"BEGINNING OF THE CROSS" by Catherine K. Contopoulos
Saturday, April 27
Saturday of Lazarus
At the grave of his beloved friend Lazarus, Jesus weeps as He is confronted with the reality of
destruction and despair in a world created by God. In Christ we see not only a suffering man, but
a suffering God. Jesus, who personifies God's love for us, calls Lazarus back to life because He
loves him. Jesus redeems and restores life to His beloved creation (that's us), thus we anticipate
Christ's resurrection and ours.
Sunday, April 28 - Palm Sunday
A humble Christ is triumphantly acknowledged as the Messiah by the faithful of Jerusalem, which
introduces the reality of the Kingdom of God into our time. The branches we receive today signify
our readiness and willingness to follow Christ in His great sacrifice for us, and to proclaim our
faith in His victory on the cross.
"THEMATIC CALENDAR OF HOLY WEEK"
by Catherine K. Contopoulos
Holy Monday, April 29
The Fig Tree & the Blessed Joseph (Palm Sunday evening)
A warning to those who fail to bear spiritual fruits in response to the gifts of God's grace. In Matthew 21:18-20 Jesus curses a barren fig tree, a usually fruitful tree, to wither and die. In Genesis 37:39-40 Joseph is rejected and betrayed by his brothers, yet is glorified by the Lord.
Holy Tuesday, April 30
The Ten Virgins (Holy Monday evening)
Jesus tells us to be spiritually prepared to receive the Lord with His parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) of which five were ready to receive the Bridegroom with their oil-filled lamps, and the other five who left their lamps empty of oil until the last moment, were turned away from their Lord. This parable illustrates how spiritual preparedness cannot be conveniently borrowed or given; we must each properly and fully use God's gifts.
The Hymn of Kassiani (Holy Tuesday evening)
The love and repentance of the sinful woman who annoints Jesus is remembered with this beautiful, moving hymn which was written by a young woman named Kassiani in the ninth century and was later incorporated into the Holy Week Canons by the 10th century. Along with Kassiani, we identify ourselves with the repentant woman in her heartflet words to Jesus. No matter how great or how many her offences, her love and faith in Jesus conquers them all, and Jesus offers her a new beginning.
Holy Wednesday, May 1
The Sacrament of Holy Unction (Holy Wednesday evening)
We are annointed for our physical and spiritual healing and the forgiveness of our sins in preparation for our receiving Holy Communion tomorrow.
Holy Thursday, May 2
The Last Supper (Holy Thursday morning)
Communion is offered to us in the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil in celebration of Christ offering us (as the offerer and the offering) communion with God.
Holy Friday, May 3
The Passion (Holy Thursday evening)
Twelve Gospel reading take us step by step from the washing of the Disciples' feet, the Last Supper, Judas's betrayal, and Christ's Agony in the Garden through to the sufferings of our Lord on the cross.
The Day of Mourning (Holy Friday morning & afternoon)
Christ's body is taken from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and buried.
Holy Saturday, May 4
Lamentation & Hope (Holy Friday evening)
The burial of Christ and His descent to Hades is lamented as the Epitaphios is taken in a
candelight procession around the church, yet we eagerly look forward to the promise and joy of
the Life-Giver's Resurrection.
Watchful Expectation (Holy Saturday morning)
The glory of Christ's Ressurection is eagerly anticipated with the joyful hymn "Arise O God." The
Divine Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated.
Holy Pascha, Sunday, May 5
The Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy (Holy Saturday at midnight)
Christos Anesti! Christ's sacrifice for us, His death, is the ultimate revelation of His compassion
and love for us. His Resurrection heralds the end of our alienation and solitude. He invites us to
participate in this joy by receiving communion.
Agape Service (Sunday)
The joys of Pascha are shared by the faithful.
"HOLY WEEK FASTING GUIDELINES"
from the "Lenten Triodion" by Kallistos Ware
Holy Monday & Holy Tuesday & Holy Wednesday: strict fasting - limited meals
Holy Thursday: one meal with wine & oil
Holy Friday: total fast possible strict meal after Epitaphion Service
Holy Saturday: one meal with wine, no oil
(No Fasting Pascha Sunday & Bright Week!)
PSALM 22
"I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me...
