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Archimandrite Elisaios, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petras In the magnificent service on Great Friday, we sang the compelling and wonderful doxastiko from the ninth hour ‘Today he who hung the earth on the waters hangs upon the cross’, which ends ‘we venerate your Passion, Christ. Show Read more…
Saint John Chrysostom Really convincing proof of the Resurrection is the fact that Christ, Who was sacrificed on the Cross, showed such great strength that He persuaded people who lived in various different places to disregard their faith, homeland, families, friends and relations and even their life. They did Read more…
Mihail Tritos No other hymnological text expresses the redemptive, existential and metaphysical dimension of the Resurrection with such completeness and power as does the incomparable canon by Saint John the Damascan. It’s a masterpiece of Byzantine poetry and one of the most beautiful texts in world literature. Full of sublime Read more…
Athanasios Moustakis We shall try here to point out the main features of the Orthodox icon which is entitled “The Descent into Hell”. The first thing to note is that it is entirely different from the Western-style depiction, which shows Christ emerging triumphantly from the tomb, holding a little flag. Read more…
Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou The service of Great Saturday is effectively a funeral service for Christ, and yet it is the most colourful service of Holy Week, because we have already begun to celebrate the Resurrection. The Epitaphios which represents the tomb of Christ, is adorned with an array of Read more…
Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou I am probably in serious trouble for saying that, so allow me to quickly move on before I really put my foot in it. Let us now turn our attention to the service of Great Friday that takes place on Thursday evening. At this service, we Read more…
Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou If we have missed the opportunity to live Great Lent in an acceptable manner and there is only one week left, how can we enter into the joy of the Resurrection? The Lord says to the holy Apostles, ‘Ye are they which have continued patiently with Read more…
Elder Aimilianos Simonopetritis † In a few hours, we’ll stand before the Lord, the naked Servant, Who is crucified but Whose mien, nevertheless, is one of majestic triumph, regal glory and serenity. If we are to understand the love we should have towards other people, or our love towards Read more…
‘Lord, the woman who had fallen into many sins…fulfilled the task of a myrrh-bearer and, lamenting, brought you sweet-smelling oil before your burial’. The Tropario (Hymn) of Kassiani dominates the service of matins for Great Wednesday. A sinful woman, a harlot in her body, realizes the state she’s in, undertakes Read more…
Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou Holy Week is the heart of the Christian Orthodox Faith and the centre of the yearly cycle of Christian Feasts. Every year our churches are packed at Holy Week and, come the last three days, they are bursting at the seams with both people who attend Read more…
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Antinoes Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four canonical Gospels. (Mark 11:1–11, Matthew 21:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19). In many Christian churches, Palm Sunday Read more…
Fr. Lev Gillet Strictly speaking, Lent ends on the Friday which follows the fifth Sunday of Lent: the period of forty days is then over. The time of the Passion lasts from the end of Lent until the Resurrection, anticipated on Holy Saturday. It therefore comprises the Saturday which Read more…