Midnight Easter Liturgy
Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church
Lviv, Ukraine
April 16, 2017
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In the darkness of the eve before Pascha, or Easter, Ukrainian Greek Catholics gather at liturgy to continue to venerate the dead Christ through the the icon of the plaschenytsia. Known as a nadhrobne, it is a service at the tomb. People bow and venerate the cloth icon as they arrive, and the choir chants from the psalms and other prayers. The priest eventually takes the plaschenytsia and places it on the altar.
The celebrants change their vestments from red for mourning to white for celebration, beginning a part of the service known as the Resurrection Matins. An icon of the risen Christ is presented to the faithful, among lit candles signaling the light of Christ brought back into the world. A procession leaves the church, into the dark streets, to indeed bring the image of Christ into the world. When the procession returns to the church, the priests knocks on the closed door of the church, and proclaims for the first time the message, "Khrystos voskres! Christ is risen!" The community is blessed three times with the message, "Khrystos voskres!" and they answer each time "Voistynu Voskrese! He is risen indeed!"
The service continues inside with the continued singing of Matins and the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
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This video is part of Catholics & Cultures, an initiative of the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts USA.
