You are viewing Holy Friday events Page

Saint Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church and Shrine

Holy FriDAY in the eastern orthodox church

Holy Friday

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me!" (Mk 15.34).

Each of the four Hours bears a numerical name, derived from one of the major daylight hours or intervals of the day as they were known in antiquity: The First - Proti - (corresponding to our sunrise); the Third - Triti - (our midmorning or 9 a.m.); the Sixth - "Ekti - (our noonday); and the Ninth -'Enati (our midafternoon or 3 p.m.).

The Great Hours are chanted and read as one service on Great Friday morning," in accordance with the order found in the Patriarchal Text. The priest wears the epitrachelion and phelonion, as in the preceding Orthros service.

The four Gospel lessons, one for each of the Hours, are read from the Holy Doors.

· Matthew 27:1-56

· Mark 15:16-41

· Luke 23:32-49

· John 19:23-37

The priest censes the sanctuary, the church and the people in the usual manner with the katzion, while the troparia are being chanted at the Third Hour. He may choose to repeat the censing at the Sixth and Ninth Hours.

As the priest reads the Gospel, "and taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a white cloth," he removes the Body of Christ from the Cross, wraps It in a white cloth, and takes It to the altar. The priest then chants a mourning hymn: "When Joseph of Arimathea took Thee, the life of all, down from the Tree dead, he buried Thee with myrrh and fine linen...rejoicing. Glory to Thy humiliation, O Master, who clothest Thyself with light as it were with a garment." The priest then carries the cloth on which the Body of Christ is painted or embroidered around the church before placing It inside the Sepulcher, a carved bier which symbolizes the Tomb of Christ. We are reminded that during Christ's entombment, He descends into Hades to free the dead of the ages before His Incarnation.

At the Ninth Hour, the hymn "Simeron krematai" is intoned by the reader or chanter. By custom the reader stands before the Cross when intoning the hymn. When he has completed the hymn, it is chanted by the choirs.

The Apolysis is the same as at the preceding Orthros.

Great Holy Friday Afternoon – Great Vesper (Apokathelosis)

On the afternoon of Great Friday, we conduct the service of the Great Vespers with great solemnity. This Vesper service concludes the remembrance of the events of the Lord's passion, and leads us towards watchful expectation as we contemplate the mystery of the Lord's descent into Hades, the theme of Great Saturday.

In popular language, the Vesper Service of Great Friday is often called the Apokathelosis, a name derived from the liturgical reenactment of the deposition of Christ from the Cross. The service is characterized by two dramatic liturgical actions: The Deposition or Apokathelosis Apokathilosis -literally the Un-nailing); and the Procession of the Epitaphios ('Epitafios, i.e. the icon depicting the burial of Christ encased within a large embroidered cloth).

Prior to the introduction of the solemn procession of the Estavromenos at the Orthros and the rite of the Apokathelosis at the Vespers, the churches practiced two simpler rituals. First, at the fifteenth antiphon of the Orthros, an icon of the crucifixion was brought in procession to the proskynetarion which stood in the middle of the solea. Second, at the Vesper service the Epitaphios was carried in solemn procession to the kouvouklion.

Watch the Troparion of the “Se Ton Anavalomenon”

About Us

St. Nectarios is a parish of Metropolis of San Francisco of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Click Here to

Contact Us

Services:

Sunday Morning Liturgy

9:00 AM Orthros

10:00 AM Liturgy

Wednesday

Paraklesis (service)

to Saint Nectarios 7:00 PM

Church is open:

Monday thru Friday

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Saturday:

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Our services are in

Greek & English

Office Hours:

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Email Address:

stnectarioschurch@gmail.com

Good Friday Evening - The Lamentation (Epitaphios)

"Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves..."

The Epitaphios - At the aposticha, we conduct the procession of the Epitaphios. The Epitaphios is placed on the Holy Table before the enarxis of the Vespers or after the reading of the Gospel. Before lifting it for the procession the priest censes the Epitaphios. The procession forms and proceeds through the north door of the sanctuary. As in other solemn processions, the Epitaphios is carried up the north aisle, around the Church and down the south aisle. It is brought to the Kouvouklioni which has been placed in the middle of the solea, and deposited in it. The priest then moves around the Kouvouklion censing the Epitaphios from each of the four sides. By custom, he also sprinkles the Epitaphios with rose-water and scatters rose-petals and flowers on it. The priest then places the Gospel Evagelion upon the Epitaphios. After the Apolysis the priest and the faithful venerate the Epitaphios. There is a simultaneous praise of both the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ with their purpose of the redemption of man. We no longer lament the sufferings of the Crucified One; we now lament chiefly for our own sins because we are far from God. So, these services should have a rather personal meaning of repentance and of strong faith in God.

1 / 5

2 / 5

3 / 5

4 / 5

5 / 5

❮ ❯

On Good Friday evening, the theme is Christ's descent into Hades during which the Gospel of repentance and reconciliation with God is shared with those who died before Christ's saving dispensation in the flesh. The service begins with lamentations sung as we stand before the tomb of Christ commemorating His unjust punishment and the shedding of His innocent blood. But the service ends on a note of joy and hope, with the reading of the Prophet Ezekiel in which he describes his vision of our resurrection yet to come; in the midst of despair, we are told there is hope, for not even death can separate us from the unfailing love and power of God. Death is about to be conquered and faithfulness rewarded.

Please click this link to watch the Epitaphios Procession