Web Site Home - Theology Home - Hierarchy Home - Locations Home - Education Home - Stewardship Home - Links Home - Vendors Home - Alphabetical Index Home - Thesaurus Home - Sitemap Home - Arabic fonts Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information CenterHoly and Glorious Pascha Preparation - Great and Holy Saturday - Junnaaz al-Maseeh - Hajmeh - Matins
Fasting and FeastingHoly Saturday is a day of strict fasting until the Vespers of Pascha. Feasting begins after the Vespers, which is about mid-day. Many Churches delay the Vespers until evening. All services in Great and Holy Week are moved ahead 12 hours.The reason is probably to make the services more convenient for the people to attend.
Matins is the Funeral Service of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's body (Funeral of Christ / Junnaaz al-Maseeh / Epitaphios Service) of Great and Holy Saturday, which is celebrated on Great and Holy Friday evening
Chanting of the lamentations at the TombWe gather around the Tomb (Epitaphion) and we sing Lamentations. During the singing of the Lamentations (or Dirges or Praises), the priest incenses the entire church. Then, the priest sprinkles the tomb and the whole church with rose petals and / or perfumed holy water (rose-water). The verse recalls the myrrh-bearing women. The Great Doxology is sung. Processing around the church with the Crucified Body of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ in the TombThe altar servers lift up the Tomb (Epitaphion). The priest leads
the procession with the the Tomb (Epitaphion) around the
church. The people, who follow the Tomb (Epitaphion), are carrying candles
and singing "+Holy God! Holy Mighty One! Holy Immortal One! Have mercy on us. /
+Quddouson (Qudooson) Allâh! Quddouson ul-qawee! Quddouson ulladhee la yamout! Irhamna. /
+Agios O Theos! Agios Eeskhiros! Agios Athanatos! Eleison imas!" The procession goes out the door and around the church. Venerating the Crucified Body of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ in the TombBack in the church, we read the Apostolos and Gospel. Then everyone comes forward to venerate the Body of Christ in the Tomb (Epitaphion). At that time, the priest gives everyone a flower from the Tomb. Closing this Liturgical SereviceAll the candles in the church are extinguished. The Light of the World lies in the Tomb, and the world
lies in dark sadness. The dark church symbolizes the
despair and defeat experienced before the dawn of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ's victory over the enemy of our salvation. Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus ChristHoly God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ's body rests in the tomb while His spirit frees the righteous dead. Name of Liturgical ServiceThis liturgical Service is sometimes named Ginnaz al-Maseeh. Technically, the word "Ginnaz" is wrong because a person can have only one funeral serivce. Divine Liturgy resumesFrom the time of the Crucifixion of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ at Matins (Service of the Twelve Gospels or Passion Gospels or Crucifixion Service) of Great and Holy Friday celebrated on Great and Holy Thursday evening to Vespers (Lighting of the New Fire; Procession of Triumph; First Announcement of the Resurrection; Divine Liturgy of Our Father among the Saints Basil) of Pascha is celebrated on Great and Holy Saturday morning, Divine Liturgy is not celebrated and Holy Communion is not given. The reason is that Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is in the Tomb. The world is in dark sadness because the Light of the World has been taken away. Liturgical TextEnglish MatinsText The Melkite Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand, a Microsoft Word .doc file Liturgical Service on WebGreek Catholic, Melkite Al-Bushra TraditionsTraditions of Great Lent and Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton ImagesImages of Great and Holy Saturday Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States)Images of Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States) Images of Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of NewtonPascha CycleGreat and Holy Saturday is between Great and Holy Friday and Holy and Glorious Pascha. How to determine when Great and Holy Saturday occursGreat Lent is Forty Days. A count back from the date of Pascha is made. Web Site Home - Theology Home - Hierarchy Home - Locations Home - Education Home - Stewardship Home - Links Home - Vendors Home - Alphabetical Index Home - Thesaurus Home - Sitemap Home - Arabic fonts Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Martha Liles Web URL address: Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center or https://www.mliles.com/melkite/ E-mail: mliles@mliles.com or mliles@mliles.com Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is
an unofficial Melkite Greek Catholic Web site and has not been reviewed or
approved by any Melkite clergy person. Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is
dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in
the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020. This site copyright©2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020 Martha Liles. All rights reserved.
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