The Apodosis (Leavetaking) of Pascha is celebrated on Wednesday of the sixth week after Pascha. On this day ends the forty-day celebration of the Bright Resurrection of Christ. For the last time we greet each other with the words of Paschal joy, “Christ is Risen!” and prepare ourselves to greet the upcoming feast of the Lord’s Ascension. The Apodosis of Pascha. History The last day of the afterfeast of great feasts such as Pascha, or of the Twelve Great Feasts, is called the “Apodosis”. These days have their own distinguishing liturgical features. From Church history we know that the leavetaking of the main Christian feasts, such as Pascha, the Nativity, and Pentecost, were honored as far … [Read more...]
ASONA Baptisms for Pascha 2023
On Lazarus Saturday, two brothers who were catechumens together were baptized into the Holy Orthodox faith at All Saints of North America Orthodox Church. Albert and Thomas Gonzales completed their catechumenate, and received baptism surrounded by friends, family, and fellow parishioners. Click on each photo for an enlarged version! … [Read more...]
“The Christian Response to the WOKE Agenda:” Abbot Tryphon coming to Phoenix
On Fri. May 12 and Sat. May 13 a talk by Abbot Tryphon will be held at Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Phoenix. The Christian Response to the WOKE Agenda Abbott Tryphon Abbot of All Merciful Savior Orthodox Monastery, Vashon Island, WA Hosted by Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthodox Church Fri. May 12 - Sat. May 13 We are pleased to announce a weekend with Fr Abbot Tryphon from the All-Merciful Saviour Monastery. The schedule will be as follow for Friday and Saturday: 9-11:30 am Presentation 11:30 am-1:30 pm Lunch break. (Lunch will NOT be provided. There are several restaurants nearby where you can grab a quick lunch.) 1:30-4:00 pm Presentation Great … [Read more...]
The Holy Fire has descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
The Holy Fire has descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as seen on the Ukrainian channel Svidok. The Holy Light descended at about 2:55 PM (7:35 AM Eastern Standard time). It appeared in the edicule (the small chapel built over the burial place of Christ) after the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, entered there at 2:50 PM (7:50 AM) to patiently pray and wait. After the Fire’s descent, the Patriarch passed the holy gift to the faithful who lit from it their bundles of 33 candles, per the age of Christ at the time of His Crucifixion and Resurrection. The descent of the Light was preceded by a complex ceremony: The doors of the Sepulchre were sealed … [Read more...]
Why Do the Altars of Orthodox Churches Face the East?
In the architectural tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the altar part is located on the eastern side of the church building. In view of this, parishioners and clergy pray facing east. According to the writings of the ancient Christian fathers, even outside the church, believers prayed facing east. Icons at home are oriented in the same direction as Orthodox altars. By the way, even the word “orientation” itself comes from the Latin oriēns, translated as “east”. Where does this tradition come from? St. Basil the Great writes in his essay On the Holy Spirit that the tradition of praying facing the east, as well as the custom of making the sign of the cross, was passed down … [Read more...]
Showdown at the Kiev Caves Lavra
Not sure what to make of the spiritual situation in Ukraine? Be ignorant no longer. This video shows "anti-Ukrainians" and those who fight against "spiritual slavery" in action. Epiphanie Dumenko said that those who prayerfully defend the Lavra act against Ukraine. Accordingly, the activists who oppose them "are called upon to stop this Russian world, everything that is trying to return us to spiritual slavery from inside." … [Read more...]
“Why do we not do the Unction Service on Holy Wednesday?”
Originally entitled "Stump the Priest: General Unction and Holy Week" by Fr. John Whiteford The common practice among Greeks, Antiochians, and in some other parishes, of doing General Unction on the evening of Holy Wednesday is not an ancient practice. There is no mention of doing this service on that day in the Typikon, or in the Triodion. The Unction service makes no mention of Holy Week, and so stands completely outside of the liturgical cycle of Holy Week. There is a service that is appointed to be done on Holy Wednesday evening and that is the Matins of Holy Thursday, which is what we do in our parish. This service commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the Mystical Supper, … [Read more...]
Venerating Icons – It’s So Much Other Than You Think
by Fr. Stephen Freeman In 1991, I sat in a room at Duke University with Geoffrey Wainwright, Stanely Hauerwas, and Susan O’Keefe. The purpose was the defense of my thesis, “The Icon as Theology.” I was an Episcopal priest, who was turning his doctoral work in Systematic Theology into an M.A. and heading back to parish life (a long story, that). The defense was friendly, thorough, with few surprises. The one major surprise, of course, came from Hauerwas. His question caught me off-guard in that it left behind academic questions and became intensely personal (that’s typical Hauerwas – there are no hiding places). His question was straight-forward: “Do you believe the veneration of icons to … [Read more...]
The Old Testament God revealed by Christ
by Abbot Tryphon The Old Testament God was revealed to us by Christ Jesus. Prior to the incarnation of the Logos, God’s people were forbidden to make any image of Him, for no one had seen His face. Yet when Christ said to His disciples, “he who has seen Me has seen the Father”, the fullness of this loving God was revealed to His creation. Early Christians used icons to depict this truth of the incarnation. The very first icons showing the Holy Virgin and the Christ Child, were painted by non other than the holy Apostle Luke. Since Christ is revealed in His saints, even the Holy Virgin and the Martyrs were soon depicted in images, worthy of veneration by the early Christians. The … [Read more...]
The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete: An Explanation
The Great Canon of St Andrew, Bishop of Crete, is the longest canon in all of our services, and is associated with Great Lent, since the only times it is appointed to be read in church are the first four nights of Great Lent (Clean Monday through Clean Thursday, at Great Compline, when it is serialized) and at Matins for Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent, when it is read in its entirety (in this latter service, the entire life of St Mary of Egypt is also read). There is no other sacred hymn which compares with this monumental work, which St Andrew wrote for his personal meditations. Nothing else has its extensive typology and mystical explanations of the scripture, from both the Old … [Read more...]
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