10:14:00
Preparing for Easter
Saptamana Mare
A inceput Saptamana Mare, aceasta fiind ultima saptamana din Postul Pastelui, cel mai lung si mai aspru post din an. Numita si Saptamana Patimilor, aceasta saptamana este menita sa-i pregateasca pe credinciosi pentru Marea Sarbatoare a Invierii Domnului. Pentru crestini, aceasta este una dintre perioadele de
grea tristete, deoarece ne reamintim si retraim ultimele zile din viata Mantuitorului. Fiecare zi din Saptamana Patimilor are o semnificatie aparte, iar in biserici se oficiaza sfintele slujbe de Denii, adica slujbe nocturne.
Ce facem in Saptamana Mare si cum ne ajuta fiecare zi din aceasta saptamana sa intampinam cum se cuvine Sfanta Zi a Invierii Domnului, Duminica Pastelui?
Aceasta este cea mai potrivita perioada in care putem sa facem curatenie in suflet si in casa. Este vorba despre traditionala curatenie de Paste, care alunga ultimele urme ale iernii si ne pregateste casa pentru marea sarbatoare care se apropie. La fel, si pentru suflet. Daca am postit, chiar si cateva zile, putem merge sa ne spovedim. Este minunat sa avem un duhovic, o persoana care sa ne cunoasca bine si in fata careia sa ne putem deschide sufletul. Este minunat ce senzatie de usurare ne fac uneori gandurile si suferintele exprimate, adica spuse in vorbe. Mai ales daca avem un bun sfatuitor. Spovedania ne face bine si ne pregateste pentru Sfanta Euharistie, pentru impartasanie. Este cel mai bun lucru pe care putem sa-l facem in aceasta perioada. Ne linisteste sufletul, ne aduce mai aproape de oameni si de Dumnezeu. De asemenea, este o perioada in care ne aducem aminte de cei adormiti. Daca nu am reusit sa ne ocupam de aceste lucruri in timpul postului, mai avem ocazia sa impartim produse de post, in Joia Mare. E frumos sa mergem sa aprindem lumanari, sa ne rugam, sa nu-i lasam pe cei plecati sa creada ca i-am uitat.
E bine sa mergem la biserica, cand si cat putem. Deniile sunt atat de frumoase, aduc atat de multa inspiratie in suflet, incat ar fi extraordinar daca am merge seara, macar putin pe la biserica. Eu incerc sa nu lipsesc de la denia celor 12 Evanghelii care are loc in Joia Mare, aceasta zi fiind inchinata amintirii a patru evenimente deosebite din viata Mantuitorului: spalarea picioarelor ucenicilor, ca pilda de smerenie, Cina cea de Taina la care Mantuitorul a instituit Taina Sfintei Euharistii, rugaciunea arhiereasca si inceputul patimilor prin vinderea Domnului. Pana in aceasta zi se mai face curatenie in casa si in gospodarie, Joia Mare fiind ziua in care se vopsesc ouale care vor sta pe masa de Paste. De asemenea, in Vinerea Mare, cea mai trista zi din an pentru crestini, se canta in biserici Denia Prohodului, adica slujba inmormantarii Domnului. Credinciosii trec pe sub Sfanta Masa, simbolizand trecerea prin mormantul lui Iisus, dupa care preotii si credinciosii ocolesc biserica de trei ori, adica o data pentru fiecare zi a sederii in mormant. Este o zi aliturgica, de post si ajun. Chiar daca aveti multe de facut, va sfatuiesc sa amanati pentru a doua zi. Mai bine va treziti foarte devreme in ziua urmatoare, iar aceasta zi o dedicati postului si rugaciunii. Chiar si credinciosii care nu au postit (din motive care privesc pe fiecare personal), pot sa posteasca macar in Vinerea Mare, in semn de respect pentru aceasta zi deosebita.
Sambata Mare este ziua dedicata pregatirilor pentru masa de Paste, iar gospodinele incep sa gateasca bucatele traditionale si pentru ca totul trebuie sa fie facut intr-o singura zi, este binevenit orice ajutor le puteti da. Sunt pregatite sa faca totul singure, dar singur se bucura de o mana de ajutor.
La biserica, in Sambata Mare se praznuieste ingroparea lui Hristos cu trupul si pogorarea la iad cu dumnezeirea, pentru a ridica din stricaciune, la viata vesnica, pe cei din veac adormiti.
