On Sunday, 10th/23^rd April 2017, the event of the Lord’s touching by Thomas the Apostle was observed by the Patriarchate according to the Typikon of the Church order and the rules of worship, at the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection. On this feast the Church commemorates that on the eighth day after the Resurrection “when the doors were closed” the Lord came “while all the disciples were assembled within” and “Thomas was with them” and he saw the Lord and the signs of the nails in His hands and His pierced side and was convinced and said “My Lord and my God” (John 20:24-29).

This event was celebrated as “Parresia” by the Patriarchate, with the Great Vespers in the evening including the entrance and worshiping of the Holy Deposition and the Holy Sepulchre, and a Great Entrance and the Blessing of Bread at the Catholicon, while in the morning there was the Divine Liturgy at the Holy and Life-giving Sepulchre, led by the Patriarchal Commissioner Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, with concelelbrants  the Most Reverend Archbishop Methodios of Tabor, the Most Reverend Archbishop Demetrios of Lydda, Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, first among whom the Master of Ceremonies Archimandrite Bartholomew, and the Hierodeacons Demetrios and Agapios. Singing were the Choir Leader of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos and the left singer Mr. George Alvanos, with the participation of the members of the Greek Community in Jerusalem, and the pilgrims from Greece, Cyprus Russia and Romania who were still here since Easter.

The Divine Liturgy was followed by the return to the Patriarchate where the Metropolitan wished to all the solid faith of Thomas and offered Easter blessings to all.

From Secretariat-General
httpv://youtu.be/mzT1bkFtAcE

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The holy Services of the Holy Week and the Luminous Resurrection were celebrated at the Holy Archdiocese of Qatar with exceptional brilliance and according to the Church order of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

A vast crowd of faithful from the Emirate towns as well as from Saudi Arabia participated in the Holy Communion in piety and contrition.

The Services were observed in the Greek, Arabic, Slavonic, Serbian, Romanian and English languages for the greater participation of a multilingual congregation. The Choir singers delivered the hymns in a marvellous way and did the choirs for the Holy Friday Lamentations in the Arabic and Greek languages.

On Holy Friday and Holy Saturday nights, present at the Services were the Ambassadors of Cyprus, Serbia, the Consul of Greece and the delegate of the Embassy of Moldavia in Qatar. The end of the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection was followed by the blessing of the Easter eggs.

From the Holy Archdiocese of Qatar

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On Easter Monday, 4th/17th April 2017, the Paschal Service, meaning the Canon of St. John of Damascus on the Resurrection and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom were celebrated   at the monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, led by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with the praying Archbishops and Priests, as well as monks and nuns and many pilgrims.

At the end of this festal Divine Liturgy, the Patriarchal Entourage went to the Patriarchate in a procession, while the choir leader of the monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen Archimandrite Eusevios was chanting “Christ is risen” and “Let us behold the day of the Resurrection”.

Therein the brotherly Episcopal osculation took place and the pilgrims received the blessing by His Beatitude while He was offering them Easter eggs.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/eT7IYzItpaE

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On Easter Sunday noon, 3rd/16th April 2017, the service of the second Resurrection was celebrated by the Patriarchate.

The service began at the Patriarchate Hall with the reading of the 9th Hour of Easter: “Let us who have beheld the Resurrection of Christ…When they who were with Mary came…” while H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, the Archbishops and Priests were putting on their Paschal Episcopal and Priestly liturgical vestments.

At the completion of this procedure and while the Choir Leader of the Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos and Mr. Alvanos with their helpers were chanting the slow Byzantine “Christ is risen” the Patriarchal Entourage exited the Patriarchate Hall and in a procession via the Patriarchate and the Christian streets descended to the courtyard of the Church of the Resurrection, where they offered a special prayer.

There the entourage headed for the Catholicon where the Vespers of Easter was observed and the Gospel of love was recited according to the Gospel of John “The first day of the week…when it was yet dark…” and “and after eight days again…”, in various languages.

Having completed the service, the Patriarchal Entourage returned to the Patriarchate.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/hVsAu9Kq7P0

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At midnight on Holy and Great Saturday 2nd/15th April 2017, at the turn of Sunday, 3rd/16th April 2017, the Patriarchal Hagiotaphite Entourage came down from the Central Monastery to the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection.

There, at the Catholicon, Matins of Easter Sunday was held with the Canon while His Beatitude the Archbishops and Priests were dressed in their liturgical vestments. Then the Litany around the All-Holy and Life-giving Sepulchre started from the Catholicon.

