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Holy Tuesday: Service of the Bridegroom continues with two parables

The Greek Herald
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Holy Tuesday: Service of the Bridegroom continues with two parables

The bridegroom service continues on Holy Tuesday, with the Church remembering two parables: The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-3), and The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

These parables point to the inevitability of the Parousia and deal with such subjects as spiritual vigilance, stewardship, accountability and judgment.

You can listen to the hymn here:

The two parables:

  • The Parable of the Ten Virgins:
Icon of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Artist: Unknown.

Ten virgins (bridesmaids) wait for the bridegroom, who is Christ. Five are prepared for His arrival, five are not. When the bridegroom appears suddenly in the dead of night, only the five wise, prepared, virgins are allowed into the wedding feast. The five foolish virgins are shut out.

This parable teaches that Judgment Day will be like the situation in which the virgins found themselves: some ready for it, some not ready. The time one decides for God is now and not at some undefined point in the future.

  • The Parable of the Talents:
Icon of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Artist: Unknown.

A man goes away on a trip. Before he leaves, he entrusts money to his slaves. To one he gives five talents, to the second he gives two talents, and to the third he gives a single talent. The first two slaves double their money. They give the original investment and their profit to their master when he returns.

The third slave, however, buries his talent out in a field instead of trying to make a profit. He returns only this when his master comes back. The master is pleased with the first two slaves, but he is dissatisfied with the third’s actions. He reprimands this slave and casts him out into the darkness.

This parable teaches that our lives are not ours to live according to our wishes. We owe our lives and wealth to God. We are like those stewards: faithfully using our Master’s assets while waiting for His return.

Mitsotakis: The war has not been won yet

Andriana Simos
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Mitsotakis: The war has not been won yet

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis praised the country’s efforts to contain the coronavirus on Monday, but said there was no room for complacency before Orthodox Easter.

“We showed our best self and this… fills us with pride, it arms us with more courage to keep fighting,” Mitsotakis said in a televised statement.

“But the war has not been won yet.”

Greece was swift in implementing measures of social distancing after its first case of COVID-19 surfaced in late February, imposing a nationwide lockdown days later.

But as Orthodox Holy Week begins, Mitsotakis urged Greek citizens to stay home and not be tempted to go to church as any complacency could easily reverse the country’s successful efforts to contain the disease so far. 

“Our faith is not at risk, but the health of the faithful. A thread separates victory from disaster and if we don’t heed to the advice of the experts until the end, we may destroy all we have achieved,” he emphasised.

“The slightest complacency can lead to a painful backtracking.”

Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, visits Sotiria Hospital in Athens, Greece. Source: Greek Prime Minister’s Office / Dimitris Papamitsos.

Mitsotakis then warned that the return to normal life would be gradual but Greeks would still be different.

“It’s certain, that when the crisis is over we’ll look at the people who stack supermarket shelves differently. We will care if the man on the bike is wearing a helmet. We’ll be saying good morning to the women and men emptying our neighborhoods garbage containers,” he said.

“They will no longer be invisible.”

His televised statement comes in the face of Greece reporting 30 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total in the country to 2,145. The death toll stands at 99.

Tom Hanks attempts an Aussie accent as he hosts ‘Saturday Night Live at Home’

Andriana Simos
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Tom Hanks attempts an Aussie accent as he hosts ‘Saturday Night Live at Home’

Honorary Greek citizen, Tom Hanks, was rolling out the Vegemite jokes and an Australian accent as host of Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) first “remote version” in more than 40 years.

The Academy Award winning actor, who is now back in the US after being treated for coronavirus in Australia, boldly attempted the Australian accent as he imitated nurses telling him his temperature in hospital.

“Now the folks in Australia are fantastic in every way, but they use celsius instead of fahrenheit when they take your temperature,” Hanks began.

“So when they come in and they say, ‘you’re 36,’ which seemed very bad to me, but it turns out 36 is fine. 38 is bad.”

The verdict is still out on whether he nailed the accent or not.

‘Enough of that’

Hanks, who said he and his wife Rita Wilson are now “doing fine,” then threw to questions from ‘audience members’ which were actually just himself in costumes.

In one of them, Hanks pretended to be an Australian man who asked: “I’ve got a question for Tommy Tim Tam, what’s the right proper way to get a daily dose of your Vegemite?”

