Christ Is Risen!
Pascha 2015
Surety Of Sinner's Orthodox Mission
After weeks of planning and preparations, Holy Week finally arrived, and with it our dear Father Innocent Potter came from Nova Scotia to serve the faithful Orthodox in northern Maine.
Father Innocent has been serving our small mission in the woods for many years.
This year we were especially blessed to have some of the members of St Andrews Mission in Deer Isle, come to pray and celebrate the feast with us. Patricia Egan, Mary Schirmer, Dana Giuntini, and Dee Immonen, all drove 2 to 3 hours to get here to our church in the woods.
After vespers on Holy Friday, the time was spent preparing Paschal food baskets, decorating the trapeza and cooking and baking for the feast on Sunday.
Confessions were heard on Saturday, and after resting for the late night Liturgy, we began the
Midnight office, and then filed outside for the Paschal procession.
The night air had cooled down from the earlier warm day, and it firmed up the driveway for our procession. It was richly Orthodox deep in the Maine forest, as we joined people all over the world, celebrating the Resurrection of Christ.
When we returned, inside the church was gorgeously arrayed with cedar, and flowers of every size and color. Tiny butterflies adorned the iconostasis, and the festal icon, and the scent of lilies and hyacinth filled the air.
The faithful received Holy Communion, and we all sang the joyous herald, "Christ Is Risen from the Dead, Trampling Down Death by Death, and Upon Those in the Tombs Bestowing Life"
Returning to the house, we broke the Lenten fast, and then retired for a few, well needed, hours of sleep.
Now, filled with the grace of Holy Pascha,
we have new life to proclaim to the world with all of our living.......
Christ Is Risen! In Truth He Is Risen!
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