Holy Week and Pascha in Steelton Parish
“Let us purify our senses and we shall behold Christ, radiant with the light ineffable of the Resurrection, and shall hear Him say in accents clear: ‘Rejoice!’ as we song the song of victory.” (Paschal Canon, Canticle I, Hymn)
The stewards of St. Nicholas Church rejoiced as one in our celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Gone are the bleak days of winter and early spring when we preparing for and then observing the Great Lenten Fast. With each Sunday of Lent we found deeper meaning in the scripture readings and greater understanding of the importance of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Adoration of the Holy Cross and the lives of the saints – St. Gregory Palamas, St. John of the Ladder and St. Mary of Egypt.
We were ever mindful of keeping the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and charitable works. As we progressed, we made promises to ourselves to be more attentive to these disciplines throughout the year even though we occasionally lapsed during Lent. We counted on the Pre-Sanctified liturgies and the example and encouragement of our parish priest, Fr. Srboljub Jockovich, to stay on course and to dig deeper within ourselves to recognize our daily gifts of Christ’s mercy and grace. Eventually we were astounded to see fasting wasn’t as bad as we made it out to be; prayer is best accomplished if we do it regularly; and we felt a real sense of personal fulfillment by reaching out selflessly to help others.
All of a sudden, Lazarus Saturday was upon us and we were marking the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. Shortly we would immerse ourselves in to services of Holy Week. The St. Nicholas Church stewards participate in increasing numbers in the services of the week and especially look forward to the Holy Wednesday service. In the darkened church, only our candles lit the scene of Fr. Srboljub blessing the oil he would subsequently use to anoint all of us. We are thus offered Orthodox Christianity’s healing sacrament for all ills, whether of the body, mind or spirit. We remember the sinful woman who brought precious and costly oil to cleanse Christ’s feet only to be chastised by Judas who would soon betray our Lord. Because that betrayal took place on Wednesday, Orthodox Christians continue the tradition of the early church to fast on Wednesdays throughout the year. Further, we realize the connection between the Wednesday service of Holy Unction and Christ’s institution of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday. By the sacrament of Holy Unction on Wednesday, we prepare ourselves in a most special way to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion at Divine Liturgy the following morning.
We were blessed to have Fr. Christopher Rocknage join us for the Holy Wednesday service. Fr. Chris is the priest of Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Church in nearby Lebanon, PA. We were pleased to welcome him and several of his parishioners for this special service.
As Wednesday’s healing service proceeds, we are reminded of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as the readers, Milan Radanovic, Nicholas Govelovich, and Victor Bucharew chant seven Epistle readings and Fr. Srboljub and Fr. Christopher alternated in chanting the seven Gospel readings and seven prescribed prayers. Nadine Klipa led the Holy Week choir in singing the responses. At the high point of the Holy Unction service, we kneel in the center aisle of the church, still holding our lighted candles, and touching the arm or shoulder of the person in front of us so we are all connected. Fr. Srboljub places the opened Gospel Book on the head of one of the congregants as he recites the prayer. This year that special grace was given to Katherine (Kat) Gruich, a dear and faithful steward who suffered serious illness over the winter. We are pleased she is with us for this service. At the conclusion of the prayer, we moved slowly and patiently forward in two lines to be anointed with the newly-consecrated oil by Fr. Srboljub or Fr. Christopher.
It is a special blessing for many of those present for the Holy Unction service on Wednesday to participate in the Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on Holy Thursday morning. The words of the prayer of confession resound in our ears and penetrate our minds and hearts on this day of the Last Supper. “Of Thy mystical supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant, for I will not speak of Thy mystery to Thine enemies; neither like Judas will I give Thee a kiss but like the thief will I confess Thee. Remember me in Thy kingdom.” We leave the Liturgy with so many gifts: a deeper understanding of repentance, a greater love for one another and a greater appreciation of how the Lenten Fast has prepared us for this special time of the Orthodox Christian calendar.
