Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Christ is Risen!

Last year, we thoroughly talked about the Epistle readings each week, while two years ago the sermons were about the Gospel readings. Although we could return to the same texts and find new things to talk about, for the well of the New Testament is deep indeed, there are other Gospel and Epistle excerpts that are read at the church services that, up until now, we have not discussed. The liturgical rubrics indicate that at least one Epistle and Gospel excerpt be read each day (except for the weekdays of Great Lent), and sometimes there is a second or even third reading. These additional readings are assigned when there is a feastday, when the memory of an especially venerated saint is celebrated, on days when the reposed are commemorated. Therefore, in this new liturgical year, let’s concentrate our attention on these Epistle and Gospel readings, which, although we may have heard them often in church, we have not yet explained in sermons. On those days when there is no second reading, for example today, we’ll examine other topics.

Today is a special feastday, although many may not realize it nor notice. Last week we celebrated the resurrection of our Saviour – Pascha. The church services of Holy Week and Bright Week are wonderful and can’t be compared with the services of the rest of the liturgical year. They are so different that the Church established a second feast of Pascha, so as to mark it, you could say, in a more normal fashion, that is, according to the regular church rubrics. Therefore, today we are once again marking Pascha, once again singing and reading texts and prayers about the resurrection of our Saviour! Once more we are filled with the joy of this festive day.

Perhaps someone will think that it is strange that we are repeating Pascha today, but let’s not forget that the passions on the Cross and the resurrection of our Saviour are so central to our religious life that these events are marked not twice a year, but weekly, every Sunday. That person who comes to church only on Sunday mornings for the Liturgy may not even notice this, for there are only echoеs of this at the Liturgy (the troparion, kontakion, dismissal). To truly feel the joy of Christ’s resurrection weekly, it’s necessary to come to the all-night vigils on Saturday evenings (remember that usually the church liturgical day begins not at midnight, but in the evening).

The all-night vigil is composed of three separate services (Vespers, Matins, and First Hour), which are joined together into one long and festive service, which in theory begins late in the evening, continues all night, and concludes early in the morning after sunrise. In our parish the vigil is, of course, shorter. It begins Saturday evening and lasts about two and a half hours. Between the psalms (which are used at practically every church service), stichira, sedalia, and troparia (different kinds of liturgical hymns) are inserted. Through them, the risen Christ is glorified and we are instructed in understanding the central events of mankind’s history.

During the polyeleios (a Greek term which means ‘much oil,’ that time in the services when all the lamps are lit, when we turn on all the light, the most festive part of the service) the Gospel is read. The Gospel excerpt read Saturday evening is always about the resurrection of Christ or about those events that came right after it. There are eleven of these readings. They’re read in turn over the course of eleven weeks. These readings are very joyous. You can feel that the authors participated in the events described. These excerpts convey the excitement, anxiety, fear, lack of understanding, joy that must have gripped the apostles and myrrh-bearing women in those days.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, having celebrated Holy Week, Pascha, and Bright Week, let’s try to save that special joy that we felt. This isn’t all that complicated if we use that help which the Holy Church offers us. Therefore, let’s try to regularly attend the Sunday all-night vigils on Saturday nights and pay close attention to the liturgical texts, specially the Gospel readings.

Christ is Risen!

priest Alexis