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Bright Week in the Eastern Catholic Church
The first week starting with Pascha is known as Bright Week. In our Byzantine Catholic churches, the entire week of Easter or Pascha is given extraordinary significance. Pascha, being the Feast of Feasts is the greatest historical event on the liturgical calendar and we carry the salutations and hymns of the resurrection from Pascha to Christ’s Ascension.
Everything about Bright Week emphasizes the salvific act of Christ’s resurrection and the triumph over darkness. The magnitude of Christ’s Resurrection is intertwined in the liturgical celebrations to such a degree that there can be no doubt in the minds of the faithful that what has transpired has changed the world and humanity forever. Everything is brought into the fullness of the light shining in the world. As the Gospel of John Chapter 1 proclaims about Christ, that it is “through him all things came into being, and apart from him nothing came to be. Whatever came to be in him, found life, life for the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it.” (John 1: 3-5).
A tradition of our Byzantine churches on Bright Monday is the proclamation of the four resurrection Gospels. The priest together with the faithful walk in procession while chanting resurrectional hymns to the four corners of the earth, represented by the four “corners” of the church. The significance of this relates to the command of the angel who appeared to the myrrh bearing women upon arrival at the tomb, directing them to go forth and proclaim the good news of Christ’s resurrection and in these gospels we hear this account. It is a beautiful tradition and one that if possible, all are encouraged to participate in when available. It reminds us that in the baptismal vows made by our sponsors on our behalf, that we too are obligated as Christian believers and held accountable to do the same, to witness Christ to the world. When we are able to join in this service, we are publicly making visible our commitment to all that we believe. In every sense, we demonstrate Christ’s life in us. Do we not want to shine to others also?
In the reading of the following Gospels which are chanted at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy on Bright Monday, we find ourselves mystically at the tomb with the disciples and the holy women.
Matthew 28: 1 – 28
Mark 16: 1 – 19
Luke 24: 1 -12
John 20: 1 – 10
As we listen and meditate on the accounts, our hearts are stirred with the same wonder as the first witnesses. The sheer astonishment of the apostles in seeing the empty tomb and burial garments left in place brings to life – paints an icon – of the reality and actuality of the Resurrection. We can only imagine the rush of emotion they felt at the time as indescribable.
It is why their reading on this day after Pascha further confirms the authenticity of all we profess and believe. While the manner in which the Resurrection physically occurred is beyond the grasp of our human intelligence, the facts of the Resurrection cannot be disputed. Our faith in God lies in our surrender to trust in the mystery. And in our trust, God can do great things. The reading of the four Gospels should inspire us even more of the beauty of God’s plan and love for us. Our faith is emboldened in this beautiful tradition of their reading.
In the liturgical services during this festal period, everything points heavenly and unites all creation in praise and glory to God. Pascha is celebrated as a solemn feast for three days and liturgically observed the whole week. During this week, the doors of the iconostasis or icon screen including the Royal Doors remain open. This symbolizes visually that Christ’s resurrection opened heaven for all of us. We sing the Paschal troparion of “Christ is risen…” with the opening of each liturgy, during and closing. And in the final blessing, the priest continues to bless us three times with the hand cross loudly and emphatically proclaiming “Christ is Risen!” to which the faithful respond enthusiastically that “Indeed He is Risen!” while making the sign of the cross.
Our joy in the resurrection should be jubilant to the highest degree throughout Bright week and in the following 39 days because this is the summit of our Christian faith. As we sing “Shine in splendor” everything in Bright week does shine in splendor in the beauty of the white altar linens, vestments, candles, flowers, and intensified church lighting. Our celebration, as in other particular feast days, also removes the requirement to abstain or fast on the Friday of this week. And so our joy is extended to all aspects of our life. Let us fill our domestic churches – our homes – with joy and symbols of our unity of faith.
Our hearts rejoice in the hope of eternal life with our Lord. Let us sing and rejoice!
The post-festive period of the Resurrection lasts until Ascension, the next feast day in the awesome continuation of God’s plan.
Christ is Risen! Indeed He Is Risen!
“It is the day of Resurrection. O People, let us be enlightened by it.
The Passover is the Lord’s Passover, since Christ, our God, has brought us from death to life,
and from earth to heaven.
Therefore we sing the hymn of victory!”
The words above are from Ode 1 of the Resurrection Canon sung at Resurrection Matins in our Byzantine Catholic churches. The words summarize what the Resurrection of Jesus Christ accomplished across all measures of time and space for all people. Our hymn of victory is our proclamation that “Christ is Risen” and that He is our God, “the Giver of Life”.
Our Hymn of Victory is made visual each time we see the symbolic letters of
IC XC NIKA, shorthand derived from the Greek language meaning JESUS CHRIST CONQUERS! Everytime we see these letters — on icons, on our hymnal books, in stained glass windows, and also imprinted on the prosphora the priest uses for Holy Communion — we are emboldened with strength in knowing that regardless of any hardships we have, that Christ triumphs over darkness.
We turn to Christ as a trusting child, knowing that the victory he has won for us is the answer.
