| “Let no fear separate you from Me…..” Great Holy Wednesday Evening (The service is Matins of Thursday morning sung by anticipation Wednesday evening.) The Orthros of Thursday morning is sung by anticipation Wednesday evening. In many Orthodox churches, however, this service is sung at its designated Thursday morning time, before the Vespers and Divine Liturgy. “On Thursday in Holy Week (now Wednesday evening or Thursday morning) the Holy Fathers, who had well-ordained things, handed down to us successively from the Holy Apostles and the Sacred Gospels to celebrate four Events: the washing of the disciples’ feet, the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the Marvelous Prayer, the betrayal”. The Gospel reading is St. Luke 22:1-39. “Do this in remembrance of Me…….” Great Holy Thursday Morning (The service is the Vespers and Divine Liturgy of Thursday evening which is sung in the morning by anticipation.) Jesus drew His last breath of freedom on this Thursday night. Christ knew all the incidents which were about to take place, and called to Him His Apostles in order to institute the Holy Eucharist for them and for the Church forever. At the end of March, with the full moon as a brilliant lantern in the sky and the weather, mild, the people, in Jerusalem enjoyed the beginning of spring. In this, atmosphere, Christ presented Bread and Wine as the Elements of His Very Body and His Very Blood; they are the Precious Gifts which have been left as His perpetual Presence in the Church. The institution of the Holy Eucharist and its re-enactment through the centuries, both as a sacrifice and sacred ceremony (Mysterion), is the life giving remembrance which, along with the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, constitutes the basis of salvation for the Christian. Then followed the incidents of dramatic closing moments of Christ’s life. After the washing of His Apostles’ feet, He pointed out the betrayer, inaugurated the Eucharist, and pronounced the new commandment of love for one another. He spoke to them words of comfort, promising the descent of the Holy Spirit to complete man’s union with Christ. His departure, Christ said, would bring to them and the world joy. Christ took His Apostles out in the mild night where He could see face-to-face His co-workers in the bright light of the full moon. In this spiritual mood and physical setting, Jesus withdrew to pray. After this agony of the “bloody sweat” came the kiss of Judas and His arrest. He thus became the source of spiritual and physical freedom for mankind. |
| The legal obligation for the Orthodox to conduct marriage in a church ceremony occurred during the reign of Emperor Leo VI the Wise (895). After that time marriage in the Christian East was always celebrated in church, although later Bolshevik and secular legislation has sometimes tried to reassert the separation of the civil (legal) union and the church (religious) marriage which Christian Byzantium made one. The Orthodox marriage liturgy includes several important moments: the community’s prayer for the union of bride and groom, the blessing by the priest, the office of the crowning of the couple (Greek ritual with floral crowns, Slavic ritual with metal), the declaration of the wedding formula, the drinking from a common cup, and the promise of fidelity by the placing of hands on, and the kissing of, the Holy Gospel and the Cross. The Orthodox wedding ceremony is preceded by the office of betrothal involving the exchange of rings. In Byzantine times this was a separate ritual; now they are performed on the same day as the wedding. To receive the mystery of marriage in the Orthodox church, at least one of the partners must be Orthodox. The couple must freely express their consent to marry, be of marriageable age and not have blood relationships (or spiritual kinship as established by the sacrament of baptism), and the service must observe the correct ritual. Orthodox practice requires the presence of another married couple who will act as spiritual parents (godparents or sponsors) and who pledge to guide the newlyweds in their family life. The Orthodox marriage ceremony, as essentially a celebratory one, cannot be held on fast days (Wednesdays or Fridays, on September 14 and August 29, during Great Lent, including Cheesefare Week, the pre- Christmas Lent, or the summer Apostles’ Fast and Dormition Fast). Nor can marriages be celebrated on the Royal Feasts, during the (post-paschal) Bright Week or in the period running from Christmas to Theophany. The holy mystery of marriage is intended to guide family members on the endless pathway to growth and salvation in Christ, and therefore emphasis is laid on the indissolubility of marriage ( Mt. 19.3–12 ) and the practical exercise of Christian life together. Faith is a fundamental context for Orthodox married life, as it fosters mutual respect and fidelity and encourages spouses to recognize one another as “images of God» A wholesome family is built, by God’s grace, on the joint efforts of the spouses and on sacrifices justified by faith and love. Mutual sacrifice plays a significant role in the Orthodox theology of marriage, for it is the existential space where each person receives the freedom to be generous and forego the self out of a constant desire to enhance the happiness of the other. This is why marriage is a school of unconditional generosity, for love involves self-sacrifice, since there can be no true love without giving. |
| Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Donate Related articles Fight, Run, Finish Archpriest John Moses (+2019) It always surprises me when someone comes to the Orthodox faith. Given the present age, there… What Does God Look Like? Archpriest Michael Gillis Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down! That the mountains might shake at… Facing the Winds of Change in… Archpriest Panayiotis Papageorgiou, Ph.D. Change seems to be a good thing some times; we may change schools, neighborhoods, towns, or… Also by this author " Bright Week: Calling All Young Men! Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev And suddenly, after the Liturgy, an altar server emerged from the altar at an odd time. He didn’t… " The Cross and Our Little Worlds Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev For the Orthodox this is the fourth week of Great Lent. The Veneration of the Cross. Three weeks… " The Gifts of the Nativity Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev The first gift given to Christian people was the right of direct appeal to God, the right to… More Today " s Articles “Le monde entier reste silencieux au… pravmir_com_team Depuis le 12 décembre 2022, la région de l " Artsakh, où vivent 120… “The whole world is silent about… Natalia Nekhlebova Since December 12, 2022 the region of Artsakh, where 120,000 Armenians live,… The Importance of Patiently Letting Down… Priest Philip LeMasters If there is any virtue that seems completely foreign to our culture… |
| The monastery was always divided between the old and the new sections. The old monastery began with Mother Alexandra " s quarters and occupies the entire northwestern portion; there the monastery garden was located, and beside the new buildings was a little old building where Blessed Pelagea Ivanovna labored in asceticism. Her cell was preserved as it was during her lifetime. A perpetual Psalter reading was carried out there—twelve elder sisters read by turns day and night. This building was called “Blessed Pelagea " s hermitage.” Over Mother Alexandra " s cell was built an encasement, which formed a second story. Here lived the sisters who took care of the First Abbess " quarters and the Nativity Churches, where perpetual candles were kept (in the upper church) and a perpetual lampada (in the lower church). In the lower church of the Nativity of the Theotokos the Psalter was read perpetually, and only interrupted from Wednesday of Passion Week until after Small Vespers on Saturday of Bright Week. The hermitage of Blessed Natalia Ivanovna was located in the center of the Monastery, at the end of the Canal. The hermitage was preserved as it was during the blessed one " s life, and the Psalter was read perpetually there also. The Psalter was also read perpetually in St. Seraphim " s near hermitage, which had been brought from the Sarov forest (near the spring). An encasement was built which contained the log frame. Blessed Prascovia Ivanovna’s cell was also preserved, and the Psalter was read there night and day by designated sisters. In Mother Alexandra " s cell the Psalter was read by twelve sisters. All of these preserved quarters were called “hermitages.” Pilgrims were taken to them and the sisters often visited them, especially on feast days. On Forgiveness Sunday, after Vespers, as well as on Pascha and Christmas and other great feasts, the sisters would visit without fail all of the hermitages and graves of the righteous ones—Mother Alexandra, Schemanun Martha, Elena Vasileevna Manturova and the Godpleaser " s servant, Motovilov (located near the Kazan church). |
| Consider, for example, the name of the ordo usually understood as mandated for men after an involuntary nocturnal emission - »Rule Against Defilement.» Of course, one may argue (which is also evident in the prayers attributed to Saint Basil the Great) that men themselves are to blame for succumbing to the passion of the flesh, but this may not always be the case, considering that even great saints apparently had these experiences and a standardized ordo has been composed. The ecclesiastical implications of nocturnal emissions are somewhat different from those of menstruation, but a man is not typically continuing to have the said emissions in church, while menstruation continues for several days. A seventeenth-century Russian Church document titled «Instructional Information» lists several things which can preclude a priest from serving a liturgy and any faithful from partaking of holy Communion (albeit, nothing is said about other aspects of liturgical life): unlimited eating and drinking, sexual intercourse, and nocturnal emissions, among others.[vi] In other words, it may be understood that all these impediments are seen as defiling a man. The «Instructional Information» goes even further in declaring that not only people, but sacred buildings and items can be defiled. It mandates, for example, that the liturgical life of a church must stop if the church becomes «defiled by the accidental shedding of human blood during some disorder, either by the blow of a weapon or hand or any other kind, or by some carnal impurity on the floorÅ»[vii] May this last reference be in relation to menstrual blood? Perhaps, but the instruction is not specific and could potentially cover a large number of things not related to female physiology. The distinction between sacred and profane - whether in space or time or periods of human life - is fundamentally compatible with the Orthodox worldview: from the rules of purity (for men and women) related to the liturgical life to the special care for liturgical items, and from the buttery joy of Maslenitsa (Carnival Week) to the pure joy of the Bright Week - everything in Orthodoxy speaks of this dichotomy. This is not to imply that the profane is somehow unnatural or necessarily defiled, but neither should we reduce the rules concerning menstruating women to retained pagan practices without searching for possible uniquely-Christian understanding of the said rules. |
