright Week and is later cut up and distributed to the faithful on Thomas Sunday, the Sunday after Pascha.
Today is the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearers!
The third Sunday of Holy Paschais designated as the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers. These courageous and steadfast women disciples of the Lord followed Jesus Christ throughout His ministry… providing and caring for Him and His followers (St. Mark 15:41). They remained faithful to Him during the dangerous times of His arrest, crucifixion, and burial. On account of the preparation for the Sabbath, the initial burial preparations were incomplete and brief. As soon as the Sabbath passed, the women speedily returned, bringing precious myrrh and ointment to anoint His body. It was still dark and very early in the morning, when they arrived at the tomb. Christ’s Resurrection was revealed by anangel, and they were given the honour to announcethe glad tidings to the apostles. Because of this, the Myrrhbearing Women, especially St. Mary Magdalene, are sometimes referred to as Equal to the Apostles.
The Holy Myrrhbearers represent all that’s good in our Christian faith.
They are the spiritual-embodiment of Faith, Hope and Love!
Let God Arise Paschal Stichera (About the Holy-Myrrhbearers) – Circa-the Pandemic. A Parish’s beautiful Virtual Orthodox Choir sings ancient Znamenny Chant, arr. H. Benigsen
Crow Rejoicing in Sakura Blossoms~ Photo shared by Veronika S.
Christ is Risen! Happy Bright Saturday!
2023 – MP3 of Parish Youth Choir Singing Paschal Tropar: Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs, bestowing Life!
Rejoice O ye people, all nations listen: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Dance all ye stars, O sing hills and mountains: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Whisper ye forests and blow all ye breezes: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Roar all ye beasts, proclaim all ye oceans: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Buzz all ye bees, sing all ye birds: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! O little lambs, exult and be merry! Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Nightingales joyous, singeth their praises: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Ring O ye church bells, everyone listen: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! All angels join us, singing this chorus: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Come down O ye heavens sing with us on earth: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Glory to Thee, O Lord God, Almighty! Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice! Glory, to Thee O God in the Highest: Christ God is Risen, let us rejoice!
This icon is frequently referred to as the Anastasis or Resurrection Icon. It is an icon of Pascha(Easter).
The golden bars by Christ’s feet are the gates of Hades, which He has broken and torn apart. At Pascha, a tradition includes the cracking of our blessed Pascha eggs together. This represents how Christ shattered the gates of Hades.
There are keys floating in the abyss below, which symbolizes that he has entered and conquered both death and Hades. Some icons have a skeletal figure who is chained up: that’s Death. He has been bound and killed by Christ. All throughout Pascha-tide until the Ascension, we greet each other with,“Christ is Risen, Truly He is Risen!”
The two figures whom Christ has grasped and is pulling out of Hades are Adam and Eve, symbolizing that His Victory redeems all mankind, even back to the beginning.
This Resurrection scene is taking place in the past, present, and future.
To His left, we see three Old Testament saints: Kings David and Solomon, two of His ancestors according to his fleshly nature. We also see, closest to him St. John the Baptist, who was his Forerunner in both life and death. On the right, we have the New Testament, including the apostles who are alive. The purpose is to show that Christ’s redemption transcends time and space. This is an act that happened in the past, is happening right now, and will happen in the future. Christ is always in the state of redeeming and setting us free.
The blue shape around Christ is called the Mandorla (which is Italian for almond, which describes its shape). The Mandorla is the Uncreated, Eternal Light of Christ. In the writings of the Eastern Orthodox mystics, God is often prayerfully experienced as Light. This is not simply a beautiful bright light. It is the same Light which filled the apostles with wonder when they witnessed His Transfiguration. It is the Light which Christ Himself described as the power of the Kingdom of God (Mark 9:1, Matt. 16:28, Luke 9:27). It is also the Light that is seen when one purifies their heart and mind (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God).
Those who seek God will find that the more they know Him, the less they comprehend Him.
To know God, to experience Him, is to walk from the darkness of sin, into His Light, to enter into the mystery of His Presence. ~ The Ark Youth Quarterly– St. Sophia Orthodox Church
Nothing elevates the soul, nothing gives it wings as a liturgical hymn does. A holy hymn gives birth to piety of soul, creates a good conscience, and is accepted by God in the treasuries of the heavens. ~ St. John Chrysostom
Bis orat qui cantat. (Means) He who chants prays twice. ~ Ancient Proverb
Psalmody – bringing about choral singing, a bond, as it were, toward unity, and joining people into a harmonious union of one choir – produces also the greatest of blessings: love. ~ St. Basil the Great
When you worship God with hymns, you should be worshipping Him with your entire being: your voice should sing; your heart should also sing; and your life should also sing. Everything should sing! ~ Blessed Augustine
Music is unique among the liturgical arts in that it’s something we have to do every time we come to church. Iconography, architecture, church furnishings, liturgical books, all these are things an artist can produce once and be done with. But music is never finished. As soon as you sing a note it vanishes forever. As soon as the service is over, whatever beauty you achieved during it has to be produced all over again in the next service. ~ Rowan Benedict Sheehan
I would like to share just a couple of past musical mondegreens. A mondegreen is a mis-hearing or misinterpretation of a phrase that gives it a new meaning.
