Video: one of the most the ancient Christian hymns: "O Gladsome Light" (Φῶς Ἱλαρόν), with images from Holy Friday vespers

O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy, blessed Father,
O Jesus Christ: Having come to the setting of the sun,
having beheld the evening light,
we praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: God.
Meet it is for Thee at all times to be hymned with reverent voices,
O Son of God, Giver of life.
Wherefore, the world doth glorify Thee.

Valaam Monastery Choir, from the album, "Taste of the Fountain of Immortality"

“Truly this was the Son of God.” (Mt. 27:54)

The Warrior Saints are a group of saints who were usually actual soldiers in life and martyrs to Christ in death. Their prototype was Holy Martyr Longinus, the centurion who witnessed the Crucifixion and confessed, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Mt. 27:54).

The warrior martyrs' steadfastness in the midst of the most brutal tortures and executions would lead thousands to Christ. St Longinus was eventually beheaded for preaching the Gospel.

St Longinus icon from the Nea Moni, 11th-century monastery on the island of Chios, Greece

The Holy Fire has descended! Holy Saturday 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HwolTtTg0I

As the Holy Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer (Apr 23/ May 6), was being tortured, he addressed Emperor Diocletian, “Do not imagine that it is any human learning which keeps me from being harmed by these torments. I am saved only by calling upon Christ and His Power. Whoever believes in Him has no regard for tortures and is able to do the things that Christ did” (see John 14:12).

Saint George was the patron saint and protector of several of the great builders of the Russian state. St Vladimir’s son, Yaroslav the Wise (in holy Baptism George), advanced the veneration of the holy martyr in the Russian Church. He built the city of Yuriev, translated "of Yurii". “Yurii” is the diminutive of “George”. Yaroslav also founded the Yuriev monastery at Novgorod and built a church of Saint George the Victory Bearer at Kiev.

"You were bound for good deeds, O martyr of Christ: George;
by faith you conquered the torturer’s godlessness.
You were offered as a sacrifice pleasing to God;
thus you received the crown of victory.
Through your intercessions, forgiveness of sins is granted to all."

Christ is risen! Truly 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!)
Romanian- Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a Înviat!
Aleut - Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq!
Arabic - El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
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!)
Tagalog (Filipino) – Si Kristo ay nabuhay! Siya nga ay nabuhay!

#PaschalGreeting #Pascha #Easter #OrthodoxChristianity #OrthodoxChurch

Christ is Risen!

Stepping it up a notch. Pascha in Ghana

Paschal Liturgy with a supercharged censer

Christ is Risen! On the night of Pascha 1993 at the Optina Hermitage, Hieromonk Basil (Roslyakov), Monk Therapont (Pushkaryov), and Monk Trophim (Tatarinov) were murdered by satanist Nikolay Averin with a knife so large it resembled a sword-- and engraved with "satan" and "666." The wounds were inflicted with precision and with the intention not to bring instant death, but to cause the victims to bleed to death over a long time.

New Martyrs of Optina Pustyn, pray that we might be made steadfast through your blood and suffering, unto the salvation of our souls!

Grocery shoppers in Romania sing Hristos a Înviat! Christ is Risen! In Romania, Pascha cannot be hidden. In 2020, the Holy Fire was distributed door to door to the "little churches," the homes of Orthodox believers. As Romania entered the Paschal Feast, candles lit by the Holy Fire could be seen in thousands of windows of homes and apartments. Paschal joy spilled even into the aisles of the grocery store, where shoppers started singing Hristos a Înviat! Christ is Risen!

Pascha 2021: A dove flies inside the Holy Sepulchre during the Holy Fire Celebration

Bright Monday

No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. +John 1:18

In iconography, a lion represents the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark (Apr 25/ May 8 ), symbolizing the might and royal dignity of Christ (Rev 5:5).

By the power of the Holy Spirit given by Christ to the apostles, St Mark performed mighty, miraculous works again and again. One of the central themes in the Gospel written by St Mark (ca. 62-63) is the power of God achieving what is humanly impossible.

The school that the Holy Apostle established in Alexandria would produce such Fathers and teachers as Clement of Alexandria and many others. The pagans, whom he had so often confronted, seized St Mark when he was serving the Liturgy at Alexandria and he received his glorious martyrdom there.

''When you received the grace of the Spirit from on high, O Apostle, you broke the snares of the philosophers and gathered all nations into your net, bringing them to your Lord...'' - Kontakion, Tone 2