www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Timing of Paschal Services

Greetings, I am trying to understand the reason for the timing of the Paschal service - not because of any legalism, but out of desire to understand the full meaning.

There seems to be an emphasis on starting the paschal matins service at exactly 0000 (midnight). The midnight service is moved to 2300, and the Divine Liturgy after matins, probably around 0100. Why?

Thank you in advance.

I was once told "the more important the Feast, the shorter the fast" -- not the 40-day preparation for Pascha, but the Eucharistic fast before the liturgy. Since there is no greater Feast than Pascha, parishes time the services so that matins ends and divine liturgy begins at midnight on the day of the Feast.

Not sure whether this is in part an answer or not at all, but ...

It is during this service of the Resurrection that the timing of services begins its move back to the normal. That is, throughout Great & Holy Week we have been anticipating each service by about 12 hours (and often supressing Compline along the way).

Vespers for Pascha begin Saturday at a time to allow the complete Vesperal Liturgy and the Celebration of the New Light to complete around the middle of the day or early afternoon. It is after this celebration, that one may take a small meal with wine (but still not oil!) to sustain oneself after the hard day of Great & Holy Friday, until the Resurrection is celebrated that night.

Thus Mesonyktikon of Pascha is anticipated by a few hours; Orthros is anticpated by several, but the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection is anticipated as much as possible, but never allowing it to occur on the Saturday; i.e., Christ rose on the Sunday. The celebration of this may not be anticipated beyond the very beginning of Sunday.

Make sense?

I am not sure why it technically has to take place on Sunday, since to the Jews and to our liturgical minds, the beginning of each day is at Sunset. Therefore, I kind of understand the reason why it is important as far as wanting to celebrate on actual calendar Sunday, but liturgically, is it not already Sunday on what is legally Saturday evening.

The timing may have to do with what I've heard and read in Byzantine sources as the "three risings" of Christ. I think the best liturgical reference is at the end of the Prothesis/Proskomidia:

"In the tomb with the body, but in Hades with the soul, as God, in Paradise witht he Thief, and on the Throne with the Father and the Holy Spirit, was thou, O Christ, filling all things, Thyslef uncircumscribed."

I don't remember exactly--the explanation was too many year sago and perhaps Father Serge, Father Ambrose, Father David, or one of our other priests could answer--but I believe Christ rose from the tomb and went to the place of the dead (Hades), rose from there and went to Paradise with the Thief and to be on the Throne with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and finally rose in His resurrected Body on the third day. The three (days) gives us an indication that the Trinity is involved. This could be the reason behind the liturgical placement over time for us, because the law of prayer is the law of belief. It's not simply some legal or mechanical or arbitrary setting, of that I'm sure.

Bob

The day does begin at sunset. Vespers has already occurred. It is the Divine Liturgy that is not anticipated before midnight; Vespers, Mesonyktikon, and Orthros already have been.