The victory of our Risen Savior is found in another beautiful hymn sung at Resurrection Matins, the Hypakoje, gives a wonderful description of what we read in the New Testament — the discovery of the empty tomb, and along with this, a short command given to the “myrrh-bearing” women to act immediately. A call to action, nonetheless! This is also a command for us to go and be disciples. To joyfully proclaim the same wonderous news to all. When we share the “kerygma” we are following in the footsteps of the women at the tomb who in their discovery were the first to proclaim the revelation of the good news.
“The women with Mary, before the dawn, found the stone rolled away from the tomb – And they, heard the Angel say: ‘Why do you seek among the dead as a mortal , the One who abides in everlasting light? Behold, the linens of burial – Go in haste and proclaim to the world – that having, conquered Death, the Lord is risen for He is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind.”
And as we rejoice and celebrate, we sing with emphasis the words of another refrain:
“All you who been baptized into Christ, have been clothed with Christ! Alleluia!
The church wisely reminds us that we are clothed in Christ as having been initiated into the Body of Christ through the Sacraments. We live in Christ and Christ lives in us. This is such a great gift freely and sacrificially earned for us by our Lord and Savior. Such a victory! Such a gift ! No one can give such a valuable gift as this ! Every time we receive the Sacraments, we renew our life in Christ. Let us be mindful when we approach the Sacraments, such as Holy Communion, who we are receiving and what a sacred privilege to be so closely united with Christ, to be filled with all the graces and love He pours into our soul.
Not inconsequentially — our promise to God in our baptism is to live our Christian beliefs, all that Jesus taught his own disciples. We are pledged and commissioned, just as the angel instructed the women at the empty tomb, to share through action and words, the message and joy of the Gospel.
This is why in the Byzantine Catholic Church we sing repeatedly: “Christ is Risen!” It is just as He foretold. The amazing power of God.
May we strive with unfailing intention, to bring the spirit of that first Easter and evidence of our life in Christ to those we encounter along our life path.
Christ is Risen ! Indeed He IS Risen !
You can find more about these related topics on this website:
Christ is Risen! Indeed He Is Risen!
“It is the day of Resurrection. O People, let us be enlightened by it.
The Passover is the Lord’s Passover, since Christ, our God, has brought us from death to life,
and from earth to heaven.
Therefore we sing the hymn of victory!”
The words above from Ode 1 of the Resurrection Canon summarize what the Resurrection of Jesus Christ accomplished across all measures of time and space for all people. Our hymn of victory is our proclamation that “Christ is Risen” and that He is our God, “the Giver of Life”.
Our Hymn of Victory is made visual each time we see the symbolic letters of IC XC NIKA, shorthand derived from the Greek language meaning JESUS CHRIST CONQUERS! Everytime we see these letters — on icons, on our hymnal books, in stained glass windows, and also imprinted on the prosphora the priest uses for Holy Communion — we are emboldened with strength in knowing that regardless of any hardships we have, that Christ triumphs over darkness.
We turn to Christ as a trusting child, knowing that the victory he has won for us is the answer.
The victory of our Risen Savior is found in another beautiful hymn sung at Resurrection Matins, the Hypakoje, gives a wonderful description of what we read in the New Testament — the discovery of the empty tomb, and along with this, a short command given to the “myrrh-bearing” women to act immediately. A call to action, nonetheless! This is also a command for us to go and be disciples. To joyfully proclaim the same wonderous news to all. When we share the “kerygma” we are following in the footsteps of the women at the tomb who in their discovery were the first to proclaim the revelation of the good news.
“The women with Mary, before the dawn, found the stone rolled away from the tomb – And they, heard the Angel say: ‘Why do you seek among the dead as a mortal , the One who abides in everlasting light? Behold, the linens of burial – Go in haste and proclaim to the world – that having, conquered Death, the Lord is risen for He is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind.”
And as we rejoice and celebrate, we sing with emphasis the words of another refrain:
“All you who been baptized into Christ, have been clothed with Christ! Alleluia!
The church wisely reminds us that we are clothed in Christ as having been initiated into the Body of Christ through the Sacraments. We live in Christ and Christ lives in us. This is such a great gift freely and sacrificially earned for us by our Lord and Savior. Such a victory! Such a gift ! No one can give such a valuable gift as this ! Every time we receive the Sacraments, we renew our life in Christ. Let us be mindful when we approach the Sacraments, such as Holy Communion, who we are receiving and what a sacred privilege to be so closely united with Christ, to be filled with all the graces and love He pours into our soul.
Not inconsequentially — our promise to God in our baptism is to live our Christian beliefs, all that Jesus taught his own disciples. We are pledged and commissioned, just as the angel instructed the women at the empty tomb, to share through action and words, the message and joy of the Gospel.
This is why in the Byzantine Catholic Church we sing repeatedly: “Christ is Risen!” It is just as He foretold. The amazing power of God.
May we strive with unfailing intention, to bring the spirit of that first Easter and evidence of our life in Christ to those we encounter along our life path.
Christ is Risen ! Indeed He IS Risen !
You can find more about these related topics on this website:
St. Michael's Byzantine Catholic Church 