Parish Leaflet: The Apodosis (Leave-taking) of Pascha
May 22, 2017 Admin Parish Leaflets
On Wednesday of the sixth week of Pascha, we celebrate the Apodosis or Leave-taking of the Feast of Feasts – Holy Pascha. While most Feasts have their Leave-taking on the eighth day, Pascha, the Feast of Feasts, has its Leave-taking on the thirty-ninth day. The fortieth day is the Feast of the Lord’s Ascension, which marks the end of the Lord’s physical presence on earth. He does not abandon us, however. He has promised to be with us always, even until the end of the age[1]. As we sing in the Kontakion for Ascension, “Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, not being parted from those who love Thee, but remaining with them and proclaiming: I am with you and no one will be against you.” There is a similar thought expressed in the Troparion for the Dormition of the Theotokos “In falling asleep, you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos.”
Every major feast has its Apodosis. Why?
The main reason is that the Church once again gives us the opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the feast. When we see or experience something beautiful, it is human nature to desire to have that experience again. When we taste a delicious food, we desire to eat it again. The feasts of Christ and the Theotokos are sweetness to the soul which arouses the desire to celebrate more than just once.
Such sweetness we experience most of all on the feast of Pascha, which is, as we said, the “Feast of Feasts”. For forty days we celebrate the victory of Christ’s Resurrection, and the Apodosis ends this celebration on the liturgical level. The festivity of the Resurrection, however, continues with us throughout the year, especially every Sunday[2] during the Divine Liturgy which is known as a “Small Pascha”. But it is not only the Resurrection we celebrate at every Divine Liturgy, but the entire life of Christ and the Theotokos and the Saints.
The services on this day are celebrated just as on the day of Pascha itself. The daily readings from Holy Scripture, of course, will differ. After the Dismissal at Liturgy, the paschal hymns are no longer sung. The prayer “O Heavenly King” is not said or sung until Pentecost. The Winding Sheet (Plaschanitsa or Epitaphios) is taken from the altar and is put in its proper place. Even though the Apodosis of Pascha is on a Wednesday, fish, wine, and oil are permitted.
~ROCA Australia, http://austroca.org/the-apodosis-leave-taking-of-pascha/
[1] [Matthew 28:19-20] ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.’
[2] Sunday is called “Resurrection” in Russian, and “the Lord’s Day” in Greek.
Source: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/05/apodosis-leavetaking-of-pascha.html
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