steve@puluka.comWinter Pascha is the term coined by Father Thomas Hopko and the title of his book of reflections for the Phillipian Fast. This forty day fast before the feast of the Nativity on December 25. The book is organized as a daily reflection for the period. there are forty short sections covering the important themes that help prepare for the incarnation of our Lord.
I love this book. I highly recommend it. See the bibliography entry at the bottom and read this work. Give it to your friends.
The pdf files are are NOT a substitute for reading the book. They are a capsulation of some key themes that are reformatted into parish bulletin format. They can be printed on a single sheet of legal paper both sides and folded. There are six for the Sundays that will span the period of the fast.
All material is free for use in church or education but may not be sold or otherwise profited from. I do retain copyright on all material.
I’m not perfect, so comments and suggestions are appreciated and I do incorporate them into updates of may material.
Hopko, Thomas. The winter Pascha. Crestwood, N.Y.: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1984.
This provides forty short meditations for the preparation for the Nativity. This allows one per day during the traditional forty day fast before the feast known as the Phillipian fast. Hopko compares this fasting period to the Great Fast before the feast of Pascha, hence the title. He points out the connections between the feasts of the Nativity and Pascha along the way.
Originally Posted November 09, 2009
Last Revised on August 15, 2010
Wed November 11, 2009, 18:02:51
Hi Mr. Puluka,
As a Roman Catholic, a few years ago I became aware of Philip’s Fast for the first time in my life- and I am an old woman. I began to observe it that very year. This year I sent my grown married children an Advent letter encouraging them to consider joining me. Regardless of our respective liturgical calendars- I see the extended fast as reflecting a sincere, loving petition for the grace to be able to live more virtuously for the Lord. And frame it as a natural outgrowth of the domestic churches of our forefathers. Remembrance is gratitude. Oh if we might only be united some day, we would be transformed- I can’t help but to get goose-bumps when I imagine it. Father Hopko suggested an alliance for life online that inspired me.
Finally, I can see the dear Lord’s hand all over this- having spent so much time on google searches regarding Philip’s Fast, tonight he led me right to this site. You can’t imagine how much this resource means to me …and God knows who else?
Thank you.
Barb Coleman
Wed November 11, 2009, 20:21:25
Hello again,
I downloaded and read “Winter Pascha” Week One. It’s late, but I want to attend an Orthodox Church, and more fully participate in the fast. I took the Journey to Orthodoxy at our local Greek Orthodox Church a few years ago. Truthfully, I wanted to know them, and I was so overwhelmed with the beauty of Orthodoxy I actually said to God, please help me find a loophole, I want to go there (change rites). But it isn’t possible to disregard our schism.
Would it be an offense to attend the Divine Liturgy and Mass? I wouldn’t be disobedient, or disrespectful. Our Greek Church has a sister church that has English liturgies. I visited them also a while back.
I also tried to quietly switch parishes, from the RC to Byzantine Catholic, the Byzantine pastor asked me to write the bishop for permission first. So I did. It wasn’t impossible (???) but our bishop just asked me to “wait” a year or so before making my decision. After digesting his response, I decided it was a good way to stay in communion with each other so I wasn’t offended.
God bless, Barb Coleman