Sunt frumoase pregatirile de Paste. Saptamana Mare este perioada cea mai potrivita pentru a ne reaminti sensul crestinismului. Crestinismul a fost atat de bine primit si atat de repede adoptat de oameni extrem de diferiti, pentru ca a propus unire, nu dezbinare, pentru ca i-a adus impreuna pe saraci si pe bogati, pe femei si pe barbati, pe tineri si pe batrani, pe oameni de toate rasele si din toate clasele sociale. Fara discriminare, fara ura, fara trufie. Doar cu dragoste de semeni, cu generozitate, cu smerenie. Acesta este sensul crestinismului: sa ne ajutam unii pe altii, sa ne iertam greselile, sa nu judecam pe nimeni, sa ne implicam, sa avem inima deschisa mereu. Pentru ca stim sigur ca pentru orice greseala se afla si iertarea, pentru orice suferinta se afla si ajutorul, pentru oricine exista speranta. Speranta ca sufletele noastre isi vor gasi undeva salvarea, alinarea si bucuria. Va doresc din suflet sa treceti Saptamana Mare cu folos pentru sufletul fiecaruia dintre voi!
Sfanta Evanghelie dupa Ioan
“Porunca noua dau voua: Sa va iubiti unul pe altul. Precum Eu v-am iubit pe voi, asa si voi sa va iubiti unul pe altul. Intru aceasta vor cunoaşte toti ca sunteti ucenicii Mei, daca veti avea dragoste unii fata de altii.”
- ENGLISH VERSION -
The Holy Week began, this being the last week of the Easter fasting period, the longest and toughest period of fasting in the year. The week before Easter is the period designed to prepare the Christians for the great celebration of Resurrection. For Christians, this is one of the periods of overwhelming sadness as we remember and relive the last days of Jesus' life. Each day of the week before Easter has a special significance, and in church the priests are officiating every night the holy services called Denii. What we can do during Holy Week and how each day of this week help us to welcome properly the Holy Day of Resurrection, the Easter Sunday?
This is the best time in which we can clean our houses and our souls. It's about the traditional activity of Easter cleaning, which flushes out the last traces of the winter and prepares our house for the great celebration that is coming. Likewise, for the soul. If we have fasted, even for a few days, we can go to confession. It's great to have a confessor, a person who knows us well and in front of which we can open our soul. It's wonderful the feeling of relief that we could have sometimes by putting into words our pains and sorrows. Especially if we are blessed with a good counselor. Confession is good for us and prepares us for Holy Eucharist, the Communion. It's the best thing that we can do during this period. This comforts our soul and brings us closer to people and to God. It is also a good time to remember the departed. If we did not have the chance to do something for the dead ones during the Easter fasting, we have the opportunity to share food to poor people, in Holy Thursday. It's nice to light candles, to pray, to let them know that we still remember.
It's good to go to church, when and how long we can. The holy services called Denii are so beautiful; they bring so much inspiration in mind that it would be great if we could to go to church, even for a little while, during the evening.
I try not to miss Denia of the 12 gospels which takes place on Holy Thursday, the day being dedicated to the memory of four special events in the life of the Savior: washing the disciples' feet as an example of humility, the Last Supper where the Savior instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Hierarchal prayer and the beginning the Passions of Christ, betrayed by Judas Iscariot for 30 silver coins. Until this day it is allowed to clean the house and to do various house works; Holy Thursday is also the day when the eggs are painted for the Easter meal.
On Good Friday, the saddest day of the year for Christians, in churches, the priests and the faithful are singing the requiem, namely the funeral service of the Lord. The faithful pass under the Holy Table, symbolizing the passage through the tomb of Jesus, then priests and the faithful bypass the church three times, once for each day of Jesus stay in the grave. It is a day without liturgy, and a day of fasting or total fast. Even if you have a lot to do, I advise you to postpone to the following day. You better wake up very early the next day, and dedicate this day to fasting and prayers. Even the faithful, who had not fasted for some personal reasons, could fast on Good Friday, in a sign of respect for this special day.
The Easter Saturday is the day dedicated to the preparations for the Easter meal, and the housewives begin to cook the traditional dishes; because everything must be done in one day, any help you can give would be welcome. They are prepared to do everything by themselves, but they surely would appreciate any little help.
At the church, on the Holy Saturday, we celebrate the burial of Christ with the body and the descent to hell with his Godhead, in order to raise the departed to the eternal life.
Easter preparations are beautiful. The Holy Week is the most suitable period to remember the meaning of Christianity. Christianity has been so well received and so quickly adopted by very different people, because this new religion has come with a proposal for union, not division, it brought together the poor and the rich people, women and men, young and elderly, people of all races and from all social classes. Without discrimination, without hate, without arrogance. Only with love for one another, with generosity, with humility. This is the meaning of Christianity: to help one another, to forgive, not to judge anyone, to get involved, to have always an open heart. Because we know that any sin can be forgiven, that for any pain exists a cure, and there is hope for everyone. The hope that our souls will find somewhere salvation, relief and joy. I wish you from my heart to go through the Holy Week meaningfully for your souls!
The Holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
A inceput Saptamana Mare, aceasta fiind ultima saptamana din Postul Pastelui, cel mai lung si mai aspru post din an. Numita si Saptamana Patimilor, aceasta saptamana este menita sa-i pregateasca pe credinciosi pentru Marea Sarbatoare a Invierii Domnului. Pentru crestini, aceasta este una dintre perioadele de
grea tristete, deoarece ne reamintim si retraim ultimele zile din viata Mantuitorului. Fiecare zi din Saptamana Patimilor are o semnificatie aparte, iar in biserici se oficiaza sfintele slujbe de Denii, adica slujbe nocturne.
Ce facem in Saptamana Mare si cum ne ajuta fiecare zi din aceasta saptamana sa intampinam cum se cuvine Sfanta Zi a Invierii Domnului, Duminica Pastelui?
Aceasta este cea mai potrivita perioada in care putem sa facem curatenie in suflet si in casa. Este vorba despre traditionala curatenie de Paste, care alunga ultimele urme ale iernii si ne pregateste casa pentru marea sarbatoare care se apropie. La fel, si pentru suflet. Daca am postit, chiar si cateva zile, putem merge sa ne spovedim. Este minunat sa avem un duhovic, o persoana care sa ne cunoasca bine si in fata careia sa ne putem deschide sufletul. Este minunat ce senzatie de usurare ne fac uneori gandurile si suferintele exprimate, adica spuse in vorbe. Mai ales daca avem un bun sfatuitor. Spovedania ne face bine si ne pregateste pentru Sfanta Euharistie, pentru impartasanie. Este cel mai bun lucru pe care putem sa-l facem in aceasta perioada. Ne linisteste sufletul, ne aduce mai aproape de oameni si de Dumnezeu. De asemenea, este o perioada in care ne aducem aminte de cei adormiti. Daca nu am reusit sa ne ocupam de aceste lucruri in timpul postului, mai avem ocazia sa impartim produse de post, in Joia Mare. E frumos sa mergem sa aprindem lumanari, sa ne rugam, sa nu-i lasam pe cei plecati sa creada ca i-am uitat.
E bine sa mergem la biserica, cand si cat putem. Deniile sunt atat de frumoase, aduc atat de multa inspiratie in suflet, incat ar fi extraordinar daca am merge seara, macar putin pe la biserica. Eu incerc sa nu lipsesc de la denia celor 12 Evanghelii care are loc in Joia Mare, aceasta zi fiind inchinata amintirii a patru evenimente deosebite din viata Mantuitorului: spalarea picioarelor ucenicilor, ca pilda de smerenie, Cina cea de Taina la care Mantuitorul a instituit Taina Sfintei Euharistii, rugaciunea arhiereasca si inceputul patimilor prin vinderea Domnului. Pana in aceasta zi se mai face curatenie in casa si in gospodarie, Joia Mare fiind ziua in care se vopsesc ouale care vor sta pe masa de Paste. De asemenea, in Vinerea Mare, cea mai trista zi din an pentru crestini, se canta in biserici Denia Prohodului, adica slujba inmormantarii Domnului. Credinciosii trec pe sub Sfanta Masa, simbolizand trecerea prin mormantul lui Iisus, dupa care preotii si credinciosii ocolesc biserica de trei ori, adica o data pentru fiecare zi a sederii in mormant. Este o zi aliturgica, de post si ajun. Chiar daca aveti multe de facut, va sfatuiesc sa amanati pentru a doua zi. Mai bine va treziti foarte devreme in ziua urmatoare, iar aceasta zi o dedicati postului si rugaciunii. Chiar si credinciosii care nu au postit (din motive care privesc pe fiecare personal), pot sa posteasca macar in Vinerea Mare, in semn de respect pentru aceasta zi deosebita.
Sambata Mare este ziua dedicata pregatirilor pentru masa de Paste, iar gospodinele incep sa gateasca bucatele traditionale si pentru ca totul trebuie sa fie facut intr-o singura zi, este binevenit orice ajutor le puteti da. Sunt pregatite sa faca totul singure, dar singur se bucura de o mana de ajutor.
La biserica, in Sambata Mare se praznuieste ingroparea lui Hristos cu trupul si pogorarea la iad cu dumnezeirea, pentru a ridica din stricaciune, la viata vesnica, pe cei din veac adormiti.