The camera cut back to Hanks in his hosting role as he brushed off the question with a laugh before saying, “enough of that.”

If you missed the Vegemite drama, Hanks tweeted a photo of toast with a thick layer of Vegemite in mid-March, prompting warnings that he’d gone too far with the salty spread.

‘Thank You’

In the last monologue, Hanks thanked healthcare, delivery, grocery and other frontline workers who have been working tirelessly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This Saturday Night Live was a little different. For one thing, it’s been filmed entirely by the SNL cast who are currently quarantined in their homes,” Hanks said.

“We hope it gave you something to do for a little while.”

The inventive episode, born of necessity, gave people much more than that. It gave them the opportunity and excuse to turn off the news and laugh — even if just for a bit.

READ MORE: Tom Hanks becomes honorary Greek citizen.

Priests under investigation in Greece after offering Holy Communion to the faithful amid lockdown

Andriana Simos
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Priests under investigation in Greece after offering Holy Communion to the faithful amid lockdown

The Greek government has asked a prosecutor to press charges against two priests who provided Holy Communion to the faithful on Sunday despite a ban on church attendance.

One of the priests, in the Athens neighborhood of Koukaki, was photographed from a nearby building secretly giving communion to people through the back door.

The other incident happened in Corfu at the St. Spyridon Church, where the priest invited more than 15 people to the Sunday liturgy.

Deputy Minister of Civil Protection, Nikos Hardalias, said the actions of the priests were a clear violation of the coronavirus lockdown.

“What happened today in churches in Koukaki and Corfu is a violation of the law and of the Holy Synod’s orders, and put the lives of citizens and public health in great danger,” Mr Hardalias said in a statement.

“I contacted the Minister of Justice so that he can ask the prosecuting authorities to intervene.”

Deputy Minister of Civil Protection, Nikos Hardalias, said the actions of the priests were unacceptable. Source: AFP.

The move comes after the Greek government banned the public from church, with only a maximum of five people allowed inside to conduct religious services. This includes the priest, chanters and assistants.

With Greek Orthodox Easter fast approaching, Greek authorities remain concerned that more people will flout strict quarantine measures by attending church and engaging in the customary exodus from the cities to the countryside.

On Sunday, 38 people were already fined 300 euros each for trying to leave cities.

Sydney Roosters supremo Nick Politis slammed after calling for NRL ladder reset

Andriana Simos
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Sydney Roosters supremo Nick Politis slammed after calling for NRL ladder reset

NRL fans have slammed Sydney Roosters boss Nick Politis after he demanded all 16 clubs start on zero competition points when the 2020 season resumes on May 28.

A fired-up Politis told News Limited journalist Phil Rothfield all clubs must start on equal points unless the entire 24-round draw can be completed.

“The revised schedule is on par with changing the Melbourne Cup mid-race. It’s not possible,” Politis said.

Penrith Panthers star, Nathan Cleary, hit back at Politis. Source: Nine News.

In response, Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary said points should be kept as ‘wins were hard to come by in the NRL.’

“I don’t think it would be fair to lose points. We had a meeting with the RLPA and everyone was on board with keeping the points. I was pretty happy to hear that,” Cleary told Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.

“Obviously I’m a little bit biased because we won our first two games. You work pretty hard to win games in the NRL so I couldn’t see the justification of taking the points off.”

The Panthers are among six clubs undefeated through the first two rounds, while the Roosters were one of six teams who remained winless after the season was suspended.

Politis’ comment comes in the wake of ARL Commission chairman, Peter V’landys, backtracking on his initial suggestion that points earned in the first two rounds could be stripped.

Peter V’landys was the first person to suggest points could be stripped. Source: Nine News.

The most likely scenario now appears to involve each team playing each other once, with a number of additional rounds for rivalry matches to boost television revenue.

The final format will be discussed with broadcasters this week.

READ MORE: Peter V’landys on receiving permission for the NRL’s return.

Byzantine hymn dedicated to Joseph the Patriarch on Holy Monday

Andriana Simos
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Byzantine hymn dedicated to Joseph the Patriarch on Holy Monday

This year, Greek Orthodox Easter is occurring during unprecedented times and as a result, we will not have the opportunity to celebrate the Anastasi in our churches.