After the Litany, His Beatitude standing before the Sacred Edicule read the Gospel narrative according to Mark on the Resurrection and recited the “Glory to the Holy Consubstantial and Life-giving and Undivided Trinity” and started the “Christ is risen” ten times, and the congregation followed unceasingly in clamour and exclamations each one in his own language.

The Canon on the Resurrection of St. John of Damascus followed, Matins with praises and the Doxology and then the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, led by His Beatitude, with concelebrants the guest Most Reverend Archbishop Leon of Finland, Most Reverend Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias, the Most Reverend Archbishops Theophanis of Gerassa, Aristarchos of Constantina, Theodosios of Sebastia, and the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, Hagiotaphite Hieromonks first among whom the Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios and many Priests from Greece, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Finland, at the singing of the Choir Leader of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos and Mr. George Alvanos from the gallery of the right and the left choir.

At the end of this festal and simultaneously contrite Divine Liturgy the Easter Message of His Beatitude was read by Geronda Secretary-General Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina as in the link below:

https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2017/04/09/31355

When the congregation had received the Holy Communion His Beatitude read the Sermon of St. John Chrysostom “If any be pious and lover of God…”

After the dismissal of the Divine Liturgy the Patriarchal Entourage returned to the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen and the Epitropikon and received the traditional Easter egg and cheese.

From Secretariat-General
httpv://youtu.be/onIQ6-5e5L0

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At 11:00pm on Holy and Great Friday, 1st/14th April 2017, the Epitaph service  which is about the God-saving Burial of our Lord and God Jesus Christ was observed at the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection.

For this Service, the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood with its guest Archbishop Leon of Finland, led by our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, descended to the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection, bells tolling in a mourning tone, and through the Deposition and the Holy Sepulchre entered the Catholicon.

There, the Canon of the Holy and Great Saturday was sung until the Priests received the blessing by the Patriarch and they were dressed with their liturgical vestments with the Archbishops alike.

Then the entourage went as usual out of the Catholicon, and turned right towards the Shrine “Touch me not” of the Franciscans where a prayer was read aloud. This was repeated at each one of the Shrines outside the Edicule from North to South, which are The Stolen, St. Logginos, They divided my garments among them, the Crown of Thorns and of Adam.

From this Shrine the Entourage went up in the Horrendous Golgotha. There the Gospel narrative on Christ’s Crucifixion was read, a prayer followed and the veneration by the Patriarch, the Archbishops and the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos. Then four Archbishops carried the silk corporal symbolizing the grave garments of the Lord, which was laid on the Holy Altar of the Horrendous Golgotha and went down and placed it on the Holy Deposition slab, when His Beatitude read the relevant Gospel narrative on the Deposition and Burial of the Lord by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus the secret disciple of the Lord. Consequently the litany around the Holy Sepulchre followed, while during the whole service the chanting was done by the Choir Leader of the Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos, Mr. George Alvanos and their helpers.
At the end of the Litany, the singing of the Lamentations began by His Beatitude and the Archbishops followed by the choir and the congregation in the three Stases:

1. “Thou who art the Life wast laid in a tomb o Christ…”
2. “It is right to magnify Thee, Giver of Life…”
3. “Every generation, O my Christ, offers praises at Thy burial…”

At the end of the three stases and before the sessional hymns, Geronda Secretary-General Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina gave the following sermon:

 “I venerate Thy Passion,I sing in praises of Thy burial,

and I magnify Thy power, O loving Lord:

through them I am set free from corrupting passions”

(From the 1^st Stasis of Lamentations)

Your Beatitude Father and Master, Reverend chorea of Hierarchs,

Your Excellency Consul General of Greece, Noble Priests and pious pilgrims,

If man is the crest of God’s creatures, and creation, the “quite good” world that surrounds him are thought of and received by the faithful as the foremost wondrous work of God, an even more wondrous new work of God is received and experienced in the last years, that is the likeness of God to man, the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. This event was foreseen and foretold by the prophets and evangelized by the angel to Virgin Mary. The Virgin by the Holy Spirit conceived and begot in the flesh the Only Begotten son and pre-eternal bodiless Logos of God.

This incarnate Logos of God, the God-man Jesus Christ of Nazareth, having migrated in earth, lived in Judea, Galilee and Samaria, at the time of Octavian Augustus and Pontius Pilate. He was baptized by John in the Jordan. He chose the twelve apostles. He consorted with people. These “little ones” He named His brothers. He healed them from their illnesses, in many ways He did good, he resurrected the dead. He taught the perfect law of love and forgiveness. In His one Hypostasis He was perfect God and perfect man in two natures. He took upon Himself all human passions, even death, even death on the cross. He willingly gave His life for us according to His Father’s command (John 10:17). In order to liberate us, he willingly accepted, “suffered” death, to which by their own free and ill will the people “who loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:17) condemned Him. They were the ones who saw in Him not the liberator from sin but the transgressor of the law.

