The Red Egg Easter is a special time of year for all Orthodox homes. Preparations are made for our spiritual journey towards Pascha, which includes extra Church Services, fasting, prayer, Confession and alms giving. On the ascent towards Pascha, we have the tradition of dyeing eggs on Holy Thursday. In the Greek tradition, the eggs are dyed red while in other Orthodox jurisdictions these may be dyed multiple colours. The custom of the Easter egg originated amongst the early Christians of Mesopotamia, who dyed the eggs red to represent the blood of Christ, which was shed on the Cross. The [...]

‘May we glorify Your mighty acts, your unspeakable plan of salvation for our sake’. (From the Matins Service of the Sixth Friday of Lent). Pascha is a time of joy and light, because when we celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection, we anticipate the immortality of our own soul and the resurrection of our own body. In the final week prior to Pascha, we are led step by step through the events that led to our Lord’s Crucifixion, and we are filled with so much awe at what our Saviour suffered for the sake of our salvation. During the services, we witness [...]

Matins Hymn of the Resurrection The Orthodox Icon of the Feast of Pascha depicts Christ descending into Hades and liberating Adam from the bonds of death, while many luminaries of the Old Testament look on. Who then witnessed Christ's own Resurrection? We know that none of the four gospels describes the actual Resurrection Itself. So how can we sing and pray that we have seen the Resurrection of Christ? Has poetic license been liberally used in this Paschal hymn? St Symeon the New Theologian provides answers: "How then, does the Holy Spirit exhort us to say, “Having beheld the Resurrection [...]

Christ, the Passover great and most Holy! O Wisdom, Word and Power of God! Grant that we may more perfectly partake of Thee in the day of Thy Kingdom which knows no night. (Orthodox Paschal Hymn).   Easter is the feast of real joy because it celebrates ‘Christ, the Passover’, our Saviour’s sacrifice and His Resurrection! These great events powerfully reveal God’s love for all humankind, and they have allowed us to hope in the miracle of eternal life. Such a life no longer ‘knows night’, since Christ’s sacrifice has decisively destroyed the power of death, darkness and decay. Easter [...]

Liberation of the Israelites from Egypt – the Passover The Passover, one of the most important festivals in Judaism, is the commemoration of the liberation of Israel from Egypt after 430 years of slavery.  However the Passover (‘Pascha’ in Greek) is also the root of the Christian celebration of Easter. What is it that links our celebration of Christ’s Resurrection with this Jewish festival? The initiation of the Passover is described in the 12th chapter of Exodus, where Pharaoh refuses to grant freedom to Israel, even after Moses announces to him that the tenth and most terrible plague is about [...]