Sunday, April 16, 2023: PASCHA!
Ss Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church Ss Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church
An Orthodox Christian community on the campus of UW-Madison
1020 Regent St
(Lower Level)
Madison, WI 53715

Weekly Services:

Vespers: 5:00 PM Saturday
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 AM Sunday

Confessions: before and after Saturday Vespers or by appointment.

www.madisonorthodox.com

Click above to send names of those to be commemorated at Liturgy.

Sunday, April 16, 2023

Sunday of the Great & Holy Pascha

 

HOLY PASCHA:

The Resurrection of Our Lord

(OCA) 

Enjoy ye all the feast of faith; receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
(Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom, read at Paschal Matins)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the center of the Christian faith. Saint Paul says that if Christ is not raised from the dead, then our preaching and faith are in vain (I Cor. 15:14). Indeed, without the resurrection there would be no Christian preaching or faith. The disciples of Christ would have remained the broken and hopeless band which the Gospel of John describes as being in hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. They went nowhere and preached nothing until they met the risen Christ, the doors being shut (John 20: 19). Then they touched the wounds of the nails and the spear; they ate and drank with Him. The resurrection became the basis of everything they said and did (Acts 2-4): “. . . for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).

The resurrection reveals Jesus of Nazareth as not only the expected Messiah of Israel, but as the King and Lord of a new Jerusalem: a new heaven and a new earth.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. . . the holy city, new Jerusalem. And I heard a great voice from the throne saying “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. . . He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away (Rev. 21:1-4).

In His death and resurrection, Christ defeats the last enemy, death, and thereby fulfills the mandate of His Father to subject all things under His feet (I Cor. 15:24-26).

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing (Rev. 5: 12)

THE FEAST OF FEASTS

The Christian faith is celebrated in the liturgy of the Church. True celebration is always a living participation. It is not a mere attendance at services. It is communion in the power of the event being celebrated. It is God’s free gift of joy given to spiritual men as a reward for their self-denial. It is the fulfillment of spiritual and physical effort and preparation. The resurrection of Christ, being the center of the Christian faith, is the basis of the Church’s liturgical life and the true model for all celebration. This is the chosen and holy day, first of sabbaths, king and lord of days, the feast of feasts, holy day of holy days. On this day we bless Christ forevermore (Irmos 8, Paschal Canon).

PREPARATION

Twelve weeks of preparation precede the “feast of feasts.” A long journey which includes five prelenten Sundays, six weeks of Great Lent and finally Holy Week is made. The journey moves from the self-willed exile of the prodigal son to the grace-filled entrance into the new Jerusalem, coming down as a bride beautifully adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:2) Repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and study are the means by which this long journey is made.

Focusing on the veneration of the Cross at its midpoint, the lenten voyage itself reveals that the joy of the resurrection is achieved only through the Cross. “Through the cross joy has come into all the world,” we sing in one paschal hymn. And in the paschal troparion, we repeat again and again that Christ has trampled down death—by death! Saint Paul writes that the name of Jesus is exalted above every name because He first emptied Himself, taking on the lowly form of a servant and being obedient even to death on the Cross (Phil. 2:5-11). The road to the celebration of the resurrection is the self-emptying crucifixion of Lent. Pascha is the passover from death to life.

Yesterday I was buried with Thee, O Christ.
Today I arise with Thee in Thy resurrection.
Yesterday I was crucified with Thee:
Glorify me with Thee, O Savior, in Thy kingdom (Ode 3, Paschal Canon).

THE PROCESSION

The divine services of the night of Pascha commence near midnight of Holy Saturday. At the Ninth Ode of the Canon of Nocturn, the priest, already vested in his brightest robes, removes the Holy Shroud from the tomb and carries it to the altar table, where it remains until the leave-taking of Pascha. The faithful stand in darkness. Then, one by one, they light their candles from the candle held by the priest and form a great procession out of the church. Choir, servers, priest and people, led by the bearers of the cross, banners, icons and Gospel book, circle the church. The bells are rung incessantly and the angelic hymn of the resurrection is chanted.

The procession comes to a stop before the principal doors of the church. Before the closed doors the priest and the people sing the troparion of Pascha, “Christ is risen from the dead...”, many times. Even before entenng the church the priest and people exchange the paschal greeting: “Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!” This segment of the paschal services is extremely important. It preserves in the expenence of the Church the primitive accounts of the resurrection of Christ as recorded in the Gospels. The angel rolled away the stone from the tomb not to let a biologically revived but physically entrapped Christ walk out, but to reveal that “He is not here; for He has risen, as He said” (Matt. 28:6).

