THE HOLY WEEK THE HOLY PASCHA

Historical Facts The Great Lent The most sacred week of the year Preparation Week: 7 days Holy 40 days: 40 days Lazarus Saturday: 1 day Holy Pascha Week: 7 days The most sacred week of the year Used to be celebrated separate from the great lent until the 2nd century Pascha = Passover

PALM SUNDAY What Did Jesus Do? He left Bethany and entered Jerusalem riding on a colt on Nissan 10 (similar to the Passover lamb) The crowd were shouting “OSANNA” Jesus entered the temple and kicked out those who were selling and buying. Jesus returns back to Bethany

PALM SUNDAY What Does the Church Do? Title of the day “Accepting Christ as a King” All hymns are in joyful tunes Procession of the Cross – Morning Incense The Cross is the sign of His Kingdom We are invited to accept him as a king in our life. Palms signify: peace, royalty, strength 12 stations – 12 Gospel

PALM SUNDAY What Does the Church Do? Regular liturgy except we read FOUR gospels

PALM SUNDAY What Does the Church Do? The general funeral Prayer: Participate in the Lord’s death The church focuses on the Passion of the Lord The church sets us in the mood of passion week, by accepting the death of Christ in our life – “ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom 6:8)

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE Pascha: “Passover”. The Passing-over of the Angel of death: Exo 12:13 Christ is our Passover “for indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” 1Cor 5:7 Through Christ’s Blood, we are saved from the devil, the punishment of sin and death

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE We follow the Savior step by step We pray outside the alter…Why? All attention is to the passion of our Savior: No liturgies except….. Why? No Agpya prayers… Why? All prayers in a sad tune

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE OVERVIEW ON DAYS SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT P A P A P A P A P A P A P N D N D N D N D N D N D MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT NO LITRUGIES

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE DAILY PRAYERS DAILY PRAYERS (e.g. Wednesday) DAY (Wednesday morning) NIGHT (Tuesday evening) 1ST 3RD 6TH 9TH 11TH 1ST 3RD 6TH 9TH 11TH Good Friday: 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 11th, 12th

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE Contents of Each Prayer Prophecies Thine is the power, the glory, the blessings, and the majesty: for ever Amen O Emmanuel: Our God and Our King... Replaces the Agpeya psalms It is not man made, Revelation 7:12-13

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE Contents of Each Prayer A psalm of David Sad tune The Holy Gospel The exposition End of each night or day: Litanies The conclusion (O King of Peace)

Monday of the Holy Pascha What Did Jesus Do? He left Bethany to the temple in Jerusalem On the way, He saw a fig tree that has leaves but no fruits. Christ curses the tree saying: No man will eat fruit of you for ever Jesus spent the day in the temple teaching The priests try to catch him with a mistake: By what authority do you do these things? Christ returns back to Bethany

Monday of the Holy Pascha What Does the Church Do? Title of the day: “FRUITFUL LIFE NOT APPEARANCE” “DON’T DECEIVE YOURSELF” All prophesies, psalms, and gospels focus on this objective. Examples First Hour: Isaiah 5:1-9: “What shall I do any more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it?” Sixth Hour: Exodus 32:7-15: “They Have made for themselves a calf and worshiped it!”

Tuesday of the Holy Pascha 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.

Tuesday of the Holy Pascha What Did Jesus Do? Christ emphasized the need to be always prepared by several proverbs: The ten virgins The Talents The wedding ceremony Christ returns back to Bethany

Tuesday of the Holy Pascha What Does the Church Do? Title of the day: “BE WATCHFUL” “MARAN-ATHA -- The Lord’s coming is near” All prophesies, psalms, and gospels focus on this objective. Examples Ninth Hour: Genesis 6-9: “The flood and Noah’s Ark” Eleventh Hour: Isaiah 30:25: A prophesy about the end of the world

Tuesday of the Holy Pascha What Does the Church Do? Very Important: THE ELEVENTH HOUR CHRIST Talked in detail about judgement 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 Adds “My Good Savior” to “Thine is the power....” Reads Psalm 44:9 “Thy Throne, O God, is forever and ever” with the Royal Tune

Wednesday of the Holy Pascha What Did Jesus Do? Christ spent the whole day in Bethany A day of contradictions: Judas contacts the chief priests to betray Christ A woman breaks an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious, and pours it on Christ’s head.

