Learn Your Limitations

When I was young I never really understood what it meant to be accused of being too big for my britches. After (admittedly) too many times of needing to be helped down from somewhere I had no business climbing, eventually I learned to understand my limitations. The lesson we all (hopefully) learn in our secular life has great potential when we consider our spiritual journey these final days of Holy and Great Week.

In the Gospel reading from the Vesperal Liturgy this morning which commemorates the Mystical Supper in the Upper Room, we get a close-up view of the Apostles getting too big for their britches. Here is the excerpt I talking about.....(the entire reading is including at the end of today’s post.) “And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord? ... . Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, `I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter declared to him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." Jesus said to him, "Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.”

We know how the story unfolds. Not only did EVERY disciples except for Saint John the Theologian run away when Christ was one the Cross, Peter denied even knowing Christ three times. Saint John Chrysostom helps us be graceful especially to Saint Peter because he had not yet experienced the resurrected Christ nor had he received the Holy Spirit.

But we have received the Holy Spirit, and we witness the Resurrection ANUALLY. How often do we get too big for our “spiritual” britches? How often are we not strong enough to fight the temptation of sleeping late on a Sunday morning and missing the Divine Liturgy? How often do we find ourselves too weak in the face of friends and coworkers challenging us because we are “too” holy? Is it even possible to be too holy? I don’t think so.

So my dear brothers and sisters, as we walk the final days of the Great Fast and experience the final moments of Holy Week, I pray that we are each strong enough to remain loyal followers of Christ. Thankfully God offers us a chance to learn from our mistakes. If (and I really should say because) we found ourselves in the past not strong to stand up to temptation, let’s not continue to make the same mistakes. Let’s commit to standing stronger longer than in the past.

And if (and here again I really should say when) we find this year we are not strong enough to fight, remember that the Apostles EVER AFTER they ran away and EVER AFTER Peter denied knowing Christ, they were forgiven by God and became the leaders of the Church. They became strong and eventually stood firm against the temptations to deny Christ. All but one of the original Apostles were martyred because they refused to deny Christ. They learned their limitations. We can too!

Have a blessed Resurrection!

Gospel Reading: Matthew 26:1-20; John 13:3-17; Matthew 26:21-39; Luke 22:43-44; Matthew 26:40-75; 27:1-2
 At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified." Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and took counsel together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be a tumult among the people." Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head, as he sat at table. But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor."  But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain one, and say to him, `The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at your house with my disciples.'" And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the passover.

When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,  rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand." Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you." For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "You are not all clean." When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so." Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, `I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter declared to him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." Jesus said to him, "Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." And so said all the disciples. Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go yonder and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.

Give it Your All

On Palm Sunday, the day we welcome our King, the Church challenges us to answer the question, “Are we prepared for Christ? Have we done what it takes to welcome our King? How far are we willing to go to honor God?” In the Gospel According to John 12.1-18 read on Palm Sunday we hear about a woman who gave everything to God. She spent everything she had on a costly ointment she then pour over Christ’s feet before wiping His feet with her hair. If we would prepare to greet an earthly king, what are we willing to do meet Christ? We must give it our all!

Arise O God and Judge the Earth

On Holy and Great Saturday we gather in the early morning for what is known as the First, or Small, Resurrection. The Great Vespers of Pascha includes prophecies from Jonah in which we witness the resurrection of Christ foretold to us centuries before it ever took place. Then something glorious takes place after the Old Testament Readings and Epistle.

Instead of the normal Alleluia verses, the Church rings out with bells and singing. “Arise O God and judge the Earth, for You shall rule all nations through Your inheritance.” Bay leaves fly through the Church as even the Earth celebrates the announcement that Christ is no longer in the Tomb.

The Church celebrates Christ’s journey to Hades and His raising of Adam and Eve, John the Baptist and the rest of the righteous men and women of the Old Testament. The Church celebrates Christ rescuing us from death.

Today is the ONLY Saturday of the entire year when strict fasting is practiced to commemorate Christ’s time in Hades. We will celebrate with Him again when He is resurrected. Until tonight, we celebrate in anticipation of His victory. 

We Worship Your Passion, O Christ; Show us also Your Holy Resurrection

For me today tends to be the highlight of intensity as the Church sets our gaze upon the Lord on the Cross. Beginning with the Royal Hours this morning, during which the Gospel story of Christ on the Cross is read, and ending with the faithful singing hymns surrounding the Tomb of Christ, our spiritual emotions run the gamut from deep sorrow to tingly hope.

We arrive this morning in a darkened Church to see Christ hanging on the Cross, left alone last night in the Church. During the service of the Royal Hours, our heart will burn with love for God as we hear many of the stories from last night repeated. The service is a compilation of the Hours into a special service including the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours. These are not the hours Christ spent on the Cross, but a combining of the Hours normally prayed throughout the day.

Once the Royal Hours concludes, the Church is “a buzz” with preparations. The Koukouklion (the wooden sepulcher) is decorated to receive the Epitaphios Icon of Christ’s the burial. In many Church, while woman decorate the Tomb, hymns are sung and faithful are free to enter into the Church and spend time in prayer at the foot of the Cross.

