Holy Pascha Week – Part I
Servant’s Preparation Course
04.16.2013
BACKGROUND
Passover – the most sacred week of the year
Celebrated once every 33
years and separately from
the Great Lent in the past
Attitude of the church:
• Follow the Savior step by step and focus on Him
and all that He is going through
• no funerals, no sacraments except…?
• Hymns prayed in the mournful/sad tune
2
PURPOSE
• The Church and its liturgical
services are “above time”
• Each time we participate in
the Holy Week services, we
participate in His death and
resurrection (Anamnesis)
3
PURPOSE
I AM NOT HERE AS A BYSTANDER OR A SPECTATOR,
BUT AS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THESE EVENTS – Phil 3:10, 11
I am there when He
entered Jerusalem
I am at the last supper; I am
being washed and partaking
of the Eucharist
I am there at His
resurrection, removing
the stone and enjoying
the glory and victory
4
FROM LENT TO PASCHA WEEK
• Last Friday of Great Lent – Sacrament of
Unction of the Sick
• WHY????
• Lazarus Saturday
• Note: Jesus did not raise Lazarus on the
day before Palm Sunday but we begin
and end with…RESURRECTION!
(Jesus spent much of the week in
Bethany w/ Lazarus and his family)
Annual Tune
Palm Sunday Vespers Gospel: (John 12:1-11)
5
PALM SUNDAY
Theme: Jesus is entering into Jerusalem (my
heart) as a king
6
PALM SUNDAY
What Did Jesus Do?
• He left Bethany and entered
Jerusalem riding on a colt on 10th of
Nissan (John 12:13)
• similar to the Passover lamb in
Exodus 12:1-30
• “Hosanna to the Son of David”
(Matt 21:15)
• Jesus spent the day in the temple
• Jesus returns back to Bethany
7
PALM SUNDAY
What Does the Church Do?
• Refrain of Psalm 150: “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has entered
Jerusalem”
• Unique “Palm Sunday” tune
• During matins, we have a special procession at 12 stations or icons
and before each one is read a psalm and gospel and unique gospel
response after
• Regular liturgy except we read 4 gospels
8
PALM SUNDAY
Listen carefully to the Gospel according to St. Luke 19:41-44
• Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over
it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this
your day, the things that make for your peace! But now
they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon
you when your enemies will build an embankment around
you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level
you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they
will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you
did not know the time of your visitation.”
9
PALM SUNDAY
General Funeral
• Follows the Liturgy on Palm Sunday
• No funerals for the departed during this week
• Prophecy: Ezekiel 37:1-14 “Thus says the Lord God to these
bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you
shall live…I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live.”
• Pauline: 1 Cor. 15:1-23 “For I delivered to you first of all that
which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again
the third day according to the Scriptures… But now Christ is
risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man
also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
10
PALM SUNDAY
General Funeral
• Gospel: John 5:19-29
“ For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them,
even so the Son gives life to whom He will… Most
assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is,
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and
those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in
Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
and has given Him authority to execute judgment also,
because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for
the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will
hear His voice and come forth—those who have done
good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have
done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
11
OVERALL STRUCTURE
• Each day during Pascha has a morning and evening
service. The morning and evening service contain five
separate hours.
Morning
Evening
1st
6 am
6 pm
3rd
9 am
9 pm
6th
12 noon
12 midnight
9th
3 pm
3 am
11th
5 pm
5 am
12
OUTLINE OF EACH HOUR
CONCLUDING
HYMN
About suffering of the Lord, events
of Holy Week, rejection of the
Messiah, wisdom, fear, etc.
PROPHECIES
LITANIES
O King of Peace
Morning done
with metanias
BENEDICTION
HOMILY
From Selected Church Fathers (selected
mornings only)
“We conclude the homily of our holy
father…, who enlightened our minds and
hearts in the name of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.”
DOXOLOGY
Doxology of the Pascha (replaces 12 psalms of
Agpeya)
• Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing and
the majesty forever Amen. O Emmanuel, our
God and our King…
• Taken from Revelation (Rev. 4:9, 5:11,13)
• Sung a total of 12 times and ends with Lord’s
prayer
EXPOSITIO
N
Explanation
with an intro
and conclusion
PSALM
AND
GOSPEL
The church selects
psalms and passages
that relate to the
events or theme of
that hour.
13
EVE OF MONDAY (SUNDAY EVENING)
Pray outside the altar in the second chorus, Why?
• Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people
with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore
let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His
reproach. (Hebrews 13:12-13)
• Theme: Preparation for His suffering and the last days
14
MONDAY
Theme:
• “FRUITFUL LIFE, NOT APPEARANCE”
• “DON’T DECEIVE YOURSELF”
15
MONDAY
What Did Jesus Do?
• He left Bethany to the temple in Jerusalem (John 11:18)
• On the way, He saw a fig tree that had leaves but no fruits.
Christ cursed the tree saying: No man will eat fruit of you for
ever (Mark 11:12-20)
• Jesus entered the temple and kicked out those who were selling
and buying (Mark 11:15-16)
• The priests try to catch him with a mistake: By what authority
do you do these things?
• Christ returns back to Bethany (Luke 21: 27-38)
16
MONDAY
What Does the Church do?
