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Holy and Great Saturday

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. (Exodus 20:9-10)

On Holy and Great Saturday, Christ keeps sabbath rest in the tomb. Saturday becomes the special day for commemorating all who have fallen […]

Holy and Great Friday Evening

Αἱ γενεαὶ πᾶσαι ὕμνον τῇ ταφῇ σου προσφέρουσι, Χριστέ μου.

All generations offer an hymn at thy burial, O my Christ.

All the lamps are lit as we gather in the church for the service before the epitaphios.

At the end of the service, we carry the epitaphios around the church, saying prayers […]

Holy and Great Friday

On Holy and Great Friday, the epitaphios is brought into the centre of the church. This example was embroidered in Constantinople in 1842.

Kαὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even […]

Dyeing Eggs Red

On Thursday, we dye the eggs red that will be blessed on the night of Holy Pascha. Orthodox pilgrims from Greece and Germany work together with Copts and Bedouin employed by the monastery in a collaboration that is special to Sinai.

Hard boiled eggs are brought from the monastery kitchen.

They are immersed […]

Holy and Great Thursday

Preparations for the Divine Liturgy on Holy and Great Thursday

Τοῦ Δείπνου σου τοῦ μυστικοῦ σήμερον, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, κοινωνόν με παράλαβε.

Of thy Mystic Supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant.

Full Moon

The full moon that precedes the celebration of Pascha rises from behind the Sinai mountains.

Steps to the Church

An enclosed passageway and steps lead from the monks’ cells to the sixth century basilica.

Sixth Century Holy Table

The holy table in the Sinai basilica was installed in the middle of the sixth century. It has remained intact to our own day.

The outer wooden casing, adorned with inlaid mother of pearl and tortoise shell, was added in the eighteenth century.

Trapeza Bell

Every day we have a service at noon. After the service, the bell next to the kitchen is rung to summon the monks to the trapeza, the refectory.