Holy & Great Week

Holy Week, also known as Great Week, invites us into deep watchfulness, repentance, and hope. From Great and Holy Monday through Great and Holy Wednesday, the Church prays the Bridegroom Matins, centered on the haunting call:

“Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night.  Blessed is the servant He shall find awake.  But the one He shall find neglectful will not be worthy of Him…”

This image of Christ as Bridegroom speaks powerfully to us this week. It calls us first to spiritual vigilance, reminding us that we do not know the day or the hour of the Lord’s return. At the same time, it reveals Christ’s loving journey toward union with His Bride—humanity—fully realized in the Church through His saving sacrifice on the Cross.

As Great Week unfolds, this mystery reaches its fulfillment in Pascha. At Resurrection Matins, the Church joyfully proclaims: “Christ has emerged from the tomb like a Bridegroom from the bridal chamber, filling the women with joy!”



Through these sacred days, we are drawn into the mystery of Christ’s love—a love that embraces suffering, conquers death, and renews all things. Great Week invites each of us to stay awake, to walk with the Bridegroom, and to prepare our hearts for the joy of the Resurrection.