In the paschal canon we sing:

Thou didst arise, O Christ, and yet the tomb remained sealed, as at Thy birth the Virgin’s womb remained unharmed; and Thou has opened for us the gates of paradise (Ode 6).

Finally, the procession of light and song in the darkness of night, and the thunderous proclamation that, indeed, Christ is risen, fulfill the words of the Evangelist John: “The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

The doors are opened and the faithful re-enter. The church is bathed in light and adorned with flowers. It is the heavenly bride and the symbol of the empty tomb:

Bearing life and more fruitful than paradise
Brighter than any royal chamber,
Thy tomb, O Christ, is the fountain or our resurrection (Paschal Hours).

MATINS

Matins commences immediately. The risen Christ is glorified in the singing of the beautiful canon of Saint John of Damascus. The paschal greeting is repeatedly exchanged. Near the end of Matins the paschal verses are sung. They relate the entire narrative of the Lord’s resurrection. They conclude with the words calling us to actualize among each other the forgiveness freely given to all by God:

This is the day of resurrection.
Let us be illumined by the feast.
Let us embrace each other.
Let us call “brothers” even those who hate us,
And forgive all by the resurrection. . .

The sermon of Saint John Chrysostom is then read by the celebrant. The sermon was originally composed as a baptismal instruction. It is retained by the Church in the paschal services because everything about the night of Pascha recalls the Sacrament of Baptism: the language and general terminology of the liturgical texts, the specific hymns, the vestment color, the use of candles and the great procession itself. Now the sermon invites us to a great reaffirmation of our baptism: to union with Christ in the receiving of Holy Communion.

If any man is devout and loves God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast. . . the table is fully laden; feast you all sumptuously. . . the calf is fatted, let no one go hungry away. . .

THE DIVINE LITURGY

The sermon announces the imminent beginning of the Divine Liturgy. The altar table is fully laden with the divine food: the Body and Blood of the risen and glorified Christ. No one is to go away hungry. The service books are very specific in saying that only he who partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ eats the true Pascha. The Divine Liturgy, therefore, normally follows immediately after paschal Matins. Foods from which the faithful have been asked to abstain during the lenten journey are blessed and eaten only after the Divine Liturgy.

THE DAY WITHOUT EVENING

Pascha is the inauguration of a new age. It reveals the mystery of the eighth day. It is our taste, in this age, of the new and unending day of the Kingdom of God. Something of this new and unending day is conveyed to us in the length of the paschal services, in the repetition of the paschal order for all the services of Bright Week, and in the special paschal features retained in the services for the forty days until Ascension. Forty days are, as it were, treated as one day. Together they comprise the symbol of the new time in which the Church lives and toward which she ever draws the faithful, from one degree of glory to another.

O Christ, great and most holy Pascha.
O Wisdom, Word and Power of God,
grant that we may more perfectly partake of Thee in the never-ending day of Thy kingdom
(Ninth Ode, Paschal Canon).

