St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church

St. John Orthodox Church

Pascha Traditions

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Pascha EggsChrist is Risen! Truly the Lord is risen!
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς (ἀνέστη) ο Κύριος! (Greek)
Christós anésti! Alithos (anésti) o Kyrios!

Dear Beloved in Christ,

If you look closely above, you’ll notice that the Paschal greeting is a little longer. Often in Greece a person will respond to “Christos Anesti!” with “Alithos o Kyrios!” which means literally, “Truly the Lord!” This greeting is a shortening of “Alithos anesti o Kyrios!” (“Truly the Lord is risen!”) and it comes from the end of the liturgical services during the 40-day Paschal period, when the priest closes the service by intoning “Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life” to which the people reply, “Truly the Lord is Risen!”

So in English, this is another way to reply to “Christ is risen!” by saying “Truly the Lord is risen!”

There are many beautiful Paschal traditions within the cultures of Orthodox Christianity. Some of these traditions were shared during the Christ is Risen Coffee Breaks that took place during Bright Week. In case you missed them, you can learn about…

As Americans—and especially as converts to Orthodoxy—Pascha traditions are novel. America has many Easter traditions, but often these are not directly related to our Lord’s resurrection (Easter eggs, bunnies, picnics and pastels, etc.).

Our society around us has long forgotten that Easter occurred just a few weeks ago—and was mostly unaware that Pascha took place at all. Meanwhile we Orthodox are in the middle of a 40-day celebration of the “Feast of Feasts.”

Being minority Orthodox in a non-Orthodox country, it is important for us to accentuate Pascha within our lives. Embrace and cultivate the Pascha traditions you are familiar with. And if you are a convert to Orthodoxy, learn the traditions of other Orthodox. As the saying goes, “If the shoe fits, wear it;” if you find Pascha traditions that work with your family, incorporate them into your life—not just on the Sunday of Pascha, but spanning the 40 days of Paschal joy.

Lastly, don’t by shy to say “CHRIST IS RISEN!” with joy and with vigor—in English or another language—when you call, email, or chat with a fellow Orthodox Christian. (You can say it to non-Orthodox as well!)

Christos Anesti! Alithos anesti o Kyrios!

In Christ,

Father Matthew

 

About Fr. Matthew Swehla

Father Matthew was born in Modesto, California. He grew up attending the Lutheran church, until his father, formerly a Lutheran pastor, became disillusioned by the direction of the national church and left the ministry. A few years later his family visited the Orthodox cathedral of St. John Maximovich in San Francisco—on a whim because of a Russian exchange student they were hosting—and began their journey to Orthodoxy. Father Matthew entered the Church, along with his immediate family, when he was 15 years old.

As a young college graduate, Fr. Matthew attended an Orthodox College Conference at St. Nicholas Ranch, where he renewed his acquaintance with, Annie Nieuwsma. The two knew right away that they were meant to be together and married in 2003.

After working in several professions—in journalism, restaurant fine dining, and commercial real estate development—Father Matthew was called to the priesthood. He entered Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2009, along with Presvytera Annie and their first three children. He received his M.Div. degree in May 2013. Fr. Matthew’s first parish assignment was St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on September 8, 2013 and served for four years as the second priest.

In 2017, Father Matthew was assigned as the proistamenos (presiding priest) of St. John the Baptist in Beaverton.

Father Matthew and Presvytera Annie have seven children: Dimas (married to Jessica), Débora (married to Nathaniel), Thomas, Peter, Nicholas, Joseph and Maria.