Thus, The Greek Herald wants to participate in the mystagogy of Easter by offering you online access to the hymns of Holy Week every day.

Holy Monday is the next day of the celebration of Palm Sunday, where the week of the Passion of Jesus Christ begins. Today’s hymn is dedicated to the memory of Joseph, the son of Jacob, and the cursing of the barren fig tree by Christ.

You can listen to the hymn here:

#KeepItGreek:

Αυτές τις πρωτοφανείς ημέρες, που βιώνουμε όλοι, αρχίζει η εβδομάδα των Θείων Παθών. Δυστυχώς δεν θα έχουμε την ευκαιρία να βρεθούμε στις εκκλησίες σε ένα διαφορετικό Πάσχα, που θα βιώσουμε όλοι μας. Έτσι, ο «Ελληνικός Κήρυκας» θέλει να συμμετάσχει στη μυσταγωγία των ημερών προσφέροντας σας καθημερινά τους ύμνους της Μεγάλης Εβδομάδας.

Η Μεγάλη Δευτέρα είναι η επόμενη ημέρα του εορτασμού της Κυριακής των Βαΐων όπου και ξεκινά η εβδομάδα των Παθών του Ιησού Χριστού. Η Μεγάλη Δευτέρα είναι αφιερωμένη στη μνήμη του Ιωσήφ, του γιου του Ιακώβ, που αναφέρεται στη Παλαιά Διαθήκη και στην άκαρπη συκιά, που την καταράστηκε ο Χριστός και ξεράθηκε μ’ ένα του λόγο.

Andrea Bocelli sings from empty Duomo Cathedral in Italy for special Easter concert

Andriana Simos
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Andrea Bocelli sings from empty Duomo Cathedral in Italy for special Easter concert

Italian opera singer, Andrea Bocelli, has sung in Milan’s Duomo Cathedral without an audience, in an effort to bring people together during the global coronavirus lockdown.

The solo concert, Andrea Bocelli: Music for Hope, was streamed live on YouTube and left 3.4 million viewers around the world in tears as Bocelli’s famous tenor rang out in an otherwise eerily quiet Milan on Easter Sunday.

Bocelli performed a repertoire of sacred works including “Ave Maria,” “Sancta Maria” and “Domine Deus,” and he was accompanied by the cathedral organist, Emanuele Vianelli, playing one of the world’s largest pipe organs.

Andrea Bocelli performed live from the empty Duomo Cathedral on Easter Sunday. Source: AFP via Getty Images.

In a statement before the performance, Bocelli said the event would hopefully send ‘love, healing and hope’ to Italy amid the COVID-19 crisis.

“This won’t be a concert and it won’t be a performance, it will be a prayer and as a consequence, it will not be important who is present physically but rather who wants to be with me spiritually in that moment,” Bocelli wrote.

“I believe in the strength of praying together. I believe in the Christian Easter, a universal symbol of rebirth that everyone, whether they are believers or not, truly needs right now.

“Thanks to music, streamed live, bringing together millions of clasped hands everywhere in the world, we will hug this wounded Earth’s pulsing heart, this wonderful international forge that is reason for Italian pride.”

Bocelli, through the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, is also raising funds to provide hospitals with important resources such as instruments and protective equipment for medical staff. 

Watch Bocelli’s performance during Music for Hope: Live from Duomo di Milano below:

Turkey plans to send streams of coronavirus-infected migrants into Greece, officials say

Andriana Simos
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Turkey plans to send streams of coronavirus-infected migrants into Greece, officials say

Greek forces are on heightened alert as reports have surfaced that Turkey is preparing to push through a fresh wave of migrants into Greece, with many infected by COVID-19 among them.

According to Greek government officials, the heightened alert follows intelligence reports showing Turkish authorities moving refugee groups from remote inland areas to Turkey’s western shores, where smugglers could secretly ferry them to Greek islands less than a few kilometers away.

Minister for Alternate Migration, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, said migrants will be quarantined. Source: AP News.

In response, Greece’s coastguard, Air Force and Navy are increasing patrols along the Aegean waterway that divides Greece and Turkey.

“The political blackmail attempt at Evros did not work out. Just as the pressure on Greece and the blackmailing of Europe failed there, any such attempt in the Aegean Sea will also fail,” Minister for Alternate Migration, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, said on public television.