In the afternoon, normally around 3pm to coincide with the Ninth Hour accounting of the death of Christ on the Cross, the Vespers is offered. During this service the body of Christ is removed from the Cross and the Epitaphios Icon is placed in the Sepulcher. As the service concludes faithful again have the opportunity to venerate the Tomb of Christ and prepare for the evening.

With the evening hours comes the Matins along with the singing of the Lamentations at the Tomb. This particular service, begins the resurrection tone for the Feast. It is a service during which the clergy vest in bright colors and the hymns include reference to the coming Resurrection.

From morning through the night, Holy Friday seems to drag our soul from sorrow to joy. We began gazing upon the Crucified Lord, and ended the day singing about His coming resurrection. It is quite a day. 

A Judas Kiss

Today the Church commemorates the first Eucharist Jesus Christ celebrated with His Disciples prior to going to the Cross. As we’ve discussing this week, our Holy Week journey has been about the choice between living a life in communion with God, and living a life focused upon our desires and wants. One leads to life; the other does not.

During every Divine Liturgy we pray:

When He had come and fulfilled for our sake the entire plan of salvation, on the night in which He was delivered up, or rather when He delivered Himself up for the life of the world, He took bread in His holy, pure, and blameless hands, and, giving thanks and blessing, He hallowed and broke it, and gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying: Take, eat, this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins. Likewise, after partaking of the supper, He took the cup, saying, Drink of this, all of you; this is My Blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.

With these words our Lord established what we now call Holy Communion, the Holy Eucharist. With these words our Lord calls us to take action to join Him in Holy Communion, but that call comes with a price. He also called His Disciples to join Him, but one of the Twelve betrayed Him. One of the Twelve chose His agenda rather than follow Christ. The betrayal of Judas was not just that he sold Jesus to the Jewish elite leaders, but that he was unable to see past his agenda to see that Christ had a different plan of salvation.

The Fathers teach that even if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed God and brought sin, and therefore death, into the world, Jesus still would have become incarnate to join humanity to the divinity of God. That much of God’s plan has always been in play. The clues to understanding this are in this prayer from the Liturgy. “Plan of salvation” “He delivered Himself up” “Giving thanks” “for the remission of sins” are all terms that reveal what God had always intended to do for humanity. So what changed?

When Adam and Eve broke the initial communion we enjoyed with God, death entered into our existence. At that point, Jesus would have to die in order to be fully human. There was only one problem; sin is the wages of death. Since Jesus never sinned, He would never have died of natural causes. He had to be killed. And that brings us to Judas.

During what is known as the Last Supper, Jesus told Judas “What you do, do quickly.” (John 13.27) Jesus allowed Judas to misunderstand the plan. When Judas betrayed Jesus to the leaders, he thought he was helping begin the revolution to defeat the Romans. Judas believed he was helping Jesus’ plan, which he was. But Jesus’ plan was not Judas’ plan.

When Judas finally realized he had the plan all wrong, he couldn’t handle his failure and killed himself. We often get God’s plan wrong too, but we are blessed that God has given us the Church and Holy Week to bring us back to Him through Holy Confession and the various ancient services of the Church. Thankfully, today we can enter the Church with faith and receive the most precious Body and Blood of Christ, and live forever. We don’t have to make the same mistakes as Judas. We don’t have to betray God with a kiss to initiate His plan. We only need to go to Church.

Hypocrites and Lazy Virgins

On Holy Tuesday we hear two great Gospel lessons. The first warns us against hypocrisy while the other warns us against not being prepared for Christ’s return. Both are great lessons for us to embrace during Holy Week.

Here is an excerpt from the reading for Matins (actually celebrated last night in anticipation), but you can read the entire selection at Matthew 22:15-46; 23:1-39.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build  the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to Gehenna? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Zacharias the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.

When we refuse to even attempt the Christian life, we are bound to called out as hypocrites by Our Lord. The Christian life isn’t about always getting it right, but working at it. In the Gospel Christ directs our attention toward the danger of outwardly reflecting something different from what is in our hearts.

The other benefit from today’s readings is from the Vesper Liturgy (celebrated this morning in some Churches) in which we hear the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 24:36-51; 25:1-46; 26:1-2.

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man shall come.

These first days of Holy Week the Church has been preparing us to greet the Lord. Yesterday we heard Jesus wither a fruitless fig tree, and today we are warned against hypocrisy and laziness. Thankfully God has given us another chance to repent. We have another opportunity to live prepared to greet our Lord and to live an authentic Christian life, in AND out. If we just spend the next few days going about our business, we will miss the chance to be welcomed into the Kingdom by God. We are also fortunate that the Church offers us the opportunity for Holy Confession so that we can have a fresh start.

By the grace of God, through the authority He has given His Church with Holy Confession, we will have another chance. Don’t waste it with hypocrisy or laziness.

