​​​Subscribe | ​COVID-19
ST. NICHOLAS OF ANN ARBOR
  • About
  • Visit
  • Media
  • Membership
  • Ministries & Groups
  • Contact
  • Give

Lenten Messages

Sunday of Pascha – Great Vespers

5/1/2021

 
Picture
Themes:  Victory over death, praise of our God Who alone does wondrous things, and the universality of the Gospel

Gospel Reading: John 20:19-25

Sometime late on Easter Sunday morning or in the afternoon hours, we celebrate the Vespers of Pascha, also known as the Agape service.  It is a Great Vespers service centered upon the message of Pascha – the risen Jesus Christ.  All the hymns give glory to God for His resurrection from the dead, for freeing us from the curse of the ancient law – death, and for restoring mankind (and indeed the entire world) to its former position – communion and union with God.

Read More

Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy

5/1/2021

 
Picture
Holy Saturday night
 
Around 11:00 pm, we begin the Orthros for Pascha. The hymns are completely joyful as they describe Christ destroying death by dying Himself.
 
After that service is completed, as many lights as possible are turned off in the church. At that point, the priest comes out with a lit candle and proceeds to light the candles of the people. He does this while singing “Come, receive the light from the unwaning light, and glorify Christ, Who has risen from the dead.”

Read More

Holy Saturday: First Resurrection – Morning Great Vespers Service

5/1/2021

 
Picture
This service starts off with a Vespers and then moves into the Liturgy of St. Basil. During the Vespers, a
number of prophecies from the Old Testament are read. After the prophecies, the Divine Liturgy of St.
Basil begins. After the epistle reading, the priest scatters bay leaves around the church as a sign of
Christ’s victory over death. After that, the lesson from the gospel is read and the Liturgy continues as
usual.
 
Theme: Christ’s resurrection
 
Prophecies: Genesis 1:1-13, Jonah, Daniel 3:1-57 (including the Hymn of the Three Youths); Epistle: Romans 6:3-11, Gospel: Matthew 28:1-20
 
All of the hymns during this service are paschal, or resurrectional, in nature. We have eagerly awaited
the moment of His resurrection, and during this service, we get a foretaste of the tremendous joy of
that moment. The odd thing is that this is done so early on Saturday. This is because this Liturgy used to
be a part of a long Paschal vigil that started late in the afternoon and which lasted towards midnight.
Now, however, the service has been pushed back to the morning. So even though the hymns and
Gospel Lesson describe the resurrection, we still have to wait until midnight before we can truly
celebrate it.

Read More

Holy Saturday Orthros (sung Holy Friday evening): The Lamentations

4/30/2021

 
Good Friday evening
This service is really the Orthros for Holy Saturday.  It is also called the Lamentations.  It is basically set up as a typical Orthros.  However, more than 50 verses of hymns are added.  We call these hymns the lamentations.  These are sung when the priest is on the solea in front of the Epitaphion.  During one of the hymns, the priest sprinkles the Epitaphion, and then the people, with rosewater, symbolizing the actions of the myrrh-bearing women.  He starts sprinkling the rosewater after the verse: “The myrrh-bearing women came very early in the morning and sprinkled the tomb with myrrh.”  Following the lamentations are other hymns based on the acts of the myrrh-bearing women, Christ’s entombment, and His descent into Hades.  Shortly after that, there is the procession of the Epitaphion around the church.  When the procession is over there is a reading from the prophecies, and an epistle and gospel reading.