However, there were those people, “the fertile soil” where the seed of His teaching had fallen; The ones who discerned the light and the truth of life in Him. Members of this “small team” were the women who followed Him from Galilee, who also became the eye witnesses of His Crucifixion. To the same team also belongs Joseph from Arimathea, who dared to come to Pilate, when at the ninth hour Jesus said in a loud voice “it is accomplished” and as human gave up the ghost, and died on the cross. Then Joseph the subtler “took up the mourning asking, how will I bury Thee my God” and alongside with the myrrh-bearing women was granted the blessed task of Jesus’ deposition from the wood and burial of His divine body.

This three-fold event, the cross, the deposition and the burial of our Lord Jesus Christ is commemorated by the Church today, at this hour when the Holy and Great Friday is almost over and the dawn of Holy and Great Saturday draws near. The Church, His holy body, holds this memorial in gratitude, because the Lord bought it (the Church) by His sacred blood, because the Church sprang forth from the blood that was poured out by His pierced side. The Church chants in joyful mourning but also in hope, complete happiness and deep thanksgiving because its Lord “destroyed death by His cross, to the thief He opened paradise, in one day He made him worthy of paradise”. The Church preaches to the world that the Lord granted this mystery of the salvation by His cross, even to those who have fallen asleep, to those who for ages have been captives to the devil due to their many sins, and are placed in the corruption of death. To those St. John the Forerunner had worked his mission. He had preached repentance also to those who were in Hades. For the sake of those, Christ descended in Hades. The Church chants that by His descend in Hades, Christ “resurrected the dead from the depths of the earth” and instead of the sufferings of Hades He granted them “to be with Him in paradise” the eternal life with Him.

This grant of the completion of man, meaning his communion with God, to coexist with Him in life and death, is the fruit of “the weakness of Christ’s cross”. Christ lived “by God’s power” because He willingly accepted the passions, beatings, mockery, the crown of thorns, the spear and death. Through all these for our sakes, Christ passed on to His glory. “These were meant for Christ to suffer and then come again to His glory”. Christ’s glory is His cross, which is the choice of God’s love for man, without negating the responsibility that lies with those who crucified Him. Christ became incarnate in order to be crucified, and Christ was resurrected because He was crucified. Christ is the king of glory on the cross. Through His cross, joy came to the whole world. The Church familiarizes itself with this mystery, accepting to suffer along with Him. To the Church it is granted “on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philip. 1:29). The Church suffers along with Christ “crucified along with Him”, cleansing itself from corruptive passions, mortified for Him, “buried along with Him in His death” in the font, in baptism. Being weak in Christ, the Church lives by God’s power in it (2 Cor. 13:4) and perpetuates the life-giving and salvific mission of Christ in the world; it preaches Him to be the fullness of life and perfection, the sacrificial love and forgiveness. Fulfilling this mission, the Church is glorified along with Christ.

The Church of Jerusalem, which has been blessed to serve Christ’s mission in the places where He lived as God-man, and especially in this vacant, blessed and life-giving sepulchre, where “He fell asleep in the flesh as mortal”, honouring His passion, burial and resurrection, has preserved this like the pupil of an eye, by the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood throughout the centuries. It maintained and rehabilitated recently the erected by Komnenos Sacred Edicule, this “Possession and tribute to Christ of the Orthodox Romans”, under the technical study of the National Technical University, by the initiative of the Head of the Church of Zion and officiating this feast, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, in praise of the blessed nation of the Orthodox Romans and glory of our Trinitarian God.

From the All-Holy and Life-giving Sepulchre, the Church of Jerusalem and Mother of Churches wishes to those honouring it with their presence, the Orthodox pilgrims of all the Orthodox nations, the patience of the crucified in the flesh, the power of our God Jesus Christ who died in the flesh and the joy, peace and exultation of the forthcoming feast of His Resurrection. So be it”.

This was followed by the blessings, praises and Doxology, when His Beatitude and the Archbishops venerated the Holy Sepulchre.

At the end of the Doxology the Patriarchal entourage dismissed the ceremony at the Catholicon and returned to the Patriarchate waiting for the Service of the Holy Light.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/jIyiVxQEHdg

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On Holy and Great Friday afternoon, 1st/14th April 2017, the Vespers in memory of the Deposition of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Cross by Joseph of Arimathea was observed at the Catholicon of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection.

For this Service the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood went down to the Church of the Resurrection according to the Church order, via the stairs of St. James the Brother of God Cathedral, with His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem wearing a cross and epanokalimauhon and the other Hagiotaphite Archbishops and Priests wearing epanokalimauhon.

