St. Nicholas Messenger

Transcription

1 St. Nicholas Messenger March 24, 2013 St. Nicholas Ukrainian Greek Catholic Mission www. saintnicholasraleigh. org O U R C L E R G Y Very Rev. Fr. Mark Shuey, Pastor Fr. Deacon Stephen Dozier, Deacon Fr. Deacon Buenaventura Yupanqui, Deacon Fr. Deacon Joseph Kibbe Subdeacon Michael Tyndall Contact us at: contact@saintnicholasraleigh.org For up-to-date schedule changes please visit our calendar on our website Fully Eastern and Fully Catholic Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Greek Catholic Mission in Raleigh, North Carolina is an Eastern Catholic church of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma, OH under His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop John Bura. Our Church is in full communion with the Church and Pope Francis of Rome. All faithful Catholics of whatever ritual tradition can receive the Holy Eucharist and fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending Lord s Day services with us. All of our services are in English and all are invited and welcome to attend and celebrate the joy of the Resurrection of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ! Schedule of Services LORD S DAY SERVICES SATURDAY 4:00pm Great Vespers followed by Confessions SUNDAY 8:30am Divine Liturgy Sunday liturgy is followed by a fellowship coffee hour. WEEKDAY SERVICES During the Great Fast Presanctified Liturgies will be help on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00pm with Bible Study on Thursday after Liturgy. During the Holiday s our schedule can be quite fluid, up-to-date information can be found on our website. Our Temporary Location: 2510 Piney Plains Rd Cary, NC COME CELEBRATE THE ANCIENT FAITH OF THE APOSTLES AND MARTYRS WITH US!

2 P a g e 2 St. Nicholas Messenger Prayer Requests +Mrs. Olga Nahayewsky+, +Bishop Voronovsky+, +Fr. Adamiak +,+Fr. Michael+, + Sabrina+, +Dcn. Charles+, +Barbara+, +Ivan+, +Russ+, +Emma+, +George+, +Russel+, +Janis+, +Lynn+, +Pete+, +Leo+, +Luis+, +Greg+, +Patrick+,+ Doris+,+ Ronald+, +Noah+ Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, The Bishops: Robert, John, The Priests: Mark, Martin, Richard, Rick, David, Damien, Jason, Sean, Theodore, Anthony, Richard, Theodore, The Deacons: Joachim, Daniel, Stephen, David, Matthew, Buenaventura, Joseph Olga, Michael, Justin, Philip, Nancy, Mary, Erin, Tom, Natalie, Dale, Mary Alice, Joanne, Elizabeth, Rebekah, Jean, Joseph, Andrea, Mary, Robbie, Bill, Kevin, Nathaniel John, Mark, Christopher, Margarita, Richard, Gus, DJ, Nicholasa, Nathaniel, Vanessa, James, Diane, Norma, Joe, Amanda, Gregory Weekly Readings and Schedule Holy Monday Mar. 25 Holy Tuesday Mar. 26 Holy Wednesday Mar. 27 Holy Thursday Mar. 28 Good Friday Mar. 29 Holy Saturday Mar. 30 Sunday Mar. 31 Festal Tone ANNUNCIATION Ex 1:1-20, Job 1:1-12, Heb 2:11-18, Lk 1:24-38, Mt 24:3-35 Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel Ex 2:5-10, Job 1:13-22, Mt 24:36-26:2 Matrona of Seluna - Martyr Ex 2:11-22, Job 2:1-10, Mt 26:6-16 Hilary - Venerable Is 50:4-11, 1 Cor 11:23-32, Mt 26:2-20, Jn 13:3-17, Mt 26:31-39, Lk 22:43-45, Mt 26:40-27:2 Mark Bishop, Venerable Is 52:13=54:1, 1 Cor 1:18-2:2, Mt 27:1-38, Lk 23:39-44, Mt 27:39-54, Jn 19:31-37,Mt 27:55-61 John Climacus - Venerable Rom 6:3-11, Mt 28:1-20 PASCHA Acts 1:1-8, Jn 1:1-17 6am Bridegroom Matins 4pm Divine Liturgy 6am Bridegroom Matins 4pm Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 6am Bridegroom Matins 4pm Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, anointing of the sick 4pm Vesperal Divine Liturgy, washing of the feet Royal Hours 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm 7pm Vespers with Entombment 9am Jerusalem Matins 12pm Vesperal Divine Liturgy 7am Matins followed by Paschal Divine Liturgy, blessing of baskets and breakfast The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16

