Icon of the Fifth Sunday of Pascha, commemorating the Samaritan woman (Photina), meeting Jesus by the well. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Note that the well is cross-shaped; most of the Sundays of the Pentecostarion deal with the subject of water, a reference to Baptism. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted

The Pentecostarion (Greek: Πεντηκοστάριον, Pentekostárion; Slavonic: Цвѣтнаѧ Трїωдь, Tsvyetnaya Triod' , literally "Flowery Triodon"; Romanian: Penticostar) is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite during the Paschal Season which extends from Pascha (Easter) to the Sunday following All Saints Sunday (i. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance A liturgical book is a book published by the authority of a Church, that contains the text and directions for the Liturgy of its official Religious services The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently (in various languages Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. For the British girl group see All Saints (band. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) often e. , the Second Sunday After Pentecost). Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the

The name means the Book of the "Fifty Days", referring to the period of time from Pascha to Pentecost. Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the In Greek, it is also sometimes called the Joyful Pentecostarion (Πεντηκοστάριον χαρμόσυνον, Pentekostárion Charmósynon). In English, it is sometimes called the Paschal Triodion. The name "Pentecostarion" is also applied to the liturgical season covered by the book. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when

The Pentecostarion is part of the Paschal cycle or "Moveable Cycle" of the ecclesiastical year. The Paschal cycle in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches is the cycle of the Moveable feasts built around Pascha (Easter The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when This cycle is dependant upon the date of Pascha and continued throughout the coming year until the next Pascha.

Pascha (Easter) is the most important feast of the entire year, outranking by far all others. Each week of the Pentecostarion is named after the Gospel lesson which is read on the Sunday which begins it; for instance, the week that follows Thomas Sunday is referred to as Thomas Week. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament A lection is a reading in this context from Scripture The custom of reading the books of Moses in the synagogues on the Sabbath day was a very ancient one in the Jewish The Octave Day of Easter, sometimes known as Low Sunday (and also known historically as White Sunday Whitsunday St During the liturgical season of the Pentecostarion, the Gospel of John is read in full, as is the Acts of the Apostles. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. Both of these books were chosen because of their instructive content. Pascha (Easter) is the traditional time for baptizing new converts to the faith. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted So, just as Great Lent, with its liturgical book, the Triodion, was the final period of preparation for the catechumens before their baptism, so the time of the Pentecostarion is the time of initiation into the Sacred Mysteries of the Christian religion for the "Newly-Illumined" (i. Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important Fasting season in the Church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians The Triodion (Τριῴδιον Triōdion; Slavonic: Постнаѧ Трїωдь Postnaya Triod; Triodul also called the Lenten In Ecclesiology, a catechumen (ˌkætəˈkjuːmən from Latin catechumenus, Greek κατηχουμενος, instructed is one receiving instruction Initiation is a Rite of passage Ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society The term sacred mysteries generally denotes the area of Supernatural phenomena associated with a Divinity or a religious ideology. e. , the newly-baptized).

The two Sacred Mysteries of baptism and chrismation are reflected in the two feasts which mark the beginning and ending points of the Pentecostarion: Pascha and Pentecost. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Chrismation is the name given in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches as well as in the Assyrian Church of the East Baptism is naturally tied to the Resurrection, according to the Apostle Paul (Romans 6:, 1 Corinthians 15:4, Colossians 2:12). Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Chrismation, the reception of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit is naturally reflected in Pentecost. Spiritual gifts (or Charismata, according to some Christian denominations such as Pentecostal, are gifts that are bestowed on Christians each having his or her Because of this, the imagery of water figures prominently in the hymns of the Pentecostarion. ^[1]

The services of the Pentecostarion begin during the Paschal Vigil starting at the stroke of midnight on Easter Sunday. The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration The service for Pascha is radically different from the services of any other time of the year. Throughout the course of the Pentecostarion, they gradually return to normal (see Canonical hours and Divine Liturgy). Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy.

