| The story of Lazarus, which occurs before Christ’s suffering and death, specifically addresses the heart of the Church after Christ’s suffering and death. For though we rejoice in Christ’s death and resurrection, it is our dead brother (mother, father, sister, friend) who lies heavy on our hearts. St. John’s Gospel records the story of Christ’s raising Lazarus from the dead as the last action of Christ before His entry into Jerusalem. That setting has given rise to the feast of Lazarus Saturday in the Orthodox Church – a small Pascha before Holy Week. The three synoptic gospels make no mention of these events, to which I draw no historical conclusions. The gospels include and exclude events for many reasons, historical considerations seeming to be of the least importance. Which stories, and in what order, primarily serve deeper theological concerns. For St. John, the story of Lazarus serves as the occasion for commentary and teaching on the resurrection of believers, much like the Feeding of the Five Thousand serves for commentary and teaching on the Eucharist. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” (Martha’s words) echoes the universal voice of the Church in the face of Christ’s delayed Second Coming. It is the plaintive heart of believers who wonder why God allows suffering. And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (Joh 11:37) It is an obvious question, repeated in various forms by believers as well as scoffers through the centuries. The story of Lazarus, which occurs before Christ’s suffering and death, specifically addresses the heart of the Church after Christ’s suffering and death. For though we rejoice in Christ’s death and resurrection, it is our dead brother (mother, father, sister, friend) who lies heavy on our hearts. “Your brother will rise again.” These words of Christ, like a statement of Church doctrine, bring little comfort to someone stuck in their grief. It is Christ’s affirmation, “I am the resurrection and the life,” that sums up the encounter. The people do not understand, not even when Lazarus is raised from the dead. That Christ Himself is the resurrection and the life does not become clear until His own resurrection. |
| Photo: missionrocor.ru During these holy days of Great Lent and Passion Week throughout the world, churches have been closed. By Divine allowance, government officials of many nations have, from fear of the spread of COVID-19, announced general quarantines, including in the Holy Land. Christians have limited access to holy sites, deprived of spiritual support, common prayer and the partaking of the Holy Gifts of Christ in their churches. Still, daily divine services are being celebrated in the churches of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the Russian Church Abroad. The clergy, brethren and sisters of the mission pray that the Lord replace His righteous wrath with mercy and would root out this illness and the fear it causes for our true repentance, and that He grant state officials wisdom and discernment. Lazarus Saturday is always a joyous event in the Bethany Community of the Resurrection of Christ (what is known now as the town of Azaria), where Righteous Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Maria lived. From Holy Scripture, we know that Christ often visited His friends, who loved and always happily welcomed Him. On this day, which precedes His salvific sufferings, Crucifixion and Resurrection, the Holy Church praises His raising of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. This year’s celebration was modest but solemn. Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, arrived for evening services. Though entry into Bethany is blocked, Fr Roman and Monk Avenir, after a brief questioning, were kindly allowed through. The Bethany Community operates a girls’ boarding school, which following the quarantine, still has 13 students living there. Archimandrite Innokenty (Sereda) lives there as well, among the nuns and students. Great compline and matins were performed at the upper Church of Righteous Lazarus, Martha and Maria. According to the custom, after evening services, everyone visits the grave of St Lazarus where he was resurrected by the Lord. This year, it is closed to pilgrims, but in response to a request sent to the municipality, the small community was granted permission to visit. It was the only visit allowed on this holy day. The pilgrims entered with lit candles, and after hearing the reading of the Gospel of the day, they prayed for all Orthodox Christians who were unable to participate in the pilgrimage, and who were unable in general to attend church. Venerating the place of Lazarus’ resurrection, the pilgrims departed at the crack of dawn. |
| 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. |
