The saddest Holy Week night

On Thursday night 17 April 2025 we had 
our Holy Thursday and the Holy Passion service is one of the most crucial, and the longest, of the Orthodox Holy Week.

“Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung on a tree.
The King of the angels is decked with a crown of thorns.
He who wraps the heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery.
He who freed Adam in the Jordan is slapped in the face.
The Bridegroom of the Church is affixed to the cross with nails.
The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a spear.
We worship Thy passion, O Christ.
Show us also Thy glorious resurrection.”

In a hushed and darkened church we took part in a centuries-old religious re-enactment of Christ’s greatest gift to us – the ultimate sacrifice.

There was the reading of the Twelve Gospels, interspersed with hymns and other readings and somber prayers.

We were taken through the last day and night of Christ’s life , including the Last Supper, His hours of stress and fear in the Garden of Gethsemane, the awful reality of the prophesy that He would be betrayed by the infamous Judas, poor Peter’s denials , the torture and beatings, the humiliations and the dreadful trial with Pontius Pilate and those terrible shouts of “Crucify him!”

The cruel crucifixion and the heart-rending cries of Christ’s mother were all detailed in the Gospels and we also learnt of Christ’s last instructions and his new commandment to His disciples: “ Love one another.”

This is one of the most emotional and heart-touching services of Easter as everyone knelt down in reverence with the flickering tapers adding to the gravitas of the moment.

Archbishop Sergios carried the Cross around the darkened church in procession to the lament of the church bells and the solemn mourning prayer.

The cross was then placed in the middle of the church and wreaths were laid and holy water sprinkled on it. Then the priests bowed and kissed the feet of Christ on the Cross.

The grief, shock and sadness were palpable in the air as the soulful and beautiful chanting brought these episodes in Christ’s last hours to life and by the end of the night we were completely drained.

It is without doubt a service that underlines just what it means to sacrifice your life and to accept the will of God with no ifs and buts.

At the end of the service everyone went up and reverently kissed the feet of Christ on the Cross.

May the Cross always be our compass in life.

(Text and photos: Pepe Sofianos)
(I apologise for the dingy and blurry quality of the photos but I did not use flash as it is too invasive and diminishes the atmosphere of the solemn moments.)