If He is Our King

The story of Palm Sunday reveals how easy it is to struggle between declaring Jesus Christ as our King or to betray Him and crucify Him. It is very easy to get wrapped up into calling Him our King and showing Him our devotion, but with just a little pressure from the secular world, we crucify Him. If we really mean that He is our King, then we will choose to stay with Him during Holy Week, and walk along with Him during His final days before His Crucifixion. Ever since the first days of the Church, people who declare Jesus their King would dedicate the days before Pascha with prayer and fasting and devotion. How you spend this week will reveal which side of the wire you choose. Is Jesus your King, or is the world your King?

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT:
Hello. My name is Father Athanasios Haros and I'm the Pastor here at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, South Carolina, and I'm your host for Be Transfigured Ministries. Here at Be Transfigured, as we say, we invite you to live a new life in Christ. We feature our sermons and our Bible studies and other special events in the life of the Church. We do it to inspire you to join us living a new life in Christ. I hope you'll join us. I'll be back in a moment after this video to share some information about our ministry.

"Hosanna! Blessed it is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" What does this mean for us? In this morning's Gospel this glorious day of Palm Sunday, the Gospel brings us to several understandings of what it means to have a relationship with God. On the one hand we desire to be crowd. We desire to be the crowd that cries out to God, "Hosanna in the highest!" We desire to be the crowd that calls Him our King. On the other hand we many times find ourselves like the elite of those days, who were conflicted because they enjoyed the relationship they had with the political rulers, and their conflict was that if they acknowledged God as King, they may lose some privileges with the government. We find ourselves just as the people in this morning's Gospel, riding the fence sometimes. We desire to call God our King, but when we receive a little pressure from the society, we're not so sure how much of our kind He really is.

Another example. A woman came and poured such a blessed and fragrant oil on His feet it says it filled the entire house with the fragrance. Mary did this because she loved Him and she wanted to show the absolute devotion and commitment to Him as her Lord. The ointment was so powerful it filled the house with the beautiful fragrance. We find ourselves wanting to be Mary. We find ourselves wanting to love God so much that when we bring our offering to Him, it is an expression that fills not only our hearts, but fills our homes with the reality of our love for God. We want to be Mary, but then there's Judas. “Why wasn't this sold and the money given to the poor?” We find ourselves many times listening to the advice of Judas, that it is not okay for us to have an abundant love for God. We find ourselves listening to the words of Judas, that it is better to keep something in our pockets than to give it to God.

Remember the Gospel said that Judas didn't do this because he cared about the poor, but he was a thief. We find ourselves playing that role often times as well. We find ourselves rationalizing in our minds, "I've given too much to the Church this year. I want to save some for my vacation. I want to save some to do a little something nice for my family." And we rob the poor from the opportunity of being blessed by the Church. You see this morning, my brothers and sisters, this Gospel, although it is proclaiming God as King, Jesus Christ as the King of Kings, entering into the city as the victor, ready to claim His Kingdom, we are conflicted. We're not quite sure just how loyal we are to God, just as the people in this morning's Gospel, so we shouldn't feel so bad, so down on ourselves. Then the last words of the Gospel kind of putting the nail in the coffin as it were.

Saint John says that, "They went out to see him" because he had done these things. They wanted to see Lazarus. They wanted to see the proof of everything they had heard. They didn't go out to see Jesus. They didn't go out to love Jesus. They didn't go out to express Him as King. They showed up to see Lazarus. While they were there, there were a few people that loved God and who were waving palm branches. Many of you have received palm branches when you walked into the Church today and you're going to have the palm branches when we have the procession with the Icon this afternoon. Those many people were waving the palm branches because many people did believe in Jesus Christ. As we said yesterday, they knew that only God could create with His voice, life and with just His voice he brought life to Lazarus, and many people believed that Jesus Christ was in fact God, so there was people there.

There was a crowd there, wishing him, "Hosanna. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel." Like many of us would do, we get wrapped up into the crowd. That's something very easy, that mob mentality. When you're in a large group you kind of get sucked into that energy. That can be a good thing as it was in this morning's story where the crowd was cheering on God. Later this week, that same energy that can be consuming, that same energy that can drag us in, sometimes not even realizing it, is going to cause the people to shout out, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" You see, my brothers and sisters, we are riding on a very thin wire. On the one hand we really want to love God and on the other hand we struggle every single day with wanting to love ourselves. We struggle every day with whether or not to put God first or to put ourselves first.

This morning's Gospel, my brothers and sisters, is a moment for us to arouse our senses and to wake up to the reality that we have a choice to make. We can either declare Jesus Christ as our King or we can crucify Him. You cannot ride the wire. You must ride one side or the other. We have a choice to make this morning, my brothers and sisters. Either God is our King or the worldly pleasures are our king. Either we work to please God in our lives and we, like Mary, bring to Him our love and our devotion and our dedication and even our offerings into His Church to show our love for Him, or we can be Judas, where we can pretend that we care about other people, but we really want to just keep the money in our own pocket. That's the beautiful opportunity we have in this morning's Gospel. That has been the message of Great Lent these seven weeks now. Do we want to follow God?

