HOLY AND GREAT WEEK (Part III)

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

HOLY AND GREAT WEEK (Part III)

Holy and Great Saturday. On this day we celebrate THE BURIAL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST and HIS DESCENT INTO HELL. At Orthros (Matins), usually on Holy and Great Friday evening, the service begins with the ‘PRAISES’ (in Greek, Enkomia) chanted before the Epitaphion in the center of the church. The predominant note at this divine service is not so much one of mourning as of WATCHFUL EXPECTATION. For the time being God observes a Sabbath rest in the tomb, but we look forward to the moment when He will rise again, bringing new life and RECREATING THE WORLD:

"Today Thou dost keep holy the seventh day,
Which Thou hast blessed of old by resting from Thy works.
Thou bringest all things into being and Thou makest all things
new,
Observing the Sabbath rest, my Savior, and restoring Ty
strength."

At the end of the service, all go WITH THE EPITAPHION AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH, SINGING, ‘Holy God…’ , exactly as they would at a funeral. And yet this is not in fact a funeral processions at all, God HAD DIED ON THE CROSS, AND YET HE IS NOT DEAD. HE WHO DIED, THE LOGOS/WORD, IS THE Life Himself, Holy and Immortal; and our procession through the night SIGNIFIES THAT HE IS NOW PROCEEDING THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF HELL, ANNOUNCING TO ADAM AND TO AL THE DEAD HIS COMING RESURRECTION, IN WHICH THEY ALSO CALLED TO SHARE.

In the morning and early afternoon of Holy and Great Saturday there follow Vespers (Esperinos) and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great. Originally, this service began later, in the evening, and continued into the early hours of Pascha (Easter) Sunday morning; but now it has been moved back, and its place taken by the existing MIDNIGHT SERVICE of Paschal Orthros (Matins), with the Canon by Saint John Damascus, ‘This is the Day of Resurrection…’, followed by the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostomos. The more ancient Vigil service, now celebrated on Holy and Great Saturday morning, has a strongly baptismal character, reflecting the period when this Mysterion (Sacrament) was administered on Pascha night. The texts at Vespers (Esperinos) are dominated by the three connected themes of PASSOVER, RESURRECTION AND BAPTISMAL INITIATION. Of the Fifteen Readings — constituting the final stage in the teaching imparted to the catechumens before they were baptized — readings 4, 7, 8, 12, and 15 refer TO THE RESURRECTION. readings 4, 6,14, and 15 refer symbolically to Baptism. The BAPTISMAL CHARACTER of the Holy and Great Saturday Office is likewise apparent in the chant sung in place of the TRISAGION, ‘As many of you as were baptized into Christ…’, and in the choice of Epistle reading (Romans 6L3-11). With the verse following the Epistle, ‘ARISE, OF GOD, AND JUDGE THOU THE EARTH; FOR THOU SHALL TAKE ALL HEATHEN TO THINE INHERITANCE’, THE CELEBRATION OF THE RESURRECTION HAS ALREADY BEGUN.

On Holy and Great Saturday evening the faithful gradually reassemble in teh darkened church while the Acts of the Apostles are read adn then the Midnight Office is chanted. As TWELVE O’CLOCK APPROACHES, the lights in the body of the church are extinguished. All wait in silence for the moment when the priest will come out from the sanctuary with the burning candle and THAT SYMBOLIZE THE LIGHT OF THE RISEN CHRIST chanting: ‘COME YE AND RECEIVE LIGHT FROM THE UNWANING LIGHT; AND GLORIFY CHRIST, WHO HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD.’ The faithful light their candles from the lighted candles of the Altar Boys. The procession of Clergy, Altar boys, Choir or Chanters AND THE PERSON HOLDING THE LABARUM OF THE ANASTASIS (RESURRECTION), MOVES TOWARD THE NARTHEX AND OUTSIDE THE CHURCH TO A SPECIALLY PREPARED PLATFORM, WHILE THE CHOIR CHANTS ‘THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN PRAISE THY RESURRECTION, O CHRIST, OUR SAVIOR; MAKE US ON EARTH WORTHY,WITH PURE HEARTS, TO GLORIFY THEE.’ Then the Gospel reading according to Saint Mark 16:1-8 is read and at the conclusion the priest proclaims: ‘Glory to the Holy and consubstantial and Life-Giving and Undivided Trinity, always, now and ever and to the of Ages. Amen. The priest raising the candle high chants, CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, BY DEATH TRAMPLING UPON DEATH, AND HAS BESTOWED LIFE TO THOSE IN THE TOMBS (three times). The Resurrection hymn is then chanted by all. Soon after the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostomos is conducted. [Resources: (The Lenten Triodion]

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos

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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George