REFLEKTOR / SPOTLIGHT
T he last week of Lent, from Holy Monday to Ho- ly Saturday, is called Passion Week in the Or- thodox tradition. The Serbian name comes from an old Slavic word that means, in this context, suffering – the suffering and trials en- dured by Jesus Christ over the final days of his earthly life. Church services held on these days follow the last days of Christ’s life – from his teachings in Jerusalem to his cruci- fixion and burial. For the faithful, this is a time of more in- tensive prayer, repentance and the strictest fasting, but al- so a period of deep reflection on sacrifice, faith and the hope of resurrection. Great Monday Great and Holy Monday is marked by two powerful bib- lical images in the Orthodox tradition: the Old Testament patriarch Joseph and Christ’s cursing of the barren fig tree. Joseph, whose envious brothers sold him into slavery, is in- terpreted by the Church as an innocent who was rejected and humiliated, but was ultimately exalted and became a saviour for others. That same day is when the church recalls the event from the Gospel when Christ cursed a fruitless fig tree that he passed on the road, which then withered. In Christian symbolism, the fruitless fig tree represents faith that exists only outwardly, devoid of good deeds and spiritual fruit. This event is thus interpreted as a reminder that faith cannot be merely form or tradition - it must lead to good deeds. Great Tuesday Services on Great and Holy Tuesday are dedicated to Christ’s final teachings in Jerusalem. The Gospels for that day teach about responsibility, vigilance and preparedness to meet God. In church symbolism, this day serves as a re- minder that faith isn’t only the expectation of salvation, but also a call to live constantly in accordance with the moral principles that Christ preached. HAPPY EASTER From the saddest day to the most joyful for all Christians According to Orthodox Church tradition, every day of the week leading up to Easter Sunday is designated as “Great”, as a reminder of the events that Christians believe changed the history of mankind CHRIST IS RISEN!
Velika subota Velika subota je dan tišine između stradanja i vaskrse- nja. Crkva se seć a Hristovog boravka u grobu, ali i njegovog silaska u ad, gde je, prema hrišć anskom predanju, oslobo- dio duše pravednika koji su umrli pre njegovog dolaska. Iako obeležena tugom, Velika subota već nosi nagoveštaj radosti. U ponoć počinje vaskršnje bogosluženje i objava najvažnije poruke hrišć anstva – pobede života nad smrć u. VASKRS I OBIČAJI RADOSTI Posle dana tišine i seć anja na Hristovo stradanje, po- noć na liturgija na Veliku subotu prelazi u proslavu Vaskrsa. Prema jevanđeljskom predanju, treć eg dana nakon raspeć a Hristos je vaskrsao iz groba, čime je, u hrišć anskom učenju, pobedio smrt i otvorio put večnom životu. U pravoslavnim crkvama vernici se okupljaju u ponoć , kada sveštenik objav- ljuje radosnu vest rečima „Hristos vaskrse“, na šta se odgo- vara „Vaistinu vaskrse“. Vernici potom pale sveć e i učestvuju u liturgiji koja označava kraj Velikog posta. Jedan od najprepoznatljivijih vaskršnjih običaja u pra- voslavnoj tradiciji jeste farbanje jaja. Prvo obojeno jaje, naj- češć e u crvenu boju, naziva se čuvarkuć a i čuva se u domu do narednog Vaskrsa kao simbol zaštite i blagostanja. Crvena boja podseć a na Hristovu krv i žrtvu, ali i na novi život i va- skrsenje. Na sam dan Vaskrsa porodica se okuplja za sveča- nom trpezom, a običaj je da se najpre kuckaju vaskršnja jaja – simbolična igra u kojoj je pobednik onaj ko ostaje sa neo- štećenim jajetom. Praznovanje se nastavlja i narednog dana, na Vaskrš- nji ili Pobusani ponedeljak. Tada se, prema starom pravo- slavnom običaju rasprostranjenom u Srbiji i drugim pravo- slavnim krajevima Balkana, odlazi na groblje i na grobovima najbližih ostavljaju obojena jaja. Taj čin simbolično povezu- je radost vaskrsenja sa seć anjem na preminule, uz verova- nje da poruka o pobedi života nad smrć u pripada i njima. U mnogim krajevima taj dan je i prilika za porodična okuplja- nja, posete rodbini i nastavak vaskršnjeg slavlja, koje u pra- voslavnoj tradiciji traje nekoliko dana.
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