On this mournful day of Holy Week, when we remember the betrayal of Judas, may the Lord strengthen us in the fight against our passions, especially with the love of money and the thirst for profit. May He grant us wisdom and understanding to rightly assess life and choose the right values. May He cleanse our hearts with repentance and humility, so that we may always remain faithful to Christ and not betray Him by our sins.
Let us, brothers and sisters, learn from the example of Judas, reject the sin of betrayal and strive for loyalty to Christ, so that we may be granted eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven!
Amen.
With prayers for you and love in Christ, Fr. Vladimir”
Отец Владимир on Facebook
Let us, brothers and sisters, learn from the example of Judas, reject the sin of betrayal and strive for loyalty to Christ, so that we may be granted eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven!
Amen.
With prayers for you and love in Christ, Fr. Vladimir”
Отец Владимир on Facebook
On Great and Holy Friday, 1945, the Righteous Maria of Paris (Skobtsova) was selected for the Nazi gas chamber at Ravensbruck, where she met her martyrdom on Great and Holy Saturday. For her efforts in rescuing Jewish children in Paris, she is among the "righteous gentiles" honoured in Israel. St Maria devised a plan involving Paris garbage collectors, who hid the children in trash cans so they could be whisked away to safety outside the city and spared from the same death she would suffer.
“Do this in remembrance of me.” On Holy Thursday, the Church celebrates the “birthday” of the the Mystical Supper— the beginning of the New Covenant.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, He celebrates the Passover meal, a perpetual reminder of the Angel of Death “passing over” the Israelite homes marked with the blood of Lambs, sparing them for the journey through the Red Sea towards the promised land.
In the Upper Room in Jerusalem with his disciples, Christ turns bread and wine into His body and blood. The Passover meal is now the Holy Eucharist.
☦️ Saint Melito of Sardis declares that Jesus “is the Passover (πάσχειν) that is our salvation.”
On the night Jesus was betrayed, He celebrates the Passover meal, a perpetual reminder of the Angel of Death “passing over” the Israelite homes marked with the blood of Lambs, sparing them for the journey through the Red Sea towards the promised land.
In the Upper Room in Jerusalem with his disciples, Christ turns bread and wine into His body and blood. The Passover meal is now the Holy Eucharist.
☦️ Saint Melito of Sardis declares that Jesus “is the Passover (πάσχειν) that is our salvation.”
"And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull." Mark 15:22
Great and Holy Friday in Icons: Christ's Crucifixion and Death
Christ nailed to the Cross. (Fresco in Dionysiou Monastery, Mt. Athos)
The Crucifixion. (Fresco in the Church of St. Nicholas in Prilepe, Macadonia. 11th-13th c.)
Christ's death. (Fresco in Vysoki Decani Monastery, Serbia. 14th c.)
Great and Holy Friday in Icons: Christ's Crucifixion and Death
Christ nailed to the Cross. (Fresco in Dionysiou Monastery, Mt. Athos)
The Crucifixion. (Fresco in the Church of St. Nicholas in Prilepe, Macadonia. 11th-13th c.)
Christ's death. (Fresco in Vysoki Decani Monastery, Serbia. 14th c.)
But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! +Matthew 26:63-65
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. ✝ Matt. 27:1-2
Image: Fresco in Staro Nagoricno, Macedonia. 12th-14th c.
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor. ✝ Matt. 27:1-2
Image: Fresco in Staro Nagoricno, Macedonia. 12th-14th c.
"Through fasting a person becomes meek, a lamb. If he turns into a beast, it means one of two things: either that his undertaken asceticism exceeds his strength, or what he was doing was selfishness and therefore receives no divine help. Because if he fasts and has proud thoughts that what he performs makes him important, then all of his fasting is as nothing."
✝️ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos
✝️ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos
Holy Saturday epitomizes “bright sadness” and “joyful sorrow” (χαρμολύπη). We stand amidst the tension between the mourning and lamentation of Lent and Holy Week and the celebration of the Resurrection.
On the Epitaph (Eπιτάφιος), a beautiful cloth with an embroidered icon of Christ’s body, Christ appears to sleep. However, there is a miracle at work. Christ has descended into Hades to release the captive souls of Adam, Eve, the prophets, the righteous in a glorious event: the “Harrowing of Hell" (Greek: ἡ εἰς Ἅδου κάθοδος). The
On the Epitaph (Eπιτάφιος), a beautiful cloth with an embroidered icon of Christ’s body, Christ appears to sleep. However, there is a miracle at work. Christ has descended into Hades to release the captive souls of Adam, Eve, the prophets, the righteous in a glorious event: the “Harrowing of Hell" (Greek: ἡ εἰς Ἅδου κάθοδος). The
Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!
Greek - Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Church Slavonic - Хрїстóсъ воскрéсе! Воистину воскресе! (Christos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!)
Russian - Христос воскрес! Воистину воскрес! (Christos voskres! Voistinu voskres!)
Ukrainian - Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! (Hrystos voskres! Voistynu voskres!)
Arabic - El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Serbian - Hristos Vaskrese! Vaistinu Vaskrese!
Romanian - Hristos a Inviat! – Adevarat a Inviat!
Filipino (Tagalog) - Si Kristo ay nabuhay! Siya nga ay nabuhay!
Aleut - Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq!
Spanish - Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Chinese - Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Mandarin - 基督復活了 他確實復活了 (Jīdū fùhuó le; tā quèshí fùhuó le!)
#PaschalGreeting #Pascha #Easter
Greek - Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Church Slavonic - Хрїстóсъ воскрéсе! Воистину воскресе! (Christos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!)
Russian - Христос воскрес! Воистину воскрес! (Christos voskres! Voistinu voskres!)
Ukrainian - Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! (Hrystos voskres! Voistynu voskres!)
Arabic - El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Serbian - Hristos Vaskrese! Vaistinu Vaskrese!
Romanian - Hristos a Inviat! – Adevarat a Inviat!
Filipino (Tagalog) - Si Kristo ay nabuhay! Siya nga ay nabuhay!
Aleut - Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq!
Spanish - Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Chinese - Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Mandarin - 基督復活了 他確實復活了 (Jīdū fùhuó le; tā quèshí fùhuó le!)
#PaschalGreeting #Pascha #Easter