Perth: Great and Holy Friday

His Grace Bishop Elpidios of Kyanea Presided at the Matins Service of Holy Friday at the Church of St Nektarios in which twelve passages were recited from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all giving an account of Christ’s Passion.

The following day, at the Church of Evangelismos, His Grace Presided at the Royal Hours which repeated the Gospels of our Lord’s Passion. His Grace reminded the faithful that each Hour has a particular theme relating to our salvation. The general themes of the Hours are the coming of Christ, the true light (First Hour); the descent of the Holy Spirit (Third Hour); the passion and crucifixion of Christ (Sixth Hour); the death and burial of Christ (Ninth Hour).

This was immediately followed by the Apokathelosis Service which involved the Un-nailing of our Lord’s Body from the Cross and the wrapping of His Body in a clean linen cloth. The procession of the Epitaphios then followed.

His Grace Bishop Elpidios in his brief sermon on Holy Friday morning stated, “there are many messages given to us throughout Holy Week. However, I would like to bring to your attention only one; with us humans the head bows down as a result of death. But this was not in the case of Christ. We heard in the Gospel that our Lord first bowed His head and then gave up His Spirit. This is to show that Christ is Lord both of the living and the dead for He controls the moment of His own death.”

His Grace bishop Elpidios conveyed to all the blessing and love of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia and wished all a blessed Pascha. 

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