You have brought me to the dust of death.
They pierced My hands and
My feet;
I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me...
But You, O Lord, do not be far from me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!"
Psalm 22:14-19
“Two Plates -- Not One”
By Fr. Anthony Coniaris
Someone said one Sunday during the offering, "Here we go again! There's always a plate." The person was right in one way and wrong in another. There is not one plate---but two! One plate is man's; the offering plate that is passed to us every Sunday. The other plate is God's. And that is the paten, the "diskos", the plate that carries the Precious Body of our Lord during the liturgy. Two plates --- not one!
God gives first. He gives us our body, mind, life, health, talents. On the paten – the plate of God's mercy, He gives us Himself as the Bread of Life, the manna from heaven. He gives forgiveness, strength, courage. He gives victory over sin and death. He gives eternal life. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which he lavished upon us" (Ephesians 1:7-8). God gives. He lavishes upon us the riches of His grace. That is the meaning of the first plate---the paten.
The second plate which is passed every Sunday --- the offering plate --- represents our response to the first plate. We are invited to give in gratitude for God's generosity, for His limitless forgiveness and mercy. The emptiness of the offering plate represents the aching needs of the world which we are called upon to assist.
It represents also the great spiritual hunger that exists in the world --- the God-shaped vacuum in every heart that only Christ can fill.
We give, but He gave first. Two plates – not one! However much we give, it will never be more than just a minute fraction of what we receive from Him.
There's always a plate! Indeed there is! Not one but two. First God's, then man's.
The God who came to us at Bethlehem continues to come to us today. He comes to us through that first plate, the paten which symbolizes His total giving to us. He comes through the Sacrament of Baptism to bestow upon us the holy kiss of His love, to call us His very own. He comes through the Sacrament of Chrismation to fill us with His presence, to make our bodies temples of His Holy Spirit. He comes through repentance and the Sacrament of Confession to cleanse us of sin, to restore in our souls "the peace of God that passes all understanding.” II every liturgy He comes to us as the Word of God, bringing words of eternal life through the Scripture readings and the sermon. Through the Sacrament of Communion He comes to be born again and again in the shabby stables of our hearts. He comes constantly through prayer. He blesses our marriages as He did that in Cana of Galilee. He stands by our sick bed, laying His healing hand upon us through the prayers of the priest. He comes again and again in so many, many ways through the many ministries of His Church. He comes with healing and forgiveness; He comes with strength and guidance. He comes and when He comes, as the Bible says, “the blind see, the lame walk, and the prisoners are set free."
Every year as we are invited to renew our weekly stewardship pledge, we are challenged to reconsider prayerfully our weekly gift to Him Who is God's Great Gift to us. It is through our gift that God will be able to continue His forgiving, healing, liberating, empowering, transfiguring, loving ministry through the Church. For God, Infinite though He be, has chosen to work through us, through our gifts, to continue His saving work in the world today. Many of us are careful to set aside funds for our retirement IRAs, 401(k)s, etc. Yet how long will these last? – Ten, maybe twenty years? The question is: What are we setting aside for our eternal future? What are we investing in God, in eternity? How many of us who are quite well-to-do on earth (and most of us Americans are) may end up paupers in heaven? St. John Chrysostom said once, "A rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much. For, what he gives away remains his forever!"
A little girl noticed that after the collection was taken in a certain church, the ushers brought it up to the altar. She whispered to her mother, "Mommy, how do they get the money up to heaven?" The mother replied, "The church doesn't send the money to heaven, but it uses it to bring heaven down to us." That mother could not have given a better answer. For, the purpose of the Church is to get God's heaven into each one of us. "The kingdom of God is within you," said Jesus. The thought comes to me quite often that there will come a time for each one of us when we shall no longer be able to give. When death comes, our giving will be over. For all eternity God will be doing the giving to us. So, the time for us to give is now. The time for us to love is now. The time for us to share what God has given us is now. Give as you would if an angel Awaited your gift at the door. Give as you would if tomorrow Found you where giving was over. Give as you would to the Master If you met His loving look. Give as you would of your substance If His hand your offering took. For, it is indeed His hand! The tray in which we place our offering every Sunday is not a tray but His hand -- the nailpierced hand of my Savior "Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Amen.
