Confused about Pascha Liturgy!

[zhilan]

I'm confused about the Pascha Liturgy schedule for the church near me.

On Holy Saturday they have the 8 AM Conclusion of Matins Vigil (ok normal)

Then at 3 PM they have Paschal Vigil and Blessing of bread, wine and fruit. Now I don't think this can be the actual Pascha Liturgy because it's at 3 PM and says it's 3 hours - which would end at 6 PM on Saturday, so that that's not even Sunday.

Then at 5 AM the next morning they have Paschal Canon and Divine Liturgy - is this the Pascha service???

I called my SF and asked him and he said to call the Church because he's never heard of Pascha being done in the morning so it must be a mistake, but I called and on their message they say the same thing.

Does anyone know what this could be? Thanks!

 

[Knowledge3]

Paschal Vigil is the overnight preparation for early morning sunrise which is the start of Pascha.

 

[zhilan]

Yes I know what it normally is, but I'm asking about these services.

 

[fuerein]

They may be having it the next morning. Our church has a midnight Divine Liturgy and then also has morning liturgy for families with small children that are unable to stay awake through the overnight service. But they can only do that since we have several priests. If the church has only one priest they may have decided to have the liturgy in the morning to help families. I don't know though.

 

[zhilan]

So is that what is is? What is the 3 PM liturgy?

 

[Matrona]

I think that the 3PM Saturday Liturgy is that "First Resurrection" Liturgy of Holy Saturday, celebrating the Harrowing of Hell and anticipating the Resurrection - this is where we sing "Arise O God," start changing into white vestments and altar cloths, and throw the leaves and stuff. In parishes, it's normally done Holy Saturday morning but the afternoon is fine too considering it's a Vesperal DL.

The 5 AM Sunday service is Pascha proper. Parishes do it at this time so it starts in darkness and the sun rises about when you're doing the Rush Procession and stuff.

 

[buzuxi02]

Things must be done differently than the greek churches.

The only 3pm service that i know of is on Good Friday the Apokathelosis (Un-nailing). And the only single service thats three hours long (or maybe longer) is the PAssion (reading of the 12 gospels) on Holy Thursday evening.

Theres always a Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great on Holy Saturday. And around 11pm the Paschal vigil begins,

 

[gzt]

The 3 pm liturgy is the vesperal liturgy of st basil on holy saturday. it's quite normal. http://www.schmemann.org/byhim/holysaturday.html

doing the paschal liturgy at 5 am is odd, but not unprecedented in America.

 

[zhilan]

Yeah I'd never heard of that before. As I said, it's not my home parish or even the parish I normally go to here, but it's the only one I can get to.

It must be fairly unusual because my priest thought it must be a mistake and told me to call the church. *shrugs*

 

[Matrona]

Yeah I'd never heard of that before. As I said, it's not my home parish or even the parish I normally go to here, but it's the only one I can get to.

It must be fairly unusual because my priest thought it must be a mistake and told me to call the church. *shrugs*

I think it's the way things used to be done - to have the liturgy in the very early morning. At some point it was decided that we should do Pascha Liturgy at midnight and back up all the other services - that's why this week has Presanctifieds in the morning and Matins at night. This goes all the way back to that first Bridegroom Matins on Sunday night, which is actually supposed to happen at midnight - we have it five or six hours in advance so that people will actually come.

In some places the sunrise Pascha is making a comeback, though. I know one church around here did a Bridegroom Matins at midnight, but they're doing Pascha at midnight like normal.

Parishes that share buildings will sometimes have one group have Pascha at midnight and the second have it at sunrise.

 

[Knowledge3]

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