www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization St. Elias Services

Khristos Voskrese!

It's true, one can learn so much from hanging out at St. Elias. With the exception of having Fr. Peter Galadza teach us liturgics at Stamford including how to do the full vsenoschnoe bdenie, I will agree that St. Elias is a better Byzantine liturgical learning ground than any seminary program I can think of.

Since this has wandered to St. Elias stories, I will never forget serving as subdeacon for Archpriest Roman for a wedding of a Melkite couple who got married at St. Elias as I recall in October, 2001. Isaiye, likuie...dance, O Isaiah, in that beautiful znamenny melody. At the end the family sang this incredible Arabic song that made me and Archpriest Roman cry...

Heck, if an old Okie Ukie like me can learn how to do this stuff, that should be proof enough of the efficacy of St. Elias. I even wore my red stikhar for Bright Monday this year in union with my brethren to the North

...i smertyu smert' razrushi.

Dear Alex, the "official" guidelines for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA allow either a stikhar or a wide-sleeved riassa over a podriasnyk for readers, cantors and subdeacons who have been set aside through tonsure/ cheirotesia by the Bishop if they are not serving at the altar. If the above are serving at the altar they should be wearing a stikhar (or in the subdeacon's case a stikhar and orar). Our local Orthodox parish also follows this practice.

But I'm for the Bishop/Exarch blessing cantors and tonsuring readers in every parish to perform that holy task .

Voskresennye Khristovo vidivshe...

Dear Herb,

Yes, what St Elias does is an ancient practice of the Kyivan Church and of the Kyivan Caves Lavra in particular.

It was customary, for example, to incense the Relics of the Holy Ones of the Kyiv Lavra on Pascha.

St Anastasius of the Caves was himself doing this one Pascha and he shouted to the Relics of the Fathers: "Christ is Risen!"

To his great surprise and incredible shock, the reposed Fathers then all responded to one in one accord with a loud: "Truly He is Risen!"

This is written up in St Nestor's Chronicles.

Also, many Ukies go to the cemetery to have their Easter brunch after Church services.

All of "Ukrainian Alberta" does this and I studied this as a sociology project.

There is even a film by the National Film Board on this.

The people go to the cemetery to clean up the graves just before Easter. And then they bring the blessed foods and eat among the graves of their relatives and friends.

Often, a blessed Easter egg will be shoved in to the soil on a grave as well . . .

I would do this myself, but only if picnic tables were provided . . .

Alex

Dear Ilya Romanovich,

I have no doubt but that our Church would be a different Church if as many clergy and laity as possible were exposed to the liturgical riches of St Elias Church in Brampton!

(I had pleasant dreams that I was dressed as a subdeacon and was carrying ripidia last night . . . ).

Your parish is the culmination of all that the Kyivan Church was historically and should be today.

I think this is one of the most important topics that can be discussed on a forum such as this one - we spend too much time on less important topics by comparison.

I hope that in future you and Diak and others would bring such topics into the open here to enlighten us all.

And I hope you'll give me a call so we can meet for lunch - on me, of course!!

Alex

Alex is right. This is a good topic.

I have one question: does anyone have any specific information on the wearing of red vestments during Bright Week and on Easter? Written information would be best. I have seen pictures, but the pictures do not sufficiently explain why, except that it looks cool.

Alex, please keep it down at work with all those canons. I am trying to study.

Brian, I thought Radonitsa was on the Tuesday after Thomas Sunday?

Herbigny, how do you find out all about these services at St. Elias so soon?

Daniil

Danill,

you are probably right about Radonitza. Herb's description just reminded me of it.

Christos Voskrese!

Dear Daniil, as I understand it from the Nastol'naya Kniga Sviashchenno-sluzhitelia, Volume 4, Moscow 1983, the practice you mention is to wear bright red, not a darker red as for the feasts of the Cross, for the Liturgy of Pascha itself and Bright Week. White is indicated to be worn for Paschal Matins itself but the bright red is mentioned in the notes. According to the notes this practice is followed in Moscow, on Mt. Athos and in Jerusalem. I have also seen a reference to bright red also being worn for the Nativity.

After all, krasni is both 'red' and 'beautiful', isn't it?


There is a very brief discussion of liturgical colors on the Orthodx Family (ROCOR) website at www.roca.org/OA/32/32f.htm [roca.org]

Dear Daniil,

Yes, yesterday was the opening of Provincial Parliament with the reading of the Throne Speech and we had a 15 gun salute to the Lieutenant Governor.

Tradition is tradition!

Happy studying . . .

Alex

XB!!!

All this talk of cannonades reminds of my Question re the great fireworks and rockets set off at St. Elias apparently during the blessing of Pascha Food Baskets.

What's that all about? Is that also a common and ancient in Greco-Catholic/Orthodox Churches?

Herb

ps: O-C. Thanks for the Cool info re the Cemetery Procession and Ceremonies on Bright Tuesday! Chronicles of St. Nestor, eh? Sweet!

pps: so what's this Radonytza thing that Brian mentioned?

XPICTOC BOCKPECE!

Dear Herb,

Yes, the rockets et al. are done especially in Greece.

I don't know if they do that in Russian cathedrals and monasteries - you'll have to ask Ilya and Daniil, da?

(I think I'm going to be on their hate list after today, if I'm not already . . .)

Alex

Alex,

I think to keep the peace on the board, you need to attend Liturgy at St Elias quite soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Brian,

And, hopefully, when I get there, there won't be pictures of my mug pinned to trees with "Not Wanted" underneath . . .

Alex

no, I don't this would happen but do write "Brian, a soon to be Orthodox Christian, wants to attend this beautiful parish soon!!!"

Dear Brian,

All kidding aside, I certainly would hope that St Elias could formally become a liturgical training centre for our seminarians.

Alex

Dear Alex:

Have you been naughty again?

Don't worry all will be forgiven when you pay us a visit (try not to slip on the flowers strewn in your way).

I am amazed how people who have never been to St. Elias know all about what happens there.

Yes fireworks were set off during the blessing of
Easter baskets.

It is done every year, why doesn't your parish do the same?

I don't think that it relates to any specific eastern tradition, its just something done at St. Elias.

I for one love it; it is in fact part of my cultural tradition.

In Portugal we set off fireworks before outdoor festivals, during processions, or immediately afterwards.

I think it is just something we picked up in China during the age of explorations.

We do a lot of neat things at St. Elias, come and see for yourselves.

defreitas