Afterfeast of Pascha

The Afterfeast of Pascha lasts for 30 days, beginning on the Sunday of Pascha and concluding with the Apodosis ("leave-taking") of Pascha on the day before the Ascension of the Lord. An Afterfeast is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches (roughly equivalent to The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence

Bright Week

Main article: Bright Week

The seven days beginning on the Sunday of Pascha are referred to as "Bright Week" or "Renewal Week". Bright Week Lambri --> or Renewal Week is the name used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine On these days the services are completely different that the rest of the year. Everything is chanted rather than being simply read. Chant (from Old French chanter) is the Rhythmic speaking or Singing of Words or Sounds often primarily on one or two In some Christian churches the Reader is responsible for reading aloud excerpts of the Scripture at a Liturgy. Most of the services are much shorter than usual. Even the Divine Liturgy, which normally has little variation in it, has a number of changes which are particular to the Paschal celebration. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. The Little Hours are chanted in a special format known as the Paschal Hours. ~The Little Hours are the fixed daytime hours of prayer in the Divine Office of Chrisitians both Western Christianity and the Eastern Orthodox Church The Paschal Hours are the form in which the Little Hours are chanted on Pascha (Easter and throughout Bright Week in the Eastern Orthodox Church The reading of the Psalter, which normally forms a major portion of all of the Daily Offices, is completely omitted. A Psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms and which often contains other devotional material Canonical hours are divisions of time developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed Prayers of the daily round

In the temple (church building), the Holy Doors on the iconostasis are left open for the entire week, symbolizing the open Tomb of Christ, and the Epitaphion (shroud) is visible on the Holy Table (altar), representing the burial cloths (John 20:6) which, according to Christian tradition, bore witness to the Resurrection of Jesus. An Orthodox church as a Church building of Eastern Orthodoxy has a distinct recognizable style among Church architectures History While In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases) also called the Templon, is a wall of Icons and religious paintings The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos The Epitaphios ( Greek: Επιτάφιος epitaphios, or Επιτάφιον epitaphion; Slavonic: Плащаница plashchanitsa An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend

The Paschal Artos (Greek: Áρτος, "leavened loaf") is a loaf of risen bread bearing an icon of the Resurrection on it, which is blessed near the end the Paschal Vigil. The term Artos ( Greek: Áρτος "leavened loaf" refers to a loaf of leavened bread that is blessed during services in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. It is then is placed either near the Icon of Christ on the iconostasis or in the nave of the church. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the The Artos represents the physical presence of Jesus after his Resurrection, and is venerated by the faithful when they enter or leave the temple as a way of greeting the Resurrected Christ. The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death and burial and prior to his Ascension

At the end of either Matins or the Divine Liturgy, there is often a crucession (procession headed by the cross), during which the Paschal Canon is chanted, and the priest blesses with holy water. Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. A Crucession, or Cross Procession (Крестный ход Krestnyi khod) is a procession that takes place in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern A canon is a structured Hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Holy water can also refer to water that has been blessed, such as by a Priest, and is considered Holy.

Only on Bright Friday are the Paschal hymns joined to another commemoration, that of the icon of the Theotokos, "Life-giving Spring". Easter Friday or Bright Friday is the Friday after the Christian festival of Easter. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, The Life-giving Spring or Life-giving Font is both the Feast day of a historic church in Constantinople and an Icon of the Theotokos On all of the other days of Bright Week, only the Resurrection may be celebrated. Exceptions are made for the feast day of a local patron saint, or for important feast days such as Saint George, which may be combined with the paschal celebration. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox

If it becomes necessary to celebrate a funeral during Bright Week, even this service is radically different, and follows for the most part the format for Paschal Matins, with only a few funeral hymns being chanted. A Christian burial is the Burial of a deceased person with ecclesiastical rites typically in Consecrated ground ^[2]

Thomas Sunday

Main article: Thomas Sunday

The Sunday which follows Pascha (the Second Sunday of Pascha) is called "Thomas Sunday", because it recounts the appearance of Jesus to the Apostle Thomas eight days after his resurrection (John 20:19-29). The Octave Day of Easter, sometimes known as Low Sunday (and also known historically as White Sunday Whitsunday St The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death and burial and prior to his Ascension Thomas the Apostle, also called Judas Thomas, Doubting Thomas, or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.

Thomas Sunday is also called "Antipascha" (literally, "in the place of Pascha") because those who for honorable reason were not able to attend the Paschal Vigil, may attend services on this day instead. Pascha is a unique feast in the church year; being the "Feast of Feasts" it follows a format unlike any other day. Those liturgical elements normal to a Great Feast of the Lord which were displaced by Pascha's unique elements are instead chanted on Thomas Sunday.

