Greek Orthodox Church to hold multiple services on Pascha weekend
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POCATELLO — The Pocatello Greek Orthodox Church will be holding multiple church services this weekend in observance of Pascha.
Pascha, otherwise known as Orthodox Easter or Passover, is the date of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection following the 8-day observance of the Jewish Passover. Pascha is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, as long as Jewish Passover has concluded.
The Greek Orthodox Church can trace its origins back to the time of Christ, and three different services commemorating different aspects of Christ’s death and resurrection are an integral part of Pascha.
The first is a Holy Friday Evening Service of Lamentations on April 14. Father Constantine Zozos tells EastIdahoNews.com this ceremony involves the tomb of Christ, covered in bright and colorful flowers, being paraded around the grounds of the church as clergy, acolytes and members of the congregation hold candles and sing hymns.
“(It) is filled with melodies and customs that are hundreds of years old,” Zozos said. “At the end of the procession, the tomb is held high for the faithful to pass underneath on our way back into the church, symbolizing passing from death to life.”
On Saturday, the Holy Saturday Midnight Service will be held. This is often called “the Day of all Days, the Feast of all Feasts” because it’s a reminder that Jesus is in the tomb transforming death to life for the world.
The church is darkened for this part of the service. At midnight, the priest carries a single candle from the altar and sings “Come receive the light from the unwaning light, and glorify Christ, who has risen from the dead.”
Zozos calls this the most “joyful moment of our day, week, and year as Orthodox Christians.”
Then April 16 is Pascha Sunday, which includes the Agape Vespers Service of Love. During this service, the Resurrection Gospel is read in a variety of languages, symbolizing the universality of the resurrection. Immediately following is an ancient tradition where Zozos says churchgoers crack a red egg while saying, “Christ is Risen” with the response “Truly He is Risen.”
“This symbolizes the Resurrection of Christ from the Tomb and His Glorious Resurrection,” Zozos said.
The formation of what is now the Greek Orthodox Church happened during the Great Schism of 1054 took place. During this event, Zozos says the majority of Christianity was split into two factions — Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic.
“We’re the historic Christian church,” Zozos says. “We are the founding Christian church that has never changed.”
And because it’s never changed, Zozos says it offers consistency for those who attend.
“People don’t want change in their churches every year. They want consistency and the orthodox church is that consistent church of worship where we offer thanksgiving to the Trinity,” Zozos said.
People from all over eastern Idaho and even Wyoming attend the typical Sunday service at Greek Orthodox Sunday service in Pocatello.
Zozos says those who attend “walk into the church” and find themselves “in a spiritual place.”
“You leave the secular world behind. You light a candle, you offer a prayer, you venerate an icon. You walk into the nave and we have beautiful hymns. They are being sung. It’s a service,” Zozos said.
Following the sermon, the service culminates in receiving the holy communion. Zozos describes this as “the very body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Zozos says anyone is welome to attend services anytime, but the community is especially invited to celebrate Pascha.
The Holy Friday service will go from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The midnight service on Saturday is happening from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. The culminating event on Sunday will begin at 11 a.m.