Celebrations To Commemorate the Salvific Events of Jesus Christ

 Be aware of all liturgical events  PARTICIPATE  Focus on the event and eliminate all distractions from your mind.  Know what each event SYMBOLIZES and meditate on that event while it takes place  The MORE you do this, the MORE your heart changes  The LESS you focus, the MORE meaningless it will be to you

 Christmas  Denha  Entrance of Jesus to the Temple  Resurrection  Ascension  Pentecost  Transfiguration

 Man and Woman lost supernatural grace through original sin  Grief and Lack of peace arose through this  Jesus’ birth brings joy, peace, and hope  The Christmas feast represents this  Chief Services  Prayers of the Christmas Night  The Procession  Scripture Reading  Service of Kindling the Light  Holy Qurbono

 Service of Kindling the Light  Symbol of Jesus  The frankincense we throw into the fire represents how the wise men offered frankincense, gold, and myrrh  This act of devotion helps us to remember Jesus’ kingship, and that he came down from heaven to become a mortal man.  We remember our Lord’s humbleness

 January 6 th  Represents the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan  Holy Trinity is revealed  The Voice of the Father  Son with his presence  Holy Spirit as a Dove  Old Testament: Jews crossed the Red Sea for salvation  New Testament: Chosen People experience salvation through baptism

 Blessing of the water  By receiving the blessed baptismal water, we experience baptism

 Mayaltho  Jewish Law: On 40 th Day, parents present new born to the temple  Jesus obeyed this law, and showed total dedication and obedience to the Father  Jesus fulfilled purification for all mankind  Jesus reveals that he is the offering and the one who offers the sacrifice

 Foundation of Christian Faith  Victory over sin, evil, and death  We KNOW that Jesus offers everlasting life because he was witnessed after his cruel death  Paul says, if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is in vain  He defeated Satan for us  We should get joy from this.  Jesus won the victory for us.  Jesus won the victory for our souls  We do good deeds in the name of HIS victory  We have a wonderful God who sacrificed his life for US

 Night Prayers of Easter  Annunciation of Easter  Exchange of Peace  Procession  Scripture Reading  Celebration of the Sleebo  Kissing of the Sleebo  Raising the Sleebo (buried on Good Friday)

 Exchange of Peace  Jesus’ resurrection gives peace in our lives  Jesus greeted peace first whenever he appeared to the disciples

 Jesus gloriously went up to the Father on the 40 th day after his resurrection  Three realms of meaning  Jesus bids good bye to his friends  Jesus passes beyond history  Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father  Jesus came from the Father to save us from evil  The Ascension is the event where Jesus returns to be with the Father again  He will come again when we least expect it  He will come like a thief in the night  It will be GLORIOUS, all men and women will bow to him  ALWAYS be ready for his coming at ANY MOMENT

 Chief Services  Procession  Celebration of the Sleebo  Sleebo is decorated in red cloth  It is placed in the sanctuary for 40 days from Easter to Ascension  Presence of Sleebo represents the special presence of Jesus on earth from Easter to Ascension

 Means 50 th day  Old Testament: Jews celebrated the feast of Pentecost on the 50 th day after Pasch.  Commemorates the giving of commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai  New Testament: On Christian Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles in the form of fiery tongues.

 Due to original sin, we lost the grace of God or Holy spirit  In Christian Pentecost, God gave back the Holy Spirit, who man lost in paradise  Feast of the Holy Spirit  Chief Service  Sprinkling of the water

 August 6 th  The Transfiguration reveals the glory and divinity of Jesus  The church CONFESSES the divinity of Jesus through this feast.  Commemorates the future glory of each Christian