Within the framework of “The Church and the Law” series of interviews, Iravaban.net talked about Holy Week and Holy Resurrection with Father Manuk Zeynalyan, spiritual pastor of Aruch and Karmavor Parish of Aragatsotn Diocese.
– Father Manuk, please present the council for the days of Holy Week.
– The episodes of the life of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, the episodes of his preaching, the stories were presented by the Holy Fathers of our church in a more condensed manner in the course of one week, which is called Holy Week.
Maundy Monday has the advice of the barren fig tree. First, there is an allegorical explanation. The holy fathers of our church say: O man, you are the fig tree, you are the secret of the fig tree. Christ was traveling along with his apostles, felt hungry, approached the fig tree to pick fruit, saw that the leafy tree had no fruit and cursed the fig tree, the tree immediately withered. You must be ready because one day Christ will come to you as he came to that fig tree, woe betide you if you live a fruitless life.
Maundy Tuesday is the day of commemoration of the wise and foolish virgins. If you take care of your spiritual life as much as you care for your physical life, you will not remain asleep like foolish virgins, but your lamp will always be burning.
Holy Wednesday symbolizes the betrayal of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.
On the morning of Maundy Thursday in all churches, the order of releasing penitents is performed, after which St. Liturgy is served. The Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, entrusted us through the apostles, saying: offer a liturgy for my memory. Cutting the bread and blessing the wine, he gave it to his apostles. And we offer the liturgy of that memorial sacrament on Maundy Thursday. In the afternoon, the service is followed by a procession. In the evening, the eclipse ceremony takes place, it is extremely exciting.
Mass is not celebrated on Good Friday, because the sacrament of Christ’s burial is celebrated on that day.
On Holy Saturday evening, the liturgy of the Holy Resurrection is celebrated and those who are fasting can break their fast on that day.
– Please explain the advice of one of the 5 pavilion holidays of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, the miraculous Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
– Resurrection is of vital importance not only for all Christians of the world, but it is a universal holiday. The fathers of our church say that the resurrection of Christ happened exactly at midnight and it happened in such a way that no one saw it. Without seeing, they will believe and be able to describe and tell the resurrection of Christ to the humanity of the world. And when the garden was opened, the angel rolled that great scroll and the tomb was opened and the empty tomb was already visible. And so the Master’s resurrection happened.
– Among the public, the holiday is better known as Easter, Great Easter. What does this mean, does it have anything to do with the “ladybug”?
– Easter means separation. Fasting is separation from food. The people try to show off with colorful items, but that show has nothing to do with our faith. The bug has nothing to do with it either (the Armenian word for Easter is Zatik, which is also the name of a beetle ladybug). We paint the eggs only with red color.
– How should the Easter celebration be marked, when does it start?
– With the morning service, with the announcement of the Holy Resurrection, we announce the beginning of the festive liturgy and the priest prepares to ascend the tabernacle and offer the festive liturgy. The church has nothing to do with food at all, there is no writing that you should eat this or that dish.
– The holiday is celebrated in different ways, but the egg game is very popular.
– It has a popular advice, it is a popular game that is practiced in almost all places, and it is good that the people can preserve it. But the main part that a believer benefits from is participation in liturgies.
– A large number of religious people participate especially in the liturgies of this holiday, but we can also notice queues, pushing each other, insulting each other, intolerant attitude. Please, your advice-call to the people who will participate in the liturgy.
– In general, during the events that take place in the churches, sometimes we clergy also see that they show obscenity. I want to remind those religious of a very important gospel word: “not cast your pearls before swine.”
Details in the video.
Hasmik Sargsyan