| Patriarch Kirill congratulates the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Slava, the day of his family’s patron saint Source: DECR Natalya Mihailova 15 April 2014 His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has sent to Patriarch Irinej of Serbia the following message of greetings on the occasion of Slava, the day of his family’s patron saint: Your Holiness, Beloved Brother and Concelebrant at the Throne of God: My cordial greetings on the day of Slava. This feast celebrated by Your Holiness falls on the Saturday of Lazarus, the day of joyful remembrance of the mighty life-giving power of our Saviour Who confirmed the universal resurrection (the Saturday of Lazarus martins) and by His word raised the righteous Lazarus from the dead. I prayerfully wish that God’s grace may always accompany you in your primatial service on the Serbian Patriarchal throne. May the all-merciful Lord grant you His help in your work and care for your God-loving flock and preserve you in good health for many years. With brotherly love in Christ, +Kirill Patriarchal of Moscow and All Russia Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Patriarch Kirill congratulates the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Slava, the day of his family’s patron saint Natalya Mihailova Your Holiness, Beloved Brother and Concelebrant at the Throne of God: My cordial greetings on the day of Slava. This feast celebrated by Your Holiness falls on the Saturday of Lazarus, the day of joyful remembrance of the mighty life-giving power of our Saviour Who confirmed the universal ... 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. |
| Amid Israeli restrictions, Holy Fire to be broadcast in Bethlehem Bethlehem, April 10, 2015, updated April 12, 2015 Palestinian Christians at the Holy Saturday Service in the Holy Sepulchre. A coalition of churches and organizations in Jerusalem and Bethlehem have announced that the Holy Saturday festivities in Jerusalem will be televised to worshipers inside the West Bank, allowing those prevented from attending by Israeli restrictions to take part as well. The Holy Saturday service in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre -- an Orthodox ritual that is believed to involve the miraculous lighting of a fire at the tomb of Jesus Christ, and is followed by the fire's spread across Palestine and the world -- will be broadcast on special screens in both Bethlehem and Beit Jala. The Bethlehem Peace Center said in a statement that the screenings were a coordinated effort by the the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, the municipality of Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Peace Center, and the Beit Jala Greek Orthodox Parish of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. " The Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem, working in the Holy Land for the well-being of mind, spirit and body, hopes that this event will be the first of an annual Holy Week tradition to strengthen the sacred and ever-lasting bond of Christian unity between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, " the statement read. One screen will be erected at the Peace Center in Manger Square in Bethlehem and another in the courtyard of the Virgin Mary Church in nearby Beit Jala. Israel distributes a limited number of permits to allow Palestinian Christians to attend religious festivals in Jerusalem, but the screenings will allow the thousands who were restricted from going to take part in the festival, which is known in Arabic at " Saturday of Fire. " The screenings will take place beginning at around noon and will last until the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos emerges from the Tomb of Christ with the lit holy fire, which usually happens around 2 or 2:30 PM. |
| Radonitsa During Holy Week and Bright Week, the Church focuses all of her attention on celebrating the Paschal mystery -- the crucifixion, death and resurrection of the God-Man Jesus Christ -- so she does not hold memorial services for the dead (aside from remembering them in the proskomide of the Divine Liturgy) from Lazarus Saturday through Thomas Sunday (the second Sunday of Pascha). [Nine days after Pascha, on the Tuesday after Saint Thomas Sunday many Orthodox Christians celebrate “Joy Day,” a Paschal commemoration of the dead] During Holy Week and Bright Week, the Church focuses all of her attention on celebrating the Paschal mystery — the crucifixion, death and resurrection of the God-Man Jesus Christ — so she does not hold memorial services for the dead (aside from remembering them in the proskomide of the Divine Liturgy) from Lazarus Saturday through Thomas Sunday (the second Sunday of Pascha). On Monday of Thomas Week, the Church resumes memorial services for the dead. Among the Orthodox Christians of Belarus, the Czech Lands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine and elsewhere, Tuesday of Thomas Week is observed as “Joy