Why, O Israel did you do this strange injustice? You dishonored the one who had honoured you. You held in contempt the one who held you in esteem. You denied the one who publicly acknowledged you. You renounced the one who proclaimed you his own. You killed the one who made you to live. Why did you do this, O Israel?
Melito of Sardis ‘On Pascha’
Musings of an Orthodox Brit: Hilarious conversation with my Spiritual Father
So… my work have said I need to stay until 7pm on Thursday because of Parent-Teacher meeting. With this in mind I called Abouna Simon to check that it is OK to arrive at 11pm on Thursday night (the journey to Bournemouth is 3 hours) and pick the room key from the Hotel
His response was Simple….
Well, Yes But… Not to be rude, but that seems a tad too much. The point of prayer is hear or read the words, to understand their meaning, and to incarnate their meaning. By the later, I mean that our will and our reason should be united, but that’s far too simple a way of putting it, so I said “incarnate.”
The first requirement is that we know what the words mean, which means prayers is efficacious only when it is in a language we understand. Since no one has understood Slavonic since the 13th century, that rules Slavonic out as a means of prayer.
I said “no one,” which is a tad exaggerated, since there probably are—world-wide—several dozen univeristy professors who study Slavonic who have a sense of what the words mean. Though of course, they will immediately admit that they do not have an exact sense of what the words mean of how to pronounce them. (Which of course means “no one” is correct for any period between about 1200 and 1800.)
Secondly, after several hours one becomes tired and is simply hearing or mumbling the sounds. One has no sense of their meaning and thus one is not praying.
If quantity of prayer is the goal, in place of quality of prayer, why not use windmills as the budhists do to send up prayers without human intervention??
Prayer is not merely making pretty sounds. If that be the goal, then why introduce human voices. Why not play Bach, Mozart or Brahms instead? They all wrote music for the Tridentine Mass, which Russian Orthodox prelates always have accepted as a valid eucharistic liturgy. And their music certainly is prettier than any choir anywhere ever. Mozart is what the angels sing. It’s always said to listen to his music, because one knows it will end. But then one remembers that in Heaven, Mozart’s music is withotu an end.
I Really am not trying to attack you. I merely am curious why who think 27 hours of liturgy is superior to Lord Cranmer’s collect for purity, which says all we need to say.
Ok.. to Analyse.
Before I start, I just want to point out two things.Firstly, the services are not a single service but various services performed throughout the day. Secondly, I do not know why you use Slavonic and Russian Liturgical examples in your comment. My community is under the Apostolic See of St Mark, which does not read Slavonic and uses the Liturgies of St James (the oldest known Liturgy), St Basil or St Cyril and has had a set form of Paschal Celebration for over 1000 years. Whether we recognise something as Liturgical is different to whether would use it, especially at such a time as this.
So. On to the explanation. The Thursday evening consists of the foot washing, Liturgy, 11th hour prayers and eve of Good Friday readings. These are sometimes performed at separate times in the day but we have them throughout the evening.
The Holy Thursday Service is important in both an educational and Liturgical sense as it institutes the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.With that in mind, each part of the 6 hours of services has significant meaning and those who attend know this. I have never met anyone in attendance who has complained though know of many (Including the elderly who feel heartwarmed through the events.)
Friday consists of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 11th and 12th Hours Prayers. These are to remember the significant moments in building up to the Crucifixion and the readings to go with this. These are followed by the Burial service of the Lord. Many do not go to every prayer service, though as I leading the Subdeacons I will be there the whole time (As I always am for this day.)
This allows the complete witness of the events of Holy Friday and allows us to witness the spiritual build up and gain from both the educational aspect and the humility. St Gregory of Nyssa saw education and virtue as two key elements in understanding at least some aspects of the unknowledgeable infinite divine, so there is spiritual benefit to the attendance of these as they build humility in our willingness to accept this need and our knowledge in following the events.
The Burial Service at the end is a chance for the community to witness the burial of our Lord and an extremely emotional event at which I have seen many in tears. This is followed by readings of the Prophecies from the OT, at which point we gain understanding of the Divine Institution we are witnessing.
The allowance of our witness to this build up helps us to comprehend this divine mystery and this is something I do not think I would gain from listening to Bach for those 14 hours. I would much prefer to Listen to the Gospel readings and praying and thanksgiving for the Lord who has “Become my Salvation.”
