"Τῷ τὴν ἄβατον, κυμαινομένην θάλασσαν, θείῳ αὐτοῦ προστάγματι, ἀναξηράναντι, καὶ πεζεῦσαι δι 'αὐτῆς, τὸν Ἰσραηλίτην λαὸν καθοδηγήσαντι, Κυρίῳ ᾄσωμεν · ἐνδόξως γὰρ δεδόξασται". (Ειρμός α΄ ωδής Κανόνος Όρθρου Μ. Δευτέρας)
To Him who dried up the impenetrable Red Sea by its waves and led the people of Israel through it on foot, as if the sea were dry (and saved by Pharaoh's Egyptians), that is, to the Lord, let us sing hymns, because (by this miracle) he was glorified to a supreme degree. (Modern Greek Performance, Archim. Epifaniou I. Theodoropoulos, Published by Apostolic Diakonia 2002)
The musical richness of Holy and Holy Week, through a variety of compositions, hymns and idioms (in a short or stylistic member) and with the passage of all the sounds of Byzantine music, perfectly conveys the deep spiritual and theological content of the Holy Days and is always , in every age, for every aspect of the life of Christians.
The way these sequences are performed also helps for this purpose. The more modest and all-encompassing they are, but majestically in the rendering of the hymns in an incomparable style as it was saved in the patriotic tradition, the more vividly they express their purpose and are impressed in the soul of Christians.
Every sacrament of the Church, and especially the Sequences of Holy Week, are not spectacular or theatrical performances, but all-encompassing and mystical acts, by which the Church prays and teaches, instructs and implants in the hearts of believers the truth and the words of the Gospel of Jesus. Christ, who does everything to save man.
Where there is an attempt to dramatize the sequence and leave its ecclesiastical form, there it loses its sacred content and purpose, with the result that the faithful no longer pray and are not taught theologically, but may only be moved, as when they see a spectacle. We must know that the so-called aesthetic emotion is different from the ecclesiastical ecstasy.
Our concern in the Church is to feel this overwhelm and to experience the sacred events within us and not to be emotionally and externally moved, because the Church is not a theater, but a house of prayer, a sacred pulpit and a Holy Table, that is, evangelical teaching and divine communion. .
Based on the above, we are called again this year - but in unprecedented circumstances due to the situation caused by the pandemic - to live and experience the meaning of these special days and as faithful Christians to follow our Savior and Redeemer Christ, "coming voluntarily passion ”that“ awakened us and us by dying sin ”.
We deprive or rather sacrifice our physical presence in the temple, preserving the health of our brothers, this precious and supreme gift of life that the Lord has given us.
This act of ours must reflect God's love, "Philadelphia", solidarity, so that we can always work together for good, invoking the visit of God's mighty power for the salvation of all people. (see article by the Most Venerable Metropolitan Constantia Vassilios. Spiritual crisis and illness. Continuous Good Friday. Eucharist)
As the modern people of Israel, we turn our minds and hearts to Him once again and ask from the bottom of our hearts the supplication to dry up the waves of the pandemic that cause phobia and death in humans.
The sacred services in Cyprus and in most of the Orthodox Churches, Constantinople, Alexandria, Greece, etc. are performed "behind closed doors", by the priests with the participation of the cantors on behalf of all.
In all the sanctuaries of our metropolitan area in the free province of Famagusta, the sacred services begin earlier than usual, for the convenience of the faithful, while in some of them their transmission via internet has been arranged.
The Holy Masses at the Metropolitan Church of Agios Georgios in Paralimni, which are broadcast live and in high definition through modern technological means, are officiated by the Most Venerable Metropolitan of Constantia and Famagusta Mr. Vassilios.
At the end of tonight's procession of the Bridegroom, which was shown to more than 22 thousand believers, Panierotatos wished the crisis that afflicts all of humanity and the radiance of joy on the faces of the people ".
Deacon Epiphanius Papantoniou / photo: Theodoros Nikas