Day” (“Radawnitsa,” “Radonitsa” or “Radunitsa” in the various Slavic languages, names that come from the Slavic word for “joy”). Joy Day is a happy commemoration of the dead, on which we bring the joy of Pascha into the cemeteries to our dead brothers and sisters in Christ. We remember them in the Divine Liturgy and memorial service of the day. We prepare and eat “memorial wheat” (known as “kollyva,” “kolyvo,” “kutya,” “kuts’tsya” or “kut’tya” in various languages) blessed in church to remind us of Christ’s words about death: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). We visit the graves with the presbyters, who offer supplications for the dead and bless them with holy water. We leave dyed eggs, symbols of the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection, on the graves as a token of love and prayer for the dead |
| Orthodox Christians begin celebration of Holy Week/Православие.Ru Orthodox Christians begin celebration of Holy Week SOURCE: Amarillo Globe News By Eboni Graham Sean Steffen/Amarillo Globe-NewsDavid Eckley is protopresbyter at St. John " s Eastern Orthodox Church, where members began their observance of Holy Week starting Friday. For Orthodox Christians in Amarillo, Friday marks the most spiritual of Christian journeys known as Holy Week with services that began Friday and ending with Pascha on May 5. “We have services every morning and every evening throughout that week,” said Carl Williams, parishioner and president of the parish council at St. John’s Eastern Orthodox Church. “Our Holy Week is centered around Passover; that’s why it’s different from the Western church.” The Orthodox Church identifies its roots in the early Church, particularly as it developed within the Greek-speaking eastern side of the Roman Byzantine Empire. “Because we’re Orthodox, we’re worldwide and we’re one of the original churches,” said David Eckley, protopresbyter (priest) of St. John’s Eastern Orthodox Church. “We are the original church in the sense that it’s from the apostles that we were formed, Pentecostal.” In accordance with the Old Testament, the Jewish Passover happens first, then follows the observance of Holy Week, Eckley said. “Holy Week starts with the service of Lazarus on Saturday,” he said. “Then we have Palm Sunday, the Bridegroom service, and in some instances, when you get into Holy Week toward the end, you’re going to get into stations of the cross; what we do is take him down from the cross for Holy Friday.” In the United States, many Christians follow the Gregorian calendar established in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. However, Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar in 42 B.C. “It’s rare that Pascha falls on the same day as everyone else,” Eckley said. The contrast between the two calendars can be vastly different. This year, for example, the majority of Christians celebrated Easter on March 31. |
| Patron Saint-day of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade Source: Serbian Orthodox Church Natalya Mihailova 12 June 2014 His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the sidechapel of Saint Luke of Simferopol at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade. The clergy of the Archbishopric of Belgrade-Karlovac concelebrated to the Patriarch. The director of the Military Medical Academy (MMA) along with doctors, the staff and the faithful people from different parts of Serbia and Belgrade, as well as patients of this hospital, attended the Holy Liturgy. With the blessing of Patriarch Pavle of blessed repose, on the day of his Patron Saint-day, 11 April 2009, on Saint Lazarus Saturday, Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral served the first Liturgy in this newly founded side-chapel at the MMA in Belgrade. The side-chapel is dedicated to this great bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, Saint Luke of Simferopol and Crimea, University professor and doctor, who was canonized last century as a confessor of the faith. The icon with a particle of his relics was presented by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and it was handed over to the side-chapel on his behalf by Bishop Antonije of Moravica on the day of the first Patron Saint-day of the side-chapel, 11 June 2009. Tweet Donate Share Code for blog Patron Saint-day of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade Natalya Mihailova The director of the Military Medical Academy (MMA) along with doctors, the staff and the faithful people from different parts of Serbia and Belgrade, as well as patients of this hospital, attended the Holy Liturgy. With the blessing of Patriarch Pavle of blessed repose, on the day of his ... 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. |