Radonitza

Main article: Radonitza

Radonitza (Russian: "Day of Rejoicing"), is a day of commemoration of the departed. Radonitsa ("Day of Rejoicing" is a holiday in the Eastern Orthodox Church which falls on the Monday or (more commonly Tuesday of Saint Thomas Week&mdasheight Wherever there is a belief in the continued existence of Man 's personality through and after Death, Religion naturally concerns itself with the relations Because the celebration of any memorial service for the departed is forbidden from Holy Thursday through Thomas Sunday, a popular tradition has arisen of visiting the graves of departed loved ones and chanting memorial servcies on the first day this is permitted. The service In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose to pray for the repose of the departed to comfort the living In the Christian Liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter There are no special hymns appointed in the Pentecostarion for Radonitza, and nothing different is done in the Daily Office. However, after the Divine Liturgy, it is customary for the faithful to visit cemeteries and serve memorial services, and to give alms in the name of the departed. Alms or almsgiving exists in a number of religions In general it involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue ^[3] It is not unusual for families to bring a picnic with them to the cemeteries, which would include paschal foods, especially Easter eggs. In contemporary usage picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a Meal is eaten outdoors ( Al fresco or En plein air Some people leave Easter eggs on the graves of their beloved departed as a way of giving the Paschal greeting to the departed, and as a sign of their belief in the resurrection of the dead. The Paschal greeting is an Easter custom among Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians as well as among several This article concerns itself with the belief in the final Resurrection at the End of time, commonly found in the Abrahamic religions.

Sunday of the Myrrhbearers

Main article: Myrrhbearers

The Third Sunday of Pascha is dedicated to the 'Myrrhbearing Women' (the Theotokos, Mary Magdalene, and the other women who brought spices to the Tomb of Jesus) and also to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who cared for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The term Myrrhbearers ( Greek: Μυροφόραι Myrophorae; Slavonic: Жены́-мѷроно́сицы mironosiţe refers to the women who came Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Saint Mary Magdalen or Mary Magdalene is described both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos Joseph of Arimathea was according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion Nicodemus (Greek Νικόδημος was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who according to the Gospel of John, showed favour to Jesus The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging

The placement of this feast is based upon the idea of the synaxis, wherein secondary persons directly involved in the events celebrated in one of the feasts are celebrated on the day after. For the Moth Genus, see Synaxis (moth. (at this point April 2008 this redirects to a nonexistant article The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. However, since Bright Week is devoted exclusively to the celebration of the Resurrection, and Thomas Sunday falls logically on the eighth day of the Resurrection (according to its biblical source), this day becomes the first Sunday on which these persons can be commemorated.

Sunday of the Paralytic

The Sunday of the Paralytic is the Fourth Sunday of Pascha, and recalls Jesus' healing of the Paralytic, as recounted in the Gospel reading for the day: John 5:1-15. According to the canonical Gospels Jesus worked many Miracles in the course of his ministry, which may be categorized into cures Exorcisms The Gospel in Christian liturgy refers to a reading from the Gospels used during various religious services and Mass or Divine Liturgy A lection is a reading in this context from Scripture The custom of reading the books of Moses in the synagogues on the Sabbath day was a very ancient one in the Jewish The theme for this Sunday is the man who lay by the Sheep's Pool in Jerusalem for thirty-eight years. For the various places named after the Pool of Bethesda see Bethesda. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The first one to enter the pool after an angel troubled the water would be healed of his infirmities; but because the man was paralyzed, someone else always entered the pool before him. According to the Gospel account, Jesus had pity on the man, seeing he had no one to put him into the pool, and healed him.

The Kontakion for this day asks Christ to raise up the souls of the faithful, "paralyzed by sins and thoughtless acts. Kontakion (κοντάκιον is a form of Hymn performed in the Eastern Orthodox Church. " The underlying symbolism of the feast is that mankind, being unable to raise itself from the fall by its own will or power, needed "some man" (i. The Fall of Man, or simply the Fall, in Christian doctrine refers to the transition of the first humans from a state of innocent obedience to God, e. , the Son of Man, the Messiah) to come and raise it up. The phrase son of man is a primarily Semitic Idiom that originated in Ancient Mesopotamia, used to denote humanity or self This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions

The feast of the Paralytic is unusual in the Pentecostarion in that it does not last a full week, but ends on the day before Mid-Pentecost.

Mid-Pentecost

Main article: Mid-Pentecost

The Wednesday following the Sunday of the Paralytic is the Feast of Mid-Pentecost This is a "feast within a feast", and propers of the Resurrection are combined with propers for Mid-Pentecost. Mid-Pentecost or Midfeast is a Feast day which occurs during the Paschal season in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic The Proper (Latin proprium) is a part of the Christian liturgy that varies according to the date either representing an observance within the Liturgical Year The hymns of the feast speak of it drawing together the themes of Pascha and Ascension. The Apodosis (leave-taking) of Mid-Pentecost comes one week later, on the following Wednesday.

