Bishop Daniel Celebrates Holy Thursday Divine Services in Southfield, MI
Bishop Daniel Celebrates Holy Thursday in Southfield, MI

UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA

CONSISTORY OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

PRESS RELEASE

 

Bishop Daniel Celebrates Holy Thursday Divine Services in Southfield, MI

 

Southfield, MI: “As we mark these celebrations, we need to remind ourselves that these are not just historical events to be recalled. This is liturgy we celebrate. In liturgy, we actually share in the Holy Mystery of these events. We are transformed by our celebrations. This Sacred day, we are truly fed, just as were the disciples at the Last Supper. It is Christ that we receive. It is not history, which gathers us together in these holy days. It is grace…”

His Grace Bishop Daniel, the spiritual father of the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA marked the beginning of last three days of Holy Week on Thursday morning, April 28, with Holy Thursday Vesperal Divine Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of the Protection of the Birth-Giver of God in Southfield, MI (Very Rev. Fr. Pavlo Bodnarchuk – pastor), commemorating the Last Supper that Jesus shared with His disciples.

“As we pray together these next few days, we will remember our Lord’s gathering with His disciples at a celebration of a Pascha meal, His death and His glorious resurrection from the dead,” said the bishop. “We will reflect on these as separate moments in celebrations which are distinct from each other, but, in essence, they are all one. They are all part of Jesus’ saving mission – the history of our Salvation.”

Vladyka Daniel told the large assembly that despite knowing he had been betrayed, Christ embraced the sacrifice he was about to make, giving himself for the salvation of the disciples and for us, and promising to make himself present in the bread broken and in the wine poured out whenever the events are remembered and celebrated in the Mystery of Holy Eucharist.

“The cruel events which were about to unfold would be transformed and would become the occasion of the gift of love which is Jesus’ life within us. What Jesus does for His disciples, He does for us.”  

Holy Thursday also serves as a time to reflect on how Jesus shows the disciples how we wants them to live, humbly washing their feet before telling them “as I have done for you, you should also do.”

“We might remember that there have been many great people through the ages that have asked others to follow their teaching. Jesus instead tells us ‘Follow me,’” said the bishop. “His life is a constant attempt to instruct the disciples in his way so that they could pass on his message and live his life. The gesture of feet washing is a powerful one. It shows us that love, as Jesus lives it, is active and involves sacrifice. This is what it means to follow him. To follow is to serve.”

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Daniel washed the feet of twelve people of the parish community, those who have prepared themselves spiritually and through their continued dedication to the mission of the parish and the greater Ukrainian Orthodox community.

“Today, we remind ourselves that not only do we attend and participate in the Holy Mystery of Eucharist, but, because of the foot washing, we try to put into practice by serving the needs of others. At the Last Supper, Jesus tells his disciples to ‘Do this in remembrance of me,’ and so we do as we come together. Jesus also tells his disciples ‘I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do,’ and so we hear the call to serve. These two sayings of Jesus remind us of what we are called to do as his followers, and what we go forth to do when we depart.”

Later in the evening, His Grace Bishop Daniel led the Liturgical Service of the commonly known 12 Passion Gospels. The cathedral choir, under the leadership of Maestro Mykola Newmerzhytsky led the chanting of prayerful hymns and odes.

Following the conclusion of the service, Vladyka Daniel stated that “…The narrative of our Lord's Passion — His suffering, death and resurrection — begins in earnest on Holy Thursday after supper. And we therefore began to read and meditate on it today. We read together the words of all four evangelists, woven into 12 composite texts that tell nearly the entire account of the Passion from Christ's last words to His disciples at the supper table to his burial by Joseph and Nicodemus. After each reading, we sing hymns meditating on what we have just read, so that the significance of these events might pass into our hearts and we might give glory to our Lord and Savior. This service, which lasts about 3 hours, is a wonderful opportunity to learn who our Lord is, to learn something about His love and humility which truly surpass our understanding…

…I am constantly reminding myself: I am ONLY able to love because He (Christ) loved me FIRST! Our Lord tells us, "there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend" (John 15:13). We remember our Lord's suffering and submission to death in order to save us. It is truly a somber reminder, when we listen to the gospels and hymnology during the services of Holy Week.

Two hymns from the Service of the 12 Passion Gospels sung on Holy Thursday evening that always stir up great emotion within me are below:

"Every member of Thy holy flesh endured dishonor for us. Thy head, thorns; Thy face, spitting; Thy cheeks, buffeting; Thy mouth, taste of vinegar mingled with gall; Thine ears, impious blasphemies; Thy back, scourging; Thy hand, a reed; Thy whole body, extension upon the cross; Thy joints, nails; Thy side, spear. By Thy sufferings Thou hast set us free from suffering. In Thy love for mankind, Thou didst stoop down to raise us up. O Almighty Savior, have mercy on us!"

"Today He who suspended the earth upon the waters is suspended upon a Tree. (3x) A crown of thorns is placed on the head of the King of angels. He who wore a false purple robe covered the Heavens with clouds. He is smitten who, in the Jordan, delivered Adam. The Bridegroom of the Church is fastened with nails, and the Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ! (3x) Make us ready to behold Thy glorious Resurrection."

If we want to remember our Lord's saving Passion & Death, let us not forget His glorious Resurrection. We live in a "post-Paschal" world. To paraphrase one of the Orthodox Theologians: The greatest tragedy is to live as if He never came…

May our Lord grant that, through prayerful attention during these services, we may each come to love Him more."

In conclusion, those who truly believe and were in attendance at the Protection of the Birth-Giver of God Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Southfield, MI, had an opportunity to once again participate in the prayers and the historical sequence of the events, as related in the Gospels and hymns, providing a vivid foundation for the great events yet to come.

Following the service and in the late hours of Thursday evening, Vladyka Daniel explained to the children of the parish family about the significance of the Shroud of our Lord and watched as children of the cathedral community decorated the “tomb” of Christ with flowers.

Bishop Daniel Celebrates Holy Thursday in Southfield, MI

Bishop Daniel Celebrates Holy Thursday in Southfield, MI - 04/28/2016

Photos by Elizabeth Symonenko and Semianrian Mykola Zomchak

(71 images)


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