Sunt frumoase pregatirile de Paste. Saptamana Mare este perioada cea mai potrivita pentru a ne reaminti sensul crestinismului. Crestinismul a fost atat de bine primit si atat de repede adoptat de oameni extrem de diferiti, pentru ca a propus unire, nu dezbinare, pentru ca i-a adus impreuna pe saraci si pe bogati, pe femei si pe barbati, pe tineri si pe batrani, pe oameni de toate rasele si din toate clasele sociale. Fara discriminare, fara ura, fara trufie. Doar cu dragoste de semeni, cu generozitate, cu smerenie. Acesta este sensul crestinismului: sa ne ajutam unii pe altii, sa ne iertam greselile, sa nu judecam pe nimeni, sa ne implicam, sa avem inima deschisa mereu. Pentru ca stim sigur ca pentru orice greseala se afla si iertarea, pentru orice suferinta se afla si ajutorul, pentru oricine exista speranta. Speranta ca sufletele noastre isi vor gasi undeva salvarea, alinarea si bucuria. Va doresc din suflet sa treceti Saptamana Mare cu folos pentru sufletul fiecaruia dintre voi!
Sfanta Evanghelie dupa Ioan
“Porunca noua dau voua: Sa va iubiti unul pe altul. Precum Eu v-am iubit pe voi, asa si voi sa va iubiti unul pe altul. Intru aceasta vor cunoaşte toti ca sunteti ucenicii Mei, daca veti avea dragoste unii fata de altii.”
- ENGLISH VERSION -
The Holy Week began, this being the last week of the Easter fasting period, the longest and toughest period of fasting in the year. The week before Easter is the period designed to prepare the Christians for the great celebration of Resurrection. For Christians, this is one of the periods of overwhelming sadness as we remember and relive the last days of Jesus' life. Each day of the week before Easter has a special significance, and in church the priests are officiating every night the holy services called Denii. What we can do during Holy Week and how each day of this week help us to welcome properly the Holy Day of Resurrection, the Easter Sunday?
This is the best time in which we can clean our houses and our souls. It's about the traditional activity of Easter cleaning, which flushes out the last traces of the winter and prepares our house for the great celebration that is coming. Likewise, for the soul. If we have fasted, even for a few days, we can go to confession. It's great to have a confessor, a person who knows us well and in front of which we can open our soul. It's wonderful the feeling of relief that we could have sometimes by putting into words our pains and sorrows. Especially if we are blessed with a good counselor. Confession is good for us and prepares us for Holy Eucharist, the Communion. It's the best thing that we can do during this period. This comforts our soul and brings us closer to people and to God. It is also a good time to remember the departed. If we did not have the chance to do something for the dead ones during the Easter fasting, we have the opportunity to share food to poor people, in Holy Thursday. It's nice to light candles, to pray, to let them know that we still remember.
It's good to go to church, when and how long we can. The holy services called Denii are so beautiful; they bring so much inspiration in mind that it would be great if we could to go to church, even for a little while, during the evening.
I try not to miss Denia of the 12 gospels which takes place on Holy Thursday, the day being dedicated to the memory of four special events in the life of the Savior: washing the disciples' feet as an example of humility, the Last Supper where the Savior instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Hierarchal prayer and the beginning the Passions of Christ, betrayed by Judas Iscariot for 30 silver coins. Until this day it is allowed to clean the house and to do various house works; Holy Thursday is also the day when the eggs are painted for the Easter meal.
On Good Friday, the saddest day of the year for Christians, in churches, the priests and the faithful are singing the requiem, namely the funeral service of the Lord. The faithful pass under the Holy Table, symbolizing the passage through the tomb of Jesus, then priests and the faithful bypass the church three times, once for each day of Jesus stay in the grave. It is a day without liturgy, and a day of fasting or total fast. Even if you have a lot to do, I advise you to postpone to the following day. You better wake up very early the next day, and dedicate this day to fasting and prayers. Even the faithful, who had not fasted for some personal reasons, could fast on Good Friday, in a sign of respect for this special day.
The Easter Saturday is the day dedicated to the preparations for the Easter meal, and the housewives begin to cook the traditional dishes; because everything must be done in one day, any help you can give would be welcome. They are prepared to do everything by themselves, but they surely would appreciate any little help.
At the church, on the Holy Saturday, we celebrate the burial of Christ with the body and the descent to hell with his Godhead, in order to raise the departed to the eternal life.
Easter preparations are beautiful. The Holy Week is the most suitable period to remember the meaning of Christianity. Christianity has been so well received and so quickly adopted by very different people, because this new religion has come with a proposal for union, not division, it brought together the poor and the rich people, women and men, young and elderly, people of all races and from all social classes. Without discrimination, without hate, without arrogance. Only with love for one another, with generosity, with humility. This is the meaning of Christianity: to help one another, to forgive, not to judge anyone, to get involved, to have always an open heart. Because we know that any sin can be forgiven, that for any pain exists a cure, and there is hope for everyone. The hope that our souls will find somewhere salvation, relief and joy. I wish you from my heart to go through the Holy Week meaningfully for your souls!
The Holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
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