Weekend Update: Orthodox Holy Week and Pascha

CHRIST IS RISEN!!  INDEED HE IS RISEN!!

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Sorry it's been a while since I posted.  But I have an excuse: this weekend we celebrated Christ's death and resurrection from the dead (!!!!!!!)  In the Orthodox tradition, there is a lot of church to attend, and lots of delicious food preparation, leading up to the celebration of the Resurrection.  Each of the church services throughout the week is a reflection on the events that happened in the week leading up to Christ's crucifixion, death, and resurrection.  And each of the services has contained within it some of the best contradiction/juxtaposition poetry and readings, in my opinion. 

• On Holy Thursday, the evening service is called the Twelve Gospels, in which the story of the last supper, Christ's betrayal by Judas, and His crucifixion is read.  We sing the solemn hymns regarding His crucifixion.
•   My favorite lines: "Today he who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon a tree", "He who wrapped the heavens with clouds is wrapped with the purple of mockery" ... woah. Powerful.
• On Holy Friday, we gather around the tomb of Jesus and sing the Lamentations, a set of hauntingly beautiful verses of poetry.
• My favorite line: "How O Life canst thou die?" (seriously... how?)
• On Holy Saturday morning, the service celebrates Christ still being dead in body, but the work He is performing in Hades - victory over Death - is being completed.  The church starts out solemn and dark, with the clergy vested in the purple or black of lent.  We hear the gospel of the Ressurrection and sing a joyful hymn while the church lights up and the clergy change into the celebratory white vestments!
• Best line from the gospel: "He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay!" (Mt. 28:6)
• Best song: "Arise, O God! Judge the earth. For to Thee belongs all the nations!"

Then we come home and prep for the Feast of Feasts, Pascha, Easter, Christ's Holy 3rd Day Resurrection...

Dying Easter Eggs

Packing up the Pascha Basket for the Feast of Feasts

Late on Saturday night (and into Sunday morning,) we gather at the church to celebrate Pascha!!  FYI, in most Christian traditions and translations (except English), this holiday is literally translated "Passover" since Jesus is the New Passover lamb, sacrificed for our sake to save us from Death. 

Getting ready for the Paschal procession around the church

• During the midnight Pascha service, we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.  (..duh.)  We come into the church, completely darkened, and the priest emerges from the altar with a single candle, that everyone lights their candles from.  Then we process around the church singing about the Resurrection, hear the Resurrection gospel again, and then enter into a church completely light, bright, and celebratory!! We sing CHRIST IS RISEN!  (over and over and over!)
• During liturgy, we read the first part of the gospel of John, which again has some awesome juxtaposition in it.  It's sort of a contradiction of tenses at first glance, but not really:
• My favorite verse: "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:5) ... Jesus is the Light, present tense.  He lives in the present tense, always shining into the darkness.  And the darkness did not comprehend it, past tense.  Because darkness is obliterated by Christ's resurrection.  We don't need to fear the darkness because it's in the past. Gone, donesky.
• Then, we hear the best sermon ever given in the history of all humankind, the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom.
• My favorite parts: a) The entire thing, b) "Christ is risen, and Life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the tomb!" 
• After communion, and lots more "Christ is risen" singing, Father blesses the Pascha baskets and the congregation gathers to celebrate the Feast together.  It's always such a joyous celebration!

Finally...the CANDY! (P.S. this is at 1:30 am)

In Orthodoxy the celebration lasts for 40 whole days, in which we greet each other in the name of the risen Lord - "Christ is Risen!" and responding "Indeed He is Risen!"  It's basically the most wonderful time of the year (not Christmas).  We eat the best foods, enjoy the best weather, and bask in the glory of the Resurrection.  We are joyful since we don't need to fear death.  Christ has abolished it for us.

Enjoying the spoils of Boppa's basket hunt: "Figgy eggs!" (confetti eggs)

CHRIST IS RISEN!!