For most Orthodox Christians, observing Holy Week and Pascha lies at the core of their piety as believers. Normally, our common work of praying these services together is full of great joy and consolation. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Athanasius is only able to livestream services (with 5 people physically in attendance.) To particpate, we encourage you EITHER
- To join us in livestreaming Holy Week services via our YouTube Channel (or via FacebookLive in some cases.)
- OR To pray the services of Holy Week as lay services. To do this, you will need copies of the services (some hardcopies are available at the church by request.) Online copies of services will be posted below, by day.
Perhaps a 3rd approach would be to watch the livestream but also have hard copies of the services handy, so that you can better focus on the words and follow along prayerfully.
What follows us our offering at some original and curated resources for our parishioners to use from home during Holy Week. The texts below are OCA texts (some in more contemporary English and some more traditional) yet reflect common usage in our beloved Orthodox Church in America.
I. General Guidelines For Converting Priestly Services Into Lay Services
II. Services for Holy Week & Pascha: Normal Text with Clergy
- Lazarus Saturday Vespers & Liturgy (variable texts)
- Fixed Vespers text that can be used in tandem with variable text above
- Palm Sunday Vespers & Liturgy (variable texts)
- Bridegroom Matins for Holy Monday (full text, served on Palm Sunday)
- Lenten Hours (for use on Holy Monday & Holy Tuesday in chanting Gospel)
- Bridegroom Matins for Holy Tuesday (full text, served on Holy Monday)
- Bridegroom Matins for Holy Wednesday (full text, served on Holy Tuesday)
- Bridegroom Matins for Holy Thursday (served on Holy Wedesday)
- Matins for Great & Holy Friday (Passion Gospels, full text)
- Royal Hours for Great & Holy Friday (full text)
- Vespers for Great & Holy Friday (Entombment Vespers, full text)
- Matins for Great & Holy Saturday (Lamentations, full text)
- Vesperal Liturgy for Holy Saturday (full text)
- Paschal Services (Nocturnes, Midnight Procession, Matins, Liturgy) (full text)
- The Hours of Pascha (usable throughout Bright Week!)
III. Services for Holy Week & Pascha: Pre-Adjusted for Lay Service
- Lazarus Saturday Vespers (variable texts)
- Lay Vespers in Place of Great Vespers
- Typika (Obednitsa) (Lay Order in Place of Liturgy)
- Palm Sunday Typika (full text)
- Bridegroom Matins Lay Service (fixed) (you will need this text handy every night up through Holy Friday!)
- Lenten Hours (for use on Holy Monday & Holy Tuesday in chanting Gospel)
- Bridegroom Matins Lay Service for Holy Monday (variable portions, served Palm Sunday)
- Bridegrooma Matins Lay Service for Holy Tuesday (variable portions, served Holy Monday)
- Bridegroom Matins Lay Service for Holy Wednesday (variable portions, served Holy Tues)
- Bridegroom Matins Lay Service for Holy Thursday (variable portions, served Holy Wed.)
- Holy Thursday Lay Vespers (in place of Mystical Supper Liturgy)
- Matins for Holy Friday (Passion Gospels, for use with fixed text of Bridegroom Matins)
- Lay (Entombment) Vespers on Holy Friday (complete text)
IV. Media Inspirations for Holy Week & Pascha
- St. Athanasius Holy Week 2020 Holy Week & Pascha Video Series (Fr. Justin & Audrey Wagner)
- Video 1: “Our Lenten Journey Thus Far”
- Video 2: “Lazarus Saturday & Palm Sunday”
- Video 3: “Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday: Bridegroom Matins & the End”
- …and more videos will be released each day of Holy Week, starting on Holy Wednesday 2020
- St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary Complete Collection of Music from Holy Week & Pascha 2004
- Various OCA-style Musical Sing-alongs from Fairfax Orthodox Mission
Stay tuned for more additions as we are able to post them!
Turning Towards Jerusalem