| Archive Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia celebrates divine services in the Exarchate’s churches 9 May 2019 year 17:16 From 22 nd to 27 th April 2019, during the Holy Week, Metropolitan Sergy of Singapore, Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia, celebrated the divine services at the Church of the Holy Dormition in Singapore. On Easter night Metropolitan Sergy celebrated the Midnight Office, led the procession with the cross and officiated at the Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating with the archpastor were Hieromonk Pitirim (Dondenko), secretary of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia; Rev. Yevgeny (Shmelev), cleric of the Dormition Church in Singapore; and Hierodeacon Yuvenaly (Lapshin), cleric of the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino, Moscow. Prior to the communion of worshippers Metropolitan Sergy read out the Paschal Message of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. A festive repast followed the Liturgy. On 2 nd May, Thursday of the Bright Week, commemoration day of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, the Patriarchal Exarch celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh on the Island of Bali, Indonesia, in concelebration with Hieromonk Pitirim (Dondenko). Rev. Iliya Melnichenko, cleric of St. Sergius Parish in Bali; and Hierodeacon Yuvenaly (Lapshin). The Patriarchal Exarch of Southeast Asia also officiated at the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Sergius on the commemoration day of the ‘Life-Giving Spring’ Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, and after the service blessed the water. On 4 th May Metropolitan Sergy celebrated the All-Night Vigil at the Church of the Holy Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Concelebrating with the Patriarchal Exarch were Hieromonk Pitirm (Dondenko); Hieromonk Ioasaf (Tandibilang), rector of St. Vladimir Church in Jakarta; Rev. Boris Setyawan, rector of the Church of the Holy Apostle Thomas in Jakarta; and Hierodeacon Yuvenaly (Lapshin). Among those praying at the service were clerics of the Indonesia Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. After the All-Night Vigil the archpastor met with the clerics and parishioners. |
| The Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem Celebrates Orthodox Easter April 16, 2015 From Lazarus Saturday to Bright Monday of the Orthodox Christian Calendar, the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem fully partook in Easter celebrations with the Christian churches and communities of Jerusalem, Bethany, Bethlehem and Beit Jala. As with almost every Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrates Easter on the Julian Calendar, in which Easter (also known as Pascha) and Holy Week falls on separate dates from the Gregorian (Western) Calendar two out of every three years. This year, Easter on the Julian Calendar fell on April 12th, with Lazarus Saturday being on April 4th. In the Orthodox Church, the Holy Fire service is the most significant event of Holy Week in Jerusalem, when the Patriarch of Jerusalem is sealed in the tomb of Christ in the Holy Sepulchre (a structure that is also called the edicule), and emerges only when two bundles of thirty-three candles held in each of his hands have been lit by what Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic and many other Christians hold to be a miraculous occurence. On Lazarus Saturday (April 4th), Mr. Dan Koski, Delegate for Christian Affairs represented the Order at an open-air service on the grounds of the Orthodox Girls School of Bethany, a mission school run by the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission and staffed by nuns part of the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene of Gethsemane. On Holy Saturday (April 11th), His Excellency the Grand Chancellor, Count Philippe Piccapietra, was present in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at the invitation of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, while His Grace the Most Reverend Jovan Culibrek, Bishop of Slavonia of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate, spiritual protector of all Orthodox members of the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, was the official delegate of the first reception committee for the service of the Holy Fire for the Serbian Orthodox Church. In Bethlehem district, the Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem live-streamed the Holy Fire service to Bethlehem and Beit Jala, where in coordination with the municipality of Bethlehem and the Peace Center in Bethlehem and the Orthodox parish of Beit Jala, large screens were put up in Manger Square in Bethlehem and Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Beit Jala for the benefit of those from Bethlehem district as well as international pilgrims who were unable to attend the Holy Fire service. |
