Holy Week Services & Schedule-2013
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the 2013 Holy Week Schedule
The Services of Great and Holy Week -
The following is a brief explanation of the services of Holy and Great Week as celebrated in the Greek Orthodox Church. It covers services, beginning with the Saturday of Lazarus and ending with the Feast of Pascha. It is our prayer that these brief explanations help to make Holy Week come alive in our hearts as we prepare to receive our resurrected Lord on Pascha.
 Before Holy Week begins, we celebrate the Saturday of Lazarus. This commemorates the miracle of Lazarus's resurrection by Christ. This miracle was performed as a preview to His own resurrection which is commemorated on the following Sunday. The Sunday after the Saturday of Lazarus, we celebrate Palm Sunday when Christ entered Jerusalem. Immediately following the Divine Liturgy, the priest hands out crosses made out of palms. We put these crosses in our cars or anywhere else we feel we want to be protected. The traditional food for this day is fish.
Holy Week is a period of mourning as we commemorate the Passion of Jesus Christ. Entertainment is not allowed for the whole week. The Church has services every night during this week, and each Service reenacts the events leading to Easter Sunday. Fasting is strict during this week especially on Good Friday. 
Sunday night, Holy Monday night and Holy
Tuesday are the services of Christ the Bridegroom. The Church (faithful)
is symbolically the bride and Christ is the groom. The church must prepare to
unite with Christ, the bridegroom, for all eternity.
On Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (Proigiasmeni) is celebrated.
 On Holy Tuesday night,
we commemorate the annointing of Christ with myrrh by a woman who wet his feet
and dried them with her hair. Christ forgave her for her sins as an example to
us on how to repent and be saved. The "Kassiani" hymn is sung as a hymn of repentance.
 On Holy
Wednesday, in the afternoon or evening, the church offers the Sacrament
of Holy Unction. During this service, the priest reads seven gospels, and seven
blessings to bless the oil which will be used to heal the ailments of the body
and soul. At the end of the service, the priest annoints each parishioner with
the oil by making the sign of the cross on  their
forehead, cheeks, chin and hands. Also on this evening we celebrate the Washing
of the Feet.
On Holy Thursday morning, the Liturgy of St. Basil the  Great
celebrated. Many receive Holy Communion that morning. Eggs are dyed red on this
day. The color red symbolizes the blood of Christ which He shed for us on the
Cross. During the evening service, the priest reads 12 Gospels that tell all
of Christ's suffering that led to his Crucifixion. After each Gospel reading,
a candle is lit. After the fifth Gospel is read, the Holy Cross is taken out
of the Altar and carried in a procession around the church and then placed in
the center at the front of the church, where parishioners come forth and kiss
the body or feet of Christ.
 Holy
Friday morning is the service for the reading of the Royal Hours. In
the afternoon, the service for the Descent from the Holy Cross (Apokathilosis)
is held, where the priests takes the body of Christ from the Cross and places
it in the Epitaphio (funeral bier). After the Apokathilosis, the faithful come
forth and kiss the Epitaphio; as a blessing the young children walk/crawl under
it three times. In Greece, the faithful go from Church to Church to kiss the
different Epitaphioi. At night is the Matins of Lamentations (Epitaphios). The
Epitaphios is lifted and taken outside the church in a procession. In Greece
they take the Epitaphio in a procession through the whole village or town. and
all the churches meet and continue on together from there. When the Epitaphio
returns to the Church, each parishioner enters the church by passing under the
Epitaphio. Another Greek tradition for Good Friday is to drink vinegar just as
Jesus was given vinegar when he said that he was thirsty.
 Holy
Saturday morning is the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, celebrating
the Myrrhbearing Women going to the Tomb. At night the Service of the Resurrection
(Anastasi) is held. It is customary for the godmother or godfather to buy an
Easter candle for their godchild. Everyone dresses up in their new outfits and
goes to Church. A little before midnight, all the lights in the Church are turned
off. As soon as midnight strikes, the priest sings "Defte Labete Fos" which translates
to "Come receive the light". At that point he comes out of the Altar with a lit
candle and gives the light to the whole congregation (one member passes it to
the next).  Then,
all the Clergy and parishioners exit the church. Once outside, the priest reads
the Gospel of the Resurrection according to Mark, which tells of the empty tomb.
He then proclaims the Resurrection singing:
"Christos Anesti ek nekron thanato thanaton patisas ke tis en tis mnimasi, zoin xarisamenos"
(Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and granting life to those in the tombs)
The entire congregation also sings Christos Anesti, while making the sign of the cross with their candles.
Everyone greets each other with "Christos Anesti" (Christ is risen) and responds "Alithos
Anesti" (Truly he is risen). At this point, the majority of the congregation
enters the church for the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The faithful take their
lit candles home and before entering the house, they make the sign of the cross
above the entryway with the smoke from the candle. Then they light the kantili
and try to preserve that light for at least three days. Some keep it for as much
as forty days. (Votive Lamp near their home Icon). That night, everyone eats
the traditional Anastasi meal which consists of mayeritsa (soup made with lamb),
tsoureki (sweet bread), koulourakia, red Easter eggs, etc. Another tradition
is to crack eggs and see whose breaks the others' egg first. On the island of
Kos, they also eat "lambropittes" which are basically cheese pies. They make
the dough which they place in a round baking pan and fill it with a cheese and
egg mixture. Then they brush the top with egg before baking.
