The Feast of Pascha at the Jerusalem Patriarchate

The glorious exit from the dead and the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was celebrated by the Patriarchate on Easter Sunday 12 April/ 2 May 2021.

On this Feast, the Church, being grateful, luminous and rendering glory to God, commemorates that our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ went down to Hades from the Cross and was risen from the dead; He liberated the long-ago departed from the power of the devil and redeemed them and Paradise.

The Church of Jerusalem celebrated this Feast at the Life-giving and empty Tomb according to the Status Quo.

The Service began with the Canon of Holy Saturday, until the officiator the Feast, His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos and the Archbishops put on their Paschal liturgical vestments.

Then the Patriarchal Entourage exited the Catholicon and marched on a Procession three times around the Sacred Edicule, before the Matins Gospel narrative on the Resurrection was read: “When the Sabbath was over…” (Mark 16:1-8), then the “Glory to the Holy and Consubstantial and Undivided Trinity” followed by the chanting of “Christ is risen” by the whole congregation, and the exclamations of this in various languages, along with the verses, ten times in total. The Canon “It is the Day of Resurrection” by Saint John Chrysostom began and the Easter Matins was completed.

Then the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom was officiated by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos at the Holy Sepulchre.

This text was originally published on the Jerusalem Patriarchate official website. Please click here to read the full text.