Preparation for Receiving Holy Communion during Bright Week
A handbook to guide the Orthodox Christian for the receiving of Holy Communion during Bright Week

Paschal Message of His Holiness KIRILL Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

On Great and Holy Saturday the Orthodox Church commemorates the burial of Christ and His descent into Hades.

by St. Epiphanios of Salamis

On this day, Holy and Great Friday, we celebrate the awesome, holy, and saving Passion of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ

Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco

When the glorious disciples at the supper were illumined by the washing of the feet,
then was the impious Judas darkened by the disease of avarice.

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?

An extract from the book Meditations for Holy Week by Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins

We are entering into difficult days today: days when we recall the Passion of Christ

by St. Luke, Archbishop of Crimea
(April 18, 1954)

Bishop Benjamin (Milov) of Saratov and Balashov (+1955)

John 12:1-18
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. John
by Blessed Theophylact

Sermon by Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky, +1985)

Interview with Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin) of Optina Monastery

Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) of Bogucharsk (+1950)

from the Notes of Archbishop Seraphim’s Spiritual Children

Narrated by the rector of St. Elijah’s Church in Chernobyl, Archpriest Nikolay Yakushin

This Life of Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt was written down in the seventh century by Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

by Bishop Mitrophan (Znosko-Borovsky +2002)

Mark 10:32-45
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Mark
by Blessed Theophylact

St. Ambrose Elder of Optina

Selected Sayings of St. Barsanuphius of Optina

To the Clerics and Faithful: Response to Preconciliar Documents

Interview with Matushka Maria Potapova

Excerpts compiled from: My Life in Christ

Of the first elders of the Pskovo-Pechersk monastery only Mark alone is known by name.

By Metropolitan Philaret
From "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978)

by Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)

Mark 9:17-31
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Mark
by Blessed Theophylact

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

A Conversation with Sergei Fomin, keeper of the Icon

The greatest benefit which God has granted our fallen nature is none other than repentance.

by St Proklos, Patriarch of Constantinople

by Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow

by St. John Chrysostom

In 1995, a few Orthodox monks left Mount Athos and came to the US to start an Orthodox Monastery in the middle of the Arizona desert

by Bishop Mitrophan (Znosko-Borovsky) of Boston (+2002)

Homily on the Third Sunday of Great Lent by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

“O Invincible and incomprehensible and divine power of the precious and life-giving Cross, forsake not us sinners.”
by Professor I. M. Andreyev

Mark 8:34 - 9:1
From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Mark
by Blessed Theophylact

Interview with Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany on the joy of Great Lent