Themes: Christ’s descent into Hades and the tomb as life-giving
Picture

Read More

Holy Friday Great Vespers – the Apokathelosis (The Unnailing)

4/30/2021

 
Picture
Good Friday afternoon - Apokathelosis
This is the Vespers of Good Friday.  It is also called the Apokathelosis – or “unnailing from the cross.”  We remember that at this time, Christ “gave up His Spirit.”  During the service, the icon of Christ is taken down from the cross and wrapped in a white cloth, which symbolizes His burial garment.  The icon of the body is taken into the altar and remains there until after the Feast of the Ascension.  This is symbolic because the altar, in particular the Altar Table/Holy Table, is symbolically the tomb of Christ.  What comes from the tomb of Christ?  Life and the Risen Lord.   What comes from the Altar?  Life and the Risen Lord in the Holy Communion that is prepared and of which we can partake.  As Christ came forth from the tomb giving Life, so does the priest come forth from the altar and offer life when he says, “with the fear of God, faith and love draw near” as he brings forward the Holy Communion for the people.  Also, the priest processes with the Epitaphion.  The Epitaphion is the icon that is placed in the beautifully decorated wooden tomb.  The Epitaphion is not the wooden tomb that is decorated with all of the flowers – that is called the kouvouklion.  The priest places the Epitaphion in the kouvouklion at the end of the procession.

Theme:  salvation granted to us through His “awful Passion, the Cross, and condescension to voluntary entombment in the flesh.

Read More

Holy Friday: The Royal Hours

4/29/2021

 
Picture
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we continue with the services of Holy Friday, we remember that on Thursday night, the service of the 12 Gospels, is really the Orthros service for Holy Friday.

Holy Friday Morning – The Royal Hours
This service is actually a group of services put together in one form.  These services are called the Great Hours, or Royal Hours.  On Good Friday morning, the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th hours are combined into this one service.  The Hours are a service that are common in the daily liturgical schedule but offered daily almost exclusively in monasteries.  There are a number of Psalms and prophecies, an epistle and gospel lesson, and hymns associated with Great Friday which are sung or read during this service.

Themes and importance:  each hour has its own particular theme

Read More

Holy Friday - Orthros*

4/29/2021

 
*(Sung on Thursday evening – the 12 Gospels)

Themes:   Christ’s trial, passion, death, and burial
Gospel Readings: #1(John 13:31-18:1), #2(John 18:1-28), #3(Matthew 26:57-75), #4(John 18:28-19:16), #5(Matthew 27:3-32), #6(Mark 15:16-32), #7(Matthew 27:33-54), #8(Luke 23:32-49), #9(John 19:25-37), #10(Mark 15:43-47), #11(John 19:38-42), #12(Matthew 27:62-66)
 
This is really the Orthros for Great Friday.  During this service, we hear the 12 readings from the Gospel.  There is also the procession of the icon of the crucified Christ.

In the hymns and gospel lessons of this moving service we learn how much Christ loved us and the entire world.  He loved us so much that He endured a villainous trial, pain, suffering, and even death to save the world from sin and death.

The first gospel reading describes the Last Supper.  The next ten all describe the passion, or sufferings of Christ after Judas betrayed Him.  The final Gospel lesson is an account of His burial and the sealing of His tomb.  After the fifth gospel reading, the icon of the crucified Christ is processed around the church.  In one of the most important hymns of our Church, during this procession we hear:
Picture

Read More

Holy Thursday: Vesperal Divine Liturgy – The Mystical Supper

4/29/2021

 
Picture
Themes: The Mystical (Last) Supper; Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples, the Garden of Gethsemane
Gospel Reading:  Matthew 26:2-20, John 13:3-17, Matthew 26:21-39, Luke 22:43-45, Matthew 26:40 – 27:2

Remember, even though this service takes place in the morning, it is really part of a Great Vespers service for Thursday evening.  The Mystical Supper took place in the evening on a Thursday.  Today, we remember Mystical Supper on Thursday, but in the morning instead of in the evening.