Vespers was observed as a Great Parresia, with the Patriarch and His Entourage going up to Golgotha to venerate the sacred passion of the Lord for our sake, with incense, Great Entrance, Aposticha and the Doxasticon by the Choir Leader of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection Archimandrite Aristovoulos and choir singer Mr. George Alvanos with their helpers in the choir.

After Vespers dismissal, the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood returned to its repentance in the Central Monastery, in order to prepare for the Epitaph Service later on at night.

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/tfDC9LDgQqg

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On 1st/14th April 2017, Holy and Great Friday morning, the procession of the Sacred Cross began from Praetorion and Via Dolorosa towards the Horrendous Golgotha, in memory of the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ followed this path when He was questioned by Pilate in Praetorion, and then condemned, beaten, mocked, and He took up His cross heading for the place of His crucifixion, the Horrendous Golgotha.

This contrite procession was led by the Archpriest of the Patriarchate Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, likewise taking up the cross, and thus participating at the passion of the Lord’s cross. The procession was followed by many pilgrims of all nationalities, many of whom were holding wooden crosses.

The procession of Via Dolorosa ended up at the courtyard of the Church of the Resurrection, where the Archpriest spoke to the faithful.

Consequently the participants in this contrite procession also participated in the Service of the Hours of Holy Friday at the Horrendous Golgotha.  

From Secretariat-General
httpv://youtu.be/U9KVbPuyGfs

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On Holy and Great Thursday evening, 31st March/13th April 2017,  the Service of the Holy Passion was observed at the Monastic Church of Saints Constantine and Helen.

The contrite service was led by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with the praying Hagiotaphite Arcbhishops Hieromonks, monks, nuns and a great multitude of pilgrims who had filled the Church.

From Secretariat-General
httpv://youtu.be/05u0uqEzi8E

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On Holy and Great Thursday morning, 31st March/13th April 2017, the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was celebrated at St. James the Brother of God Cathedral, which is between the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood Residence and the Church of the Resurrection, led by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with concelebrants the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis, Hieromonks and Deacons, as well as visiting Priests.
After the Divine Liturgy at 9:00 am, the Service of the Washing of feet started at the courtyard of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection. For this reason, His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos came from St. James Church and going up on the platform washed the feet of twelve Hagiotaphite Hieromonks and Presbyters, according to the Typikon of this unique to the Church of Jerusalem Service, in memory of the event that the Lord washed the feet of His disciples before His Passion, becoming a living example of humility.

At the end of this Service, bells tolling, the Patriarchal Entourage headed for the Patriarchate amidst the noble pilgrims, where His Beatitude gave the following address:
“Initiating Thy disciples, O Lord, Thous didst teach them, saying: O friends, see that no fear separate you from Me; for though I suffer, yet it is for the sake of the world. Wherefore, be not scandalized in Me, for I am come not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give My life a ransom for the world. If then ye are My friends, imitate Me. He that would be first, let him be last; the master, as the servant. Abide in Me, that ye may bear fruit, for I am the Vine of Life” ( Holy and Great Wednesday, Matins, Apostiha. Glory..Both now).

Reverend Holy Fathers and brothers,

Noble Christians and pilgrims,

Today, on Holy and Great Thursday, the Holy Fathers who have ordained everything well, as the Synaxarion of the Church says, handed over to us four things to celebrate: The Sacred Washing of the feet, the Last Supper (meaning the tradition of the Horrendous Passion of the Lord), the ardent Prayer and the Betrayal.

Our Holy Church of Jerusalem, keeping its Apostolic tradition and custom, observed today the Sacred Washing of the feet  at the Holy Courtyard of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection, in memory of the washing of the feet of the disciples by our Saviour Jesus Christ, during the Last Supper.

By this action, that is, the washing of the feet of His disciples, Christ showed to both His disciples and us who believe in Him, the perfect way, and also the way of the salvation of our souls, the outmost humility, as St. Paul preaches: “ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11).

The condensation of Jesus Christ to the point of the Cross and burial is an answer to the contemporary man who boasts in his arrogance. “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil” St. James the Brother of God says.

My beloved brothers, we are called by our Holy Church not to “sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:6). Let us therefore say together with the hymn writer “O Christ God, Who didst gird Thyself with a towel and didst wash the disciples’ feet: Wash clean the thought of our soul and gird us about with a spiritual bond, that we might do Thy commandments and sing the praise of Thy goodness”, Amen, Have a Good Easter.”

From Secretariat-General

httpv://youtu.be/sz0XyLQ4x3U

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