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman is the Fifth Sunday of Pascha, commemorating the Woman by the well, (traditionally known as Photina in Greek or Svetlana in Russian), as recounted in the Gospel reading for the day: John 4:5-42. Like the Paralytic, the Samaritan Woman is commemorated only on Sunday and half the week (in this case, the second half), the first half of the week being dedicated to the afterfeast of Mid-Pentecost.

Sunday of the Blind Man

The Sixth Sunday of Pascha is the Sunday of the Blind Man, commemorating Jesus' healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-38), recounted in the Gospel lesson for this day's Divine Liturgy.

The Pentecostarion's theme of water is continued by the fact that Jesus sent the man to wash the clay from his eyes in the Pool of Siloam (the name 'Siloam' is interpreted as "sent", implying that the blind man's cure was bestowed for his obedience to Jesus). Pool of Siloam (Breikhat Hashiloah is a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the City of David (believed to be the original site of Jerusalem) now outside the walls

The miracle of the blind man (traditionally named Celidonius) is remarkable in two respects: firstly, that although there are other accounts in both the Old Testament and the New of the blind having their sight restored, this is the only time someone born blind was given sight for the first time. Celidonius is the traditional name ascribed to the "man born blind" whom Jesus healed in the Gospel of John. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Although the biblical text does not explicitly say so, the hymns in the Pentecostarion follow the traditional interpretation that not only was this man born without sight, he was born even without eyes. Jesus' act of making clay is an act of creation (creating eyes where none were before), a repitition of the first act of the creation of man in Genesis 2:7. This indicates the traditional Christian teaching that in the act of salvation Jesus makes his disciples a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of

The second remarkable aspect of the miracle is that not only did Jesus give the man physical sight, but he bestowed upon him spiritual sight as well. Theoria (Greek) is Greek for Contemplation or 'the perception of Beauty regarded as a Moral faculty' ( OED) In the blind man's dialoge with the Pharisees, he holds his own in the dispute, engaging in reasoned theological discourse as though he were educated. The word Pharisees ( lat. pharisæ|us, - i) comes from the Hebrew פרושים perushim from פרוש parush, meaning "separated"

Apodosis of Pascha

The Week of the Blindman is the last week in the Afterfeast of Pascha, and the Apodosis of Pascha is the final day of the Paschal celebration. There are currently two different practices with regard to the celebration of the Apodosis of Pascha. According to the older practice, hymns of the Resurrection are chanted together with those for the Aposdosis of the Blind Man on Wednesday. According to the more modern practice in the Greek Orthodox Church (those following the "Typicon of the Great Church") the Apodosis of the Blind Man is chanted on Tuesday, while all of the services of Wednesday (Vespers on Tusday evening; Matins, Little Hours and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday morning) are chanted in the special Paschal form that was used during Bright Week. The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches The Typikon, or Typicon ( Greek:, (typikon lit "following the order" Slavonic: ѹставъ, (ustav is a Liturgical Vespers is the evening Prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Eastern (Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, liturgies of the Matins (also known as Orthros or Oútrenya in Eastern Churches) is the early morning or night Prayer service in the Roman Catholic ~The Little Hours are the fixed daytime hours of prayer in the Divine Office of Chrisitians both Western Christianity and the Eastern Orthodox Church The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy.

Ascension

Main article: Ascension of Jesus

The Great Feast of the Ascension falls on the 40th day after Pascha (inclusive), always on a Thursday. The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The feast is celebrated with an All-Night Vigil starting on Wednesday evening. For the musical setting by Rachmaninoff, see All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox The Epitaphion (shroud), which had been on the Holy Table since the Paschal Vigil, is removed before the beginning of this service as an indication that the Ascension marked the end of Jesus' physical presence with his disciples after the Resurrection. The Epitaphios ( Greek: Επιτάφιος epitaphios, or Επιτάφιον epitaphion; Slavonic: Плащаница plashchanitsa An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place The Afterfeast of Ascension lasts for eight days until the following Friday. An Afterfeast is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches (roughly equivalent to

