HOPE FOR THE WORLD ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS PREPARE FOR THEIR HOLIEST DAY.Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer NORTHRIDGE - Inside the darkened dark·en v. dark·ened, dark·en·ing, dark·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make dark or darker. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness; make gloomy. 3. church and outside under a starry sky, the Orthodox Christian community of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church stood across Liberty Street from the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, USA. It was completely destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks when the South Tower collapsed. waits to hear the annual Easter words of hope: Christos anesti - Christ is risen. Eastern Orthodox congregations will be hearing similar words in many languages around midnight tonight as they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The holiest day of the Orthodox Christian calendar attracts such a crowd that many will stand outside in front of the Northridge church, said the Rev. Spencer Kezios. Easter is determined by the Orthodox Church as falling on the Sunday following the full moon on or after the vernal equinox and after the Jewish observance of Passover. ``Christos anesti is a joyous proclamation after the mournful mourn·ful adj. 1. Feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; sorrowful. 2. Causing or suggesting sadness or melancholy: the mournful sound of a train whistle. period during Holy Week. The Easter message is about the annihilation of death and about hope for the world, which is really what the resurrection is to us,'' said Kezios, who has been the spiritual leader of St. Nicholas for 40 years. Kezios described how the dramatic and spiritually powerful tradition that the congregation at St. Nicholas performs before the Easter message resonates inside and outside of the only Greek Orthodox church Greek Orthodox Church Independent Eastern Orthodox church of Greece. The term is sometimes used erroneously for Eastern Orthodoxy in general. It remained under the patriarch of Constantinople until 1833, when it became independent. in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . At about a quarter to midnight, the church is darkened except for the vigil light on the altar, which is always lit. This symbolizes that Christ is always vigilant, Kezios said. Surrounded by the congregation, each member holding a candle, Kezios takes his candle and lights it by the vigil candle. He will light the candles held by the two assistant priests at St. Nicholas, the Rev. Vasilios Thanos and the Rev. Constantine Valantassis. The three priests will then light another person's candle. Candles are lit from person to person until everyone is holding a lit candle. ``At midnight, as the first candle is lit, we say, 'Come and receive the light from the unwaning light and glorify Christ who rose from the dead,' '' Kezios said. ``It's indescribable when you see that one little light in the dark church lighting all the other candles on Easter. I feel there is new life in me, new strength. The light of Christ The Light of Christ became a doctrine of the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that most people would call conscience. This doctrine teaches that the light of Christ "lighteth every man that cometh into the world. is with us,'' said Linda Manios, the director of the Sunday school at St. Nicholas. Manios said that it is customary at the end of the Easter service for the priests to hand out red-dyed eggs to everyone. The red eggs are symbolic of the blood of Christ The Blood of Christ in Christian theology refers to (a) the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby; and (b) the Eucharistic wine used at Holy Communion Salvation yolk n. The portion of the egg of an animal that consists of protein and fat from which the early embryo gets its main nourishment and of represents life. Orthodox Christians also dye eggs red at home a few days before Easter, Manios said. Preparing spiritually for Easter is much more challenging than dyeing eggs or filling an Easter basket. The preparation for the holy day began with the Great Compline com·pline or Com·pline also com·plin or Com·plin Ecclesiastical n. 1. The last of the seven canonical hours recited or sung just before retiring. 2. The time of day appointed for this service. service, the beginning of Lent, that was held on March 13. Orthodox Christians do not have Ash Wednesday. Manios calls the Lenten season ``spiritual heart-cleaning.'' In the Sunday school classes that she visits during this time, Manios helps the children to gain insight into what Easter is all about. ``Over the past five Sundays, the children have talked about a desire to know Jesus, being humble, doing good works, how we judge others and how to ask for forgiveness,'' Manios said. Manios uses show-and-tell type visuals to help bring home the messages discussed during Lent. For example, one day during Holy Week, she brought in a thorn to show how a crown of thorns crown of thorns Christ thus ridiculed as king of Jews. [N.T.: Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2–5] See : Mockery might have looked and felt on Jesus' head. ``We anticipate and prepare for Easter 40 days before. We go to church every night during Holy Week. We're thinking about what Christ did for us. For me, it's just a hopeful time,'' Manios said. St. Nicholas will hold an agape agape In the New Testament, the fatherly love of God for humans and their reciprocal love for God. The term extends to the love of one's fellow humans. The Church Fathers used the Greek term to designate both a rite using bread and wine and a meal of fellowship that included service at 1 p.m. Sunday. The gospels will be read in many different languages, representing the many different backgrounds of the multicultural church. The service of love, as it is also known, celebrates ``God's love for us by saying God's love for one another,'' Kezios said. At this service, the words heard at the conclusion of the midnight service will be once again be recited. The priest will say, ``Christos anesti,'' and the congregation will respond three times, ``alithos anesti,'' truly he is risen For the religious phrase, see . "He Is Risen" is the thirty-fourth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the eighth of the show's third season. It was written by Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess and Todd A. - words that will also be used for an additional 40 days until Pentecost. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: From left, the Rev. Spencer Kezios, Linda Manios, the Rev. Constantine Valantassis and the Rev. Vasilios Thanos are prepared for Easter. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer |
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