Feasts and Holidays

John Thomas’ intimate work documents the Sacred Holy Week services of the Orthodox Church. The journey climaxes into the most hopeful day of all Christianity – Easter commonly referred to as “Pascha”. Each day of Holy Week captures both the community’s prayerful participation and the spirituality of each service as experienced by the faithful worldwide.

This in-depth study on the realm of death presents a message of hope held by the first generation of Christians and the early church. Using Scripture, patristic tradition, early Christian poetry, and liturgical texts, Archbishop Hilarion explores the mysterious and enigmatic event of Christ’s descent into Hades and its consequences for the human race.

Compilers include Saint Symeon the Metaphrastes, Agapios the Cretan, Nikodemos the Hagiorite, Efthymios Zigabenos, Dositheos of Jerusalem, Church Fathers, and Athonite writers; also cited are Ecclesiastical Histories, together with Neon Paradeison, Neon Thesavron, Neon Eklogion, Neon Martyrologion, and Ephraim.

Compilers include Saint Symeon the Metaphrastes, Agapios the Cretan, Nikodemos the Hagiorite, Efthymios Zigabenos, Dositheos of Jerusalem, Church Fathers, and Athonite writers; also cited are Ecclesiastical Histories, together with Neon Paradeison, Neon Thesavron, Neon Eklogion, Neon Martyrologion, and Ephraim.

This misunderstood moment—is essential to what it means to be Christian. The Transfiguration of Christ is one of the most impressive and mysterious... More