| There is something about them that we have never seen in anyone. What is it? And we could answer: It is the life of Christ abroad in us. We are His limbs. This is the life of the Spirit in us. We are His temple. Amen. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh Library http://www.metropolit-anthony.orc.ru/eng/ Tweet Donate Share Code for blog St Thomas Sunday admin Every day during the week of Easter, called Bright Week by the Church, the paschal services are celebrated in all their splendor ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Donate Also by this author " Russian Church official: let’s not dramatize the Pan-Orthodox Council situation admin Russian Church official: let " s not dramatize the Pan-Orthodox Council situation " Metropolitan Onuphrius Expressed His Condolences to the Family of the Killed Clergyman of the Horlivka Diocese admin Today, dialogue is the only civilized solution to all problems and perplexities, excluding the escalation of evil and… " Elder Ephraim gave a lecture “Contemporary Man and the Spiritual Life” admin On Thursday, 23 January 2014, over 600 people filled a room at Eleon Loft in Athens to hear… |
| It is said, in God’s commandment: remember the Sabbath day, and sanctify it (Ex. 20, 8); in our language of the New Testament, this means: remember the Day of Resurrection; do not forget its holiness and try to sanctify it yourself by your good deeds. O Lord! grant that we might always remember Thy commandment concerning how we are to celebrate holy days; that we might keep it holy and be well-pleasing unto Thee with spiritual celebration. Amen. Originally translated into English for “The Light Of Orthodoxy,” Spring 1983, by G. Spruksts, from the Russian text appearing in Solntse Pravdy: O zhizni i uchenii Gospoda Nashego Iisusa Khrista [“The Sun Of Righteousness: Concerning the Life and Teaching Of Our Lord Jesus Christ”] by Protopriest Ioann (Sergiev) [of Kronstadt], Chapter 5, pp. 297 – 301. Reprinted by permission. English-language translation copyright 1983, 1998 by The St. Stefan Of Perm’ Guild, The Russian Cultural Heritage Society, and the Translator. All rights reserved. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog What Has the Feast of Pascha Left in Our Souls? St. John of Kronstadt And so, the Feast of Feasts has passed by us: and the Royal Gates in the Lord’s temples are shut; and the service is no longer as triumphant as it was during Bright Week. What, then, brethren, has this feast left in our souls? Christian holidays, you see, do not pass before us, one after another, ... Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. |
| The significance of the Temple Because the primary objective of the Church is to lead people towards faith and righteousness, the temple with its services and educational means can be a big help to parents in bringing up their children. Amidst surroundings of wantonness and disbelief, the temple stands as a spiritual lighthouse, an island of sanctity for adults and the young. Its setting and its divine services have a special beneficial influence on a child. The candles, the icons and frescoes, the smell of incense, the singing of the choir, the sound of church bells – all leave bright impressions on a young soul. When parents bring their child to church often, he becomes used to it and learns to love its inspiring services. The Orthodox faith is rich in feast days, magnificent services and noble customs, which produce a steadfast influence on Christians. Bring to mind Palm Sunday, Passion Week and the procession with the Holy Shroud, the Easter service (which no one celebrates as joyously as the Orthodox), our blessing of the waters on Epiphany, the celebration of the Holy Trinity with its abundance of flowers and greenery, the bringing forth of the Holy Cross, the blessing of the fruits of the harvest on the feast of the Transfiguration … what a rich nourishment for the child”s soul! For their children”s sake, parents should make no excuses to skip church services. The house of an Orthodox family is supposed to complement the holy environment of the temple. Of particular significance are common prayers, the beautiful corner with its holy images and glowing lamp, the first meal after Lent, memorial days, the blessing of homes and other religious celebrations. Because the religious upbringing of a child is attained not so much by means of the intellect as through feelings, children who attend church services and participate in family prayer become like a ploughed up field, receptive to the seeds of goodness, which in due time will bear fruit. The first Confession at the age of seven comes as an important milestone in the life of a youngster. After Confession a person becomes as holy and chaste as after Baptism. It is vital that parents have taught their children by this age to note their shortcomings and to repent sincerely in what they have said or done wrong. His first Confession indicates to a youngster that he is becoming mature enough to begin consciously to strengthen his faith and to take responsibility for his actions. Formerly the sacrament of Communion nourished him through the parental faith. Now he approaches the Holy Chalice with personal conviction. So, the preparation of a youngster for the proper partaking of his first Confession and first conscious Communion is a major accomplishment in the spiritual development of a child. |
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