• All prophesies, psalms, and gospels focus on this objective
• Starts with Adam and Eve’s creation, their sin and their removal
from the garden. Adam tried to cover his hypocrisy .
• Focus on Christ’s cursing of the fig tree – symbol for the Jewish
nation, who had the outward appearance of bearing fruit but was
barren.
• We cannot cover our sin with the cloak of hypocrisy.
17
TUESDAY
Theme:
• “BE WATCHFUL”
• “MARAN-ATHA -- The Lord’s coming is near”
• Ninth Hour: Genesis 6-9:
“The flood and Noah’s Ark”
• Day of parables
18
TUESDAY
What Did Jesus Do?
• He left Bethany to the temple in Jerusalem
• On the way, they saw the fig tree and remembered Christ’s words
• Jesus spent the day in the temple teaching
• The Pharisees try to catch him with a mistake: Should we pay taxes
to Caesar?
• Christ talks about the end of the world and His second coming in
detail. He gives a lot of signs for the last day.
• Christ emphasized the need to be always prepared by several
proverbs:
•
•
•
The Ten Virgins
The Talents
The Wedding Ceremony
• Christ returns back to Bethany
19
TUESDAY
What Does the Church Do?
– Very Important: THE ELEVENTH HOUR
CHRIST
l
l
l
Talked in detail about judgment and the last day
Determined the time of His crucifixion for the first time
Left the temple and NEVER came back to it; a sign of the collapse
of the Jewish religion
CHURCH
l
l
Adds “My Good Savior” to “Thine is the power....”
l
Illustrates for us God sitting in His glory to judge and reward each
according to his deeds
Read Psalm 44:9 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” with the Royal
Tune “Pekethronos”
20
WEDNESDAY
• Theme:
• “WHERE IS MY HEART” (Is it like Mary’s
or like Judas’?)
• “WHAT WOULD I OFFER TO CHRIST?”
21
WEDNESDAY
What Did Jesus Do?
• Christ spent the whole day in Bethany
• A day of contradictions:
• Radical betrayal - Judas contacts the chief priests to
betray Christ
• Radical love - Mary breaks an alabaster box of ointment
of spikenard, very precious, and pours it on Christ’s head
22
WEDNESDAY
What Does the Church Do?
Very Important: Third Hour of Eve of
Thursday
Psalm: 55:21: “His words were
softer than oil, Yet they were
drawn swords.” (Royal tune)
Gospel: Mark 14:3-11: The woman
with ointment and Judas’ betrayal!
23
HOLY THURSDAY
Theme:
• HUMILITY & SALVATION THROUGH WATER
(BAPTISM)
24
HOLY THURSDAY
What Did Jesus Do?
• That was the 14th of Nissan, the day of slaying the Passover lamb
• Christ asks Peter and John to prepare the Passover
• The disciples argue: Who is the greatest?
• Before supper, Christ washed the disciples’ feet
• Christ gives the disciples His body and blood
• Christ prophesies about His betrayal
• Judas leaves to go to the chief priests
25
HOLY THURSDAY
What Does the Church Do?
• We pray in the first chorus
• We start with the Matins raising of incense
• The book of Acts: Selecting a new apostle
instead of Judas.
• Procession to reprimand Judas (OURSELVES) in
the opposite direction
26
HOLY THURSDAY
What Does the Church Do?
• Pascha prayers (1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th) about preparation for the
Passover
• The prophesies of the ninth hour are very significant
• Genesis 22:1-19 The sacrifice of Isaac
• Genesis 14:17-20 Melchizedek
• Isaiah 61:1-6 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…”
27
HOLY THURSDAY
What Does the Church Do?
The Liturgy of Water (Laqan)
• We pray with annual tune in front of a basin
filled with water
• Several prophesies about salvation through
water (e.g., crossing the Red Sea and Jordan
River)
• Gospel: John 13:1-7 -- Christ washes the feet
of the disciples
• At the end, the priests wash the feet of the
congregation
28
HOLY THURSDAY
What Does the Church Do?
• The Liturgy of the Eucharist
• Annual tune
• No Agpeya, no Catholic Epistle, no Book of Acts
• The lamb is examined without the 41 Kyrie Eleisons because
Christ was silent while being examined
• Gospel: Matthew 26:20-29 -- Christ gives His body and Blood to
the disciples
• No Reconciliation Prayer, no commemoration of the saints
• Fraction of the Sacrifice of Isaac
29
HOW TO BENEFIT FROM HOLY WEEK?
• Our attitude, conversations and meditations whether
inside or outside the church must focus on Christ
• Consider a retreat and reserve your time for God and
spiritual activities
• Follow the steps of Christ and personalize each of the
events; reflect on the condition of our hearts and our
intimacy with the Lord
• Share in the fellowship of His suffering (Phil. 3:10)
• “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
(Galatians 2:20)
30
HOW TO BENEFIT FROM HOLY WEEK?
• Engage with spiritual readings and fellowship with the saints
through their writings and see how they reflected on the
Lord’s suffering and salvation
• Participate in the hymns for they preserve the thought from
wandering and guide it in a spiritual direction
• Pray – in addition to corporate prayer, focus on personal
prayers
• Confession and Communion – examine our hearts and our
sins; confess them and have them washed to be prepared to
partake of Holy Communion
31