Sunday of the Holy Fathers

The Seventh Sunday of Pascha commemorates the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council (325 AD). The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine Events By Place Roman Empire Gladiatorial combat is outlawed in the Roman Empire This Sunday falls during the Afterfeast of the Ascension. In addition to defending Christianity against Arianism, the Council also passed a number of canons concerning church discipline, including setting the date for the celebration of Pascha. Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches By decision of the Council, Pascha should not be celebrated by Christians on the same day with the Jewish Passover, but on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal equinox (which occured on March 22 in 325). Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle The First Ecumenical Council is also commemorated on May 29 (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, May 29 currently falls on June 11 of the modern Gregorian Calendar). May 28 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - May 30 All fixed commemorations below celebrated on June 11 by Old Calendarists Saints The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and came into force in 45 BC (709 Ab urbe condita The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today

The hymns and readings in the Pentecostarion are very rich in drawing out relevant symbolism from biblical texts. A lection is a reading in this context from Scripture The custom of reading the books of Moses in the synagogues on the Sabbath day was a very ancient one in the Jewish The Epistle for the Divine Liturgy is from Acts 20:16-18 and 20:28-36. An epistle (pronounced) ( Greek επιστολη epistolē "letter" is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons usually a letter The Gospel is from John 17:1-13. The Gospel in Christian liturgy refers to a reading from the Gospels used during various religious services and Mass or Divine Liturgy

Saturday of the Dead

The day before Pentecost is a Saturday of the Dead, on which all of the faithful departed are commemorated (see Prayer for the dead and Panikhida). In Western Christianity, All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. Wherever there is a belief in the continued existence of Man 's personality through and after Death, Religion naturally concerns itself with the relations The service In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose to pray for the repose of the departed to comfort the living

Pentecost

Main article: Pentecost

Pentecost is the second most important feast of the church year, second in importance only to Pascha itself. Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the The Great Feast lasts for seven days, with its Apodosis falling on the following Saturday. The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Spirit Monday

Holy Spirit

Third Day of the Holy Trinity

Trinity

All Saints Sunday

Main article: All Saints

The First Sunday After Pentecost is dedicated to the commemoration of All Saints. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных For the British girl group see All Saints (band. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) often For the British girl group see All Saints (band. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) often

The next day (Monday) is the beginning of the Apostles' Fast. This is a unique fast in that it is of variable duration, beginning on the moveable calendar, but ending on the fixed calendar feast day of the Apostles Peter and Paul on June 29 (for those churches which follow the Julian Calendar June 29 falls on July 12 of the modern Gregorian Calendar). Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all Food, Drink, or both for a period of time The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar describes and dictates the rhythm of the life of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, or properly the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a feast commemorating the Martyrdom at Rome of the Apostles Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. The Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and came into force in 45 BC (709 Ab urbe condita Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today While all of the Orthodox Churches celebrate Pascha on the same day (with the exception of the Finnish Orthodox Church, which follows the Western Paschalion), some churches follow the traditional Julian Calendar ("Old Calendar") and some follow the Revised Julian Calendar ("New Calendar") which uses the modern Gregorian Calendar to calculate their fixed feasts. Structure and organization Along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland the Orthodox Church of Finland has a special position in Finnish law Computus ( Latin for Computation) is the Calculation of the date of Easter in the Christian calendar. The Revised Julian calendar or less formally New Calendar, is a Calendar scheme originated in 1923 which effectively discontinued the 340 years of divergence between Since there is currently a difference of thirteen days between the two calendars, the Apostles' Fast will be almost two weeks shorter for New Calendar churches, or some years non existent.

All Saints of Local Church

All-Saints of Local Commemoration. This will differ from one national church to another. For instance, in Romania, the commemoration will be "All Saints of Romania", on Mount Athos the commemoration will be "All Saints of the Holy Mountain", etc. The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church Mount Athos (Όρος Άθως is a mountain on the Peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece, called in Greek Άγιον In the Orthodox Church of America, the commemoration is "All Saints of America". The Orthodox Church in America ( OCA) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church in North America.

Different traditions

In the edition of the Pentecostarion used by the Old Believers and those who follow the Ruthenian recension, the contents of the Pentecostarion begin with the service of Palm Sunday and contain the services of Holy Week. Introductory summary of origins In 1652 Nikon (1605 – 1681 Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1652 to 1658 introduced a number of ritual and textual Palm Sunday is a Christian Moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter. Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter.

References

See also

• Paschal cycle
• Triodion - the Lenten Triodion, for services of the moveable cycle prior to the Pentecostarion. The Paschal cycle in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches is the cycle of the Moveable feasts built around Pascha (Easter The Triodion (Τριῴδιον Triōdion; Slavonic: Постнаѧ Трїωдь Postnaya Triod; Triodul also called the Lenten