Church Services ANTIPASCHA - SUNDAY OF ST. THOMAS - At 1:00 PM on April 18, 2004, Members of the Church Militant (Those Alive in the World Struggling Against Sin for the Grace of Salvation) Gather to Greet the Church Triumphant (Those Asleep in the Lord in the Hope of the General Resurrection) With the Words "Christ is Risen!".
St. Thomas Sunday is the First Day After Pascha Since Holy Wednesday on Which a Requiem is Permitted by the Church. Requiems for the Souls of Individuals are Forbidden From the Period of Holy Thursday to St. Thomas Sunday Out of Great Respect for the Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Appointed Day for Cemetery Visitation is the Tuesday of St. Thomas Week, or the Ninth Day After Pascha. This Day is Called the "Day of Rejoicing" ('Radonitsa') and There is Evidence of the Commemoration of the Dead in the Writings of the Church Fathers. St. John Chrysostom Mentions the Commemoration of the Dead Performed on Tuesday of St. Thomas Week in His "Homily on the Cemetery and the Cross".
As a Practical Matter, Our Church's Observance of This Day Occurs on the Weekend Day Closest to the Day of Rejoicing Inasmuch As People Are Home From Work and School. (In Some Churches Cemetery Visitation is Postponed Until Pentecost.) The General Requiem for Those Reposed in the Cemetery is Held at the Cemetery's Main Cross and Then Father David Visits Each Family Plot With a Blessing of Holy Water and the Proclamation "Christ is Risen" to Both the Living and the Dead.
Above Photos - For Those Who Have Waited for Quite Some Time, Father David's Arrival is a Welcome Sight!
As the Photos Above Show, Many Families Expend Great Effort in Preparation for This Day. Lawns Are Mowed, Floral Arrangements Are in Place, and Flowers Are Planted. Parishoners Will Again Visit the Cemetery in Ceremony on Memorial Day When Our Parish's War Dead Are Honored.
Copyright © 2002, Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, South River, NJ