We've heard the message throughout these weeks, way back when if you remember the Publican and then the Pharisee. It was the sinner who acknowledged he had sinned that was justified by God. The message of the Cross, the message of Saint Mary of Egypt which we heard last week. The willingness to give everything up for God and so now we're on the threshold of the most amazing ministry God ever accomplished on the face of the earth, was to unite our humanity to the Throne of God. Beginning today when we declare Him our King, if we really mean it in our hearts, we will be with Him each night this week. If we really mean that He is our King, then we will rearrange our schedules to be with Him tonight and tomorrow and Tuesday and throughout the entire week.

That is the choice that lays in front of us today or we could just be another member of the crowd, going along with the crowd. So long as the crowd is happy, we're happy. If the crowd is unhappy, we're unhappy. We really don't make up our own decision. Whatever is easiest at the moment, we will follow, but following our King is never the easy route. Ever since the first days of Christianity, the followers of Jesus Christ, like you and me, were called to spend time putting everything else in their life on hold. Nothing else is important this week except for coming to Church and spending time with our King, unless we choose to be the crowd that throughout the week will call out, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" We may not say it with our words, but we may say it with our actions. We may say it with our absence.

Orthodoxy, my brothers and sisters, is not a religion merely to say that we are members of. It is a way of life and now, this evening, we are beginning the holiest week of our year, the only time where the Church asks us to come together as a family every single night into the darkness of the night so that we can be prepared in our fasting. That we can be prepared in our prayers, that we can be prepared in our offerings to walk with our King every step of the way the next six days. So that when we gather in this dark Church Saturday night we will already know the message that is going to be proclaimed. We will be the ones who proclaim His message of hope and life to the world, if He is our King. Glory to God for all things.

Well, I'm back and I hope this video was an inspiration to you. I hope it helps you live a new life in Christ. Please share our message of hope with your friends and family and invite others to live a new life in Christ. Find more information about Be Transfigured Ministries by joining us on our website at liveanewlifeinchrist.org. You can also find many of our videos on the Orthodox Christian Network, our partners, at myocn.net. As we say at Be Transfigured, until next week, God bless you and don't forget to live a new life in Christ.

Be Transfigured is a production of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, South Carolina and presented by the Orthodox Christian Network. Contributions in support of this ministry may be sent to Be Transfigured, 2990 South Cashua Drive, Florence, South Carolina, 29501, or online at our website at www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org.

Why Does the Church Have Holy Week?

As part of our continuing series of answering why we “do” certain things as Orthodox Christians, this month I will discuss Holy Week and why the Church has developed such an intense and beautiful week leading up to Holy and Great Pascha.

The first thing we need to understand about Holy Week is that in the earliest days of the Church, the faithful attended Church services EVERY DAY. Life revolved around the Church with morning and evening prayers functioning almost like “bookends” to the day. Christians would begin their day in the Church, go about their daily work, and then return to the Church to finish their day in prayer and fellowship. This wasn’t only for prayer, but mutual support of their Christian journey. I can’t emphasize enough how important it was for the early Christians to gather for support and protection. They were living in a world that wasn’t Christian. Many were killed “just because” they were Christians. Gathering daily not only gave them the sense of prayer, it provided the practical benefit of encouraging each other to remain faithful. We must also remember the earliest Christians expected Jesus Christ to return at any moment in their life time.

As the early Church approached the anniversary of Pascha, the day they (and we) commemorate the Passion of Christ (His death, burial AND Resurrection), the daily services in the Church included Scripture Readings from the Old Testament Prophecies about the Messiah and stories (now Scriptures) about the Passion events. Eventually hymns and dedicated prayers were written to teach the faithful the truth of Christ’s Saving Passion, and the ‘first’ Holy Week was formed.

Originally just a couple days, the Church spent these days in prayer and fasting as the faithful commemorated the last days and events of the Passion. Using today’s terms, they would have fasted Holy Friday and Holy Saturday which were the days Christ was crucified and in the tomb. The fast was a COMPLETE fast, similar to what we could call a medical fast today. As the years went on, and as the faithful switched to preparing for an immediate return of Christ to an expected return at an unknown time in the future, Holy Week began to expand into the week-long season it is today. And as the number of days of fasting increased, so did the prayer and hymns. By the late Third Century Holy Week pretty much looked as it does today with minor adjustments over the centuries with influences by monastic traditions and world events.

As Holy Week has been handed down through the centuries, as we have received it today, it is a full week that begins AFTER the Feast of Palm Sunday and continues through to the last moments before Pascha. Palm Sunday, while part of the final days of Christ’s earthly mission, is not a part of Holy Week. Instead, Palm Sunday is a celebration of God’s Coming Kingdom. The themes of Holly Week are as follows:

v  Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday – Being prepared and expecting the Lord’s return

v  Holy Wednesday is a day of transition – The Church remembers the events immediately prior to Christ’s Passion including the betrayal by Judas and anointing of Christ by the sinful woman.

v  Holy Thursday – The Mystical Supper and the begin of the Holy Eucharist

v  Holy Friday – The trial, sentencing, crucifixion, and burial of Christ

v  Holy Saturday – Christ is the tomb rescuing our forefathers from Hades

For us Orthodox Christians living in 2016 we still benefit from the ancient custom of dedicating a few days in prayer and fasting to prepare for the Feast of Pascha. Pascha is and was a life-changing event. We should set aside the time and energy to take full advantage of the experience of the Church. Think of it as a gift for your soul. I hope to see you in Church for Holy Week. A schedule is in this newsletter.

