Chapter 57: Holy Week and Pascha - Part II

Great and Holy Thursday, April 11, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

I slept in Thursday morning, then ran, showered, dressed, and, because Elizaveta was in school, drove directly to the church. Elizaveta would be there, but her mom would pick her up just in time to get to the service, then take her back to school immediately afterwards. Attendance at the service, which commemorated the Last Supper, was usually sparse as people had to work or be in school. The same would be true for the Friday services, which were held during the day. Unfortunately, there really wasn't any way to adjust the service times because there were services in the evenings as well.

When I arrived at the church, several of the older ladies were busy decorating the 'tomb', a replica of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher — which could be carried by long poles — with ribbons and fresh flowers. There were other women in the kitchen boiling eggs in a large pot filled with water, onion skins, and vinegar. I'd been amazed when I was younger that yellow onion skins made a perfect red dye and that a bit of olive oil applied after the eggs were boiled made the eggs shiny red.

Continuing with the upside-down nature of Holy Week, the celebration of the Last Supper on Thursday morning was also a Vesperal Divine Liturgy. In addition, the Divine Liturgy was that of Saint Basil the Great, which was somewhat longer than the more commonly used Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. Fortunately, the rubrics were the same for the clergy, though it would be Father Nicholas who had to sing and chant, even though his voice was already showing the first signs of overuse.

I went about my usual tasks preparing for the liturgy but added filling a thermos with warm water so that Father could sip it to try to keep his voice in good enough shape to handle the Twelve Gospels service, which we would celebrate later in the day. When the preparations were made, I stood quietly and waited for the service to begin.

Just under two hours later, with the service completed, I spoke briefly with Elizaveta, but we couldn't hug or kiss as I was wearing my cassock. She left with her mother, and I went to the small storeroom and brought out a table, which I took to the nave. I retrieved a small cloth which matched the purple cloth which covered the altar and draped it over the table. Next, I retrieved a large golden bowl from the kitchen, filled it with pure white sand, which we used for the candle stands, and set it on the table. I then placed twelve candles in the sand. Finally, I changed the icon on the veneration stand near the back of the nave, removing the icon of the Last Supper and replacing it with the icon of Christ holding the Gospel book and making the sign of blessing with his right hand. Preparations complete, I headed back to campus.

"Hey, Mik!" Jocelyn called out when I stepped off the elevator.

"Hi, Jos!"

"Got some time for me?"

"Always," I replied.

We went into my room, and I shut the door most of the way, which signaled that I was busy and should only be interrupted in an emergency. I put on one of Jocelyn's favorite albums, a collection of Frank Sinatra's greatest hits, and we sat down on the couch.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You know I've had continual pain and a limp from my accident. Well, the pain is worse, and I'm going to need back surgery to relieve a compressed nerve."

"When did you find out?"

"I saw the doctor yesterday and had an X-ray this morning. They read it right away, and the doctor called me a few minutes ago."

"I assume you'll have the surgery after finals?"

"Yes. Ibuprofen makes it bearable, and obviously, I'm going to be in the hospital for a time, likely four or five days."

"What procedure?" I asked.

"A laminectomy, which my doctor said would be fairly simple in my case. They just need to remove some bone that's compressing one of the nerves. Basically, it's all a result of the hardware they used to put me back together after the accident."

"Is this a permanent repair or a temporary one?"

"That's unclear. You know I'll eventually have hip problems because of my limp, but everything there looks good so far."

"Did you tell Gene?"

"He went with me for the X-ray. You're the second one to know. Now that I've told you, I need to call my parents."

"How does this work with insurance? It's a result of the accident, right?"

"His insurance paid my medical bills, plus they'll cover any surgery that is needed within seven years. I also received a decent settlement, which would cover anything after that. I was actually surprised you never asked about that."

"It wasn't my business," I replied.

"Let's just say college and law school are free, and there's still plenty of money left if I need surgery down the road."

"Not to mention the big bucks you'll make as an attorney!" I replied with a silly grin.

"I have to get there first!"

"You will. You'll ace the LSAT for sure. And I can't imagine you not passing the Bar exam on your first try."

"You know, I never asked, but how does medical licensing work?"

"You take the NBME Step 1 Exam after your second year of medical school. You have to pass to continue. You take the NBME Step 2 Exam during your fourth year, and you have to pass to graduate. In Ohio, you take the licensing exam after your second year of Residency. Then, after that, there are Board certifications. Once you pass the licensing exam, you can practice, though I'd still have at least one, if not two years of Residency after the exam. Back to you, though, did you schedule the surgery?"

"No. I'll do that after I talk to my parents, but I'm going to try for as early in June as possible."

I frowned, "I don't like the idea of being out of touch when you're having surgery, but I guess it can't be helped."

"You don't leave until the 8th, right?"

"Right."

"Hopefully, I can schedule it before then. Let me call my parents and then call the surgeon's office."

"Let me know, and let me know if I can do anything for you."

"Thanks, Mik."

"You're welcome, Jos."

