Christ is Risen! Happy Pascha!

Christ’s Descent into Hades Icon

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

May you have a glorious, and joyous, Bright Week!

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Truly He is Risen!

Lazarakia

Lazarakia in Greek, mean Little Lazaruses.

This special Greek bread is traditionally baked to serve on Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday… to celebrate the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Shaped like a man wrapped in a shroud, they are vegan, and contain several sweet spices. Lazarus Saturday ends at sundown, and Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week.

Lazarus Saturday is a special day in the Orthodox Church, and celebrates the final, great miracle of Jesus Christ before His Resurrection. Today prefigures His own death, and demonstrates His Authority over death. Seeing His friend is already four days dead, Jesus sheds tears and cries out: “Lazarus, come forth!”

St. John 11: 1-53

After the Resurrection of Christ, St. Lazarus lived for another 30 years and became the first Bishop of Kition in Cyprus.

In Orthodox countries, on Lazarus Saturday, children go house to house with decorated hand baskets, singing Lazarus Carols, and sharing Lazarakia. Sometimes coins are popped into the children’s baskets by parishioners, as a donation for the church. Some folks slip lenten treats to the children, which they take home and share with their families. It is also customary to collect wildflowers, palms, and branches on this day to adorn homes, as the next day is the feast of Palm Sunday.

There are many ways to make Lazarakia. Although fresh is best, you may certainly bake them ahead of time, and they freeze well.

Here is our own family recipe. It’s a bit different from the recipe on YouTube (seen near bottom of page), but it makes approximately the same quantity of Lazarakia buns as described in the video – depending of course… on the forms’ shapes and sizes. We basically do the same dough preparation as in the video. However, we prefer to braid the Lazarakia and use peppercorns for the eyes, instead of whole clove sticks.

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 tsp. yeast
  • 4 – 5 cups flour
  • Zest of half an orange
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup liquid honey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1/8 tsp. ground anise (optional)
  • peppercorns for the eyes
  • Bake in 370 degree oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown. (Baking time depends on the size of the Lazarakia.)
  • For “Bun-Shine” – a glossy vegan finish, use an extra couple of Tbsp. of olive oil for brushing onto the hot, baked, Lazarakia, after they come out of the oven.

Here is an excellent YouTube video. It’s easy to follow, with well explained how to’s… Step by step instructions show different ways to form the Lazarakia.

Lazarus Saturday will soon be here! I hope you enjoy the sweet venture of making and/or sharing traditional Lazarakia.

Dust and Clay

Camel rock in Goreme, Cappadocia, near St. Basil the Great’s carved rock monasteries and cave churches. ~2006

And the LORD God formed man ‭of‭ the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ~ Genesis 2:7

…for dust thou ‭art‭, and unto dust shalt thou return. ~Genesis 3:19

For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. ~ Psalm 103:14

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill… ~ Psalm 113:7

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:7

St. Lazarus (the Four Days Dead) of Bethany – was 30 years old when he first reposed and was raised again by Christ (St. John 11:1-45). He lived for another 30 years and became the first Bishop of Kition in Cyprus. An ancient tradition records that because of what St. Lazarus had seen in Hades before Christ raised him, St. Lazarus never smiled – except once… when he saw someone stealing a clay pot. With an amused expression, he observed, “The clay steals the clay.”

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. ~ St. John 9:1-9

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ~1 Corinthians 15:39-49

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