| Holy Week and Pascha Schedule of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios April 12- 27, 2014 Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Natalya Mihailova 14 April 2014 Apr 11, 2014 Saturday of Lazarus April 12, 2014 – Orthros 9:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Arch. Michael Greek Orthodox Church, Port Washington, NY – Tel.: (516) 944-3180 Palm Sunday April 13, 2014 – Archieratical Divine Liturgy 10:45 a.m. Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul, Hempstead, NY. – Tel.: (516) 483-5700 Holy Monday – Service of the Bridegroom (Nymphios) April 14, 2014 7:00 p.m. Greek Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration, Corona, NY – Tel.: (718) 458-5251 Holy Tuesday – Service of the Bridegroom (Nymphios) Hymn of Kassiani April 15, 2014 7:00 p.m. Greek Orthodox Church of Kimisis Tis Theotokou, Brooklyn, NY – (718) 788-0152 Holy Wednesday – Holy Unction and Service of the Bridegroom (Nymphios) April 16, 2014 7:00 p.m. St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Astoria, NY –Tel.: (718) 728-1718 Holy Thursday – Vespers with Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great April 17, 2014 Orthros 8:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy 9:00 a.m. Archdiocesan Chapel of St. Paul, Archdiocese Headquarters, NYC Holy Thursday Evening – Holy Passion April 17, 2014 7:30 p.m. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Flushing, NY – Tel.: (718) 357-4200 Good Friday – Apokathelosis Vespers April 18, 2014 12:30 p.m. St. Michael’s Home, Yonkers, NY – Tel.: (914) 476-3374 Good Friday Evening – Epitaphios Service April 18, 2014 7:30 p.m. Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of Holy Trinity, NYC – (212) 288-2315 Holy Saturday Evening – ANASTASIS Resurrection and Paschal Divine Liturgy April 19, 2014 11:00 p.m. Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of Holy Trinity, NYC – (212) 288-2315 Sunday of PASCHA – AGAPE Vespers April 20, 2014 11:00 a.m. Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, Hicksville, NY – Tel.: (516) 433-4522 Renewal Tuesday April 22, 2014 – 7:00 p.m. Great Archieratical Vespers for the feast of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, NYC. – Tel.: (212) 265-7808 |
| Tweet Нравится St. Demitrius Saturday 3 ноября 2015 г. 1 Memorial Saturday of St Demetrius The St Demetrius Memorial Saturday was established for the churchwide remembrance of the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo. 2 Commemoration of Soldiers: St. Demetrius " Commemorative Saturday The Church commemorates the dead at every Liturgy. However, there are also special days on which the Church prescribes a commemoration of the dead. One of these special days is the Saturday before the feast of St. Demetrius of Thessalonika, for which it is known as St. Demetrius’ Saturday. For what reason does our church commemorate the dead on this day? 1 Why are the Dead Commemorated on Saturdays? Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) The Saturdays of commemorations of the dead are called ancestral Saturdays (the first universal commemoration on Meat Fare Saturday, the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent, Trinity Saturday, and St. Demetrius Saturday). Why do these take place specifically on Saturdays? What are the historical roots of this tradition? They were not all instituted at the same time. 2 Рейтинг: 2 Голосов: 1 The Church " s Prayer for the Dead Since throughout the Great Fast such commemorations as are performed at every other time during the year do not occur during the celebration of the Presanctified Liturgy, it is the accepted practice in our Orthodox Church to commemorate the departed on these three Saturdays, that the dead be not deprived of the Church " s saving intercession. (The remaining Saturdays of the Great Fast are consecrated to special celebrations: Saturday of the first week to St. Theodore the Recruit; Saturday of the fifth week to the praise of the Theotokos; the sixth Saturday commemorates the resurrection of the Righteous Lazarus.) 2 1 Рейтинг: 2,5 Голосов: 2 Champion of the Arena—Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov Archpriest Nicholas Deputatov That piety so characteristic of all levels of society in Holy Russia. was rapidly evaporating from the 19th century high society intelligentsia when God raised up from its very midst a true ascetic and Church writer, Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov. In him was combined a rare eloquence of style and a profound understanding of the Christian life of struggle through which he was able to inspire many souls, blinded by Western " enlightened " ideas, to return to the saving enclosure of the Church. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Предыдущий Следующий © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru При перепечатке ссылка на Православие.Ru обязательна Контактная информация Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку × |
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