For instance… during my early childhood years in the Baptist Church, there’s a lovely Easter hymn I adored, which (I thought) was titled “At Calgary” Couldn’t really say why we were singing about a Canadian city at Easter, but people in the pews would nod and smile when us kids belted out those last two words to the refrains: Mercy there was great and grace was free, Pardon there was multiplied to me, There my burdened soul found liberty, At Calgary! One year at Easter, when I could read better, I sheepishly realized the last line of each stanza was actually At Calvary… a holy location which had nothing to do with the province of Alberta.
As an adult in the Orthodox Church, I sing in the choir and for awhile my music stand housed an older choir book. At the ends of certain sections on the faded liturgical sheet music, there was hand-printed in a thick, dull, stubby pencil, the word “repent”. This huge WOW-factor made me wonder occasionally about the book’s previous (obviously devout) owner who would unsparinglypost themselves repentancereminders! One day an unexpected pattern emerged. I noticed the numerous repents were always pencilled inat the ends of certain bars of faded music… where one could barely make out the 2 dots of a musical “repeat” sign. The pencilled words weren’t “repent” they were actually “repeat” albeit, in poor penmanship. *Smacks Forehead* Nevertheless, repentance, and repeat repentanceare indeed crucial. Sometimes, to this very day, if I see a musical “repeat” sign, or have a fleeting thought of Calgary… I can’t help but smile.
On Holy Saturday morning, two lone Cherry Blossoms fell from the tall Church vase and clung tenaciously to the Gospel sitting on the Winding Sheet. Reflections from the overhead flowers are seen on the side of the Gospel. May we be as those two unwavering blossoms, and cling to the Good News of God’s Word!
Christ is Risen!
When He came to dwell among us, he showed us the way to live: simply, humbly, and meekly. We should approach Him just as He created us – as innocent children. ~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica (Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives)
…To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth… ~ Jesus Christ (St. John 18:37)
On account of God’s great Love for us, and as any sin (small or great) is a spiritual sickness that separates us from God… our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, willingly took the sins (of everyone in the world who has ever been born) – onto Himself.
When Jesus died and was buried, all our sins and spiritual pain died and were buried too. We’re forgiven, and keenly remember this at our Baptism and through Repentance.
Because He is the Son of God – Christ arose victorious from the dead bearing witness to the truth! “Trampling down death, by death!”
We are forgiven because of what Jesus did for us on the cross! He Loves us so much! Nothing can keep us from the Love of God. Nothing. This is why we no longer fear death.
Death is a new beginning.
Death is Life… a New and Eternal Life with God.
For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. ~ St. Luke 20:38
Some of our 2022 Pascha eggs (dyed brick-red with onion skins) sit on a nest of sweet lavender. These floral imprints are from marigold, barrenwort flowers, and a clover leaf.
Dying eggs red for Pascha is an ancient tradition, and symbolize the gift of eternal life though our Lord Jesus Christ’s glorious Resurrection.
Their shells represent the sealed tomb of Jesus, and when we crack our eggs together, we depict the end of the old and the beginning of the new… His Resurrection from the dead, the shattering of the Gates of Hell, and the Promise of Life Eternal!
The tradition of red eggs begins with St. Mary Magdalene, one of the Holy Myrrh-Bearers. As a witness of Christ’s Resurrection, and after His Ascension to the heavens, she began a life of ministry and also became known as an Equal-to-the-Apostles.
According to holy tradition, during her travels, St. Mary Magdalene gained an audience with the Emperor Tiberius in Rome… where she denounced the conduct of Jerusalem’s governor (Pontius Pilate) at Christ’s trial, by his condemning of an innocent man (whom he acknowledged to be) to death.
Then St. Mary Magdalene told the Emperor about the life and miracles of Jesus Christ, and His Resurrection from the dead. To illustrate the symbol of New Life (in Christ), she held an egg out to him, and joyously proclaimed, “Christ is Risen!”
The emperor mocked her saying, “There’s about as much chance of a human being returning to life again from the dead… as there is for that very egg in your hand to turn red!”
An instantaneous sign from God confirmed the truth of her message, and the egg immediately turned red!
Christ’s redemption transcends time and space. When we greet each other during the 40 days of Pascha-tide saying, “Christ is risen,” we confirm that not only did He rise all those years ago, but He remainsrisen right now.
Now all things have been filled with light, both heaven and earth and those beneath the earth; so let all creation sing Christ’s rising, by which it is established. ~ St. John of Damascus, Paschal Canon
Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We worship Thy Cross, O Christ, and hymn and glorify Thy holy Resurrection, for Thou art our God, and we know none other beside Thee, we call upon Thy name. O come all ye faithful, let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection; for behold through the Cross, joy hath come to all the world. Ever blessing the Lord, we hymn His Resurrection. For having endured crucifixion, He hath destroyed death by death. ~ 5th Century Matins Hymn
