The Holy Pascha: Great Friday & Bright Saturday IIId

The Holy Pascha: Great Friday & Bright Saturday IIId[short]Published by St. Paul Brotherhood, Diocese of Los Angeles, Pages: 243[ short][long] The Cross is a crown of victory. It has brought light to those blinded by ignorance. It has released those enslaved by sin. Indeed, it has redeemed the whole of mankind. Do not, then be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; rather glory in it. Although it is a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, the message of the Cross is our Salvation. Of course

[short]Published by St. Paul Brotherhood, Diocese of Los Angeles, Pages: 243[/short][long]

The Cross is a crown of victory.  It has brought light to those blinded by ignorance.  It has released those enslaved by sin.  Indeed, it has redeemed the whole of mankind.  Do not, then be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; rather glory in it.  Although it is a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, the message of the Cross is our  Salvation.  Of course it is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.  For it was not mere man who dies for us, but the Son of God, God made man.  Saint Cyril of Jerusalem.

Through the grace of God, this is the third edition of this volume.  This volume includes more than 800 pages and over 1000 excerpts from the patristic writings such as the writing of St. Athanasius, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory Nazianzen, St. Basil the Great, the Scholar Origen, and many others.  Additionally, each day and each hour are introduced with a brief explanation, the theme of the reading, events, and rites contained within.  We have also included four additional articles: a spiritual introduction to Holy Pascha Week by the Thrice-Blessed Pope Shenouda III, a second article which provides a historical overview of the Holy Week tradition as compared with others Apostolic traditions, and two articles explaining the theological, historical, and spiritual context of some of the hymns of Great Friday.  From the Preface by His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion.

[/long]