“Do this in remembrance of me.” On Holy Thursday, the Church celebrates the “birthday” of the the Mystical Supper— the beginning of the New Covenant.

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He celebrates the Passover meal, a perpetual reminder of the Angel of Death “passing over” the Israelite homes marked with the blood of Lambs, sparing them for the journey through the Red Sea towards the promised land.

In the Upper Room in Jerusalem with his disciples, Christ turns bread and wine into His body and blood. The Passover meal is now the Holy Eucharist.

☦️ Saint Melito of Sardis declares that Jesus “is the Passover (πάσχειν) that is our salvation.”

“Today He is hung upon a tree, He who hung the earth upon the waters. He is arrayed in a crown of thorns, He who is the King of the Angels. He is wrapped in mocking purple, He who wraps the heaven in clouds. He receives a blow on the face, He who freed Adam in Jordan.”

"For Mary said when she beheld Him upon the tree: Though You do endure the cross, You are my Son and my God!"

+ Kontakion, Great and Holy Thursday, Tone 8

“We worship Thy passion, O Christ.
Show us also Thy glorious resurrection.”

☦️St. Jerome

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! +Matthew 26:63-65

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. ✝ Matt. 27:1-2

Image: Fresco in Staro Nagoricno, Macedonia. 12th-14th c.

You held the crucified King and gave the world your tears.

"Through fasting a person becomes meek, a lamb. If he turns into a beast, it means one of two things: either that his undertaken asceticism exceeds his strength, or what he was doing was selfishness and therefore receives no divine help. Because if he fasts and has proud thoughts that what he performs makes him important, then all of his fasting is as nothing."

✝️ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

Great and Holy Friday

Today He who hung the Earth upon the waters is hung upon the cross.

“The Cross is victory over sin and death! It became the tree of life, bringing us salvation." ☦️ The Blessed Augustine

“Betrayal, denial and cowardice were the hallmark of the Church on Good Friday. But from Christ we hear no blame… ‘for he himself knew what was in man.’ (John 2:25)

Christ gave Himself for us anyway. It is the very character of love.”

—Fr Stephen Freeman

Holy Saturday epitomizes “bright sadness” and “joyful sorrow” (χαρμολύπη). We stand amidst the tension between the mourning and lamentation of Lent and Holy Week and the celebration of the Resurrection.

On the Epitaph (Eπιτάφιος), a beautiful cloth with an embroidered icon of Christ’s body, Christ appears to sleep. However, there is a miracle at work. Christ has descended into Hades to release the captive souls of Adam, Eve, the prophets, the righteous in a glorious event: the “Harrowing of Hell" (Greek: ἡ εἰς Ἅδου κάθοδος). The

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!
Greek - Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Church Slavonic - Хрїстóсъ воскрéсе! Воистину воскресе! (Christos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!)
Russian - Христос воскрес! Воистину воскрес! (Christos voskres! Voistinu voskres!)
Ukrainian - Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! (Hrystos voskres! Voistynu voskres!)
Arabic - El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Serbian - Hristos Vaskrese! Vaistinu Vaskrese!
Romanian - Hristos a Inviat! – Adevarat a Inviat!
Filipino (Tagalog) - Si Kristo ay nabuhay! Siya nga ay nabuhay!
Aleut - Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq!
Spanish - Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Chinese - Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Mandarin - 基督復活了 他確實復活了 (Jīdū fùhuó le; tā quèshí fùhuó le!)

#PaschalGreeting #Pascha #Easter

The Holy Light (Holy Fire) descends on the Holy Sepulchre of Christ on Great and Holy Saturday every year between 12 noon and 2 pm. This year was no exception. Again this year, video from the Uncreated Light shows the unique and inexplicable quality of the Fire, which for the first few minutes of its emergence from the tomb, does not burn.

The last few decades have seen repeated failed attempts to explain away the Holy Light as a hoax. This includes attempts to reproduce it with combustible materials. While a “spontaneous” ignition of a flame can be produced, a unique flame that does not burn has not.

It seems the only explanation left for skeptics is the far-fetched idea that that the Orthodox Church must have been practicing some sort of advanced chemistry for centuries. No such thing. We call it a miracle.

A man from Adrianopolis visited Philotheou Monastery in 1830. He listened attentively to a monk tell the story of the holy Icon , “Sweet Kissing” (Apr 20) and the miracles associated with it. He considered the stories to be nothing more than fictitious tales. The monk was grieved at the man’s unbelief, and tried to persuade him that everything he had said was true. The skeptical pilgrim remained unconvinced.

The same day, the pilgrim was walking on an upper balcony of the monastery when he slipped and began to fall. He cried out, “Most Holy Theotokos, help me!” The Mother of God came to his immediate assistance. The pilgrim landed on the ground without a scratch.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:17-18)