The Holy Pascha.

At the stroke of twelve, in the night from Saturday to Sunday, begins the celebration in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. This feast is called the Pascha, — by the name of the Old Testament feast instituted in commemoration of the Jews’ deliverance out of Egyptian bondage, because that feast was the prototype of the Christian feast. Then the blood of the lamb with which the doors of Hebrew dwellings were smeared preserved the Jews from the angel who was smiting the Egyptian first-born with death. Now Christ, in dying on the Cross for our sins, like unto an immaculate Lamb, delivered us by His resurrection from the bondage of sin and the Devil. As we know of no event more joyful and radiant, the Church names this day “the Feast of Feasts” and “the triumph of triumphs.” The substance of all the hymns of this feast is expressed in the troparion “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”

        At midnight the celebrants, carrying the Cross, the Gospel and icons, escorted and followed by all the faithful, to the ringing of the bells and the swinging of censers, go forth in procession and walk around the church on the outside, singing: “Thy Resurrection, O Christ Saviour, the angels hymn in the heavens; vouchsafe also us on earth with pure hearts to glorify Thee.” The procession reminds us how the myrrh-bearing women went to the Sepulcher in the dim morning, intending to anoint the body of Christ with myrrh. It stops at the vestibule or on the porch before the western doors which at this moment are closed. Here the priest blesses the beginning of Matins — “Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life giving, and indivisible Trinity.” In response to this the troparion, “Christ is risen,” is sung many times. While the troparion is being sung, the western doors are opened and the procession enters the church. The Matins service begins in the vestibule, in memory of the women having received the first news of the resurrection at the entrance of the Sepulcher. The entire Matins service consists of ecteniæ and Paschal hymns. First the Great Ectenia is recited; after that the entire canon is sung, then the eirmoi and the troparia. Each ode of the canon ends with the Small Ectenia and after each ode every part of the church is censed. After the canon, the choir sings “Let every breath praise the Lord,” with verses, and the hymn, “Let God arise,” with sticheræ. When the choir sings the stichera “Let us embrace one another, let us say brethren even to them that hate us, let us forgive all things for the sake of the Resurrection,” all Christians exchange brotherly kisses, with the mutual greeting “Christ is risen!” — “Truly He is risen!” After which follow the Triple Ectenia, the Ectenia of Supplication, and dismissal.

        The Hours offices consist exclusively of Paschal hymns.

The Liturgy follows immediately after Matins. The Gospel lesson read is one that tells not of the Resurrection of Christ, but of His pre-eternal birth from God the Father and of His Divinity, because Christ, by His Resurrection, manifested His Divinity. It is customary on this day to read the Gospel in several languages, so that all may hear the glad tidings, each in his own tongue.

Vespers also consists mainly of Paschal hymns; the entry is made with the Gospel, and the Gospel reading tells of the Resurrection.

        The entire week is one feast. Therefore the services are alike on all days, differing only in that, from Monday to Saturday, the procession takes place not in the beginning, but at the end of the Matins service, and no Gospel is read at Vespers. During the Paschal week all the doors of the Sanctuary remain open and the curtain drawn aside, in token that Christ, by His resurrection, hath opened to us the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven.

        One of the special features of the feast of the Pascha is the consecration of bread stamped with the image of the Cross, or, sometimes, of the Resurrection, and named by the Greek name Ártos. The Artos is consecrated at the close of the Paschal Liturgy in memory of Christ risen, Who is “the Bread of Life Eternal descended from Heaven and nourishing us with the food of His divine mercies.” On Saturday, after the Liturgy, it is broken and distributed in the place of Antidoron among the faithful who partake of it, taking home pieces for those who were not present in church.* This rite refers to the Apostles’ custom of laying bread aside at their meals in memory of Christ, when He had ascended to Heaven. On the first Pascha day the Church consecrates eggs, cheese and meat, thus proclaiming the end of Lent. In our country it is customary to bring to the churches home-made Artos (large round loaves of rich, cake-like bread, called Kulítch) to be sprinkled with holy water, and for friends to exchange the gift of a red-dyed egg. The egg symbolizes the renovated life, received through the Blood of Christ the Saviour.