We stood and hugged, and she left. I closed the door behind her and took a nap before meeting Fran in the computer lab to finish our lab report. We finished just before dinner, and I spent an hour reading while the gang went to dinner. After she came back from dinner, Clarissa and I left for Elizaveta's house, and after we picked her up, we headed to church.

When we arrived, I went to the storeroom and brought out the base for the large wooden three-bar cross to which an icon of the crucified Christ was affixed. I set the base behind the table with the candles, then returned to the storeroom for the cross. I set it in the base, then went to the vestry where the icons were stored and carefully removed the cloth that covered the large icon of the crucified Christ, which I then took and carefully attached to the wooden cross. That completed, I went into the altar to prepare for what was basically an extended Matins service.

After the initial prayers and Psalms, Father chanted the first, and longest, Gospel reading, John 13:31—18:1, after which I lit one of the dozen candles in the bowl I'd set up earlier in the day. More than an hour after we'd started, and following the fifth Gospel reading and the fourteenth antiphon, Father Nicholas and I left the altar, with me carrying the censer. I handed it to him, and he censed the cross nine times, then, after handing me the censer, removed the icon from the cross, carried it into the altar, and laid it on the altar table. I hung the censer on its stand, then removed the cross from its base and carried it into the altar via the deacon's door.

While the choir chanted the fifteenth antiphon, Father Nicholas, the acolytes, and I began a procession similar to the Great Entrance, though rather than carrying the chalice, Father Nicholas carried the cross on his shoulder. When we reached the table with the candles, he carried the cross around it and the base three times while I walked backwards before him with the censer. After the three circuits, he put the cross in the base, then went through the Royal Doors to retrieve the icon of the crucified Christ, which he affixed to the cross. I handed him the censer, and once he had censed the cross nine times, he returned the censer, then made a prostration before the cross and kissed it. That completed, we returned to the altar.

Just over two hours later, we finished the service, and the entire congregation formed a line to kiss the icon of the crucified Christ. We then departed the church in silence.

Great and Holy Friday, April 12, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

On Friday, I was up very early, ran, picked up Elizaveta, and arrived at the church by 5:45am. We began the service of The First Hour promptly at 6:00am and finished about forty minutes later. The service of The Third Hour was at 9:00am, that of The Sixth Hour at noon, and finally, The Ninth Hour at 3:00pm, followed immediately by the Typica. Between the services, Elizaveta and I spent time together, talking quietly.

After the Typica, Nathan, Elias, Nik, and I carried the 'tomb' into the nave and placed it between the cross and the solea. Once we had it in place, I went to the vestry and opened the drawer which contained the «Плащаница» (plashchanitsa), or Epitaphion, which was a cloth icon showing the reposed Christ being laid in the tomb. I carefully took it out and carried it to the Prothesis table. Later, Father Nicholas would move it to the altar. Sophia, Robby, Lee, Clarissa, Jocelyn, and Gene arrived just before Vespers, and after greeting them, I went into the altar, quickly reviewed the service with the acolytes, then waited quietly for Father Nicholas to begin the service, which he did promptly at 4:30pm.

The service began and ended as a normal Vespers service, but with three Old Testament readings, an Epistle reading, and a Gospel. During the last part of the Gospel, which Father Nicholas chanted, I took the icon of the crucified Christ from the cross and wrapped it in a large, white cloth. When Father Nicholas finished chanting the Gospel lesson, he returned the Gospel book to the altar table. He came back out through the Royal Doors, and I handed him the shrouded icon, which he laid on the altar.

After two sets of eketenia, Father Nicholas, Nathan, Elias, and I made a procession carrying the «Плащаница» (plashchanitsa) over our heads, preceded by four younger acolytes carrying liturgical torches, the processional cross, and the censer. We circled the 'tomb' three times, then laid the «Плащаница» (plashchanitsa) in the 'tomb'. Father prostrated before the tomb, then kissed the «Плащаница» (plashchanitsa). All of us except the two youngest acolytes returned to the altar. Those two, holding liturgical torches, 'stood guard' at the tomb and would remain there until the start of the Lamentations service. Vespers ended about fifteen minutes later, and after the congregation had venerated the «Плащаница» (plashchanitsa), there was a brief break before we began the Lamentations service at 7:00pm.

The service which followed, Lamentations, was my favorite service of the entire year, and was, without a doubt, the most beautiful and moving service. The service began as a regular Royal Matins service and contained my favorite hymn of the year — the Third Stasis of Lamentations. It was, as I thought for many years, the perfect hymn. The only hymn which even came close was Let My Prayer Arise, which we had sung during the Pre-sanctified Liturgies on Wednesdays during Lent.

As we moved through the service, my anticipation built until the choir began singing the first mournful verses of the Third Stasis...

then slowly transformed into a hymn full of great expectation...

