Epitaphio processions exceeded expectations in Greek churches across Australia Friday night.
In a spirit of devotion, from early in the morning, thousands of believers arrived at churches for the Great Hours Service, followed by the Vespers of the Deposition and the procession.
Archbishop Makarios, started his two-day pastoral tour in Victoria, attending St. Charalambos church in Templestowe, and presided at the Vespers of the Deposition, accompanied by His Grace Bishops, Kyriakos of Sozopolis, Evmenios of Kerasounta as well as His Eminence Metropolitan Ezekiel of Dervis, and by the clergy of the Church.
The faithful overflowed the church of Saint Haralambos in Templestowe, to venerate the crucified one and to participate in the ceremony of the descent of the body from the cross.
At the end of the service, Archbishop Makarios congratulated Fr. Elias Kentrotis, for the progress of the parish, while he thanked the chaplains, expressing at the same time his satisfaction being surrounded by young children “who give promises for the course of the Church and for our future”.
“If you want to see what love is, look at the crucified Jesus,” the Archbishop stressed, concluding with paternal wishes for a happy and blessed resurrection and the exhortation: “Faith not to remain in theory but to be put into practice, to become an experience of our daily life and christ to be part of our own life.”
The solemn mystery of the Epitaphio procession takes much preparation every year. Its decoration and special etiquette always generates a noble rivalry between parishes to create the most impressive Epitaphio.
Across hundreds of Greek churches in the country, women (mostly), of all ages, but also boys and girls, spend hours decorating the wooden carving with flowers of all colours and scents. Results were impressive as the tens of thousands of faithful who took part in the Epitaphio procession discovered.
Good Friday symbolises the events of Jesus’ trial by Pontius Pilate, his martyrdom march to Calvary, his crucifixion and finally his burial.
The ceremony of the Deposition, held in churches across Australia, took place at noon on Good Friday along with the re-enactment of the burial.
In the evening the procession of the Epitaphio took place.
During the Epitaphio Lamentation Service, the so-called Epitaphio Lamentations were sung, as three stasis, including “Life in (the) tomb” or “Life in (the) grave” (Η ζω εν τάφῳ), “Worthy, it is” or “It is Truly Meet” (‘Αξιον εστί) and “All the generations” or “Every generation” (Αι γενεα πάσαι).
