453: Palm Sunday Night: Bridegroom Matins for Holy Monday Morning

Introduction In our parish churches, Matins/Orthros is normally sung in the morning. So why, you may ask, are we now suddenly having it in the evening? Also and equally odd, why during Holy Week do we have Vesperal Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts (obviously an evening service) in the morning? I’m really sorry you asked […]

Read More »

452. Palm Sunday Divine Liturgy: The Entrance of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ into Jerusalem

Introduction Yesterday we celebrated the raising of Lazarus which was, as we sang, the “prefiguring of the General Resurrection”, when all mankind will be raised from death. “Those who have done what is good will rise to life, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” John 5:29  Christ was demonstrating, […]

Read More »

451. 1) Vespers for Palm Sunday, 2) How to keep Holy Week

For those who may not know: I’m repeating my annual series of twice-daily Posts during Holy Week. Before we begin: As we move towards this Holy Week please be sure to pray especially for the millions of Orthodox people of Ukraine, many of whom again this year will not be able to get to church […]

Read More »

450. Lazarus Saturday Morning Divine Liturgy

   Now we begin our twice-daily commentaries on the services and themes of Holy Week and Pascha – based on talks I gave at these services during the twenty-five years when I was Pastor of Saint Nicholas Church, Cedarburg. Each year I’ve altered them just a bit as I’ve come across new information, to correct […]

Read More »

449. The Fifth Sunday of Lent: Saint Mary of Egypt – Penitence

I love this story. In the late Fourth Century monks from the Monastery of Saint Savas (Mar Sabas) * down below Jerusalem in the West Bank, spent Lent alone in the desert. A priest-monk Zosimas, walking alone one day on the Jordanian side of the river, to his surprise saw someone ahead of him. He […]

Read More »