The Final Countdown

Before a rocket is launched into outer space, the command center’s main responsibility is to ensure that absolutely everything is in proper order before takeoff. If just one screw is out of place, it could result in total disaster. Once the inspection is complete and the Launch Director has determined the rocket “Go for Launch” then final liftoff sequence may begin. The same can be said about the Passion of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

With the raising of Lazarus from the dead, which we commemorated yesterday, the stage was set for Christ to complete what He had come to accomplish. Up until this point, Jesus always rejected the public praises of the crowd, even disappearing without notice to avoid arriving at His Passion too quickly. The Gospel’s teach of Christ’ birth, Baptism, temptation, recruiting His disciples, His teaching, His miracles, His public and private debates with members of the religious elite, and the numerous prophecies He fulfilled. Once everything had been set in order, then Jesus authorized the final countdown sequence.

Saint Athanasios teaches us that Christ waited for the most public day, in the most public city, during the most public feast, for the most public death, in order that when He is Raised from the Dead the joyous truth of His saving mission for us will be believed by as many as were witnesses to His death. On that first Palm Sunday, five days before Passover, Christ no longer stopped the crowd from proclaiming His authority. He no longer slipped away quietly to avoid being discovered by the elites. He was prepared to begin the final countdown to His Glorious Passion. Today the Church looks joyously ahead at the result of Pascha, but understands there are still a few last minute details to work through before Christ is lifted upon the Cross.

Just as it can be exciting to be a witness of the launch of the rocket into outer space from distance, it is even more rewarding to be a part of the launch team and be present first hand for the event. Holy Week is your chance to be present first hand with Christ and His launch team (the Church) to witness the final launch of His plan to save us from death. I hope you’re ready. T-6 DAYS.

Because God Said

There is something that is special and unique in the final miracle of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. On the day before Palm Sunday the Church commemorates the Feast of the Raising of Lazarus from the dead by Jesus. Jesus had performed many other miracles before including bringing dead people back to life, but the raising of Lazarus was different. This miracle required only Jesus speaking for life to return to a man who had been dead for four days. The Jews standing by remembered where they had seen life created just be the spoken word. They remembered how in Genesis it was explained that God is the ONLY one who can create simply because He speaks. This is why the Church prepares us for Palm Sunday and Holy Week by showing us the power of the God of Creation Who came to united us to Himself.

Hello, my name is Father Athanasios Haros and I'm the pastor here at the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence South Carolina and I'm your host for Be Transfigured Ministries. Here at Be Transfigured, as we say, we invite you to live a new life in Christ. We feature our sermons and our Bible studies and other special events in the life of the Church. We do it to inspire you to join us in living a new life in Christ, I hope you'll join us. I'll be back in a moment after this video to share some information about our ministry.

I just wanted to share a few words this morning about this great miracle that God has done for us today. Before I get to the miracle, I want to remind everyone of the story in Genesis, all the way back to the beginning, the beginning, beginning, the very first chapter of the book of Genesis. It says, "And God said, let there be light, and there was light." Later it says, "And God said let the earth bring forth life, and the earth brought life." Simply because God said it, the world was created, the entire universe was created simply because God said the words and life came.

I want you to have that in your mind because this morning's miracle, the raising of Lazarus from the dead is the final public miracle of Jesus Christ before His crucifixion. He had performed other miracles before, He had healed people of their sickness, He had as the Gospel even said this morning, He had healed the blind, He had even brought back the dead to life, but in every one of those cases, He used His hands. Like in the story that the Gospel mentions with the healing of the blind man, He made the mud and He placed it on his eyes, or in the case of Jairus' daughter, He went and He placed His hand on the tomb, or in the case of Peter's mother-in-law, He went and He touched her.

In every one of those cases, Jesus Christ in his miracle used His hands except this one. This is the greatest of all miracles of God because Jesus didn't go inside the tomb, Jesus didn't touch Lazarus. He stood outside the tomb and He gives the instructions, He tells the people, roll away the stone. It said something very important in the Gospel that we have to remember, it says that Mary said, "Lord by now there's going to be an odor because he's been dead for four days." How many of you have gone down the street and seen a opossum dead on the side of the road hit by a car or something, any of you ever seen that? It stinks, doesn't it? You can smell it as you're driving by, and that's only the day it dies. Imagine what Lazarus must have smelled like. That's what Mary was trying to tell Him, Lord really, are You sure You want to open the tomb, it's going to really be stinky. He says, "Open it up," and He calls out, He says, "Lazarus come out."

Just as He had done when He created the universe, He spoke the words and life came. This is where the Gospel says, that many of the Jews who had come with Mary when they saw this, they all believed because they remembered the stories of Genesis. They knew only God can create by just saying a word. Even all the other miracles that Jesus had done: the blind, the crippled, even the earlier ones who had been dead, anyone could have done those miracles in those days. Believe it or not, there were other miracle workers, but only God can bring life by saying the words. Today my brothers and sisters when we are remembering the raising of Lazarus from the dead the final public miracle of Jesus Christ before His crucifixion, the greatest miracle He ever performed prior to His own resurrection, we'll talk about that at the end of next week.

