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St. Nicholas Candle-light Vigil & Liturgy at St Innocent Cathedral: I love the beauty of Thy house
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December 27, 2023
O Lord, I love the beauty of Thy house
and the place where Thy Glory dwells!
On Monday for the Feast of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, we celebrated an all-night candle-light vigil with Liturgy at the Cathedral of Saint Innocent of Irkusk in Anchorage. As the faithful quietly entered the temple, the only light was provided by the lamps lit before the icons and the candles on their stands. The soft dance of flames gently illuminated the icons was complemented by the swish of vestments; the soft footfalls of the faithful before the icons of Saint Nicholas, Christ, and the Mother of God; and the sound of people crossing themselves and venerating the icons.
The peace of the temple was only changed by the arrival of his Grace, Bishop ALEXEI, and the greeting, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord!” The entrance prayers began to fill the space like the ribbons of incense spreading as a cloud and catching the flickering of the candles like morning mist in the pre-dawn after a long night.
Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered!
Vigil started with the call, “Glory to the Holy, Consubstantial, and life-giving Trinity, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages!” Incense then filled the altar-space, and Father led by the Deacon censed the temple. The incense with the Spirit of God filled every corner to drive out the adversary of our souls. And in a flash of light, smoke, and prayer, the service began! The lamps before Christ drew our attention to His face and caused us to dive into our hearts to pray. Vespers was sung and the ancient service culminated in the prayers of the litya service, the blessing of the loaves.
As wax melts before the fire, so let the demons perish from the presence of them that love God and who sign themselves with the sign of the Cross!
The candles began to burn down. The vespers and litya service concluded and the reading of the six psalms began. Candles were refreshed and the morning service begun! In the stillness the church was paradise and prayer hung richly in the atmosphere, like the incense that curled and danced in the flickering candles. Now and again, an altar server would bring more candles and disturb the smoke drifting through the altar as they went about their errands. The face of Vladika shone in the light of the solitary candle that illuminated his prayer book.
And then, at the height of the Matins service more candles were lit, golden fans glittered in the extra light, and the hierarchical candles with the deacon escorted the Bishop as he did the great censing of the polyeleos before the Gospel reading. While the Gospel was read, the only sound was the voice of his Grace filling the Church with the matins Gospel reading from Saint John the Theologian. “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” And again, “I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am know by My own.” The Gospel was alive in the light of the candles, and the voice of the Bishop; and the prayer of the washing of the hands came to mind, “O Lord, I love the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy Glory dwells!” The pasture that Christ speaks of seemed to be all around and filling the Temple with Grace and peace of heart.
Blessed is the Kingdom, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!
At the conclusion of Matins, the Divine Liturgy began. All the candles and lamps were refreshed and lit; and while it was dark, the warmth of so many candles and the Grace of God filled our hearts and the Temple with light. There was space in this holy warmth only for Christ, the Good Shepherd, and the sheep for whom He gave his life—the very same He spoke of in the Matins Gospel. If you have not been blessed to participate in the extraordinary blessing of a candle-lit all-night vigil culminating with the Divine Liturgy, these words cannot really convey the spiritual treasures we gather or the peace we are given. Christ is the Door! Come all you faithful and see that the Lord is Good! It is not enough to read about prayer; and it is not the same to watch others pray from afar. If you are able, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personal, and the life of prayer is participatory! Come and see! Come and pray! Taste, and see that the Lord is Good!
My foot stands on level ground; in the churches I will bless the Lord.
There is no ground so sacred as the ground of the Temples consecrated to God. There is no air so pure as the air filled with incense and the Spirit. There is no light so bright as a candle in the dark. In this season of long nights and the dark of winter, a candle-lit all-night vigil with the Divine Liturgy shows us that not only are we half way through the dark, but even during this period of darkness it is possible to experience a foretaste of the Great Light of the Kingdom of God. Christ is the Door! Come, stand in the Church and bless the Lord!
