Tonight, many of Orthodox faith all over the world will make their way to church for a very special service. All day yesterday, women were working on something called the Epitaph, also known as the Bier of Christ. The Epitach, or Epitaphio as we call it in Greek, is covered with flowers so that on the morning of Holy Friday it is ready to receive the image of the body of Christ when he is taken down from the Cross. (The icon of Christ is taken off the cross, wrapped in linen and put it in the Bier -Epitaphios- symbolizing the tomb of Christ.)
Basically, it is a day of mourning. The drama of the death of Christ is followed with great devoutness. The customs may differ in various Orthodox communities, but the focus was and will always be the same; the sacrificial death of Christ, which along with the resurrection comprises the heart of the Christian faith.
The overall emphasis is a hope of the life to come.
This is the day when that famous verse, quoted in all corners of the world tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Let us not forget this amazing gift. Jesus spared no pain, retained no shred of human dignity. He was scourged, crowned with thorns, spat upon, made to carry a cross through the streets, filled with a hostile crowd, nailed to a cross and killed for our sins. There is no sacrifice we can make that can even compare to His. And this is why we gather at the church and light a candle, pay our respects, and hope of the life to come.
This is also why we gather at the Church once again late at night, when the Epitaphios is carried through our communities. The bands, and the choirs play and chant Byzantine solemn music precedes the procession and are followed by the cantors, the clergy, women bearing myrrh, the altar boys carrying the liturgical fans, scouts and guides, and the people of the region. Everyone sings the hymns throughout the procession and in some cases, there is complete and utter silence, because everyone feels the uniqueness about this night.
The air is full of the scent of flowers, it is still but not heavy, there is a melancholic feeling all over but there is also something different. There is a feeling of stillness, emptiness, calmness and our hearts seem to willingly open to accept the Love of His sacrifice.
I think it is this stillness or silence that allows us to communicate with Him, at least for me it is. When we keep still before the Epitaphio, there is no room for anxious, distracting thoughts. In our silence we feel his presence and sometimes we even receive the answers to our pleas.
This is the great strength that I personally draw from Holy Friday and it enables me, and all of us, to find rest in time of grief.
I think it is moments such as these that allow all of us to go on and move on, despite great pain, and Lord knows, this year is one of the most difficult years for me to date. Nonetheless, I know that through this stillness in many other difficult moments in my life, I have received the empowerment to go on, or gained more courage, become more timid, learned to forgive myself, learned to love, etc. To keep still and reflect on the significance of the messages received today is not an easy task, but take it from me, the champion of moodiness … it can be done. Even when things feel like they are at their worst.
Have a Blessed Holy Friday
Editor
Marina Spanos
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