www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Byzantine Holy Week customs

I'm almost entirely unfamiliar with Byzantine Lenten customs, and would like to learn about them. I guess the way I'll approach it is by way of comparison.

In the Syrian Church, during the middle week of Lent (I think the feast of the Forty Holy Martyrs falls during this week), the "Golgotha" is placed in the church for the people to venerate. This is a wooden pillar of sorts, very tall. It has a platform on the top of the pillar on which is placed the Holy Cross, clad in crimson (reminiscent of the One clad in crimson garments from Isaiah 63), and on either side of the Cross, two candles, and the mar'wasah (the cherubim, technically, but ripidia). The pillar itself is veiled in crimson. It is to be venerated when entering and leaving the church, and is incensed during the Creed. During Holy Week, after Palm Sunday, the cloths and curtains are changed to black.

On the evening of Palm Sunday, we have Vespers for the next day, and also the ceremony called Naheere. It relates to the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins. The altar is veiled, and the priest and deacons are at the foot of the altar, and beg to be allowed to enter the Wedding Feast. The veil is drawn, and incense is burned, and all the bells are rung after the third imploring, as the clergy enter the altar.

The services of Holy Thursday are held (for us of the Indian persuasion) at about four in the morning, and last till nine. No bells are rung at this Qurbana, it's very solemn. This day in the Syrian Church is called Pesahak, or in English, Passover.

The ritual of the washing of the feet is usually done only by bishops on Thursday evening before the Vespers of Good Friday. Twelve deacons are seated in the church, and the prayers, chants, and readings for this service are sung. The bishop reads the Gospel from his throne, which the priests and deacons hold up. Then the right feet of the twelve are washed with rose water.

Good Friday's liturgy is probably the most moving of the year. It also hurts. It lasts about six to seven hours. It's really three services, corresponding to the liturgical hours, from nine in the morning till three in the afternoon. During the processions with the cross at the last two services, two hymns are sung. One refers to Mary seeing her Son go off to Golgotha, and has her saying something like "Where are they taking you, my beloved Son? Why have you let them do this to you?" The other refers to Joseph taking down the body of Christ and making arrangements for His burial. These hymns are so moving that often people are in tears. Many of the prayers sting one's heart with sorrow. One of the most moving in my opinion is one in which Christ from the Cross is asking for His Apostles in words like this: "Peter, why have you denied me? Andrew, why have you left me? James, John, have you forgotten me? Philip, have you abandoned me as well?" It goes on with the names of the twelve. When the portion of the Gospel is read which says that at noon there was darkness, all the lights in the church are put out, and when the portion is read about the Good Thief, the left candle on the Golgotha, which stands for the bad thief, is taken down, extinguished, and broken. For the burial, the Cross is cleansed with rose water and flowers, and is wrapped in linen and buried under the main altar. At that moment, all the candles in the church are put out. Finally at the end, there is placed on a table the bitter drink. It's a mix of different sour and bitter liquids which is solemnly blessed. It doesn't taste good at all (except for the couple of years where my family has prepared it, then it was bearable). This is drunk in church by all, and is taken home to those who could not be there that day, or for those who'd like to have it to drink every so often in memory of the death of the Lord.

On Holy Saturday morning, the Qurbana is offered on an altar set up outside the actual altar (sanctuary) because the main altar, being the tomb, cannot be used.

And I guess I'll save Pascha for Pascha...

Are there any comparable customs in the Byzantine Church?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mor Ephrem:

"In the Syrian Church, during the middle week of Lent (I think the feast of the Forty Holy Martyrs falls during this week), the "Golgotha" is placed in the church for the people to venerate."

Does this remain up for the remainder of Lent? In the Byzantine tradition, the third Sunday of Lent is dedicated to the Holy Cross, and the Cross is venerated on that day. In many places, it is placed in the middle of the church for veneration in a manner similar to what you have described.

"On the evening of Palm Sunday, we have Vespers for the next day, and also the ceremony called Naheere."

Again, similarly in the Byzantine tradition on the evenings of Palm Sunday, Great Monday and Great Tuesday the Breidegroom Service is held -- a form of matins that emphasizes the coming of the bridegroom and the wedding feast. A very moving, central hymn of this service is called "Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight..."