Our God the God who with just the spoken word can bring the dead back to life, He's our God, but as we are going to experience next week during Holy Week, He's not just a distant God looking down from heaven, "Hello over there down there," but He came and became one of us. There's something very important for us as Orthodox Christians to understand, that God could have given us eternal life simply by speaking the words. That's what this morning's Gospel teaches us, but what we're going to celebrate in the coming days is not just eternal life. God could have done that with the spoken word but even greater than that, that God the Creator, became a human being so that we could forever be united to Him in a real physical union with God. That's what makes this week so special coming up next week.

This morning we see the God the Creator, tomorrow we're going to celebrate the King of Kings. And then beginning tomorrow night, we're going to see that God loved us so much that He did everything to connect us, to unite us, to bring us completely into unity with Him. We stay into communion with God, and not just any God, but the God who can create life simply by saying the word. If we are ever struggling, if we are wondering how in the world we're going to make it through another day, we remember that we are united to the God who can speak life into the world, and He's got our back, He has got us in the palm of His hands. Nothing can hurt us even if we get cut, even if we feel the pain, it can't hurt us because our God creates life with just the spoken word. Glory to God for all things.

Well I'm back. I hope this video was an inspiration to you, I hope it helps you live a new life in Christ. Please share our message of hope with your friends and family and invite others to live a new life in Christ. Find more information about Be Transfigured Ministries by joining us on our website at liveanewlifeinchrist.org. You can also find many of our videos at the Orthodox Christian Network our partners at myocn.net. As we say at Be Transfigured, until next week, God bless you and don't forget to live a new life in Christ.

Be transfigured is a production of the Transfiguration of Our Savior Greek Orthodox Church in Florence, South Carolina and presented by the Orthodox Christian Network. Contributions in support of this ministry may be sent to Be Transfigured, 2990 South Cashua Drive, Florence, South Carolina, 29501, or online at our website at www.liveanewlifeinchrist.org.

Life with just a Word

Remember way back to the first day of Great Lent? For the entire first week of Great Lent we read the Creation stories in Genesis. Each day of Creation included the phrase, “Then God said...” and whatever He spoke came to be. Today heard something similar.

Here is the entire reading for today:

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. (John 11.1-45)

It was by the spoken word that life first came into God’s Creation, so we should be surprised that it was through His spoken Word that life would re-enter into Lazarus. Jesus had performed many miracles in His three year public ministry, but it was the raising of Lazarus that revealed His true divinity to the witnesses. This is why the Church sets this miracle on the day after Great Lent and before the Feast of Palm Sunday.

Just as witnessing the miracle of the raising of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days and was already decomposing in the grave, brought many to believe in Him, it can do the same for us. Tomorrow we will hear just how many heard about the news, but for today....rest in the knowledge that Our God brings life through His spoken word. When you join yourself to Him, you join yourself to life and NOTHING can bring the return of death expect if you separate yourself from Him.

Just as the end is approaching, look again...

Have you ever been a long trip, only to find out that once you arrived at your location, you were required to clean the bathroom and do the dishes? If your long trip wasn’t long enough, just as you were supposed to begin enjoying your trip, you’re stuck being a member of the cleaning crew. As we approach the end of Great Lent tomorrow, I am reminded of today’s reading from Genesis. We all know the Jews ended up as slaves in Egypt, so what about today’s reading got me thinking?

Genesis 46:1-7 -  So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.  And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I."  Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation.  I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes."  Then Jacob set out from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.  They also took their cattle and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters; all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

Great Lent has been a long journey, and tomorrow we will arrive at the end of Great Lent. But just as arriving in Egypt wasn’t the end of the story for the Jews, tomorrow won’t be the end of our story. After a brief weekend of lessened fasting for the Saturday of Lazarus and Palm Sunday, Holy Week will demand another level of dedication. I hope you’re ready, but don’t panic. Years of slavery in Egypt ended as a blessing for Israel, and Holy Week will be a blessing for you.

Two Seasons; One Fast

Today is day 37 of Great Lent which means Friday is the final day of Great Lent. But that does NOT mean the fast is over. Situated comfortably between Great Lent and Holy Week which begins on Monday, are two feasts. The Feast of the Raising of Lazarus and Palm Sunday form a buffer between Great Lent and Holy Week. They are days during which we still fast, but as with other Saturdays and Sundays of the Great Fast, the fast is “lessened”. WE EVEN EAT FISH for Palm Sunday. I’ll say more about those days when they arrive.

So why the difference? Why not call the entire time Great Lent? In common practice we actually do lump them together for calendar purposes, but in reality they are completely different seasons. One noticeable difference will be the Scripture readings for each day. We will no longer be reading from Isaiah, Genesis and Proverbs and will again read from the Holy Gospels. Another difference will be the fasting regiment. For those who are not able to keep the entire Great Fast, we are encouraged to keep Holy Week (just like the first week of Great Lent) with extra strictness as we prepare for Pascha.