3 St. Nicholas Messenger P a g e 3 Page 3 THANK YOU ALL!!! For your support of the Brown Bag Ministry! Annual Appeal for the Holy Land The Congregation of Eastern Churches reminds us of the Holy Father's Annual Appeal for the Holy Land. We will join with all the churches on Good Friday, March 29, 2013 in taking up a special collection for the Holy Land. Thank you! ATTENTION! Catholic Young Professionals and Students of Raleigh ages 18 early thirties: Join us for the monthly prayer vigil at Drake Circle. The group will pray the mysteries of the rosary at the abortion clinic Saturday April 6, 9:30am, A Woman's Choice, Raleigh. Questions contact Jeremy or Nathan Kryn , jkryn@nc.rr.com. April Spirits and Wisdom Danny Kumar will be the speaker for Spirits and Wisdom (20s and 30s, married and single) on Tuesday, April 9. Continuing with the theme of the Year of Faith, he will discuss the topic Quid est veritas? The relationship between truth and faith. Spirits and Wisdom will be at Tripps Restaurant, 3516 Wade Avenue, in Raleigh. Spirits and Wisdom gathering starts at 6:30 PM.

4 P a g e 4 St. Nicholas Messenger Icon of the Feast of Flowery Palm Sunday In the Icon of the Feast of Palm Sunday, Christ is the central figure, depicted seated upon the colt of a donkey as He enters Jerusalem, a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. Christ is blessing with His right hand, and in His left hand is a scroll, symbolizing that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, the Anointed One who has come to redeem us from our sins and break the power of death. The colt, one of the animals that were considered unclean according to the Law, is symbolic of the inclusion of all peoples of all nations in the new covenant that will come through the death and Resurrection of Christ (Isaiah 62:10-11). It is also a sign that our Lord has revealed a heavenly and spiritual kingdom that offers true and enduring peace. On the left, the disciples accompany Jesus in His Triumphal Entry. Depicted on the right are the Jews who greet Him crying Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! The word Hosanna means Save, I pray or Save now. The children are the small people who are greeting Christ with palm branches and laying these and their garments on the ground before Christ as tokens of honor for one who is acknowledged as a King. The city of Jerusalem is shown as the walled buildings, and the temple is depicted as the building with the dome. In Ukraine Palm Sunday is called Flower(y) Sunday (Kvitna/Tsvitna Nedilya), or Willow Sunday (Verbna Nedilya), because in Ukraine flowering willow branches are blessed in place of palm fronds. At the end of the Liturgy, when people come for the anointing they take blessed willow branches and candles. After service they bring them to their homes and use as sacramental. There is a tradition to tap each other with willow branches wishing good health, wealth and happiness saying one of the following verses: The willow hits, not I; A week from now will be the Great Day, Pascha or Be as big as the will, healthy as water, rich as the earth. This ritual dates back to pagan times. Since ancient times the willow tree is considered to be a holy tree, and symbolizes resurrection, eternal life, heavens, and the whole Universe. It is the first tree to show signs of life after long winter. It was believed to have mysterious protective, medicinal and energizing powers drawn from the Sun and people tapped each other with branches believing that the energy from the tree will be transmitted to them. Willow is famous for its medicinal properties and for ages was used to treat many illnesses.

