The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-15
EASTER IN THE GREEK CHURCH.
Bishop Nicolas Conducts Services in the Rus
sian Cathedral.

sian UatneQral,
At11 o'clock Saturday night the chimes in
the Greek church on Powell street rang out
to the orthodox believers the announcement
that the services for the ''Holy and Great
Sunday of Pascha," commonly called
Easter" had begun.
Within the church all was incense and
soft light Every detail of one of the most
formal religious ceremonies known to the
world was carefully carried out. While
the bells were ringing the warden lighted
all the lamps and candles and placed two
vessels holding burning charcoal one in
the altar and the other in the middle of
the church. On these incense was thrown
in order that, in the words of the ritual,
"the church may be filled with sweet per-
fumc."
Then the western gates of the church
were shut, the priest and deacon robed
themselves in yestments heavy with gold
and silver, and the solemn services were
begun. Bishop Nicolas, in the full robes
of his high Office, conducted the service in
solemn dignity. The priest. with the hon
orable cross and the deacon with the cen
ser and long candles borne before them,
entered into the ceremony, singing the
"StitcherOn in tone T."
The cathedral was crowded to its utmost
limit, and the faces of the worshipers
showed the depth of their religious feeling.
There were broad-browed, large-eyed
women, whose heavy coils of black hair
glistened in the Pickering taper lights, and
slender, swarthy men whose finely chiseled
features proved their Grecian blood, but
among them all there was no sound save
the low-toned responses to the ritual.
Bishop Nicolas heavy bass voice made
vocal background for the shriller tones of
the young girls in the choir and the long
rif11ol oorricA ONT Tho Eafanio
tie Ectenia, Irmas, Condakim, Icas and
exapostlorion were intoned and repeated
before Bishop Nicolas began that part of the
ritual which stands in the Greek church
instead of what in other religions is called
the sermon.
1t was here that the most impressive
scene of the service occurred. In the
words of the ritual then while all stand
is read, The Catechetical Discourse of our
Father in the Saints, John, Archbishop of
Constantinople, the Chrysostom, for the
holy and light-bearing Day of the most
glorious and saving Resurrection of Christ
our God.
Bishop Nicholas then read the sermon,
which for more than 1900 years has been
the Easter sermon of the Established
Greek church. and which is maintained
because, in the words OF one of the priests,
"no one has been found who could write
a better one"
From a modern standpoint the Greek
Easter sermon sounds like an invita-
ton to a feast, and such it really
is, for the priests themselves feast
after the service. But in the heavy IN
cense-laden air, with the rhythm of the
swinging censers, the deep-toned voice of
the Bishop rolled through the vaulted
church, the worshipers bowed lower and
lower and crossed themselves with strong
fervor.
As delivered by the Bishop, this is
the regular Easter sermon of the Greek
church translated into the English lam
guage:
He that is pious and God-Ioving let him
enjoy this good and bright triumphal feast.
he that Is wise and prudent servant let the
same loytully enter into the service of his
He that hath labored in fasting let him now
receive his reward. He that hath worked
from the first hour let him to-day receive his
Just award. He that came at the end of the
third hour let him keep the feast with thanks
giving. He that came in the sixth hour let
MIN have no doubt, for he is in no wise re-
lected- He that missed even the ninth hour
let him approach, nothing doubling. nothing
tearing. he that arrived even at the eleventh
hour let him not fear on account of his DELAY.
For the Lord, being condescending. acceptefh
the last conner as the first; he resteth him that
FOmpfl at the eleventh h