We will be privileged to have Metropolitan JOSEPH with us at St. Gregory’s for our Good Friday service. He will be in the Washington DC area for Holy Week and has asked to visit as many of the Antiochian parishes during that time as possible.
Because the Good Friday Liturgy is the most solemn of all our services, this will be unlike a “normal’ visit from one of our bishops. The liturgical greeting of the Bishop by the clergy and acolytes, while we sing “O Priest and Bishop” will be shortened so that the Liturgy may begin in silence.
We will also not have a banquet, as would be normal for the visit of a bishop, and there will be little opportunity for meeting and talking with the Metropolitan as he will be leaving us to go to another parish for an evening service. But we hope that this will not be his only visit to St. Gregory’s and we will look forward to welcoming him again in the future!
Holy Week at St. Gregory’s
In this most holy week, we will walk the way of the Cross with our Savior, experiencing again the events of the last week of His earthly life before the Resurrection. The Crosses will be veiled and Gloria Patri will not be sung in the Venite at Matins, and the Prayers of Preparation and the Introit of the Mass.
Palm Sunday, April 1: After 9AM Matins, we will go outside (weather permitting) for the blessing and distribution of palms, the reading of the Palm Sunday Gospel story, and the procession. Continuing inside the Chapel, we will hear the Passion Gospel of St. Matthew sung in dialogue fashion.
Monday and Tuesday, April 2 and 3: The Passion Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke will be sung at the 7:30PM Masses. Vespers will precede Mass at 7PM and pot-luck Lenten suppers will follow.
Wednesday, April 4: The Unction Mass will be celebrated this evening (at 7:30 following 7PM Vespers), as the oils for catechumens and for the sick are blessed and the people receive anointing.
Maundy Thursday, April 5: After 7PM Vespers, the Liturgy for this day, which celebrates the institution of the Eucharist by our Lord at the Last Supper, includes the ceremony of the foot-washing, the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose (in the Parish Hall), and ends with the stripping of the Altar. After a light pot-luck supper, the service of Tenebrae will be offered.
Good Friday, April 6: The Liturgy, begins at noon in silence with full prostrations by the clergy. The Passion Gospel of St. John will be sung in dialogue, the Solemn Collects for the Church and those outside it will be sung. A cross will be unveiled and held for veneration as the Reproaches are sung and the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified will be offered. All depart in silence. Confessions will be heard after this service.
Holy Saturday, April 7: Confessions will be heard beginning at 7:30PM and the ancient Paschal Vigil will begin outside at 9PM. The Paschal candle will be blessed and we will carry candles in procession into the dark church singing “The light of Christ! Thanks be to God”. The Exultet will be sung, readings telling the story of our salvation will be heard, water will be blessed, the Litany will be sung and then, as all the lights are turned on and the use of the organ resumes, the long-anticipated celebration of the Resurrection will begin. We will end our celebrations with the Paschal feast in the parish hall.
Easter Day, April 8: Mass at 10:00AM.
English: Christ is Risen! Indeed He is risen!
Arabic: El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Greek: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Russian: Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!
Read the complete April Newsletter here.