5 St. Nicholas Messenger P a g e 5 Page 5 The Services of the Bridegroom Introduction Beginning on the evening of Palm Sunday and continuing through the evening of Holy Tuesday, the Eastern Church observes a special service known as the Service of the Bridegroom. The name of the service is from the figure of the Bridegroom in the parable of the Ten Virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13. Background The first part of Holy Week presents us with an array of themes based chiefly on the last days of Jesus' earthly life. The story of the Passion, as told and recorded by the Evangelists, is preceded by a series of incidents located in Jerusalem and a collection of parables, sayings and discourses centered on Jesus' divine sonship, the kingdom of God, the Parousia, and Jesus' castigation of the hypocrisy and dark motives of the religious leaders. The observances of the first three days of Great Week are rooted in these incidents and sayings. The three days constitute a single liturgical unit. They have the same cycle and system of daily prayer. The Scripture lessons, hymns, commemorations, and ceremonials that make up the festal elements in the respective services of the cycle highlight significant aspects of salvation history, by calling to mind the events that anticipated the Passion and by proclaiming the inevitability and significance of the Parousia. The service of each of these days is called the Service of the Bridegroom The name comes from the central figure in the well-known parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The title Bridegroom suggests the intimacy of love. It is not without significance that the kingdom of God is compared to a bridal feast and a bridal chamber. The Christ of the Passion is the divine Bridegroom of the Church. The imagery connotes the final union of the Lover and the beloved. The title Bridegroom also suggests the Parousia. In the patristic tradition, the aforementioned parable is related to the Second Coming; and is associated with the need for spiritual vigilance and preparedness, by which we are enabled to keep the divine commandments and receive the blessings of the age to come. The troparion "Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night ", which is sung relates the worshiping community to that essential expectation: watching and waiting for the Lord, who will come again to judge the living and the dead. Holy and Great Monday On Holy Monday we commemorate Joseph the Patriarch, the beloved son of Jacob. A major figure of the Old Testament, Joseph's story is told in the final section of the Book of Genesis (chs ). Because of his exceptional qualities and remarkable life, our patristic and liturgical tradition portrays Joseph as tipos Christou, i.e., as a prototype, prefigurement or image of Christ. The story of Joseph illustrates the mystery of God's providence, promise and redemption. Innocent, chaste and righteous, his life bears witness to the power of God's love and promise. The lesson to be learned from Joseph's life, as it bears upon the ultimate redemption wrought by the death and resurrection of Christ, is summed up in the words he addressed to his brothers who had previously betrayed him, Fear not... As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones. Thus he reassured them and comforted them (Genesis 50:19-21). The commemoration of the noble, blessed and saintly Joseph reminds us that in the great events of the Old Testament, the Church recognizes the realities of the New Testament. Also, on Great and Holy Monday the Church commemorates the event of the cursing of the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-20). In the Gospel narrative this event is said to have occurred on the morrow of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:18 and Mark 11:12). For this reason it found its way into the liturgy of Great Monday. The episode is also quite relevant to Great Week. Together with the event of the cleansing of the Temple this episode is another manifestation of Jesus' divine power and authority and a revelation as well of God's judgment upon the faithlessness of the Jewish religious classes. The fig tree is symbolic of Israel become barren by her failure to recognize and receive Christ and His teachings. The cursing of the fig tree is a parable in action, a symbolic gesture. Its meaning should not be lost on any one in any generation. Christ's judgment on the faithless, unbelieving, unrepentant and unloving will be certain and decisive