Wednesday of the Holy Pascha What Does the Church Do? Title of the day: “WHERE IS MY HEART” “WHAT WOULD I OFFER TO CHRIST” All prophesies, psalms, and gospels focus on this objective. Very Important: Third Hour of Thursday’s Eve Psalm: 54:18: “His words are smoother than oil, yet they are darts” (Royal tune) Gospel: Mark 14:3-11: The woman with ointment and Judas betrayal!

The Great 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 They prepare for the Passover in St. Mark’s house The disciples fight: who is the greatest. Before supper, Christ washed the disciples’ feet Christ gives the disciples his body and blood Christ prophesizes about his betrayal Judas leaves to go to the chief priests

The Great Thursday What Does the Church Do? We pray in the sanctuary We start with the Matin rising of incense The book of acts: Selecting a new apostle instead of Judas. It is scary!!!!!! Procession to rebuke Judas (OURSELVES) in the opposite direction

The Great Thursday What Does the Church Do? Pascha prayers (1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th) about preparations for the Passover The prophesies of the ninth hour are very significant Genesis 22:1-19 The sacrifice of Isaac Genesis 14:17-20 Melckizedek Isaiah 61:1-6 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…”

The Great Thursday What Does the Church Do? The Liturgy of the Blessing of Water Objectives: HUMBLENESS & SALVATION THOUGH WATER (BAPTISM) 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 priest washes the feet of the congregation

The Great Thursday What Does the Church Do? The Liturgy of the Eucharist Objective: The sacrifice of Christ Annual tune No Agpeya, no Catholic Epistle, no Book of Acts Gospel: Matthew 26:20-29 -- Christ gives his body and blood to the disciples No prayer of Reconciliation, no commemoration of the saints Fraction of the Sacrifice of Isaac

The Great Thursday What Does the Church Do? During communion, we pray the 11th hour of the Pascha Prophesy from Isaiah 52 And we saw him but he had no form nor beauty…He was a man of suffering and acquainted with the bearing of sickness…He was dishonored and not esteemed. He bears our sins and is pained for us…He was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities…He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth…. Gospel from John:13 And when He had dipped the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, And after the sop, Satan entered into him

The Eve of the Great Friday FROM NOW ON: We add “The Lord is my strength, my praise and has become my salvation” We read four gospels each hour from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Except the first hour where the four gospels are from John 13-17 (The Paraclete)

The Eve of the Great Friday First Hour Christ’s last talk with the disciples and his promise to send the Holy Spirit His prayer to the Father in John 17 Third Hour Christ leaves with the disciples on their way to Gethemane Before the cock crow, you shall deny me three times

The Eve of the Great Friday Sixth Hour Christ prays in Gethemane while the disciples are asleep Watch ye and pray, lest you enter into temptation Ninth Hour Judas arrives with the soldiers to arrest Jesus Peter cut the right ear of the servant of the high priest

The Eve of the Great Friday Eleventh Hour Psalm: “Why did the heathen rage, and the nations imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers gathered themselves together against the Lord, and against his Christ Gospels: First trial in front of the chief priests and all the council. Peter denies for three times

The Great Friday First Hour Third Hour Christ is being sent to Pontius Pilate Pilate sends Him to Herod Third Hour Christ goes back to Pilate Pilate sentences him to death

The Sixth Hour of the Great Friday Prophesies Numbers 21: The brass serpent Isaiah 53 Amos 8: The sun shall go down at noon, and the light shall be darkened on the earth by day

The Sixth Hour of the Great Friday HYMNS TAI SHOREE VAI ETAV ENF This is He who presented upon the cross, an acceptable sacrifice for the salvation of our race Pauline Epistle: But God forbid that I shall glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ

The Sixth Hour of the Great Friday Part From the Agpeya O MONO GENEES O Only Begotten, eternal, and Immortal Word of God….Holy Mighty, who by weakness showed forth what is greater than power. AGIOS (sad tune) Psalm and Gospel Lights are off

The Sixth Hour of the Great Friday Prayer with the right thief Remember me O Lord when you come into your kingdom …. O Master …. …. O Holy-One ... End of the Sixth Hour and lights are back