Bright Saturday is the reading of the Book of Revelation. This reminds us of the revelation of Christ which was made. Though it is a somber event with Christ’s iIcon still entombed at the Altar, it is a time of Hope in the morning and a chance to prepare ourselves for overcoming of death. This benefits us through the chance to focus and contemplate this Revelation and the Prophecy of the Lord’s coming, something we would rarely be able to spend time doing at other times, giving us both a Catechetical and Prayerful chance to meditate on this.
That night is the Paschal Liturgy, when we are witness to the Resurrection of Our Lord with Cries of “Christos Anesti” and joy at the Risen Lord. Sermons are read during the Liturgy which remind us of what the Church Fathers had to say on this Blessed Event (Fr Simon reads St John Chrysostom’s sermon) and a we celebrate by breaking the Fast after the event and celebrate the Risen lord.
Sunday we say the Prayers for the Departed at the Local Cemetery, as we cannot have the chance to say these during Holy Week. Though when there are recently departed there, it is a joyous event since we have witnessed Christ’s resurrection the night before and understand that he overcame death.
I do not think I could have such a Blessed, educational and prayerful experience with a few hours from an Anglican Hymn book or by listening to music my later secular musicians. The Holy Week service in the Coptic Tradition is older than almost any other. The Monastic tone of this service, as one which developed in the Monastic tradition of the Desert Fathers, cannot be replicated in a 2 hour setting but requires humility and devotion to your prayers for the whole day.
Every single part of these few days has its own significance and to take those away would mean to miss out on a vital aspect of this. To compress it into 3 hours over 3 days would destroy a Blessed and beautiful Tradition which is the pinnacle of the Orthodox Calendar.
I would suggest you attend a service to understand as I would have never thought of spending close to 40 hours in a Church (or even 2 hours) before I started attending Liturgies and witnessing the Orthodox Faith and Liturgical Tradition in all it’s Apostolic Glory.
God Bless and Keep you this Holy Week.
Daniel
So… my work have said I need to stay until 7pm on Thursday because of Parent-Teacher meeting. With this in mind I called Abouna Simon to check that it is OK to arrive at 11pm on Thursday night (the journey to Bournemouth is 3 hours) and pick the room key from the Hotel
His response was Simple. “Why from the Hotel, we will still be at Church at 11pm…” and it turns out that the Holy Thursday Service will be 7pm-1am.
This means Bournemouth will be:
Thursday 7pm-1am
Friday 7am-9pm
Saturday 9am-2pm 10pm-1am
Sunday 10am-1pm
That’s 29 hours over 3 days. 😀
Berger, Maurits, Apostasy and Public Policy in Contemporary Egypt: An Evaluation of Recent Cases from Egypt’s Highest Courts
Hamied Ansari, Sectarian Conflict in Egypt and the Political Expediency of Religion
Bishop Gregorius, Christianity, the Coptic Religion and Ethnic Minorities in Egypt
Bishop Serapion, Choosing the Patriarch: Lessons from the History of our Glorious Church
Bishop Youseff, Can a Diocesean Bishop be moved to the Patriarchate?
Davis, Stephen, The Early Coptic papacy
Farringdon, Peter Fr., The Altar Lot and the Election of the Patriarch of Alexandria,
Farringdon, Peter Fr., The Translation of Bishops in history and Practice
Farringdon, Peter Fr., Resistance to the Translation of Bishops
Hardy, ER, The Patriarchate of Alexandria: A Study in National Christianity
Ibrahim, Vivian, The Copts of Egypt. Challenges of Modernisation and Identity
McCallum, Fiona, The political role of the patriarch in the contemporary
Middle East
Meinardus, Otto, Christian Egypt. Life and Faith
Saad, Michael and Saad Nardine, Electing Coptic Patriarchs: A Diversity of Traditions
Sellasee, Halie (Emperor), The Fetha Nagast
Telfer, W, Meletius of Lycopolis and Episcopal Succession in Egypt
Van Doorn-Harder, Pernella, The Emergence of the Modern Coptic papacy
Van Doorn-Harder, Pieternella, Contemporary Coptic Nuns
Van Doorn-Harder, Pernella, Between Desert and City: The Coptic Church Today
Why?
New Thesis Title: The Election of the Patriarch and Translation of Bishops in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.
What they say: Antioch has fallen into Heresy, they commune with the Syriac Church
What I hear: The Apostolic See of Antioch has accepted it is one Church.
