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Thursday of the Sixth Week of Lent. The Fulfilling of a Journey

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and

Monday of the Sixth Week of Lent. The Passover in the Old and New Testaments

Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that

Saturday of Lazarus

By Archpriest Alexander Schmemann The joy that permeates and enlightens the service of Lazarus Saturday stresses one major theme: the forthcoming victory of Christ over Hades. “Hades” is the Biblical term for Death and its universal power, for inescapable darkness that swallows all life and with its shadow poisons the whole world. But now — with Lazarus’ resurrection — “death begins to tremble.” A decisive duel between Life and Death begins giving us the key to

Thursday of the Prodigal Son. One Happy Father

But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ”Father I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the Father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! The Sixth Wednesday of Pascha: The Ascension and the Glorification of Man (Part I)

By Father Lawrence Farley In contemporary Orthodoxy, we are accustomed to referring to Christ as one of the Holy Trinity. He is usually referred to as “Christ our true God”, and the Gospel of John, which stresses His divine status, is, I would suggest, our favourite of the four Gospels. When announcing the reading from (say) Matthew’s Gospel, the deacon says, “Bless master him who proclaims the good tidings of the holy apostle and evangelist

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! The Sixth Tuesday of Pascha: Let God Arise!

By Father Daniel Kovalak “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). In God’s “strategic plan” for the life of the world and its salvation, He decisively intervened, in Person, “trampling down death by death.” In the radiant light of Jesus’ glorious resurrection, darkness is overcome, creation is renewed, disappointment and despair no longer have the final word, sorrow is turned to

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! The Sixth Monday of Pascha: Holy Pascha: The Blast of a Trumpet

By Father Lawrence Farley From the prophecies of Isaiah: “It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:13).  The prophet here surveys the world around him, and sees how the people of God were languishing in

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! The Fourth Friday of Pascha: The Descent of Jesus into Hades (Part IV)

By Father Thomas Hopko We Christians believe, Orthodox Christians believe, that Christ is that Messianic King who frees us, and He frees us by dying. He liberates us. He ransoms us by the power of hell. He gave Himself, a ransom, to death, by which we were held captive, in order to release us, and that is what trampling down death by death means. So the icon of the so-called Descent into Sheol shows that

Renewal (Bright Wednesday). Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

And Into the Brightness, by Fr. Stephen Freeman Bright Week – such a marvelous phrase – descriptive theologically and in many other ways of the time after Pascha. If we only knew, we all live in Bright Week – despite the fasting that we take up from season to season – despite the disasters that plague our earthly sojourn – still, we are all living in Bright Week. In Bright Week, the Bridegroom has come,

Renewal (Bright) Wednesday. Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

During His earthly life the Savior repeatedly pronounced words that are precious to the faithful soul: Because I live, ye shall live also (John 14:19); My peace I give unto you (John 14:27); These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full (John 15:11). The Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, writes: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be