Easter Sunday

Holy Fire spreading from the Empty
Tomb (photo from FB)

It's Easter Sunday for the Orthodox Churches ... and those who don't know these Eastern Churches will find it strange that it's totally quiet and unfestive. It's a total anticlimax after 40 days of Lent and an intensive Great Week (as they call Holy Week). But that's how they celebrate Easter ... the high point is the Holy Fire on Saturday afternoon and after that it's life as normal.

It was just as well for us. The streets are again passable with normal traffic. Shops are again open. The tension of road blocakages and extensive police presence is lightened. But not totally. Next week Ramadan begins and there are fears of muslim riots and agitation so the police are not relaxing their vigilance. And rightly so. Then there is Holocaust Day on May 1st and Memorial Day on May 7 and Independence Day on May 8. The coincidences of muslim and Israeli feast days will once again require intensive military vigilance.

Holy Fire from the Empty Tomb
(photo from FB)

I had the Armenian Mass this morning and fortunately one of our armenian seminarians was free to help me. It's not possible to celebrate alone with all the singing and responses. After that I thought of going for a walk in the New City but I felt very tired so I went home instead.

Tomorrow school reopens and the routine of work restarts. Not that it's anything exceptional as I've been working all through Holy Week and Easter Week as well. I've not had even a half day off so school restarting is just a name for an unending routine.