With all the lessons and gifts of Holy Week, some of us still think twice about attending the Reading of the Twelve Gospels on Holy Thursday. We remember this service as the one that seems to go on and on and we are standing for much of it. Nevertheless, our faithful stewards gathered again to hear the sad and powerful poetry of the antiphons and the Gospel readings recounting Christ’s passion and His promise of eternal life to the forgiven thief.
On Friday morning, with strict fasting in effect, Fr. Srboljub conducted the service of the Royal Hours, recalling the ancient practice of gathering at the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours to pray. In observance of each hour, there are troparia, prayers and readings from the Psalms and both the Old and New Testaments. Rather than intoning the readings at the appointed hour of the day, they are now read in succession.
The Vesper service of Great and Holy Friday is held at St. Nicholas Church in the early evening then we take a break before the Burial Service that begins after darkness has fallen. As a result, many of our working families with school-aged children can attend these services that fill our eyes, ears, and hearts with so many meaningful images and sounds. The feelings of the faithful as they mourn Christ’s passion and death on the Cross are palpable. We share an unspoken grief and we marvel at the immeasurable anguish of Christ’s mother, His disciples, and His followers. At the Burial service in the darkened church, Fr. Srboljub leads us in the preliminary prayers and readings. From one candle in the front of the Church, the light moves quickly among the faithful and the Church is ablaze with candlelight and the procession forms – the choir, altar servers, and four attendants who lift Christ’s Shroud (Plastanica) over the head of Fr. Srboljub as he moves down the center aisle to lead us as we sing the Trisagion Hymn, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Have mercy on us”. When we reenter the church, we each walk under the Shroud, still being held aloft by the four attendants. It is a profoundly moving experience and our senses are filled beyond measure. With great care and tender mercy, Fr. Srboljub places the Shroud on the tomb in the center aisle of the church. As the service concludes, we all move forward to venerate Jesus Christ, our Lord, at the tomb and some stewards remain in the Church to participate in the sacrament of Holy Confession in front of the Christ’s tomb.
A group of volunteers, organized by Dewey Yetter, honored the long time tradition at St. Nicholas Church of keeping a watch at the tomb and reading aloud from the Book of Psalms throughout the night. This year’s volunteers took two hour shifts from 11:00 pm until 7:00 am.
On Saturday morning, the faithful were joined at the Church by a reporter and a photographer from the Harrisburg Patriot-News who contacted Fr. Srboljub earlier in the week to propose a story about our Holy Saturday service. The newspaper was interested in highlighting the Jewish observance of Passover and the Christian observance of Holy Week and Pascha in the same time period. There was particular interest in Holy Saturday since it appeared only the Orthodox Christian churches in the area were holding services. There are a number of Orthodox Christian churches in the Central Pennsylvania area and we are always pleased to receive local coverage of our religious rites.
Over the years, the importance of participating in the Vespers and Divine Liturgy of Holy Saturday has grown clearer. We increasingly understand this day as the pivotal transition between Christ’s agonizing passion and terrible death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. Christ’s death did not impede His continuing mission of salvation. His repose was a most active one. He descended to Hades and raised Adam as the representative of all mankind. In the Icon of the Resurrection above the royal doors at St. Nicholas Church, you see Christ trampling the gates of Hell and lifting Adam and Eve by the hand. In the background are prophets from the Old and New Testaments. Holy Saturday helps us to visualize and understand the words of the Resurrection Hymn we will sing later tonight – “Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and upon those in the tomb bestowing life!”
The Holy Saturday service, of course, begins with Vespers. Fr, Srboljub and the altar servers are dressed in the dark vestments of mourning. Olga Klipa once again took responsibility of enlisting volunteers to read the fifteen prophecies of the Old Testament with the central theme of resurrection and Christ’s ultimate triumph over death. The volunteer readers ranged in age from pre-teen to elderly. Nadine Klipa and the Holy Week Choir sang the responses with Cheri Klipa completing the fifteenth prophecy by singing the verses to “Praise the Lord, Sing and Exult Him Thoughout all the Ages.”
In place of the Trisagion Hymn, the Divine Liturgy of Holy Saturday includes the baptismal hymn, “As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ, Alleluia.” We were thus reminded of the practice in the early church to baptize catechumens so they might enter the church to celebrate their very first and complete Divine Liturgy. Following the reading of the Epistle, cousins Marina and Ioanna Radanovic sang the verses and refrain from Psalm 82: “Arise, O God, Judge the Earth: For to Thee Belong all The Nations.”
