Holy Friday

Saints, Feasts, and Readings for 04/18/2025

Saints and Feasts: Holy Friday; Holy Father John the Righteous, disciple of St. Gregory of Decapolis; Euthemios the Enlightener of Karelia; Cosmas, Bishop of Calcydon; John the New Martyr of Epiros; Athanasia the Wonderworker of Aegina

Strict Fast

Epistle Reading: I Corinthians 5:6-8
BRETHREN, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (Galatians 3.13-14) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us - for it is written, \"Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree\" - that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 27:62-66
On the next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, \"Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' Therefore order the sepulcher to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first.\" Pilate said to them, \"You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.\" So they went and made the sepulcher secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Watch the events for Holy Saturday, live, in Jerusalem here.

Anyone have an EO feed please share in the comments

https://www.aghapy.tv/

On Great Holy Saturday in the Orthodox Church we commemorate the burial of Christ and His descent into Hades. The Crucifixion of our Lord already happened and we are waiting for His Resurrection.

“Today Hades cries out groaning:
I should not have accepted the Man born of Mary.
He came and destroyed my power.
He shattered the gates of brass.
As God, He raised the souls I had held captive.
Glory to Thy cross and resurrection, O Lord!”
(Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday)

“Betrayal, denial and cowardice were the hallmark of the Church on Good Friday. But from Christ we hear no blame… ‘for he himself knew what was in man.’ (John 2:25)

Christ gave Himself for us anyway. It is the very character of love.”

—Fr Stephen Freeman

Another live feed from the Holy land



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OTqArIfm0E

Watch now (At the time the message was sent)

Holy Fire has descended in Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
https://orthochristian.com/169131.html

It appeared in the edicule (the small chapel built over the burial place of Christ) about five mintues after the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, entered there to patiently pray and wait.