The Ninth Hour of the Great Friday HYMNS TEE SHOREE VAI ETAV ENF Pauline Epistle: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, the death of the cross Part from the Agpeya Agious Psalm and Gospels

The Eleventh Hour of the Great Friday Prophesies Exodus and Leviticus: Passover Regular Pascha hour

The Twelfth Hour of the Great Friday Prophesies Lamentations of Jeremiah Jonah Psalm 44: The Royal Tune Your Throne, O God, is forever and ever Gospels

The Twelfth Hour of the Great Friday Exposition and Litanies METANIAS in all directions Procession The Burial and GOLGOTHA The Book of Psalms

APOCALYPSE Objectives: Heaven is open, therefore we read the book of Revelations Transition between sadness and joy Let us think about what Christ has done for us and praise him for that

APOCALYPSE We start with this psalm 151 I am the youngest among my brethren and a youth in my father’s house…..My brothers are handsome and greater than me and the Lord delighted not in them…. I went out to meet the Palestinian, so he cursed me by his idols. But I withdrew his sword that was in his hand and beheaded him and removed the reproach from the Israelites: Alleluia

APOCALYPSE Layout Praises and prayers of the prophets Matins’ raising of incense Prayers of the third and sixth hours Reading of the book of revelations Prayers of the ninth hour The Liturgy

APOCALYPSE The first Procession: Starts with “Let us thank Christ our Lord” hymn of Maran o-onh This is to proclaim their joy in the Lord’s salvation over Satan (the spiritual Goliath)

APOCALYPSE The first Hos: the 1st praise of Moses This tells the story of the Lord’s deliverance of His people by Moses, through the Red Sea. This was a symbol of the Lord’s deliverance of Satan (pharaoh) who enslaved us by sin Called the praise of the Lamb (Rev 15:1-3)

APOCALYPSE The 2nd praise of Moses(Deu 32: 1-43) These are Moses' last words to the children of Israel. In it he reminds them of God’s aid to them and calls them to repent and seek the Lord. It ends with joy in the his salvation The church is calling us to repentance so that we may partake of the joy of the Lord’s salvation and enter the heavenly Jerusalem.

APOCALYPSE We read several praises from the Old and New Testament Hannah (mother of Samuel), this is the prayer of thanksgiving of Hannah when she brought her son Samuel into the temple, fulfilling her promise to God The church likewise thanks God for granting her a Son (Christ) to redeem her from death.

APOCALYPSE The prayer of the prophet Daniel Three young men in the furnace As the 3 young men were condemned to death, but they came out alive, likewise humanity was condemned to death, but Christ granted it life through his death Whoever wishes to see the Lord, must pass through the fire of temptations and overcome it with the power of God.

APOCALYPSE We read the story of Susanna (very Important) Jonah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, king Solomon, Baruch, Habakkuk, etc. We read the story of Susanna (very Important) As God sent Daniel to save Susanna, God sent his Son Jesus Christ to save everyone

APOCALYPSE The 2nd procession: the praise of the three young men This is a portion of the Praise of Azarius while in the furnace, as he proclaims that he’ll follow the Lord under any condition (even in the furnace) After the church head all the prayer and praises, it goes around the church assuring the Lord that it will follow him chanting “we follow thee” ten ouweeh enthok “

APOCALYPSE We pray the first, third, and sixth hour of Saturday similar to regular pascha first half with sad tune, second with annual Readings: preparations for resurrection

APOCALYPSE We read the book of revelation Ninth hour Holy liturgy

HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION? CONCLUSION HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION? HEBREW 2:3

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE We pray outside the alter, WHY? - we were cast outside of the Paradise and remained outside, until the crucifixion - Christ suffered outside of Jerusalem: “therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Heb 13:13

PASCHA: GENERAL OUTLINE No liturgies except on Thursday because the Passover lamb was kept for 4 days (Exo 12:3-7)

APOCALYPSE Psalm 151 Tells us the story of David: how God transferred him from poverty to glory Tells how David transferred the children of Israel from shame to victory and salvation The church reminds us of how the Lord saved us from spiritual Goliath, which is Satan, whom he slew on the cross.