What is the Renewal week...

What is the Renewal week…

 The week from Sunday of Resurrection (Easter) to the Saturday before Thomas Sunday is called Renewal week.

The name «Renewal» has to do with the Baptisms of the new members of the Church, the catechoumens, in the way that these were being conducted from ancient times.

This week is called Renewal week, because initially in the blessed times of the first spread and handover of our faith, the newly baptized were covering the beginning of their new life in Christ, of their resurrection and renewal. All idolaters or Jews who were converted into the Christian faith, accepting the Christian preaching, firstly they were made catechoumens and they were being taught the gospel and God’s will.  Catechism procedure was lasting for a long time. It was at the the Bishop’s discretion to decide how much time was needed for the catechoumens to be enough equipped in learning the matters of our faith. 

When catechism was completed, the date of baptism or «illumination» was arranged, so as the catechoumens to be made members of the Church. 

They were baptized in the night of the Great Saturday, as Pascha was rising, during the resurrective and celebratory Divine liturgy.  

   They were baptized in special baptism pools, and they were called «Neophotisti»(Newly illuminated)· Emerging from the  baptism pool they were given a lighting candle, which was symbolizing the light of Christ shinning within them.

The hymn: «For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia » ....was being chanted, the way that we can hear it even today.

They were dressed in white garments, which they wore throughout the week. 

So, the week was called «Renewal», because then the newly baptized and illuminated where already living  «in newness of life» (Rom. 6,4)· it was also called  «white week», because they were wearing white garment.

After their baptism the new converts were attending Church everyday. From now on they could remain in the Church until the end of the Divine liturgy, receiving along with all the faithful the immaculate Sacraments.

Also, the theologians of our Church and those who are experts in liturgical matters, say that Easter is considered to be the beginning of the Ecclesiastical year concerning the services, so the following week is called «Renewal», because it inaugurates the new year. 

Therefore the readings of Easter day start, as for the Evangelical one, with the gospel according to John, (which is gradually read until Sunday of Pentecost, and from then on we begin reciting the Gospel according to Matthew), and as for the Apostolic reading we start from the Acts, where the life of the first Church and the new commonwealth in Christ is described.

As for the hymnology of that days of the Renewal week, in Vespers and Matins we chant the wonderful paschal troparia composed by Saint John of Damascus, in all eight tones, each for every day.

 The rest services (Midnight prayers, hours, compline) are replaced by a specific paschal service, so called «inaugural» which is read instead of the above mentioned services during the Renewal week, and at the Apodosis (backgiving), forty days after Easter. 

In that inaugural service  «Christ is risen…» and «Having seen the Resurrection of Christ…» are mostly heard.

The: «Heavenly King...», the Trisaghion, the : «...Let us worship and fall down ... , are put aside and in the dismissal of all services we have this beautiful hymnological dialogue, which is crowned by the: «Christ is risen from the dead...»

 

All the Great feasts of our Lord are being liturgicaly celebrated around eight days. But Resurrection, more than any other, for forty days· Therefore, until the feast of Ascension, we sing «Christ is risen» every day,  and mostly during the  Renewal week.

 In that particular week, all the days are considered as one, and the whole week we sing the very same hymns, the ones that we sang in the vigil of Pascha. 

It was in Antioch where for the first time the word «Christian» was heard, used for those who believed in the preaching of the Apostles and followed Christ through it. Since then, all of us the Christ believers have that honored name….Christian….What an honour!!!!! 

But a responsibility as well!!.

And because of that fact, by way of compliment, the Patriarchate of Antioch was founded.

Christ is risen...

And the world leaps for joy and PANAGIA rejoices, rejoices, and bestows Her blessing to everyone overabuntantly.