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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

Holy and Glorious Pascha Preparation - Great and Holy Friday - Vespers

Great and Holy Friday commemorates the death in human form by crucifixion of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ .

By His death, Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ redeemed our souls. Then, we have the possibility of "eternal life".

Great and Holy Friday is a day of strict fasting. Liturgical Day

All services in Great and Holy Week are moved ahead 12 hours.

The reason is probably to make the services more convenient for the people to attend.

Vespers is the Divine Liturgy of Our Father among the Saints Basil the Great - Commemorates The Mystical Supper (Last Supper) and institution of Holy Eucharist of Great and Holy Friday, which is celebrated on Great and Holy Thursday morning

The Church commemorates The Mystical Supper (Last Supper), when Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ instituted the Holy Mystery of the Holy Eucharist of His Body and Blood. Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, preparing to offer Himself as Priest and Victim, revealed to His holy apostles the Sacred Mysteries: His Body and Blood, broken and poured out for the life of he world. The Divine Liturgy of Our Father among the Saints Basil the Great is celebrated in conjunction with Vespers, with special prayerful remembrance for the gift of the holy priesthood.
It is proper to celebrate the Liturgy of St Basil to commemorate the Lord's The Mystical Supper (Last Supper) with His disciples, at which He gave us His Holy Body and Blood after showing His humility and love by washing His apostle's feet.
The only people who wash feet are the Bishops, who do this action in their cathderal.

Liturgical Text

English Washing of the Feet Text The Melkite Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand, a Microsoft Word .doc file

Liturgical Service on Web

Greek Catholic, Melkite Al-Bushra

• Good Friday from Sahamaar, Israel, April 1999, Number 1 Fr. Nadim Chacour
• Good Friday from Sahamaar, Israel, April 1999, Number 2 Fr. Nadim Chacour
• Holy Week and Easter Number 1
• Holy Week and Easter Number 2

Traditions

Traditions of Great Lent and Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

Images

Images of Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

No Divine Liturgy

From the time of the Crucifixion of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ at Matins (Service of the Twelve Gospels or Passion Gospels or Crucifixion Service) of Great and Holy Friday celebrated on Great and Holy Thursday evening to Vespers (Lighting of the New Fire; Procession of Triumph; First Announcement of the Resurrection; Divine Liturgy of Our Father among the Saints Basil) of Pascha is celebrated on Great and Holy Saturday morning, Divine Liturgy is not celebrated and Holy Communion is not given. The reason is that Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ is in the Tomb. The world is in dark sadness because the Light of the World has been taken away.

Pascha Cycle

Great and Holy Friday is between Great and Holy Thursday and Great and Holy Saturday.

How to determine when Great and Holy Friday occurs

Great Lent is Forty Days.   A count back from the date of Pascha is made.

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles) and Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000 and Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-givng Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Sunday, April 08, 2007, 10:21:49, PDT
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