6 P a g e 6 St. Nicholas Messenger on the Last Day. This episode makes it clear that nominal Christianity is not only inadequate, it is also despicable and unworthy of God's kingdom. Genuine Christian faith is dynamic and fruitful. It permeates one's whole being and causes a change. Living, true and unadulterated faith makes the Christian conscious of the fact that he is already a citizen of heaven. Therefore, his way of thinking, feeling, acting and being must reflect this reality. Those who belong to Christ ought to live and walk in the Spirit; and the Spirit will bear fruit in them: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-25). Holy and Great Tuesday On Holy Tuesday the Church calls to remembrance two parables, which are related to the Second Coming. The one is the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-3); the other the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). These parables point to the inevitability of the Parousia and deal with such subjects as spiritual vigilance, stewardship, accountability and judgment. From these parables we learn at least two basic things. First, Judgment Day will be like the situation in which the bridesmaids (or virgins) of the parable found themselves: some ready for it, some not ready. The time one decides for God is now and not at some undefined point in the future. If "time and tide waits for no man," certainly the Parousia is no exception. The tragedy of the closed door is that individuals close it, not God. The exclusion from the marriage feast, the kingdom, is of our own making. Second, we are reminded that watchfulness and readiness do not mean a wearisome, spiritless performance of formal and empty obligations. Most certainly it does not mean inactivity and slothfulness. Watchfulness signifies inner stability, soberness, tranquility and joy. It means spiritual alertness, attentiveness and vigilance. Watchfulness is the deep personal resolve to find and do the will of God, embrace every commandment and every virtue, and guard the intellect and heart from evil thoughts and actions. Watchfulness is the intense love of God. Holy and Great Wednesday On Holy Wednesday the Church invites the faithful to focus their attention on two figures: the sinful woman who anointed the head of Jesus shortly before the passion (Matthew 26:6-13), and Judas, the disciple who betrayed the Lord. The former acknowledged Jesus as Lord, while the latter severed himself from the Master. The one was set free, while the other became a slave. The one inherited the kingdom, while the other fell into perdition. These two people bring before us concerns and issues related to freedom, sin, hell and repentance. The repentance of the sinful harlot is contrasted with the tragic fall of the chosen disciple. The Triodion make is clear that Judas perished, not simply because he betrayed his Master, but because, having fallen into the sin of betrayal, he then refused to believe in the possibility of forgiveness. If we deplore the actions of Judas, we do so not with vindictive selfrighteousness but conscious always of our own guilt. In general, all the passages in the Triodion that seem to be directed against the Jews should be understood in this same way. When the Triodion denounces those who rejected Christ and delivered Him to death, we recognize that these words apply not only to others, but to ourselves: for have we not betrayed the Savior many times in our hearts and crucified Him anew? I have transgressed more than the harlot, O loving Lord, yet never have I offered You my flowing tears. But in silence I fall down before You and with love I kiss Your most pure feet, beseeching You as Master to grant me remission of sins; and I cry to You, O Savior: Deliver me from the filth of my works. While the sinful woman brought oil of myrrh, the disciple came to an agreement with the transgressors. She rejoiced to pour out what was very precious, he made haste to sell the One who is above all price. She acknowledged Christ as Lord, he severed himself from the Master. She was set free, but Judas became the slave of the enemy. Grievous was his lack of love. Great was her repentance. Grant such repentance also unto me, O Savior who has suffered for our sake, and save us.

7 St. Nicholas Messenger P a g e 7 Page 7 In most parishes a Presanctified Liturgy is conducted on Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The Liturgy of the Pre- Sanctified Gifts has a distinct character and order. It is comprised of three major parts or components: a) the service of Great Vespers peculiar to this Liturgy; b) the solemn transfer of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts to the Holy Table; and c) the preparation for and the distribution of holy Communion. The Liturgy does not contain the Anaphora, the Gifts of the bread and wine having been consecrated at the Divine Liturgy on the previous Sunday or Saturday. The Scripture readings for each of the Presanctified Liturgies are: Holy Monday Exodus 1:1-21, Job 1:1-12, Matthew 24:3-35; Holy Tuesday Exodus 2:5-10, Job 1:13-22, Matthew 24:36-26:2; Holy Wednesday Exodus 2:11-23, Job 2:1-10, Matthew 26:6-16. Great and Holy Wednesday The Sacrament of Holy Unction Introduction On the evening of Great and Holy Wednesday, the Sacrament or Mystery of Holy Unction is conducted in Eastern churches. The Sacrament of Holy Unction is offered for the healing of soul and body and for forgiveness of sins. The body is anointed with oil, and the grace of God, which heals infirmities of soul and body, is called down upon each person. Holy Unction When one is ill and in pain, this can very often be a time of life when one feels alone and isolated. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, or Holy Unction as it is also known, reminds us that when we are in pain, either physical, emotional, or spiritual, Christ is present with us through the ministry of His Church. He is among us to offer strength to meet the challenges of life, and even the approach of death. As with Chrismation, oil is also used in this Sacrament as a sign of God's presence, strength, and forgiveness. The priest anoints the body with the Holy Oil. The Church does not view this Sacrament as available only to those who are near death. It is offered to all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit. Christ came to the world to "bear our infirmities." One of the signs of His divine Messiahship was to heal the sick. The power of healing remains in the Church since Christ himself remains in the Church through the Holy Spirit. The Sacrament of the Unction of the sick is the Church's specific prayer for healing. If the faith of the believers is strong enough, and if it is the will of God, there is every reason to believe that the Lord can heal those who are diseased. The biblical basis for the Sacrament is found in James 5:14-16: Is any among you sick, let him call for the presbyters of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. In ancient Christian literature one may find indirect testimonies of the Mystery of Unction in Saint Irenaeus of Lyons and in Origen. Later there are clear testimonies of it in Saints Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, who have left prayers for the healing of the infirm which entered later into the rite of Unction; and likewise in Saint Cyril of Alexandria. In the fifth century, Pope Innocent I answered a series of questions concerning the Mystery of Unction, indicating in his answers that