When the Royal Doors were opened again, Fr. Srboljub and the altar servers were wearing white vestments. The awesome light of Christ’s impending resurrection was becoming more and more apparent. Fr. Alexander Schmemann referred to Holy Saturday’s Vespers and Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great as “the liturgical climax of the church” and wrote, “If one opens one’s heart and mind to it and accepts its meaning and its light, the very truth of Orthodoxy is given by it, the taste and joy of that new life which shown forth from the grace.”
The Harrisburg Patriot-News photographer stayed for the entire two-hour service, taking photos of nearly every aspect of the proceedings. He noted afterwards that while he was raised Roman Catholic, his step-father was Russian Orthodox and he often accompanied his step-father to church so this experience was a poignant reminder of those times. His familiarity and sensibility can be seen in the photos he took.
Less than twelve hours later, the faithful and friends of St. Nicholas Church gathered again to observe the Resurrection Matins led by Fr. Srboljub, the readers and altar servers with the SSS Marinkovich Choir, directed by Nadine Klipa, singing the responses. Several stewards who were experiencing this Resurrection service for the first time marveled at its deep meaning, particularly when Fr. Srboljub knocks on the church door, representing the rock in front of Christ’s tomb and the door is opened and the tomb is gone! Christ is Risen! The Choir joins Fr. Srboljub in singing the Resurrection Hymn, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and upon those in the tomb bestowing life!” The service continues and the faithful exchange the Paschal kiss of love. Several stewards remarked again at the unbounded joy that reflected from Fr. Srboljub’s face and his whole being as he greeted everyone with the words, “Christ is Risen!”
It is only hours later when we return to the church to celebrate the Paschal Divine Liturgy at 10:00 A.M. By 9:30 A.M., the church is nearly full. The excitement of the moment is contagious. You can hear family, kumovi, and friends exclaiming “Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!” “Hristos Vaskrse! Vaistinu Vaskrse!” Hristos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese!”
Fr. Srboljub, the readers, and the altar servers are dressed in white vestments and Father’s voice is strong and vibrant as he chants the Liturgy. The responses of the Marinkovich Choir resound in the church. More than 350 people have come together to celebrate this glorious day the Lord has made. As the Liturgy continues, prayers are offered, praises are sung and family members and friends are remembered. As we prepare to receive Holy Communion, babies are carried forward by their kumovi or parents and the toddlers move forward as reverently as they can and Father offers the Holy Gifts to the faithful. By the conclusion of the Liturgy, nearly everyone in the church is singing the Resurrection Hymn.
This is truly a day like no other and it truly has been a week like no other. After the Lenten fast and the darkness of Holy Week, we are lifted, comforted, and energized by the Light of Christ’s Triumph and Glorious Resurrection. Dear brothers and sisters: Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
[Harrisburg Patriot-News coverage]
A triple celebration
While Harrisburg coped with a water crisis and the rest of the midstate coped with too much rain, Western Christians, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Jews observed their most holy time of the year. In a secular sense, it might seem unusual to see stores selling Passover food such as matzo, beef brisket and charoset along with Easter food such as lamb, ham and marshmallow peeps. Spiritually, it's not that unusual. Passover, the eight-day holiday that celebrates the Jews' escape from slavery in ancient Egypt, started at sundown Monday with ritual meals known as Seders and special prayers and traditions in Jewish homes.
Passover begins at sundown on the evening before the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which falls in March or April. Passover begins on a different date each year because Jews follow the lunar, not Gregorian, calendar.
Meanwhile, both Western Christians and Orthodox Christians spent the last several days in Holy Week rituals that started on Palm Sunday and culminated in Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Both groups of Christians will celebrate Easter today.
A professor at Messiah College in Grantham says that the Western and Eastern Orthodox Easters fall on the same day every four or five years, generally close to Passover. "Both Western and Eastern Easters are based on the cycle of the moon, but they calculate differently," said Douglas Jacobsen, a professor of church history and theology.