What they say: Jerusalem is Heretical, they celebrate the Holy Fire with the Copts and Armenians!
What I hear: The Jerusalem Patriarchate is welcoming the representatives other Ancient Communities in the Holy City to their Services in the spirit of Brotherly Love.
What they say: Alexandria has become heretical, Greeks Marry Copts there.
What I hear: The Apostolic See of Alexandria has become a single community.
What they say: Constantinople is under Heresy, the Patriarch has lifted the Anathemas on Rome.
What I hear: Constantinople and its brother in the faith are forgiving one another.
What they say: The Ancient Patriarchs have fallen into heresy! Flee to the hills!
What I hear: The 4 Orthodox Apostolic Sees are becoming one again and the Roman Schism is being slowly healed, Glory be to God.
The Christian denominations in Syria held joint prayers for peace in the country and for the peace of the souls of martyrs.
The participants hoped the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Bishop Paul Yazigi, and Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Bishop John Ibrahim, who were kidnapped by terrorist group in Aleppo, will be freed soon.
The participants stressed that Syria will defeat its enemies, highlighting the need to reject Syria’s enemies endeavors to ignite sedition and separation among the Syrians.
On the occasion, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East issued a statement expressing sorrow over the abduction of the two bishops.
The statement highlighted that the Christians in this region regret the violence in their countries, calling the kidnappers to respect the bishops and calling on all sides to put an end to the acts that could ignite sectarian discord.
“We call upon the whole world to exert all possible efforts as to end the tragedy in Syria so that it can once again be a country of amity and co-existence. We call all churches to take a stance that rejects all sorts of violence which the persons in the East are exposed to,” the statement stipulated.
In Tartous, the Christian denominations prayed for Syria to be secure, stable and a haven for all oppressed persons. Celebrations included prayers and masses only.
In Sweida, Metropolitan of Jabal al-Arab and Horan for the Greek Orthodox, Saba Esper, denounced the abduction of bishops Yazigi and Ibrahim and all the terrorist acts against the country and its people.
In a mass on the occasion of the Palm Sunday, which included only prayers and masses, Esper called for putting an end to all forms of violence and terrorism in Syria and exerting efforts to restore peace through dialogue and political solution.
He stressed the need of consolidating national unity and spreading the values of amity and tolerance among the Syrians.
Christian Denominations Hold Prayers for Peace in Syria – News | Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE
A long-felt need of Indian (Malankara) Orthodox church faithful will soon be realized with the completion of the new Orthodox Church at St Thomas Mount. The construction of the church is presently in its final stages.
For the faithful of Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church who are the apostolic successors of St Thomas, the founder of the Indian church, this will be the realisation of a long felt dream.
St Thomas Mount is the place where the Apostle St Thomas was martyred and in Mylapore his body is entombed. St Thomas Mount or Parangimalai is a small hillock located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Orthodox Christians of India trace the origin of their church to the Apostle, understood to have attained martyrdom in Chennai.
The new church at St Thomas Mount after completion will be consecrated by HH Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan.
HG Dr Yuhanon Mar Diascoros, Metropolitan, Chennai Diocese, says after the consecration of the St Thomas Mount Church, we are also planning to purchase a plot of land at Mylapore and construct a church there later. Mylapore presently has the San Thome Basilica, which is a major pilgrimage center for Christians in India.
The St Thomas Mount project is a pet one for Dr Mar Diascoros as Madras Diocese Metropolitan. It was the Metropolitan’s vision to have an Orthodox church and a center completed during his tenure.
Dr Mar Diascoros says St Thomas Mount being the site where the apostle attained martyrdom it was necessary to have a church of our own. The Orthodox faithful from India and abroad who visited this national shrine had felt the urgent need to have a place of worship. This long time necessity will soon be realized with the completion and consecration of the church.
Presently, the faithful visit the Roman Catholic national shrine and offer their prayers. But with the completion of an Orthodox church, it will be long felt realisation of dreams, said Dr Mar Diascoros, during his recent visit to Muscat Mar Gregorios Maha Edavaka as the chief celebrant for the Holy Passion Week. The construction is fully sponsored by Madras Saint Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, Broadway.
A shocking video has emerged that appears to show Egyptian police standing idly by as an anti-Christian mob launch a frenzied attack on a cathedral filled with mourners.