“And with the possibility that migrants arriving in Greece might be carriers of COVID-19, every migrant will go into quarantine.”

Relations between Athens and Ankara have been strained since Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced earlier this year that he would no longer block migrants and refugees from seeking entry to Europe.

Turkey has since recorded a total of 56,956 coronavirus cases, with the country’s death toll currently sitting at 1,198.

Holy Monday: The Service of the Bridegroom begins

The Greek Herald
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Holy Monday: The Service of the Bridegroom begins

Beginning on the evening of Palm Sunday and continuing through the evening of Holy Tuesday, the Greek Orthodox Church observes a special service known as the Service of the Bridegroom. Each evening service is the Matins or Orthros service of the following day (e.g. the service held on Sunday evening is the Orthros service for Holy Monday). The service presents the faithful with an array of themes based chiefly on the last days of Jesus’ earthly life.

On Holy Monday, there are two specific events which are commemorated, each with an important lesson to learn:

Joseph the Patriarch:

Joseph the Patriarch. Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Joseph the Patriarch, the beloved son of Jacob, is commemorated on Holy Monday for his virtue, nobleness and innocence. He is typically seen as a “prototype” of Christ as his life closely resembles that of the Lord’s son.

Told in the final section of the Book of Genesis, Joseph’s story is one of extreme hardship. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, he ended up in prison after being falsely accused of raping the wife of Potiphar, the captain of the Pharaoh’s guard in Egypt.

However, Joseph was able to leave prison after interpreting one of Potiphar’s dreams and predicted Egypt would experience seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. He advised the Pharaoh to store surplus grain against the coming famine and by doing so, he saved the people of Egypt.

Following the fulfillment of the prediction, Joseph became one of the most powerful men in Egypt, responsible for food distribution in the kingdom. His brothers, on the verge of starving to death, travelled to Egypt and presented themselves to him asking for his help. Although the brothers did not recognise Joseph, he realised who they were and helped them, showing the greatness of his soul.

  • The lesson to be learned from Joseph’s life:

Set your heart to forgive those around you. This will not only heal your relationship but it will also keep your heart free from bitterness and deep rooted resentment from the past. This forgiveness is especially clear when Joseph addressed his brothers:

“’Fear not … As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he reassured them and comforted them” (Genesis 50:19-21).

The Cursing of the Fig Tree:

The Gospel reading for Holy Monday focuses on the parable of the barren fig. Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

The Gospel reading for Holy Monday is about the barren fig, which Christ cursed and withered because it bore no fruit. 

The fig tree is a Parable of those who have heard God’s word, but who fail to bear fruit of obedience and repentance. Originally the withering of the fig tree was a testimony against those Jews who rejected God’s word and His Messiah. However, it is also a warning to all people, in all times, of the importance of not only hearing God’s word, but putting it into action.

Those who belong to Christ ought to live and walk in the Spirit; and the Spirit will bear fruit in them: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-25).

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

#KeepItGreek with a virtual Greek wine tour

The Greek Herald
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#KeepItGreek with a virtual Greek wine tour

Do you like wine? Do you want to take advantage of your time and learn everything about Greek wine?

Take a virtual tour of the Greek vineyard by the Master of Wine, Konstantinos Lazarakis.

The Greek Herald highlights the initiative of the Hellenic Wine Association, which presents all regions of the country, giving information about the place, the vine varieties and the styles of wines they produce.

Read More: #KeepItGreek: Greek Australian author releases new bilingual children’s book series ‘Ikoyenia’

#KeepItGreek

Σας αρέσει το κρασί; Θέλετε να εκμεταλλευτείτε το χρόνο σας και να μάθετε τα πάντα για το ελληνικό κρασί;

Κάντε μια virtual ξενάγηση στον ελληνικό αμπελώνα από τον Master of Wine Κωνσταντίνο Λαζαράκη.

Ο Ελληνικός Κήρυκας αναδεικνύει την πρωτοβουλία του Συνδέσμου Ελληνικού Οίνου, που παρουσιάζει όλες τις περιοχές της χώρας, δίνοντας βασικές πληροφορίες για τον τόπο, τις ποικιλίες αμπέλου και τα στιλ κρασιών που αυτές παράγουν.

Read More: #KeepItGreek with a watch of the classic Greek comedy ‘O Katafertzis’

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