The choir repeated those joyful verses while Father Nicholas sprinkled rose water on the congregation. At the completion of the hymn, there were additional prayers and hymns before Father Nicholas led the congregation as four men carried the 'tomb' containing the «Плащаница» (plashchanitsa) around the outside of the church, preceded by Father Nicholas carrying the Gospel book, me carrying the censer, and the acolytes carrying the processional cross and liturgical torches.

When we'd completed the third circuit, the men held the 'tomb' high enough for the entire congregation to bend and walk under it to return inside the church, with other men taking their place so they could do so as well. The service concluded with the Great Doxology, followed by lessons from the Old and New Testament and a Gospel reading describing the Roman soldiers' request to guard Christ's tomb.

Once the service ended, Nik and Tasha brought two music stands near the tomb and, using two Psalters, began what would be an all-night vigil. I left the church with Elizaveta and her parents and took off my cassock so we could exchange a 'good night' hug. After she got into her dad's car, I put on my cassock and went into the church, where I would stay all night to ensure that there was never a time when the tomb was unattended, and the Psalms were not being read.

Great and Holy Saturday, April 12, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

On Saturday morning, I ensured there were enough people to continue reading the Psalms, then went back to campus to run and shower. After I dressed, I picked up Elizaveta so I could return to the church to oversee the readers. Nik and Tasha met us at church about ninety minutes before the service began so we could carry the baptismal font, which had begun life as a horse trough, into the nave.

Once we had it situated, I opened a window, then went outside and snaked a garden hose in so that Nik could pull it into the font. Once he had it in place, I opened the spigot to allow water to flow. While we filled the font, Elizaveta and Tasha got flowers from the refrigerator and put them in vases, which they arranged around the font, leaving plenty of space for Mark and Alyssa to be able to climb in and Father to perform the baptisms.

"Hi, Subdeacon!" Mark said as I was turning off the faucet.

"Good morning! How are you guys doing?"

"Happy that it's finally Holy Saturday!"

"Should we change?" Alyssa asked.

"Wait for your godparents to arrive. They'll take care of everything and make sure you're in the right place at the right time!"

They went into the church while I went to the window, where Nik handed me the hose, which I coiled and then placed on the hook over the faucet. I went back into the church, shut the window, and closed the blinds. I got a small stand from the storeroom and brought it to the nave and set the book with the baptismal service and a vial of oil on it.

Doctor Evgeni and Maria arrived a few minutes later and handed me the baptismal crosses and icons they had purchased for Mark and Alyssa. I took those into the altar and put them on the Prothesis table so Father Nicholas could move them to the altar when he arrived. When I walked out through the Deacon's door, Mrs. Tupolev brought me the prosphora loaves we'd use, so I turned around and took those to the Prothesis table. Father Nicholas arrived a few minutes later.

What was odd about Saturday morning was that we wore white Paschal vestments but would switch back to purple in the evening. That was a product of the historical changes in the times of the baptismal ceremony which had moved from just before Paschal Matins were celebrated late in the evening to the morning. The baptisms would occur at the end of the Vesperal service, immediately before we began the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great.

Just before the service began, Father Nicholas blessed the icons of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Saint Photini, and the two baptismal crosses, then placed them on the altar. We completed Vespers, and then we left the altar for the baptismal ceremony, with Father Nicholas bringing the chrism with him from the altar table while I brought the censer. Twenty minutes later, after both Mark and Alyssa had been immersed three times and anointed with chrism, they left to change into dry clothes while we began the Divine Liturgy. When it was time for the Eucharist, Mark and Alyssa were first in line, followed by their godparents.

"Go home and get some sleep, Subdeacon," Father Nicholas ordered as we removed our vestments.

"Yes, Father," I said.

I was actually going to Doctor Blahnik's house so that I wouldn't be disturbed. Rob, the 7th-floor RA, would cover for me. I received Father's blessing, then went out to my car, removed my cassock, got a hug from Elizaveta, and headed to Doctor Blahnik's house. When I arrived, I drank a glass of grapefruit juice and ate a few shelled walnuts. I took a quick shower, dried off, and climbed into bed. I set the alarm for 8:00pm and quickly fell asleep.

"Sleep well?" Doctor Blahnik asked when I came downstairs from my room just after 8:00pm.

"I did," I replied. "I know I've said this before, but thank you for the use of the room."

"You're welcome, Mike. I hope you and Elizaveta will visit after you're married. You'll always be welcome."

"I'd like that, and I'm sure Elizaveta will as well."

"Enjoy your services!"

"Thanks! I will."

Great and Holy Pascha, April 13–14, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

I left and headed to Elizaveta's house, and after she greeted me, we went to the kitchen to get our prepared Pascha basket, which I carried out to the car, and a crockpot, which Elizaveta carried. Ten minutes later, we arrived at the darkened church, meeting Tasha, Nik, Mark, and Alyssa, who would help me prepare the nave for the Paschal service. I put on my cassock, unlocked the church, and we all went inside. The women put the three Pascha baskets on the solea in front of the iconostasis, then put their crockpots in the church hall and plugged them in. The men moved the tomb out of the nave and put it in a corner of the church hall where it was kept.