By now some who have been more or less successful with the fast may even be a bit saddened that it is coming to an end. Others are worried they won’t be able to focus an entire other week. There are others who haven’t started yet. But as Saint Paul says, “For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.” (Romans 14.2-3)

For those who are able and desire to fast, don’t focus on the end of Great Lent, since it will come soon enough. Focus on being a living sacrifice to God as Saint Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12.1) Look at the coming days as your chance to make an offering to God. I’ll talk more about Holy Week next week. Until then....keep the fast.....keep praying.....and help the poor.

Holy and Great Thursday – The Eucharist

Just before Jesus offered Himself for His creation, He made a new covenant with us. We call it the Eucharist, which means Thanksgiving, since it is modeled after the Thanksgiving Offering of the Old Testament. I have discovered that many people don't realize that there were SEVERAL covenants which made up the Old Testament. Take a few moments this afternoon and read Genesis, which we have been reading throughout Great Lent. Pay attention for the practice of offering God a sacrifice AFTER He had rescued His people from danger. You will find something quite interesting....It may just bring a new appreciation for the Eucharist.

Holy and Great Wednesday – Humility or Hubris?

During the third Bridegroom Matins of Holy Week, the Church offers a poignant look at two individuals and challenges us to consider with which we associate. The entire evening is dedicated to the image of total repentance and humility of the sinful woman juxtaposed with the sin of Judas.

Here is “one of my favorite” hymns from last night’s service as translated by Fr Seraphim Dedes, available on his website at: http://www.agesinitiatives.com/

When the sinful woman offered the fragrant oil, then the disciple made his agreement with the transgressors of the Law. She rejoiced in pouring out the costly oil, and he lost no time in selling off the priceless One. She acknowledged the Master, and he was becoming estranged from the Master. She was emancipated, while Judas became a slave of the enemy. How dreadful was his rashness! How great was her repentance! Grant me this repentance, O Savior who suffered for us, and save us.

As you can see from the touching hymn, WE are called to imitate her repentance while avoiding his sinful pride. Are you filled with humility or hubris? Holy Week is your chance to figure it out!

Holy and Great Tuesday – Are you wise or foolish?

On Holy and Great Tuesday, the Church calls our minds to the parable of the Ten Virgins, half are wise while the other half are foolish. We are challenged by the Church to contemplate with which group of virgins that we can relate? BOTH the wise and foolish were waiting attentively for God. BOTH the wise and the foolish were sitting in the darkness, a dangerous and frightening place, anticipating greeting the Bridegroom. Only the wise, though, were prepared to greet Him, while the foolish did not fully anticipate what was needed for them to be prepared. They didn’t have enough oil for the lamps, and while they went to buy more oil, the Bridegroom came and they missed Him. They were locked out of the banquet, never to be allowed in.

The Bridegroom is Christ, and the banquet is Heaven. We are the virgins waiting for Christ in the dark and dangerous world. Are you prepared to greet Him, or have you left matters undone? Are there sins for which you have not repented or confessed? Are there relationships in which you are not “on speaking terms”? Are there matters of your soul for which you are waiting for “some unknown future moment” when you have more time to address them? Are you “living life now” because you have plenty of time later when you get older to prepare to die? THESE matters represent the oil for your candles. When you leave matters undone, for later attention, you will find yourself “without oil” when Christ returns. You will be left out simply because you left for later that which you should have done NOW.

Holy Week is about preparing your soul to encounter God. He is returning someday, “as a thief in the night” and we do not know when to expect Him. At that moment, it will immediately be too late to attend to any unfinished matters for your soul. At that moment, you will either be welcomed into the Banquet or be locked out for ever.

The ancient Church took this issue seriously, and truly believed Jesus would return while they were still alive.  We, on the other hand I fear, have become lazy in our waiting since He hasn’t returned in some 2000 years. However, this might be the year He returns. This might be the year the Bridegroom comes to claim His Bridge, the Church. OR.....this might be year you go to Him. Why risk not being ready? Why risk being one of the foolish virgins, locked out of the Banquet. No wonder they are known as foolish...

What king do you seek?

Holy Week is a chance to respond to this very important question. Many of the Jews were seeking a military king who would rescue them from the Romans. Many of us seek a king who will force others to believe and act as WE think they should. Christ is not this sort of king. Christ is the King of Peace. He came to walk with us in our battle against sin. He came to walk with us in our struggle. When the Jews realized Jesus was not THEIR sort of king, they turned their back on Him. What will you do when you realize He is not YOUR sort of king? What sort of king do you seek?

Holy and Great Monday – Are You Bearing Fruit?