Read More

Holy Wednesday: The Sacrament of Holy Unction

4/29/2021

 
Picture
Themes: Healing of soul and body, forgiveness.
Gospel Readings: #1Luke 10:25-37), #2(Luke 19:1-10), #3(Matthew 10:1, 5-8), #4(Matthew 8:14-23), #5(Matthew 25:1-13), #6(Matthew 15:21-28), #7(Matthew 9:9-13)

On this night, we are able to partake of one of the sacraments of our Church – Holy Unction.  Holy Unction is oil that has been consecrated by the Holy Spirit.  After it has been consecrated, we can be anointed with it to help cleanse of sicknesses in our spiritual lives as well as help cure us from bodily ailments.  There are 7 prayers for the consecration and blessing of the oil.  They are magnificent prayers that recall the healing power of Christ.  Throughout these prayers, we are constantly seeking God’s forgiveness for our sins and for God to restore our spiritual and bodily health.  It is important to note that in every single sacrament of the Church (Baptism, Chrismation, Communion, Confession, Unction, Marriage and Ordination – and even other services like the funeral, blessing of the waters, etc.) asks for the remission of our sins and, therefore, the healing for our souls and bodies.

Read More

Holy Wednesday*

4/29/2021

 
Picture
*(Sung on Tuesday night)

Themes:
The faithful woman who anointed the head of Jesus with costly, fragrant oil; the selfishness and greed of Judas; Jesus as a suffering servant.
Gospel Reading: John 12:17-50
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On this day, we remember the woman who used very expensive oil to anoint the head of Jesus (Mt. 26:6-13).  Christ says that she did this “For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.”  This was done shortly before Jesus’ passion, or just before He was to suffer for all of mankind.  Christ even says, “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”  Of course, these words are true today.  Throughout the world, her gift to Christ has been made known.  In fact, on Tuesday night, we hear the Hymn of Kassiani, which describes this selfless act of love towards our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Even the disciples thought the money she used on the oil would be better used if given to the poor.  But Jesus says she did a great thing because we will always have a chance to help the poor around us, but we may not always get the chance of helping Christ Himself.

Read More
<<Previous

    Authors

    Messages written by the clergy of our parish.

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All
    Daily Messages
    Eucharist
    Feasts
    Fr. Alex
    Fr. Nick
    Lenten Messages
    New Jerusalem
    Theotokos

    RSS Feed

HOME
 
ABOUT
​BELIEFS
An Introduction
Art & Architecture
Scripture
Church
Fasting
Godparenting​
History of Orthodoxy
House of God
​Hymnology​
Lent
Liturgy
Major Feasts
Other Services
Prayers
Sacraments​
Saints​
Services​
Spirituality
​Teachings
Twelve Apostles
Worship
​
Clergy
Contact us
Council
​Mission/Vision
Our Community
Pastoral Care
Patron Saint

​VISIT
Etiquette
​Visitors Info

MEDIA
Calendar
Calendar of Feasts
Great Lent Schedule
Great Lent Daily Messages
Compass Newsletter
News​
Photos
Podcasts
Sermons
Schedules
​​Sunday Bulletin
Videos
Webcam
​
MEMBERSHIP
Intro
Breeze
Stewardship
​Welcome Package

MINISTRIES
​EDUCATION
Bible Study
Church School
Greek School
Learning Videos
Oratorical Festival
​Scholarships
Vacation Church School
YOUTH
HOPE
JOY
GOYA
ADULTS
Cross+Way
OCF
Orth-A-Blaze
​Orthodox Dads
Philoptochos
Seniors​

​​​SERVICE
Altar Acolytes
Bookstore
Internet
Music
Outreach & Evangelism
Ushers

CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS​
AHEPA
DOP

RESOURCES
Documents & Forms
Useful Links

SPECIAL EVENTS
COVID-19
Iconography
Greek Festival
Strategic Planning
 
CONTACT
Church Office
Fr. Nick
​Subscribe

​GIVE
ANN ARBOR
© 2022
​Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
3109 Scio Church Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone: (734) 332-8200
​Fax: (734) 332-8201
Directions
Picture
  • About
  • Visit
  • Media
  • Membership
  • Ministries & Groups
  • Contact
  • Give