Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Feasts of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha - Fesakh - Hajmeh - Celebration First Day - Matins - Divine Liturgy Blessing the Holy Artos (Pascha bread and eggs)

Deacon: let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy
Priest: O Lord, Our God, Creator of the Universe, bless these eggs, symbol of the Resurrection of your Christ. In your bounty bless those who offered them, those who prepared them and those who partake of them. Preserve them from evil. Fill them with your magnificent gifts and your bounty which is beyond measure. For yours is the dominion and yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, no and always and forever and ever.
People: Amen

After the Apotysis, the Celebrant (holding the Paschal Candle and facing the People): Christ is risen! or Al Masiah Qaam! or Christos Anesti!
People: He is truly risen! or Haqqan Qaam! or Alithos Anesti!
This is Celebrant / People chant is repeated 3 times: The first time, the Celebrant faces the People; the second time, he turns slightly to his left side; and the third time, slightly to his right side.
Celebrant (facing the People again): Glory to His Resurrection on the third day!
People: We worship His Hofy Resurrection on the third day!

Everyone comes forward to

Kiss the cross
Venerate the ikon of the Resurrection
Receive a piece of the blessed bread, a flower, and an egg.

The people greet each other with the Pascha eggs. They greet by cracking their eggs and saying the Pascal greeting.
"Christ is Risen! He is truly Risen!
Al Masiah Qaam! Haqqan Qaam! or Al Massihu Qam! Haqqan Qam! or Al Meseeh Kam! Hak'an Kam!
Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti!"

The people take the Pascha eggs and bread home to continue their Pascha celebration.

Why are the eggs colored red?

The red eggs symbolize the resurrection of Our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, that is the red symbolizes His blood and egg symbolizes life.
Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene) was bringing cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. When Mary of Magdala saw the Our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the eggs in her basket turned brilliant red.
Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene) brought a basket of eggs to the foot of the Cross, where they turned red from the blood of Our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The true meaning of dyeing Easter eggs is to show forth the miraculous transformation and re-creation of the whole world by the victorious resurrection of Our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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E-mail: mliles@mliles.com or mliles@mliles.com

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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, 19:25:04, CDT
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Feasts of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha - Fesakh - Hajmeh - Celebration First Day - Matins - Divine Liturgy Blessing the Holy Artos (Pascha bread and eggs)

Prayer

Why are the eggs colored red?