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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center

ChristHoly and Glorious Pascha Preparation - Great and Holy Friday - Matins

Pascha
Cycle
Triodion Prophon-
isimon
Sundays
Great
Lent
Palm
Sun.
Sha-
neen-
eh
Great
and
Holy
Week
Great
and
Holy
Mon
Great
and
Holy
Tues
Great
and
Holy
Wed
Great
and
Holy
Thurs
Great
and
Holy
Fri
Great
and
Holy
Sat
Holy
and
Glor-
ious
Pascha

 

 

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.

Great and Holy Week or Pascha Cycle
Liturgical
Service
of what
Liturgical
Day
Held on
what
Calendar
Day
Time
held
Vespers
Divine Liturgy
of Our Father among the Saints Basil the Great
Commemorates
The Mystical Supper
(Last Supper)
- institution
of Holy
Eucharist
of Great
and Holy
Friday
on Great
and Holy
Thursday
morning
Matins
Service of the
Twelve Gospels
or Passion Gospels
or Crucifixion Service
of Great
and Holy
Friday
on Great
and Holy
Thursday
evening
Royal Hours
(Great Hours)
of Great
and Holy
Saturday
on Great
and Holy
Friday
early
morning
often
9 am
Vespers
Jesus' descent
from the cross
of Great
and Holy
Saturday
on Great
and Holy
Friday
late
morning
Matins
Burial of Jesus
Junnaaz al-Maseeh
Epitaphios Service
of Great
and Holy
Saturday
on Great
and Holy
Friday
evening

Matins is the Service of the Twelve Gospels or Passion Gospels or Crucifixion Service of Great and Holy Friday, which is celebrated on Great and Holy Thursday evening

The Church commemorates the passion and death of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

  • Reading of the Passion Gospels and singing the Antiphons of the Passion
  • Reenactment of the suffering Holy Cross: Processing with the Cross, Nailing of the Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to theCross, Raising the Holy Cross on Mount Golgatha, Venerating Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross.
  • Collection for the Christians of the Holy Land

Reading of the Passion Gospels and singing the Antiphons of the Passion

The full Gospel story of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ's passion, betrayal, arrest, trial, torture, and death on a cross (crucifixion) is solemnly read. The Antiphons (songs) explain the meaning of these events.

The priest reads Twelve Gospels accounts Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's passion and death. After each Gospels account, a candle is blown out and Antiphons are sung. (Some parishes only read 6 of the 12 Gospels.)

Reenactment of the suffering Holy Cross

After reading the fifth Gospel and singing the fifteenth Antiphon, the reenactment of the suffering Holy Cross occurs.

Processing with the Cross and Nailing of the Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to theCross

Processing with the Cross

The procession is the acolytes carrying the Crucifixion Service (hammer, screws, etc.), a man carrying the Cross, and finally the priest carrying the Body of Christ. The procession goes three times around the Church.

Nailing of the Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to theCross

At the end of the third time around the Church, the priest nails the Body of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross.

During those two actions, a beautiful hymn is sung: "Today is hung on a tree He who suspended the earth over the waters." Then we all sing, "We adore Your Passion, O Christ. Make us to behold Your glorious Resurrection."

Raising the Holy Cross on Mount Golgatha

Then, the priest raises the Holy Cross on Mount Golgatha, which is the Solea.

Venerating Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross

Finally, the people venerate Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross.

Collection for the Catholics of the Holy Land

At every Catholic Church, a collection is taken for the Catholics of the Holy Land.

Liturgical Text

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

Liturgical Service on Web

Greek Catholic, Melkite Al-Bushra

Traditions

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

Images

Images of Great and Holy Friday Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States)
Images of Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States)

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
Martha Liles
Web URL address: Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center or https://www.mliles.com/melkite/
E-mail: mliles@mliles.com or mliles@mliles.com

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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
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-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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Last Updated: Wednesday, June 03, 2020, 19:25:29, CDT
The current date and time is: Friday, April 26, 2024, 04:54:57, CDT or Friday, April 26, 2024, 09:54:57, GMT