The V. Rev. Paul Lazor
New York, 1977

Paschal Greetings from Around the World

Language Greeting Response
Aleut: Khristus anahgrecum! Alhecum anahgrecum!
Aleut: Khris-tusax agla-gikux! Agangu-lakan agla-gikux!
Albanian: Krishti U Ngjall! Vertet U Ngjall!
Alutuq: Khris-tusaq ung-uixtuq! Pijii-nuq ung-uixtuq!
Amharic: Kristos tenestwal! Bergit tenestwal!
Anglo-Saxon: Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras!
Arabic: El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Armenian: Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee!
Athabascan: Xristosi banuytashtch'ey! Gheli banuytashtch'ey!
Bulgarian: Hristos voskrese! Vo istina voskrese!
Byelorussian: Khrystos uvaskros! Saprawdy uvaskros!
Chinese: Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Coptic: Pchristos aftooun! Alethos aftooun!
Czech: Vstal z mrtvých Kristus! Vpravdě vstal z mrtvých!
Danish: Kristus er opstanden! Ja, sandelig opstanden!
Dutch: Christus is opgestaan! Ja, hij is waarlijk opgestaan!
English: Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!
Eritrean-Tigre: Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou!
Esperanto: Kristo levigis! Vere levigis!
Estonian: Kristus on üles tõusnud! Ta on tõesti üles tõusnud!
Ethiopian: Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Exai' ab-her eokala!
Finnish: Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totisesti nousi!
French: Le Christ est réssuscité! En verite il est réssuscité!
Gaelic: Taw creest ereen! Taw shay ereen guhdyne!
Georgian: Kriste aghsdga! Cheshmaritad aghsdga!
German: Christus ist auferstanden! Wahrlich Er ist auferstanden!
Greek: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Hawaiian: Ua ala hou 'o Kristo! Ua ala 'I 'o no 'oia!
Hebrew: Ha Masheeha houh quam! Be emet quam!
Hungarian: Krisztus feltamadt! Valoban feltamadt!
Ibo ( Nigeria): Jesu Kristi ebiliwo! Ezia o' biliwo!
Indian (Malayalam): Christu uyirthezhunnettu! Theerchayayum uyirthezhunnettu!
Indonesian: Kristus telah bangkit! Benar dia telah bangkit!
Italian: Cristo e' risorto! Veramente e' risorto!
Japanese: Harisutos Fukkatsu! Jitsu ni Fukkatsu!
Javanese: Kristus sampun wungu! Tuhu sampun wungu!
Korean: Kristo gesso! Buhar ha sho nay!
Latin: Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!
Latvian: Kristus ir augsham sales! Teyasham ir augsham sales vinsch!
Lugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Amajim ajukkide!
Norwegian: Christus er oppstanden! Sandelig han er oppstanden!
Polish: Khristus zmartwyckwstal! Zaprawde zmartwyckwstal!
Portuguese: Cristo ressuscitou! Em verdade ressuscitou!
Romanian: Hristos a inviat! Adevărat a înviat!
Russian: Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!
Sanskrit: Kristo'pastitaha! Satvam upastitaha!
Serbian: Hristos vaskrse! Vaistunu vaskrse!
Slovak: Christos vstal z mŕtvych! Vpravde vstal z mŕtvych!
Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Swahili: Kristo amefufukka! Kweli amefufukka!
Swedish: Kristus är uppstånden! Han är sannerligen uppstånden!
Syriac: M'shee ho dkom! Ha koo qam!
Tlingit: Krisdos kux̱ wudigút! X’éiga kux̱ wudigút!
Turkish: Hristos diril - di! Hakikaten diril - di!
Ugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Kweli ajukkide!
Ukrainian: Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres!
Welsh: Atgyfododd Crist! Atgyfododd yn wir!
Yupik: Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! Iluumun Ung-uixtuq!
Zulu: UKristu uvukile! Ngempela uvukile!

Latest Issue of Ukrainian Orthodox Word

Women's Monastery Trip

 

Hello ladies,
 
There is a change of plan regarding our visit to the monastery of St. John Chrysostom at Kenosha! Our sisters at St. Ignatius will not be able to join on the 6th because their bishop is coming to visit and there is also a wedding of one of the parish members at that weekend. For that reason we have decided to move the date of the trip one week after, on Saturday May 13. I hope this does not bring any inconvenience to your plans. As far as I have checked, most women who signed up for the 6th can also come on the 13th. 
 
So, please sign up again at https://forms.gle/VF13ATTGAhTfTM5g8 to see the total number of participants. Since time is running out, please sign by Monday, March 27.
 
The plan of the trip is the following: we will meet at the Assumption church at 8:30 am on Saturday May 13, and estimate to arrive in Kenosha around 11 am. We will first visit the church and venerate the relics they have, and then will have a talk with abess Melanie (maybe fr Lukas too). Lunch will be offered by the monastery afterwards and then we will have the time to do some shopping from the store of the monastery. There are a variety of religious books in English and Greek, many icons, incense etc . There is also fresh food that we can buy, tyropita, spanakopita,  koulourakia, honey and plenty of other delicacies.  All food has been made from organic plants from their gardens, eggs and yogurt has been made from their animals etc  The plan is to leave from the monastery around 2:30 pm.  
 
One option is travelling by bus and we need to know the number of the people coming in order to get an offer. We will be responsible for our bus fare.  However there is a great possibility that this will not work out (very busy season, there wasn't any availability for the 6th from Badger bus company), so we might go by car as we always did before, meaning that we need drivers.  I will keep you informed as long as we have the final number of participants.
 
Looking forward to this pilgrimage trip.
 
Take care!
 