8 P a g e 8 St. Nicholas Messenger a) it should be performed "upon believers who are sick"; b) it may be performed also by a bishop, since one should not see in the words of the Apostle, let him call for the presbyters, any prohibition for a bishop to participate in the sacred action; c) this anointment may not be performed "on those undergoing ecclesiastical penance,' because it is a "Mystery,' and to those who are forbidden the other Mysteries, how can one allow only one? The express purpose of the Sacrament of Holy Unction is healing and forgiveness. Since it is not always the will of God that there should be physical healing, the prayer of Christ that God's will be done always remains as the proper context of the Sacrament. In addition, it is the clear intention of the Sacrament that through the anointing of the sick body the sufferings of the person should be sanctified and united to the sufferings of Christ. In this way, the wounds of the flesh are consecrated, and strength is given that the suffering of the diseased person may not be unto the death of his soul, but for eternal salvation in the resurrection and life of the Kingdom of God. It is indeed the case that death inevitably comes. All must die, even those who in this life are given a reprieve through healing in order to have more time on the earth. Thus, the healing of the sick is not itself a final goal, but is merely "instrumental" in that it is given by God as a sign of his mercy and as a grace for the further opportunity of man to live for him and for others in the life of this world. In the case where a person is obviously in the final moments of his earthly life, the Church has special prayers for the "separation of soul and body." Thus, it is clear that the Sacrament of Holy Unction is for the sick-both the physically and mentally sick-and is not reserved for the moment of death. The Sacrament of Unction is not the "last rites" as is sometimes thought; the ritual of the anointing itself in no way indicates that it should be administered merely in "extreme" cases. Holy Unction is the Sacrament of the spiritual, physical, and mental healing of a sick person whatever the nature or the gravity of the illness may be. During the service the priest anoints the faithful as he makes the sign of the cross on the forehead and top and palms of the hands saying, "For the healing of soul and body."

9 St. Nicholas Messenger P a g e 9 Page 9 Great and Holy Thursday Introduction On Thursday of Holy Week four events are commemorated: the washing of the disciples' feet, the institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the agony in the garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Christ by Judas. The Institution of the Eucharist At the Mystical Supper in the Upper Room Jesus gave a radically new meaning to the food and drink of the sacred meal. He identified Himself with the bread and wine: "Take, eat; this is my Body. Drink of it all of you; for this is my Blood of the New Covenant" (Matthew 26:26-28). We have learned to equate food with life because it sustains our earthly existence. In the Eucharist the distinctively unique human food - bread and wine - becomes our gift of life. Consecrated and sanctified, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This change is not physical but mystical and sacramental. While the qualities of the bread and wine remain, we partake of the true Body and Blood of Christ. In the eucharistic meal God enters into such a communion of life that He feeds humanity with His own being, while still remaining distinct. In the words of St. Maximos the Confessor, Christ, "transmits to us divine life, making Himself eatable." The Author of life shatters the limitations of our createdness. Christ acts so that "we might become sharers of divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). The Eucharist is at the center of the Church's life. It is her most profound prayer and principal activity. It is at one and the same time both the source and the summit of her life. In the Eucharist the Church manifests her true nature and is continuously changed from a human community into the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and the People of God. The Eucharist is the pre-eminent sacrament. It completes all the others and recapitulates the entire economy of salvation. Our new life in Christ is constantly renewed and increased by the Eucharist. The Eucharist imparts life and the life it gives is the life of God. In the Eucharist the Church remembers and enacts sacramentally the redemptive event of the Cross and participates in its saving grace. This does not suggest that the Eucharist attempts to reclaim a past event. The Eucharist does not repeat what cannot be repeated. Christ is not slain anew and repeatedly. Rather the eucharistic food is changed concretely and really

