The Eucharist is not celebrated on Holy Friday, as Christ said: "When the Bridegroom has gone, then they will fast." It is traditional to eat and drink nothing on this day. At the Royal Hours, we listen to selections from the Passion Gospels, together with reflective psalmody and hymns.

Also known as the "Un-nailing Service." In this most dramatic service, we commemorate the burial of Christ. The icon of the Lord is removed from the Cross, wrapped in a shroud, and symbolically entombed on the altar. The epitaphios or plaschanitsa, a special icon representing the tomb of Christ, is carried out and venerated by […]

Also known as the "Lamentations Service," we join the Mother of God at the tomb as she weeps for her Son. Christ’s body, symbolically in the form of the epitaphios or plaschanitsa, is carried around the church in solemn procession. This is the Lord’s funeral service. Yet even in this dark hour, we see the […]

Also known as the "First Liturgy of Pascha," in truth, this is first service of Pascha. The vesperal hymns are those of Resurrection: Hades weeps with regret, wondering how he could have taken this Man, who turned out to be God. The beautiful doxasticon hymn tells us that Christ has spent this Great Sabbath in […]

The vigil begins in darkness with the Midnight Office. The Paschal Flame is then carried out, and the light spreads among the people as we process outside the church. The Resurrection Gospel is proclaimed, and we re-enter the church and everything is full of light, like the souls of all the dead entering into heaven […]

We return to the church at midday on Pascha for this “Love Vespers.” As on every day of Bright Week, we only sing hymns of the Resurrection. The Gospel is read in as many languages as possible, as the Good News of the Resurrection goes out to every tribe and nation. We again exchange paschal […]