On Great Wednesday night, the efchalaion service is held, a service of anointing. It is a long service as well, with many Gospel readings relating to Christ the healer. At the end of the service, everyone present generally is anointed.

"The services of Holy Thursday are held (for us of the Indian persuasion) at about four in the morning, and last till nine. No bells are rung at this Qurbana, it's very solemn. This day in the Syrian Church is called Pesahak, or in English, Passover."

Interesting. In the Byzantine Church the Divine Liturgy is served on Holy Thursday morning (typically).

"The ritual of the washing of the feet is usually done only by bishops on Thursday evening before the Vespers of Good Friday."

I have not seen this in the Byzantine rite. My understanding is that it is still celebrated in some places (monasteries, notably Patmos), but generally it's not celebrated in most places.

On Great Thursday evening in the Byzantine rite the matins of Great Friday are served. This includes the reading of the twelve passion gospels, interspersed with various hymns and troparia. In some traditions, the icon of the crucified Christ is solemnly processed to the Cross in the middle of the Church and placed on it, complete with nailing. It's a very moving, somber service.

"Good Friday's liturgy is probably the most moving of the year."

I think a lot of Byzantines would feel that way about the evening service of Great Friday. During the day on Great Friday the Vespers of Great Friday are celebrated, which commemorate the taking down from the Cross.

On the evening of Great Friday, the matins of Great Saturday are served. This consists of a series of "lamentations" before the Tomb, which has been placed in the center of the Church, and on which the 'epitaphion' (or burial shroud -- in practice an embroidered cloth with an embroidered icon of the burial of Christ on it) has been placed. At various points, rose water is scattered among the congregation. Following the lamentations, the 'epitaphion' is removed from the Tomb and processed, together with the entire congregation, around the church building, outside and then back inside, while the people chant "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Have Mercy On Us!" in the very somber tone reserved for funerals and memorial services. In some places the epitaphion is held over the door of the church so that the people can touch it as they pass under it and reenter the Church -- said to be an enactment of the passage given by Christ's death and resurrection. The epitpahion is then processed into the sanctuary and around the altar three times, and then placed on the altar table (where it stays for the paschal season). It's a very, very moving service --a very strange juxtaposition of somber and joyful at the same time, the perfect pitch for Great Saturday.

"On Holy Saturday morning, the Qurbana is offered on an altar set up outside the actual altar (sanctuary) because the main altar, being the tomb, cannot be used."

On Holy Saturday morning in the Byzantine Tradition, a Vesperal liturgy is served -- a combination of Vespers, a series of readings, and then right into the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Those who are to be baptized are baptized at this time.

"And I guess I'll save Pascha for Pascha..."

Okay.

Brendan

Dear Brendan,

Thanks for your reply!

The Golgotha remains in the main body of the church during Lent. After the Palm Sunday Qurbana the red cloths which adorn it, as well as the colourful veils of the altar, are replaced with black silk, and the gold crosses are replaced with silver or wood. After Pascha, the Golgotha is reclothed with a joyful colour, white, gold, or usually for us, rose. The Cross is covered completely with a crimson cloth, and the Golgotha in this way stays in the church till the Feast of the Ascension.

I'm happy to hear that the Byzantine and Syrian Churches offer the Qurbana on Holy Thursday morning. We traditionally have offered it in the early morning hours, as I said. In India, it's even earlier, starting at three (in India, traditionally all the major feasts of the year begin quite early in the morning). In America I've heard of certain parishes, having had to share space with another Church or ecclesial community, which offer the Qurbana of Holy Thursday on the previous Wednesday night, by special permission of the Patriarch.

I've seen pictures of the washing of the feet in Greek Orthodox monasteries, as well as in Jerusalem. Perhaps the reason in our church why bishops generally do it, but not everyone else, is because the bishops are monastics. It only happens when the bishop visits a parish for the evening. When this happens, most of the priests go to that parish, leaving the celebration of Vespers that night to the deacon. Since the main liturgical service of Good Friday is from 9.00am-3.00pm on Friday, Vespers can be celebrated by other than a priest.

