The HOLY week consists of, Palm Sunday,then, the days between Palm Sunday and HOLY Thursday are known as HOLY Monday, HOLY Tuesday, and HOLY Wednesday, next is Maundy HOLY Thursday, Good Friday, HOLY Saturday, Easter Vigil, which, begins after sundown on HOLY Saturday, then, Easter! Christian Churches have varying ways of celebrating HOLY week, but, there is a generality, if not in whole, in part, and, more Protestant Churches are reinstating some of the traditions of that were, exclusive to the Catholic Church. This is a generalized breakdown of The HOLY week...Anglicans/Episcopalians, along with Protestants in the catholic tradition, such as Lutherans, observe Holy Week much as the Roman Catholic Church does. Of Protestant fellowships, perhaps the Holy Week services (Passion Week) of the Moravian Church are the most extensive, as the Congregation follows the life of Christ through His final week in daily services dedicated to readings from a harmony of the Gospel stories, responding to the actions in hymns, prayers and litanies, beginning on the eve of Palm Sunday and culminating in the "Easter Morning" or Easter Sunrise service begun by the Moravians in 1732. Some Protestant churches make much of the foot washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday, for others it may be the only time in the year when Holy Communion is celebrated, other churches celebrate versions of the Jewish Passover at this time.
Other Protestant churches do not have the special ceremonies that distinguish Holy Week in Orthodox and Catholic churches. However, these Protestants conduct more informal celebrations of Holy Week, usually including sermons about the last week of Christ's life, and possibly some special services on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and or Easter Sunday.
In the Orthodox Church, Great Lent ends on the Friday before Palm Sunday, though the faithful will continue fasting until Pascha (Easter). The day before Palm Sunday is called Lazarus Saturday and commemorates the resurrection of Lazarus. On Lazarus Saturday wine and oil are allowed (and, in the Russian tradition, caviar). Palm Sunday is considered one of the Great Feasts of the Lord, and is celebrated with fish, wine and oil. Because it is a Great Feast of the Lord, the normal Resurrectional elements of the Sunday All Night Vigil are omitted; however, these resurrectional elements are inserted into the Lazarus Saturday service with its theme of anticipating the Resurrection of Jesus.
Holy Week is referred to as "Great and Holy Week". Orthros (Matins) services for each day are held on the preceding evening. Thus, the Matins service of Great Monday is sung on Palm Sunday evening, and so on. This permits more of the faithful to attend, and shows that during Holy Week the times are out of joint—Matins ends up being served in the evening, and in some places Vespers is served in the morning.
Fasting during Great and Holy Week is very strict. Dairy products and meat products are strictly forbidden. On most days, no alcoholic beverages are permitted and no oil is used in the cooking. Friday and Saturday are observed as strict fast days, meaning that nothing should be eaten on those days. However, fasting is always adjusted to the needs of the individual, and those who are very young, ill or elderly are not expected to fast as strictly. Those who are able to, may receive the blessing of their spiritual father to observe an even stricter fast, whereby they eat only two meals that week: one on Wednesday night and one after Divine Liturgy on Thursday.
Oriental OrthodoxyCoptic Orthodox Church: The Coptic Orthodox Christians fast the Lent for 55 days before Holy Week.
The Friday before Palm Sunday is called "The Concluding Friday of Great Lent". On this day a special service called "The Unction of the Sick" is conducted. It consists of seven prayers, at the end of which every member of the congregation is anointed with Holy Oil.
The following day - the last Saturday before Holy Week - is called "Lazarus' Saturday". On this day the Coptic Church commemorates Lazarus, the Brother of the LORD. Although this day doesn't have much significance in relation to the events of Holy week, it is placed there according to calender date.
Since the Liturgical day starts from the evening before an actual day, the prayers of Palm Sunday begin on the actual day of Lazarus' Saturday.
Throughout Holy Week, there is a paschal service that is conducted every evening, starting Sunday night (eve of Monday), and every morning, up until Easter. These paschal services take place in the middle of the church, and not on the altar due to the fact that Jesus suffered and was crucified on Golgotha, which is outside of Jerusalem. The altar is bared of all its coverings and relics. Each day service is divided into 5 hours; The First Hour, The Third Hour, The Sixth Hour, The Ninth Hour, and The Eleventh Hour. Likewise, each night service is also divided into the same five hours. However, Good Friday has an extra hour added to it, that of The Twelfth Hour. During each hour, one prophecy is read at the beginning, a hymn is chanted twelve times, a psalm is sung in a sad tune, one passage from a gospel is read, and an exposition concludes the hour.
HOLY week IS HOLY! Intended to HONOUR, and, REVERE THE LORD, our *GOD*, our CHRIST JESUS, our SAVIOUR, for HIS most BLESSED SACRIFICE, for the ransom of our lives from this old world! A time to reflect upon our lives, our spirits, and, to come to terms WITH our commitment TO *GOD*! This is a time of soul searching, and, realizing what, in our beings, needs to be improved, that, we are ALWAYS honouring *GOD*/CHRIST JESUS/THE HOLY SPIRIT, in our thoughts, actions, and, reactions! It is a time of awareness, awakening, and, increased devotion, which, should NOT be limited TO this celebration, but, should carry on, into what is left of our fleeting lives; not because of guilt, or, any other condition, than, because we LOVE HIM, for having LOVED us SO much, that HE died for us! And, I have to repeat what I have said before, Easter is more than a celebration, IT IS A WAY OF LIFE, AMEN!!!
REV. LWINSOR © 2012
BIBLICAL, and/or, other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS
No comments:
Post a Comment