10 P a g e 10 St. Nicholas Messenger into the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, "Who gave Himself up for the life of the world." Christ, the Theanthropos, continually offers Himself to the faithful through the consecrated Gifts, i.e., His very own risen and deified Body, which for our sake died once and now lives (Hebrews 10:2; Revelation 1:18). Hence, the faithful come to Church week by week not only to worship God and to hear His word. They come, first of all, to experience over and over the mystery of salvation and to be united intimately to the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Eucharist we receive and partake of the resurrected Christ. We share in His sacrificed, risen and deified Body, "for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal" (Divine Liturgy). In the Eucharist Christ pours into us - as a permanent and constant gift - the Holy Spirit, "Who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God - and if children - then heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). The Washing of the Feet The events initiated by Jesus at the Mystical.Supper were profoundly significant. By teaching and giving the disciples His final instructions and praying for them as well, He revealed again His divine Sonship and authority. By establishing the Eucharist, He enshrines to perfection God's most intimate purposes for our salvation, offering Himself as Communion and life. By washing the feet of His disciples, He summarized the meaning of His ministry, manifested His perfect love and revealed His profound humility. The act of the washing of the feet (John 13:2-17) is closely related to the sacrifice of the Cross. Both reveal aspects of Christ's kenosis. While the Cross constitutes the ultimate manifestation of Christ's perfect obedience to His Father (Philippians 2:5-8), the washing of the feet signifies His intense love and the giving of Himself to each person according to that person's ability to receive Him (John 13:6-9). Prayer in the Garden The Synoptic Gospels have preserved for us another significant episode in the series of events leading to the Passion, namely, the agony and prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46). Although Jesus was Son of God, He was destined as man to accept fully the human condition, to experience suffering and to learn obedience. Divesting Himself of divine prerogatives, the Son of God assumed the role of a servant. He lived a truly human existence. Though He was Himself sinless, He allied Himself with the whole human race, identified with the human predicament, and experienced the same tests (Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 2:9-18). The moving events in the Garden of Gethsemane dramatically and poignantly disclosed the human nature of Christ. The sacrifice He was to endure for the salvation of the world was imminent. Death, with all its brutal force and fury, stared directly at Him. Its terrible burden and fear - the calamitous results of the ancestral sin - caused Him intense sorrow and pain (Hebrews 5:7). Instinctively, as man He sought to escape it. He found Himself in a moment of decision. In His agony He prayed to His Father, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee; remove this cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt" (Mark 14:36). His prayer revealed the depths of His agony and sorrow. It revealed as well His "incomparable spiritual strength (and) immovable desire and decision... to bring about the will of the Father." Jesus offered His unconditional love and trust to the Father. He reached the extreme limits of self-denial "not what I will" - in order to accomplish His Father's will. His acceptance of death was not some kind of stoic passivity and resignation but an act of absolute love and obedience. In that moment of decision, when He declared His acceptance of death to be in agreement with the Father's will, He broke the power of the fear of death with all its attending uncertainties, anxieties and limitations. He learned obedience and fulfilled the divine plan (Hebrews 5:8-9).

