Holy Week and Pascha 2025

Lenten Services 2025

Second Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 16, 10 am -Divine Liturgy, St Gregory Palamas

Wednesday, March 19, 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, March 21, 6:30 pm - Presanctified Liturgy

Saturday March 22, 5 pm - Vespers, Veneration of the Cross

Third Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 23, 10 am - Divine Liturgy, Veneration of the Cross

Tuesday, March 25, 10 am - Divine Liturgy, Annunciation

Wednesday, March 26, 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, March 28, 6:30 pm - Presanctified Liturgy

Saturday, March 29, 5 pm – Vespers, St. John of the Ladder

Fourth Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 30, 10 am – Divine Liturgy, St. John of the Ladder

Wednesday, April 2, 6 :30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, April 4, 6:30 pm – Small Compline with Akathist Hymn

Fifth Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, April 6, 10 am – Divine Liturgy, St. Mary of Egypt

Wednesday, April 9, 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, April 11, 6 :30 pm – FINAL Presanctified Liturgy

Holy Week and Pascha 2025 –

Saturday, April 12, 10 am –Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy

Saturday, April 12, 5 pm – Vespers of Palm Sunday

Sunday, April 13, 10 am – Palm Sunday Divine Liturgy

Sunday, April 13, 5 pm – First Bridegroom Matins

Holy Monday, April 14, 6:30 pm – Bridegroom Matins

Holy Tuesday, April 15, 6:30 pm – Bridegroom Matins

Holy Wednesday, April 16, 6:30 pm –Holy Unction (Anointing of the Sick)

Holy Thursday, April 17, 10 am – Vesperal Divine Liturgy of the Mystical Supper

Holy Thursday, April 17, 6 pm – Matins with the 12 Passion Gospels

Holy Friday, April 18, 4 pm – Vespers with the Taking Down from the Cross

Holy Friday, April 18, 7 pm – Matins with the Lamentations at the Lord’s Tomb

Saturday, April 19, 10 am – Holy Saturday – Blessed Sabbath Liturgy

HOLY PASCHA:

Saturday night April 19, Begins at 11:30 PM - Midnight Service, Matins, and Divine Liturgy, followed by the blessing of baskets

Sunday, April 20, 3 pm - Agape Vespers and Picnic. Children’s egg hunt (weather permitting)

BRIGHT WEEK:

Bright Wednesday Vespers, 6:30 PM

Bright Thursday Liturgy, 10 AM

EXPLANATIONS OF HOLY WEEK SERVICES

Lazarus Saturday

Lazarus Saturday concludes Great Lent. This celebration remembers Christ's raising of Lazarus from the dead and the promise of universal resurrection for all. Lazarus Saturday provides a bridge to Holy Week during which the Church services remember Christ's last week before his crucifixion and resurrection, his passion.

Bridegroom Matins

The first three days of Holy Week remind us of Christ's last instructions with his disciples.The Matins services of the evenings of Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, and Holy Tuesday, anticipating the events of the next day, share a common theme. These Services call for preparedness at the Second Coming, for the "thief comes in the middle of the night." (Matt. 26:1-13)

Sacrament of Holy Unction

This Holy Mystery is celebrated for the healing of the sick. After a canon is sung, praying for our healing, seven epistles and gospels are read, and seven prayers are prayed in blessing of the oil. All Orthodox Christians may be anointed with oil of the healing of bodily and spiritual illnesses. We will also have other holy oils available for any (including non-Orthodox) who wish to be anointed with them after the service.

Mystical Supper Divine Liturgy

This Liturgy commemorates the first Divine Liturgy ever celebrated, when Christ celebrated it in the Upper Room in Jerusalem on Holy Thursday night. We also remember Judas’ betrayal of the Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

12 Passion Gospels

In this service we read twelve gospel passages recalling Christ’s final words to His disciples on Thursday night, His betrayal by Judas, His trial before the High Priest, His trial before the Roman governor, His scourging and mockery, and His Crucifixion.

Friday Afternoon - Vespers with the Taking Down from the Cross

This service recalls the Crucifixion and death of Christ, and His holy body being taken down from the Cross, anointed for burial, and being laid in the tomb by His disciples. (Fasting potluck supper follows the service.)

Friday evening - Matins with the Lamentations

In this service we sing the burial hymns before the tomb of our Lord, and process around the church carrying the icon of Christ in the tomb. We ponder the mystery that He who is Life itself and who gives Life to all, now is lying in the grave.

(All night vigil reading psalms at the tomb - see sign up sheet in church.)

Saturday morning - Divine Liturgy of the Blessed Sabbath

As the Lord observes the “sabbath rest” in the tomb with His body, and as His soul descends to Hades to bring light and salvation to those held captive there, we have the Vesperal Liturgy with 13 Old Testament readings, each expressing in some way our faith in Christ’s resurrection and saving us through the water of baptism.

Saturday night - HOLY PASCHA

Christ our Savior breaks the bonds of Hades and rises from the tomb, and we celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior and His triumph over death!

(Pascha baskets will be blessed after the service in the hall.)

Sunday afternoon - Agape Vespers (Vespers of Love)

Our celebration of Christ’s Resurrection continues with this special Vespers service, with the reading of the Gospel in various languages, followed by a potluck picnic and egg hunt (weather permitting).