|
|
|
|
The Orthodox Church of St. John the Russian
Holy Week Schedule, April 26 – May 6, 2024
16 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Ipswich, MA 01938
April 26 Eve of Lazarus Saturday
8:00 AM Presanctified Liturgy
6:30 PM Great Compline
April 27 Lazarus Saturday: The Resurrection of Saint Lazarus
9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Followed by
Church Clean Up
6:00 PM Vigil for Palm Sunday
April 28 Palm Sunday + The Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem +
9:00 AM Divine Liturgy
7:00 PM Bridegroom Matins (~1 hr 40 min)
April 29 Holy and Great Monday Evening
7:00 PM Bridegroom Matins (~1 hr 40 min)
April 30 Holy and Great Tuesday Evening
7:00 PM Bridegroom Matins (~1 hr 40 min)
May 1 Holy and Great Wednesday
6:30 PM Holy Unction (~2 hrs 20 min)
May 2 Holy Thursday Morning + The Mystical Supper +
9:00 AM Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil
6:30 PM Holy Thursday Evening + 12 Gospels + The Crucifixion of Christ + (~2 hr 45 min)
May 3 Holy Friday + Commemoration of the Passion Jesus Christ, removal of His body from the cross & The Burial of our Lord +
9:00 AM Royal Hours + Commemoration of the Passion of Christ.
11:00 AM Vespers + The Removal of Christ’s Body from the cross.
6:30 PM Holy Friday Evening + The Burial of Christ with Lamentations & Procession (~3 hr)
May 4 Holy Saturday Morning: The New Dawn Anticipating the Resurrection of Christ +
9:00 AM Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil: Fifteen Old Testament readings review the events of salvation. The Song of Moses and The Hymn of the Holy Three Children in the Fiery Furnace + (~3 hr)
May 5 Pascha: + The Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ +
11:30 PM Saturday Night: (April 15) Preparation for Procession
12:00 AM - Midnight, April 16
Receive Ye the Unwaning Light! And Procession!
12:15 AM + Paschal Matins for The Glorious Resurrection of Christ!
1:00 AM + Divine Liturgy of Pascha (goes to ~3am and then breakfast)
3:30 PM + Paschal Vespers + followed by Open House and Egg Hunt
May 6 Bright Monday: + The Second day of the Resurrection +
9:00 AM Matins with Divine Liturgy + Procession (~3 hr)
+ + + Christ is Risen! + + +
On The Mystery of Holy Week
“Union with Christ belongs to those who have undergone all that The Savior has undergone, and have experienced and become all that He has.” -- St. Nicholas Cabasilas
The week before Holy Pascha is not only the great culmination of Lent, but the grand summit of the entire liturgical year. It is a very special period wherein Christians dedicate themselves with extra focus to fasting and the attendance of the solemn divine services, whose beauty and depth can be experienced at no other time and in no other place. From the very beginning, The Church of Christ set forth as the center of its worship The Resurrection of her Lord. Every Sunday is a celebration of The Resurrection. “Holy Week,” or “Passion Week” is our final ascent to the fullness of it’s light and glory.
On Palm Sunday, we accompany Christ as He enters Jerusalem to fulfil the purpose of His ministry. From Sunday to Tuesday evening, we chant the Bridegroom matins, wherein we are called to prepare for Christ’s coming. On Wednesday evening, we receive Holy Unction, remember His betrayal by Judas, as well as the establishment of the Eucharist at His Mystical Supper. On Thursday evening, we witness His Judgement and Crucifixion in the service of the 12 Gospels. On Friday, the priest removes Christ from The Cross before the evening service of Lamentations, wherein the faithful process with the Epitaphios (the embroidered icon of Christ) around the church and into the altar, symbolizing His decent into the tomb. Finally, on Saturday morning, we celebrate the bright liturgy of Christ’s triumphant decent into Hades and hear the original Paschal hymn of The Great Church: “Arise, O God, and judge the earth!”
Thus, having undergone all that The Savior has undergone, we may approach “The Feast of Feasts” and chant: “yesterday I was crucified with Christ, today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him, today I am given life with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him, today I am raised with Him” (Canon of Holy Pascha). Every Pascha is a transformation “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18), and every Holy Week allows us to enter more and more vividly into The Great Mystery of The Church - life in The Resurrected Lord.
We Therefore strongly encourage as many as are able, to attend the services of Holy Week. For those who would be able to come for a just a portion, we may suggest Thursday evening, Friday evening, and Saturday morning. May our journey towards The Light of Holy Pascha be blessed!
With Love in The Lord,
Fr. Peter
|
Saint John The Russian |