At the first Bridegroom Matins of Holy Week, the Church brings our attention to two stories about fruit. In the first story, we hear of a fig tree which is not bearing any fruit. “And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.” (Matthew 21.19) In the second story, we hear of a landowner who planted a vineyard and lent it out to others to manage until his return. The story tells of what will happen to those who do not properly manage the vineyard. “They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons." (Matthew 21.41)

In both stories we are warned that bearing fruit matters in our spiritual life. The Church is often referred to as a vineyard, and we are the tenants. We are also the fig tree which is called to bear spiritual fruit in our own lives. Last night during the Bridegroom Matins, we heard, “The Synagogue of the Hebrews by Christ to the fig tree, devoid of spiritual fruits, and He withers it with a curse. Let us flee from a similar fate.” (from the Synaxarion of Holy and Great Monday)

Holy Week is about being vigilant for the return of Christ, but it isn’t just about waiting. It is about be spiritually prepared for the judgment of His return. We will be judged based upon the fruits of our labor. Have we been vigilant and properly managing our spiritual fruits? NOW is the time to take oftentimes painful look at our fig tree and ask, “Are we bearing fruit?” NOW is the chance to reverse the curse, prune the vine, nurture our soul and be prepared to present our harvest to the Lord.

Is Jesus Christ YOUR King?

It was just six days before His death when Jesus entered Jerusalem to claim His victory. It was six days before the crowd would chant “crucify Him!” It was just six days before the crowd would pledge their allegiance to Caesar crying out, “We have no king but Caesar!” It is difficult to imagine what goes through someone’s mind when they seemingly “switch sides” in just a matter of days. The days between Palm Sunday and the Crucifixion are days of turmoil, deceit, and good ole fashion “back room politics” which creates a tidal wave of public emotion. Was Jesus their king or not? Of course, He was and still IS.

You might sometimes wonder how you might react to such political pressure. Would you be strong enough to go against the crowd and remain loyal to Jesus Christ? Holy Week is an opportunity for you to test your loyalty to Jesus Christ. Just as in the days before Jesus’ Passion, society today is filled with a tidal wave of turmoil, deceit and politics that is meant to distract you from the truth of Who Jesus Christ is, God Incarnate! How will you fare this week?

Each evening this coming week, the Church has invited you to put the world aside, enter a dark Church and spend time at the side of YOUR King as He prepares for His final battle against death. Each evening this coming week, the Church has invited you to declare your loyalty to Jesus Christ AS KING, and commit to spend time in Church. Each evening this coming week, YOU have a chance the stand up for your faith in Jesus Christ, by being willing to politely decline other invitations for your time, so that you can be in Church.

Each evening this coming week, YOU have a chance to declare YOUR KING. Will it be Caesar or Jesus Christ?

Holy Week: Day by Day

Many of us have been attending Holy Week services since we were very young, and while we continue the blessed Tradition of attending Church services during the “holiest week of the year” many of us are unaware of the meaning of each day, and why the Church has called us to gather (sometimes) in the darkness of night to pray what seem like long and tedious prayers. To help us this year, I have attempted to summarize the “themes” for each day of Holy Week. It is my prayer that this will assist each of us to experience the fullness of the Resurrection of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. You can read more about Holy Week in a wonderful resource, “Great Week and Pascha in the Greek Orthodox Church” byFr Alkiviadis Calivas.

The Saturday of Lazarus and Palm Sunday is a two-day festival commemorating the raising of Lazarus from the dead Christ’s Triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. “By causing the final eruption of the unrelenting hostility of His enemies, who had been plotting to kill Him, these two events precipitate Christ’s death. At the very same time, however, these same events emphasize His divine authority.”

Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday feature stories from events in the final days in the earthly life of Jesus Christ prior to His Passion. The Service of the Bridegroom, which is celebrated each evening beginning with Palm Sunday evening, focuses our attention by remaining vigilant on the coming of the Lord’s Judgment at His Second Coming. It should be remembered the earliest Christians believed Christ would return in THEIR immediate lifetime. Themes such as conflict, judgment, authority, mourning, and repentance are meant to draw our hearts to long for Christ and prepare for His return.

The Mystery (or Sacrament) of Holy Unction is celebrated on Holy Wednesday evening almost like a bridge between the preparatory themes of early Holy Week and the Coming Passion of Christ. The Mystery of Holy Unction, founded upon the actions of Christ, “serves to remind the faithful of Chris’s power to forgive and liberate the conscience from the blight of personal and collective sin.”

Holy Thursday focuses on the events in the Upper Room and the Garden of Gethsemane. Within the context of “The Mystical Supper” we witness the institution of the Eucharist by Christ with the words, “Take, eat; this is My Body...Drink of it all of you; for this is My Blood of the New Covenant.” This is the final Liturgy before the Crucifixion, and includes the consecration of the “reserve communion” which is used throughout the year for hospital calls etc. While praying in the Garden, Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss. On this day, light and darkness, joy and sorrow, life and death, are strangely mixed converging in one moment in the Church, reminding us of the inevitable struggle of life.

Holy Friday the Church remembers the mystery of Christ’s death on the Cross. The moving service known as “The Twelve Gospels” focuses upon the passion of Christ in which we, “commemorate the holy, saving and awesome sufferings of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ: the spitting, the striking, the scourging, the cursing, the mockery, the crown of thorns, the purple cloak, the rod, the sponge, the vinegar and gall, the nails, the spear.”

Holy Saturday contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s descent into Hades, where death is finally defeated by Life. Standing around the Tomb of Christ, we sing hymns of joyous lamentations as we behold Life in the Tomb. “The day embodies the fullest possible sense of the meaning of joyful-sadness, which has dominated the entire week. Holy Saturday is a day of strictest fast.