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 CenterFeast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha - Fesakh - Hajmeh - Celebration First Day - VespersPrint information only (Do not print the Table of Contents)
All services in Great Week are moved ahead 12 hours.The reason is probably to make the services more convenient for the people to attend.
Vespers is the Lighting of the New Fire, Blessing the New Light, The first proclamation of the Resurrection, Procession of the New Light, and Procession of Triumph, which is celebrated on Great and Holy Saturday morning.
Lighting of the New Fire, Blessing the New Light, and First proclamation of the ResurrectionThe services begin with the church in darkness. The reason is that the because the Light of the World lies dead in the tomb. The darkness symbolizes the despair and defeat experienced before the dawn of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's victory over the enemy of our salvation. The priest goes behind the Holy Table, chants the Prayer of the New Light, and lights the new fire (a single candle), from which all the candles in the church will be lit. He steps forward into the Holy Doors and proclaims: "The light of Christ enlightens all people. Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who enlightens and sanctifies our souls and bodies at all times, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."The new fire (a single candle) represents the victory of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ over death. The victory of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world, over (the defeat) of the Prince of Darkness. Lighting the new fire signifies the rebirth of the Light of the World (Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ). Procession with the New LightIn the
darkened church, the priest comes out from the Holy Doors holding his
lighted Paschal candle and solemnly sings, "Come and take light from the
Light that never fades; come and glorify Christ who is risen from the
dead!" All the people come forward and light their candles from the
priest's candle. ApostolosRomans 6:3-12 - Our belief, that we who are united to Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ in baptism will be raised to new life through His resurrection, is proclaimed in the reading. Procession of TriumphAfter the reading of the Epistle, the Procession of Triumph happens. As the choir sings the Hymn of Triumph "Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem" with the verse "Arise O God, and judge the earth, for You shall inherit all nations," while the priest goes around the inside of the church strewing laurel leaves, the historic symbols of victory, and rose petals as symbols of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's victory over death. GospelSt Matthew 28:1-20 After the Procession of Triumph, the priest reads the Gospel. ImagesImages of Pascha: Glorious and Holy Easter Sunday Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States) Images of the Pascha Liturgy Continued 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) Liturgical CycleFrom Holy and Glorious Pascha to Great Feast of Pentecost, Sunday is the first day of the Liturical week. In the remainder of the year, Sunday is the last day of the Liturgical week. Pascha CyclePascha is the center and height of the Pascha Cycle. Pascha is between Great and Holy Saturday and Bright Monday or New Monday 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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