Service of the descent of Jesus into Hades and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil on Saturday 19 April 2025 at St George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Woodstock

Path to Pascha

HOLY SATURDAY MORNING – A UNIQUELY GREEK ORTHODOX TRADITION

Holy Saturday morning is the day Christ’s body lay in the tomb while his followers and disciples
mourned.
In Western Christian traditions, it’s a time of vigils and waiting for the magical moment of midnight. But for Orthodox Christians this morning is a unique celebration for us as we honour what Jesus has done for our everlasting souls .

While in His tomb He descended into the pits of hell and destroyed the devil’s plan to hold us as his minions forever because Christ broke those evil chains with his supreme sacrifice for us.

Greeks pack their churches to remember how, while His disciples were afraid and lost in grief, their Lord and Master Jesus Christ descended into Hades, bringing salvation to the souls of the dead.

That’s why we call this service the “First Resurrection.” This is the crux of the moment when Christ defeated death and gave us the gift of everlasting life.

It’s a joyful precursor of what awaits us tonight when the midnight bells ring out in glorious victory.

You will notice that the priests have changed out of their mourning vestments into brilliant white ones, full of hope and light.

They walk down the aisles of the church jubilantly scattering Bay Leaves in every corner of the church and on the congregation, representing the broken chains of hell.

Then the congregation bangs on the pews to demonstrate that the gates of hell have been broken down and the devil has been thwarted!

The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil is observed on this day and it is also performed in a very different way as the priest celebrates the Eucharist using the Epitaphios as the altar, further reinforcing the triumph of Christ .

And now it’s time to look forward to the pivotal point of Great and Holy Week and the Easter period – the Resurrection at midnight  tonight…..

(Text and photos: Pepe Sofianos)