11 St. Nicholas Messenger P a g e 11 The Betrayal Page 11 Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss, the sign of friendship and love. The betrayal and crucifixion of Christ carried the ancestral sin to its extreme limits. In these two acts the rebellion against God reached its maximum capacity. The seduction of man in paradise culminated in the death of God in the flesh. To be victorious evil must quench the light and discredit the good. In the end, however, it shows itself to be a lie, an absurdity and sheer madness. The death and resurrection of Christ rendered evil powerless. On Great Thursday light and darkness, joy and sorrow are so strangely mixed. At the Upper Room and in Gethsemane the light of the kingdom and the darkness of hell come through simultaneously. The way of life and the way of death converge. We meet them both in our journey through life. In the midst of the snares and temptations that abound in the world around and in us we must be eager to live in communion with everything that is good, noble, natural, and sinless, forming ourselves by God's grace in the likeness of Christ. The Liturgical Services of Holy Thursday Several unique services mark the celebration of Holy Thursday in the Eastern churches. The main service of the day is the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil. This Liturgy commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist. The Scripture Readings for the Liturgy are: Exodus 19:10-18; Job 38:1-21, 42:1-5; Isaiah 50:4-11; I Corinthians 11:23-32; and Matthew 26:2-20; John 13:3-17; Matthew 26:21-39; Luke 22:43-45; Matthew 26:40-27:2. The Consecration of Holy Chrism In Christian antiquity it was customary to baptize the catechumens on the feast of Pascha. The oils of Chrism, used for the anointing of the neophytes or newly-baptized persons, were consecrated in advance, on Great Thursday. This practice continued through the late middle ages. The service of consecration was conducted annually. Holy Chrism is also called Holy Myron. It is a mixture of olive oil, balsam, wine and some forty aromatic substances symbolizing the fullness of sacramental grace, the sweetness of the Christian life, and the manifold and diverse gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Exodus, Chapter 30, verses 22-33, the composition and uses of the Sacred Anointing Oil is described. The Washing of the Feet of the Disciples It appears that the Church had a ceremony of the Washing of the Feet annually on Great Thursday in imitation of the event at the Last Supper. For the most part, it was limited to Cathedral Churches and certain monasteries. For a time, the service fell into disuse except in certain areas. However the service has been recovered by many dioceses throughout the world and results in an elaborate, dramatic and moving service. During this service, the hierarch will wash the feet of twelve priests, reenacting the washing of the feet by Jesus of His disciples at the last Supper.

12 P a g e 12 St. Nicholas Messenger Great and Holy Friday On this day we commemorate the sufferings of Christ: the mockery, the crown of thorns, the scourging, the nails, the thirst, the vinegar and gall, the cry of desolation, and all the Savior endured on the Cross. The day of Christ's death is the day of sin. The sin which polluted God's creation from the breaking dawn of time reached its frightful climax on the hill of Golgotha. There, sin and evil, destruction and death came into their own. Ungodly men had Him nailed to the Cross, in order to destroy Him. However, His death condemned irrevocably the fallen world by revealing its true and abnormal nature. In Christ, who is the New Adam, there is no sin. And, therefore, there is no death. He accepted death because He assumed the whole tragedy of our life. He chose to pour His life into death, in order to destroy it; and in order to break the hold of evil. His death is the final and ultimate revelation of His perfect obedience and love. He suffered for us the excruciating pain of absolute solitude and alienation - "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me!" (Mark 15:34). Then, He accepted the ultimate horror of death with the agonizing cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30). His cry was at one and the same time an indication that He was in control of His death and that His work of redemption was accomplished, finished, fulfilled. How strange! While our death is radical unfulfillment, His is total fulfillment. The day of Christ's death has become our true birthday. "Within the mystery of Christ dead and resurrected, death acquires positive value. Even if physical, biological death still appears to reign, it is no longer the final stage in a long destructive process. It has become the indispensable doorway, as well as the sure sign of our ultimate Pascha, our passage from death to life, rather than from life to death. From the beginning the Church observed an annual commemoration of the decisive and crucial three days of sacred history, i.e., Great Friday, Great Saturday and Pascha. Great Friday and Saturday have been observed as days of deep sorrow and strict fast from Christian antiquity. Great Friday and Saturday direct our attention to the trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Christ. We are placed within the awesome mystery of the extreme humility of our suffering God. Therefore, these days are at once days of deep gloom as well as watchful expectation. The Author of life is at work transforming death into life: "Come, let us see our Life lying in the tomb, that he may give life to those that in their tombs lie dead" (Sticheron of Great Saturday Orthros). Liturgically, the profound and awesome event of the death and burial of God in the flesh is marked by a particular kind of silence, i.e. by the absence of a eucharistic celebration. Great Friday and Great Saturday are the only two days of the year when no eucharistic assembly is held, until the Vigil Liturgy of Pascha on Holy Saturday afternoon or evening. However, before the twelfth century it was the custom to celebrate the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts on Great Friday. The divine services of Great Friday with the richness of their ample Scripture lessons, superb hymnography and vivid liturgical actions bring the passion of Christ and its cosmic significance into sharp focus. The hymns of the services on this day help us to see how the Church understands and celebrates the awesome mystery of Christ's passion and death.