Good Friday 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Tonight is one of my most favorite nights despite its sadness. Everyone in the church holds lit candles and sings three lamentations (with many versus ) telling the story of the death of Christ in beautiful song. Also, this year, for the first time in many, many years, our Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Glenview, carried the Epitaphios (Epitáphios Thrēnos, the "Lamentation upon the Grave" in Greek),outside around the parking lot in front of the church. It was so beautifully executed, it was breathtaking. I learned today that this tradition in which we leave the dark church and go out into the darkness signifies Christ's descent into Hades where God saves those who died before Jesus' saving us in the form of flesh. I went to Sunday school for many years and never heard this, but then again maybe I was not ready to receive it.
Previously, to Holy Week there was a flat platform built and decorated with flowers onto which The Epitaphios, which is a large cloth that is richly decorated and used during Good Friday and Holy Saturday services is laid. It also is on a wall in the church in painted or mosaic form.
Everyone in the church follows the priests, altar boys, attending females, and choir. As we process around the outside, a beautiful, solemn song is sung after various petitions are read.
After the procession, the congregation returns inside after passing under the Epitaphios as a blessing. It truly was breathtaking.
Tonight is one of my most favorite nights despite its sadness. Everyone in the church holds lit candles and sings three lamentations (with many versus ) telling the story of the death of Christ in beautiful song. Also, this year, for the first time in many, many years, our Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Glenview, carried the Epitaphios (Epitáphios Thrēnos, the "Lamentation upon the Grave" in Greek),outside around the parking lot in front of the church. It was so beautifully executed, it was breathtaking. I learned today that this tradition in which we leave the dark church and go out into the darkness signifies Christ's descent into Hades where God saves those who died before Jesus' saving us in the form of flesh. I went to Sunday school for many years and never heard this, but then again maybe I was not ready to receive it.
Previously, to Holy Week there was a flat platform built and decorated with flowers onto which The Epitaphios, which is a large cloth that is richly decorated and used during Good Friday and Holy Saturday services is laid. It also is on a wall in the church in painted or mosaic form.
Everyone in the church follows the priests, altar boys, attending females, and choir. As we process around the outside, a beautiful, solemn song is sung after various petitions are read.
After the procession, the congregation returns inside after passing under the Epitaphios as a blessing. It truly was breathtaking.
Beautiful.
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