Peli

This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

 

Holy Week 2023

 

Wednesday, April 12

  • 6:00 PM: Holy Unction

Thursday, April 13

  • 9:30 AM: Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil
  • 6:00 PM: Twelve Passion Gospels

Friday, April 14

  • 9:00 AM: Royal Hours
  • 3:00 PM: Vespers of the Disposition
  • 6:00 PM: Lamentation Service

Saturday, April 15 Holy Saturday

  • 9:30 AM: Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil
  • 10:00 PM: Resurrection Service 
  • 1:00 AM: Blessing of Baskets & Paschal Meal

Sunday, April 9 (Holy Pascha)

  • 1:00 PM: Agape Vespers & Potluck

THE FIRST ANTIPHON

 

Shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing to His Name, give glory to His praises.

 

Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.

 

Say to God: How awesome are Thy works; let all the earth worship Thee, and sing to Thee. Let it sing a song to Thy Name, O Most High. 

 

Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.

 

Glory… Both now… 

 

Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.

 

THE SECOND ANTIPHON

 

May God have mercy upon us, and bless us, and may He cause His face to shine upon us, and have mercy upon us.

 

Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia.

 

That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations; let the peoples give thanks to Thee, O God, let all the peoples give thanks to Thee. 

 

Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia.

 

May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear Him. 

 

Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia.

 

Glory… Both now…

 

O, only begotten Son and Word of God…

 

THE THIRD ANTIPHON

 

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those that hate Him flee from before His face.

 

Refrain: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!

 

As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; as wax melteth before the fire.

 

Refrain: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!

 

So let sinners perish at the presence of God, and let the righteous be glad. 

 

Refrain: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!

 

 

This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein.

 

 

Refrain: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!

 

ENTRANCE HYMN

 

In the gathering places bless ye God the Lord, from the springs of Israel. Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead, who sing to Thee: Alleluia.

Hymns After the Small Entrance

Tone 5 Paschal Troparion 

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! 

Tone 4 The Hypakoe of Pascha 

When they who were with Mary came, anticipating the dawn, and found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher, they heard from the Angel: Why seek ye among the dead, as though He were mortal man, Him Who abideth in everlasting light? Behold the grave-clothes. Go quickly and proclaim to the world that the Lord is risen, and hath put death to death. For He is the Son of God, Who saveth the race of man.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 8 Paschal Kontakion

Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of Hades, and didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women, Rejoice, and giving peace unto Thine Apostles, O Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.

Instead of Holy God…

As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia. (x3)

 

Sunday Readings


Epistle: Acts 1:1-8

 

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom He had chosen. To them He presented Himself alive after His passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, “You heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

 

Gospel:  John 1:1-17

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not. He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not. But to all who received Him, who believed in His Name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to Him, and cried, “This was He of Whom I said, ‘He Who comes after me ranks before me, for He was before me.’”) And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++ 
 

Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the

Canon of the feast, first Tone:

The angel cried unto her that is full of grace: Rejoice, O pure Virgin! And again I say, rejoice!  For thy Son is risen from the grave on the third day, and hath raised the dead, O ye people, be joyful!

Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee; dance now and be glad, O Zion, and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.

 

Communion Verse:

Receive ye the Body of Christ, taste ye of the Fountain of Immortality.  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

When the priest says: “With the fear of God and with faith draw near,” instead of “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord,” we sing: “Christ is risen…” once.  

And we also sing “Christ is risen…”  instead of “We have seen the true light…” and instead of “Let our mouths be filled with thy praise…”

Priest: The blessing of the Lord be upon you…

Choir: Amen.

Clergy: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death… 

Choir: And upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

Priest: Christ is risen! (x3)

People: Truly He is risen! (x3)

And then the choir sings:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! x3; 

And unto us hath He granted life eternal; we worship His Resurrection on the third day.

 

By the age of 25, about 60% of those baptized as infants will no longer consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. A parish on a university campus is an important witness not only to the surrounding community but also to high school age and younger parishioner. Establishing a parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison helps remind young people that graduating high school doesn't mean "graduating" from the Church. Please consider joining those who have committed their time, treasure and talent in establishing an Orthodox community on the Isthmus. Help us reach your children and grandchildren with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

By the age of 25, about 60% of those baptized as infants will no longer consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. A parish on a university campus is an important witness not only to the surrounding community but also to high school age and younger parishioner. Establishing a parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison helps remind young people that graduating high school doesn't mean "graduating" from the Church. Please consider joining those who have committed their time, treasure and talent in establishing an Orthodox community on the Isthmus. Help us reach your children and grandchildren with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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