Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Holy and Glorious Pascha Preparation - Great and Holy Saturday - Junnaaz al-Maseeh - Hajmeh

Great and Holy Week or Pascha Cycle
Liturgical Service	of what Liturgical Day	Held on what Calendar Day	Time held
Royal Hours (Great Hours)	of Great and Holy Saturday	on Great and Holy Friday	early morning often 9 am
Vespers Jesus' descent from the cross	of Great and Holy Saturday	on Great and Holy Friday	late morning
Matins Burial of Jesus Junnaaz al-Maseeh Epitaphios Service	of Great and Holy Saturday	on Great and Holy Friday	evening
Vespers Blessing the new light, Procession of Triumph, The first proclamation of the Resurrection, Divine Liturgy of Our Father among the Saints Basil	of Holy and Glorious Pascha	on Great and Holy Saturday	morning
Matins Hajmeh; Paschal Orthros; Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Blessing of Holy Artos (Pascha eggs and bread)	of Holy and Glorious Pascha	on Great and Holy Saturday	evening / night

Fasting and Feasting

Holy 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.

Vespers is the Descent from the cross of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's body of Great and Holy Saturday, which is celebrated on Great and Holy Friday morning

Vespers commemorates the taking down of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's body from the Cross. The Body of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is removed from the Holy Cross.

Taking down the Crucified Body of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ from the Holy Cross
Placing the Crucified Body of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ in the Tomb

Taking down the Crucified Body of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ from the Holy Cross and Placing the Crucified Body of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ in the Tomb

The priest reads the Gospel.

Then, the reenactment of the Crucified Body of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ being removed from the Holy Cross and being placed in the tomb takes place.
The priest takes down the Crucified Body of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. wraps it in a shroud, and places it in the Tomb decorated with flowers. While the priest is doing that action, the choir sings this magnificent hymn. "O you put on light as a robe, when Joseph with Nicodemus brought you down from the wood and saw you dead, naked, and unburied, he wept in lamentation and said, 'Woe is me, O sweetest Jesus! When the sun beheld you hung on the cross, it was shrouded in darkness. The earth was shaken in fear and the curtain of the temple was torn asunder. I see you now willingly enduring death for me. How then shall I array you, O my God? How shall I place you in the shroud? How can I touch your spotless body? Or what dirges shall I sing for your funeral, O Merciful One? Therefore I extol your sufferings and praise your Burial and Resurrection, crying. "O Lord, glory to you!"

Then, there is a solemn procession with the Tomb (Epitaphion). The Tomb (Epitaphion) is decorated with red (death) and white (resurrection) flowers)

Time of Day

The time of Vespers (sunset) was about the time at which Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's body was actually taken down from the Cross.

Pascha Cycle

Great and Holy Saturday is between Great and Holy Friday and Holy and Glorious Pascha.

How to determine when Great and Holy Saturday occurs

Great Lent is Forty Days. A count back from the date of Pascha is made.

Traditions

Traditions of Great Lent and Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

Images

Images 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 Newton

Liturgical Service on Web

Greek Catholic, Melkite Al-Bushra

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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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.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Wednesday, June 03, 2020, 19:25:22, CDT
The current date and time is: Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 04:46:25, CDT or Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 09:46:25, GMT