KALOS ORISATE, WELCOME TO ANOTHER EXPANDED EDITION OF THE WEEKLY RADIO SHOW, OPA FROM GREECE WITH LOVE, HEARD EVERY SATURDAY FROM 12 TO 12:30 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, FROM THE HEART OF THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITOL OF THE WORLD, HERE IN HOLLYWOOD, AS PART OF OUR EASTER HOLIDAY SPECIAL. YOU’RE LISTENING TO IDOU O NUMFIOS ERXETAI, BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, CHANTED BY PETER GAITANOS. YOU ALSO WILL BE LISTENING TO AN ACCOUNT OF THE JOURNEY THROUGH HOLYWEEK FROM A NARRATIVE WRITTEN BY REV. GEORGE MASTRANTONIS OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA, READ BY YOURS TRULY, IN WHICH HE EXPLAINS IN THIS DAILY DESCRIPTIVE LOG FOR THE UNINTIATED LAYMEN, THE TRUE VALUE OF THE WEEK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER.
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Monday of Holy Week commemorates the blessed and noble Joseph and the fig tree which was cursed and withered by the Lord. Tuesday of Holy Week commemorates the parable of the Ten Virgins. On Wednesday of Holy Week it has been ordained by the Holy Fathers of the Church that commemoration should be made of the anointing of Christ with myrrh by the woman in the house of Simon, the leper, in Bethany. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated on this day for the last time during Lent. This very ancient Liturgy is a Vesper Service, with the Holy Gifts presanctified in the Liturgy on the previous Sunday. This Liturgy is offered every Wednesday and Friday during Lent so that the people may receive Holy Communion. This Liturgy is solemn and reflects the grandeur and simplicity of the early Church. The sacred ceremony of the Mysterion of the Holy Unction takes place on this Wednesday evening, following an old custom. It is the evening of repentance, confession, and the remission of sins by the Lord, preparing the faithful to receive Holy Communion, usually the next day, Holy Thursday morning. Holy Unction is the Mysterion for cleansing sins and renewing the body and the spirit of the faithful. Holy Unction is one of the seven Sacraments of the Church, and it has its origin in the practice of the early Church as recorded in the Epistle of James (5:14-15). At the end of the service, the priest anoints the people with Holy Oil, the visible carrier of the Grace of God. The Orthros of Thursday morning is sung by anticipation on Wednesday evening. In many Orthodox churches, however, this service is sung at its designated Thursday morning time, before the Vespers and Divine Liturgy. Jesus drew His last breath of freedom on this Thursday night. Christ knew all the incidents which were about to take place and called to Him His Apostles in order to institute the Holy Eucharist for them and for the Church forever. Good Friday celebrates the holy, saving, and awesome Passion of Christ. To take away our sins, Christ willingly endured the spittings, scourgings, buffetings, scorn, mocking, and the purple robe; the reed, sponge, vinegar, nails, spear, and, above all, the Cross and Death. According to the Hebrew custom, the "Royal Hours," four in number, are read at this time. These services consist of hymns, psalms, and readings from the Old and New Testaments, all related prophetically and ethically to the Person of Christ. The Vespers of Friday afternoon are a continuation of the Royal Hours. During this service, the removal of the Body of Christ from the Cross is commemorated with a sense of mourning for the terrible events which took place. It consists of psalms, hymns, and readings dealing with the death of Christ, in contrast to His divinity, and in expectation of His Resurrection. One of the hymns relates: "He who holds all things is raised up on the Cross and all creation laments to see Him hang naked on the Tree." The thoughtful and well-written Odes, sung by the choir, compare the Compassion of God and the cruelty of man, the Might of God and the moral weakness of man. The Odes picture all Creation trembling when witnessing its Creator hung by His own creatures.


Great Holy Saturday Morning

Psalms are read and Resurrection hymns are sung which tell of Christ's descent into Hades. "Today Hades cried out groaning" is the hymn's description of the resurrection of Adam and the conquering of death. Thus this day's celebration is called "First Resurrection."
On Easter Sunday (Saturday midnight), the life-giving Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated. Before midnight, the Odes of Lamentation of the previous day are repeated. The Orthros of the Resurrection begins in complete darkness. The priest takes light from the vigil light and gives it to the faithful, who are holding candles. The priest sings: "Come ye and receive light from the unwaning life, and glorify Christ, who arose from the dead," and all the people join him in singing this hymn again and again. From this moment, every Christian holds the Easter candle as a symbol of his vivid, deep faith in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as Savior. In many churches, the priest leads the people outside the church, where he reads the Gospel which refers to the Angel's statement: "He is Risen; He is not here." (Mark 16:1-8)
Then comes the breathless moment as the people wait for the priest to start the hymn of Resurrection, which they join him in singing, repeatedly: "Christ has Risen from the dead, by death trampling upon Death, and has bestowed life upon those in the tombs." From this moment, the entire service takes on a joyous Easter atmosphere.

Zorba The Mad Greek
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