I once heard of the twelve passion readings in the Byzantine Church. Do you know what readings those are? I'd really like a list for my own use. In the Syrian Church the gospels for the Friday of Lamentation (the translation of our word for Good Friday) are taken from a harmony of the Gospel. In other words, it's the Passion from the four gospels, arranged chronologically in one narration. It's introduced something along the lines of "The Holy Gospel of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke and his friends".

Thanks again for your help.


[This message has been edited by Mor Ephrem (edited 04-03-2001).]

This is most enlightening and fascinating!

MORE!

Blessings!

Blessings!

Yes, *thank you*, Mor Ephrem!! I'm looking forward to hearing about how you celebrate Pascha! Awesome!

God bless you.

Liz :-)

Is anyone old enough to have seen a "sub deacon"? I guess that is what I'm in training to be, for the time being. At 53 with gray and thinning hair and beard I do have a presence among the 7-16 year olds who are my compadres around the altar.

Last evening I helped carry the Plasinicha (sp?). What a glorious time it is to be alive!

Dan Lauffer

Dear Dan,

In the Syrian Church we have subdeacons. Usually they are in seminary and so aren't seen often in the parishes, but they're around, and can be seen at various hierarchical ceremonies. I personally haven't seen one, but have seen a few recently taken pictures.

Christ is Risen!

I said I'd wait till Easter to tell you all of the Syrian Church's way of celebrating this most holy day.

The Holy Cross, having been cleansed, anointed, and wrapped in a linen shroud on Good Friday, lies buried under the main altar of the church. On Qyomto, the priest and deacons silently pray the "Order of the Resurrection" in the altar, which is for Friday and Saturday, reminiscent of the Tomb.

After this private service is over (all this while the people are waiting outside the altar), the black veils, curtains, and other furnishings are pulled down, revealing the ornate cloths they covered, and the Cross, wrapped in crimson silk, is brought out by the priest, assisted by deacons bearing the mar wa'sah or ripidia, bells, incense, and candles, to the people (also with lit candles) and proclaims thrice, while blessing the people with the Cross: "Be not afraid! I have good news of great joy for all mankind: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and has trampled the enemy!"

After a lengthy Office with just about every OT psalm and canticle of praise, there is a procession with the Cross, which commemorates the appearance of the Risen Lord to Mary Magdalene, and a beautiful hymn is sung with this theme. After this, the rite of Zuyoho (a blessing of the four corners of the world with the Holy Cross) is conducted, and then the Qurbana proceeds as usual.

After the Liturgy, the Cross, covered in the silk, and the book of the Gospels, is placed on the steps of the altar with two lit candles. The people kneel and symbolically venerate the Risen Lord in His Cross and Gospel. Then the kiss of peace is exchanged with all the deacons.

*In the prayer request forum, under the thread for Holy Week, I alluded to a problem I was having that I asked prayers for. Well, things are increasingly not looking good, but instead rather bleak. I will soon place a formal request in that forum, I expect, but until then, I ask you all for your prayers. Thank you.

Christ is risen!

Thank you, Mor Ephrem! It is so good to hear how you celebrate Pascha. :-)
I will indeed be praying for you.

God Bless.

Liz

Dear Mor Ephrem,

How truly blessed we all are for having read your posts!

I see that there is much in common with the Ethiopian tradition as well.

Christ is Risen!

Alex

Dear Alex,

Thank you for your kind words. They made me smile for a moment of this not so good day.

Would you mind sharing some of the Ethiopian customs? I'm interested, now that you say that there are some common customs.

http://sor.cua.edu/Liturgy/Feasts/

I've been waiting for this link on the site to show itself. It's great! You should all check it out, especially the Holy Week stuff. It'll explain stuff better than I could.

Dear Mor Ephrem,

Thank you for that informative site!

I myself have for long observed the Fast of Nineveh - because I think it is cool!

Alex

The Holy Prophet Jonah didn't (at least to me) seem terribly pleased that the Ninevites repented and fasted. What would he think of you for following their example? For shame, Alex, for shame...just kidding. I'll bet now he thinks it's cool, as you and I do.

Dear Mor Ephrem,

Yes, anyone who could have provoked a whale to throw up would have put the fear of the Lord into anyone!

God bless you, precious friend in Christ!

Alex