"The date of Easter can vary by six to seven weeks. This year is about as late as it can get. It's awkward when one group celebrates [the] Resurrection of Christ and another is still in Lent." At St. Nicholas Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church in Swatara Twp., about 50 people attended a two hour Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil on Saturday morning. Members took turns reading 15 Old Testament prophecies about Jesus Christ's resurrection, then the Very Rev. Srboljub Jockovich, St. Nicholas' pastor, celebrated liturgy.
Saturday night, more parishioners attended Matins in the darkened St. Nicholas.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Wormleysburg and Holy Apostles Orthodox Church of Mechanicsburg held similar services on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Roman Catholics took their Easter food to church to be blessed around noon Saturday.
Many then returned to their churches at 8 p.m. for Easter Vigil services.
[Publication: Patriot-News, The (Harrisburg, PA)]
Author(s): MARY KLAUS; mklaus@patriot-news.com
Date: May 1, 2011
Easter is more than a day to Harrisburg-area Christians. That's especially true to the area's Orthodox churches, which have spent the past several days observing Bright Week.
The week, which began on Easter and comes to a close at vespers on April 30, is a time when the royal doors to the Orthodox altars are kept open, giving worshippers an unobstructed view of the altar table.
This symbolizes that with his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ opened the way to paradise, said the Rev. Stephen Vernak, pastor of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church of Colonial Park.
"We celebrate the resurrection all week," Vernak said. "We have some special services. In my house for 40 days, we say 'Christ is risen' to our children. They reply, 'Indeed, he is risen.' "That joy is present in other Orthodox churches in the area, too, including: Holy Annunciation Macedono-Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church of Steelton.
Holy Apostles Orthodox Mission of Mechanicsburg. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Wormleysburg St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church of Harrisburg.
The Holy Week mood in Orthodox churches, like in other Christian
churches, varied by the day.
There was joy on Palm Sunday at the celebration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Many Orthodox churches used pussy willows, not palm, because the climate of some Slavic Orthodox countries wasn't temperate enough for palms. Christ the Saviour Orthodox Church used daffodils, common in Bulgarian celebrations, along with palms and pussy willows on Palm Sunday.
Prayers on Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday focused on such Biblical people as the bridegroom named in the parable of the 10 virgins, Mary Magdalene and Judas. Orthodox commemorate the Last Supper on Holy Thursday and the crucifixion of Christ on Great and Holy Friday. At the end of Friday services, a somber mood permeated the churches.
At St. Nicholas Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church on Great and Holy Friday night, the Very Rev. Srboljub Jockovich, St. Nicholas pastor, placed a tapestry shroud symbolizing the crucified Christ in the church's wooden tomb. Others placed white carnations and lilies around the tomb.
Church members then took turns keeping vigil at the tomb all night, reading by candlelight from the Book of Psalms. On Holy Saturday morning, about 50 parishioners gathered in front of that tomb to pray.
Beverly Yanich, St. Nicholas education chairwoman, said Holy Saturday represents the transformation from Jesus Christ's passion and death to his resurrection.
Jockovich used incense to bless the altar and the congregation as the rich voices of the choir sang liturgical hymns. He listened intently as 15 church members read Old Testament prophecies.
During the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, Jockovich changed his vestments from the dark purple of sorrow to the white of joy at Christ's resurrection.
"The service before the tomb of Christ is just beautiful," said Alex Govelovich of Swatara Twp., a third-generation member of St. Nicholas. "Coming here helps me get in touch with my soul and put my life in perspective." The Orthodox faithful in the region began their Easter celebration the night of April 23.
At Christ the Saviour, members read the Acts of the Apostles at 10:30 p.m., followed by Nocturne service. Then, the church was darkened except for a candle on the altar.
Soon, people in the congregation were holding lighted candles. They headed outside, processed around the church three times, sang, had a service in front of the door, then joined Vernak, the Very Rev. Daniel D. Ressetar, pastor emeritus; and the Very Rev. Dr. Michael G. Kovach, associate pastor.
Soon, they all were saying the words echoing in their hearts that sacred night: "Christ is risen. Indeed, he is risen."