On PASCHA (Easter Sunday) it is a tradition to roast a lamb. The roasted lamb symbolizes Jesus who sacrificed himself for our sake.
There is an afternoon Church Service on Easter Sunday. It is referred to as Great Vespers of Agape (of Love). During this Service, the Gospel is read many different languages to symbolize the great commissioning to evangelize the world.
For forty days following the Anastasi, the Greek Orthodox greet each other with "Christos
Anesti" and respond "Alithos Anesti". |
HOLY WEEK
SERVICES
SATURDAY OF LAZARUS,
APRIL 27
Divine Liturgy
8:45-10:30 AM
ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ ΤΟΥ ΛΑΖΑΡΟΥ,
27 Απριλίου
Θεία Λειτουργία
8:45-10:30 π.μ.
PALM SUNDAY,
APRIL 28
Orthros and Divine Liturgy 8:45-11:45 PM
The Service of the Bridegroom 6:30- 8:15 PM
ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΤΩΝ ΒΑΙΩΝ,
28 Απριλίου
Θεία Λειτουργία
8:45-11:45 π.μ.
Ακολουθία τού Νυμφίου
6:30-8:15 μ.μ.
MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK, APRIL 29
The Service of the Bridegroom 6:30- 8:15 PM
ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΑ,
29 Απριλίου
Ακολουθία τού Νυμφίου
6:30-8:15 μ.μ.
TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK, APRIL 30
Bridegroom Service & Hymn of Kassiani
6:30- 8:15 PM
ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΤΡΙΤΗ,
30 Απριλίου
Ακολουθία τού Νυμφίου
Το τροπάριο της Κασσιανής
6:30-8:15μ.μ.
WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK, MAY 1
Pre-Sanctified Liturgy
8:30- 10:30 AM- Chapel;
Cathedral- The Sacrament of Holy Unction 4:00- 5:30 PM;
The Service of the Bridegroom 6:30- 9:00 PM
ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ,
1 Μαΐου
Προηγιασμένη (Παρεκκλήσιον)
8:30-10:30 π.μ.- -
Το Μυστ. Τού Αγίου Ευχελαίου 4:00-5:30 μ.μ.
Ακολουθία τού Νυμφίου 6:30-9:00 μ.μ. -
-Καθεδρικός
THURSDAY OF HOLY WEEK, ΜAΥ 2
Divine
Liturgy
of
St.
Basil
the
Great
8:45-
10:45
AM- Chapel; Holy Communiion 10:00 AM
Cathedral-
The Holy Passion Service (The 12 Gospels)
6:30- 10:00 PM
ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΠΕΜΠΤΗ,
2 Μαΐου
Θεία Λειτουργία το Μεγάλου Βασιλείου (Παρεκκλήσιον) 8:45-10:45 π.μ.; Θεία Κοινωνία 10:00 π.μ.
Η Ακολουθία των Παθών (Τα δώδεκα Ευαγγέλια)
6:30-10:00 μ.μ.- Καθεδρικός
FRIDAY OF HOLY WEEK, ΜAΥ 3
The Hours of Holy Passion 9:00- 10:30 AM- Chapel; Church School Retreat 10:45- 2:00 PM
Entombment of Our Lord (Apokathelosis)
3:00- 5:00 PM- Cathedral
The LΑΜΕΝΤΑΤΙΟΝS
6:30-
10:30 PM- Cathedral
ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗ,
3 Μαΐου
Ακολουθία των Ωρών (Παρεκκλήσιον)
9:00-10:30 π.μ.; Πνευματική Σύναξις Νεολαίας 10:45- 2:00 μ.μ.
Η Αποκαθήλωσις (Καθεδρικός)
3:00-5:00 μ.μ.
Ο ΕΠΙΤΑΦΙΟΣ ΘΡΗΝΟΣ
(Καθεδρικός) 6:30-10:30 μ.μ.
SATURDAY OF HOLY WEEK, ΜAΥ 4
Divine Liturgy
8:45-10:45 AM
Holy Communion 10:30 AM
Pre-Easter Service
11:00 PM
ANASTASIS (The Glorious Resurrection) and Divine Liturgy 12:00 Midnight-
2:15 AM
ΜΕΓΑ ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ,
4 Μαΐου
Θεία Λειτουργία
8:45-10:45 π.μ.
Θεία Κοινωνία 10:30 π.μ.
Η πρό Αναστάσιμος Ακολουθία 11:00 μ.μ.
Η Α Ν Α Σ Τ Α Σ Ι Σ καί Θεία Λειτουργία
12:00 μεσάνυχτα –2:15 πρωίας
EASTER SUNDAY
ΜAΥ 5
Vespers of the Resurrection (AGAPE SERVICE) 12:00 PM
ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΣΧΑ,
5 Μαΐου
Εσπερινός της ΑΓΑΠΗΣ
12:00 μ.μ.
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