Two worshippers were left dead and 84 injured, including 11 police officers, as men shooting guns, wielding machetes and hurling stones laid siege to the walled Coptic cathedral compound in Cairo earlier this month.
Footage of the prolonged mass attack shows uniformed officers looking on and appearing to help one gunman take aim at people streaming out of a service held for five men killed in an earlier clash with Muslims.
The fighting erupted on April 7 after a mass funeral for the five Copts who were killed during violent clashes in a north Egyptian town. The new footage of the attacks was first obtained by MidEast Christian News.
A Muslim man also died in the clashes in the Abbassia District of Cairo, which happened after an Islamic institute was daubed with offensive graffiti.
The only arrests that were made afterwards were of four Copts, who were already outraged over a three-day attack that began April 4 attack in Khosous.
It saw the four men killed and homes, a nursery and a church burned, said the events show how elusive justice is for Christians, who make up about 10 per cent of the nation’s population.
Andrew Johnston, advocacy director for Christian Solidarity Worldwide, told Fox News: ’Two Copts were killed during the attack on the Cathedral; four more died in Khosous, yet not one of their attackers has been arrested.
‘These arrests come at a time when the Coptic community in Egypt is still coming to terms with an unprecedented attack on the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the violence in Khosous.
‘Such discrepancies in the discharge of justice contribute to impunity, and can only foster more sectarianism.’
Tensions between Egypt’s Christians and the majority Sunni Muslims have grown dramatically since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in 2011 and replaced by the Muslim Brotherhood-led government of Mohammed Morsi.
A report released on Wednesday by the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights said: ‘There is a general feeling among citizens about the absence of law and the prestige of the state.
‘Such a feeling could push the citizens to the violence and sectarianism without fearing from any deterrence.
‘The recent incident proved the shrinking of the role of the state to control the actions of the individuals especially those people who think that they talk on the behalf of God,’ the report continued. ‘There is a need for implementing the law strictly to treat such incidents.’
Ermenihaber.am news website published an interview of architect, Istanbul-based Agos daily’s correspondent Zakaria Mildanoglu with “It’s your word” TV program, in which he told about the misfortunes that fell upon his family in 1915 as well as about the reasons why he moved to Istanbul.
Mildanoglu also told about the fate of Armenian churches in Turkey.
“Cultural massacre was being perpetrated after the 1950s – Armenian churches and schools were being destroyed. There is factual proof of it. Turkey is carrying a heavy burden. At the same time, restoration works are currently being carried out. But I would like to mention one thing: once Turks were turning Armenian churches into cinemas where they were mainly screening porn films. There is also factual evidence of that,” Mildanoglu said.
The Agos daily’s correspondent told two real stories about the fate of Armenian churches in Turkey.
“Treasure seekers are still making searches on the cemetery of our village. A horrifying cultural destruction was carried out there. The village church no longer exists. My mother remembers how it was destroyed. Kazim Karabekir, marching to the East, gave an order. He said, “I must not see this church when I am back.” And the church was pulled down.”
The Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Church on Aghtamar Island was saved from destruction thanks to the efforts of Yasar Kemal, a reporter for Cumhuriyet newspaper. “If Yasar Kemal had not gone there, that church would not exist today,” the architect concluded.
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The two Orthodox bishops kidnapped in Aleppo are still in the hands of kidnappers, Mgr. Jean-Clement Jeanbart, Greek Melkite bishop of Aleppo, told AsiaNews. “The Catholic and Orthodox Churches are doing their best to mediate with the kidnappers,” the prelate added, “but at present no one understands the reasons for this act and who is behind these criminals.”
Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, Syrian Orthodox bishop of the diocese of Aleppo, and Boulos Yaziji, Greek Orthodox archbishop of the diocese of the same city, were abducted on 22 April in Kafr Dael, ten km from Aleppo, on the Turkish border. Their driver, a Syrian Orthodox deacon, was killed.
This morning, mortar rounds hit one of the city’s main Christian neighbourhoods. The shelling killed four people and several houses have collapsed.
“The situation in the city is terrible; no one is safe, not even the Christians,” said Archbishop Jeanbart.
Christians have not taken sided with either the rebels or regime. “I do not know who fired at Christian homes or why,” the prelate explained, “but it sure was not a ballistic mistake.”
The bishop appealed again to the Western world. “Stop this war!” he said. “Help Syrian leaders choose dialogue and reconciliation over conflict and hatred!” (S.C.).
Musings of an Orthodox Brit 