Holy Thursday and Pascha

is the same for me every year; happy, tired, sore, hungry, excited.  During holy week, we spend so much time living a simply Christian life with prayers, fasting, and church service that you get this an indescribable feeling of being spiritual clean, then you are ready for what you know is coming in just a few short days……PASCHA

For anybody who has never been to a Pascha service, it should be on your bucket list.  It is the most beautiful and spiritual service you will ever attain to in your life, I promise.   My favorite part is the candle lit service, where the entire church is dark except for one single candle, the priest takes that one lit candle and passes the flame, and we keep passing the flame until everybody’s candle is lit therefore lights up the whole church (I tear up every time).  Around midnight-ish (I never wear a watch) we leave the church with our candles and walk around the block by candle light (I think you are supposed to walk around the church but with the number of people who attained this service that would be impossible).  Then when we reenter the church the feeling is so intense, the church is all lit up, flowers and greenery are everywhere, you can feel the joy to know that Christ has risen. There is so much excitement that you could faint.     

I will be taking the next few days off to spend time with my family and prepare for my favorite holiday.  I pray everybody has a beautiful Pascha and I should be back on Bright Tuesday.