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Christ is Risen!
The Easter service in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow, in 2016.
Easter celebrations begin on May 1st, 2018, in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. The service was led by Patriarch Kirill I and attended by President Vladimir Putin — making it an occasion not unlike that experienced by Felicia Skene in Athens, where in April 1845 the Archbishop of Athens served the liturgy in the presence of the King and Queen of Greece.
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Easter celebrations begin on May 1st, 2018, in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. The service was led by Patriarch Kirill I and attended by President Vladimir Putin — making it an occasion not unlike that experienced by Felicia Skene in Athens, where in April 1845 the Archbishop of Athens served the liturgy in the presence of the King and Queen of Greece.
Bands of music struck up their gayest strains; the roll of the drum through the town, and further on the pealing of the cannon announced far and near these ‘glad tidings of great joy;’ while from hill and plain, from the sea-shore and the far olive-grove, rocket after rocket ascending to the clear sky, answered back with their mute eloquence, that Christ is risen indeed, and told of other tongues that were repeating those blessed words, and other hearts that leap for joy; everywhere men clasped each other’s hands, and congratulated one another, and embraced with countenances beaming with delight, as though to each one separately some wonderful happiness had been proclaimed; and so in truth it was;— and all the while, rising above the mingling of many sounds, each one of which was a sound of gladness, the aged priests were distinctly heard chanting forth a glorious old hymn of victory in tones so loud and clear, that they seemed to have regained their youth and strength to tell the world how ‘Christ is risen from the dead, having trampled death beneath His feet, and henceforth they that are in the tombs have everlasting life.’
A video about Easter in the Greek island of Paros. Jump ahead to about 5 minutes in, to see the part of the celebrations described here by Dean Stanley, complete with the sound of fireworks.
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1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate her ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Suddenly the air was filled with music, cannon sounded in the distance, and fireworks went off with a startling report. The congregation turned to one another and shook hands as if they had shared some wonderful news — which they had, said Skene, so real to them was the news of Christ’s resurrection and his victory over death. (57 / 60 words)
Suddenly the air was filled with music, cannon sounded in the distance, and fireworks went off with a startling report. The congregation turned to one another and shook hands as if they had shared some wonderful news — which they had, said Skene, so real to them was the news of Christ’s resurrection and his victory over death.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, just, may, not, otherwise, ought, since, who.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Answer. Approach. Everyone.
2 Cross. Midnight. Strain.
3 Age. Another. Glad.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Happy. 2 Stricken. 3 Instant. 4 Older. 5 Queenly. 6 Longest. 7 Distinct. 8 Great. 9 Single.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
lts (8)
altos. elites. lets. loots. lots. lotus. louts. lutes.
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Over a hundred young Greeks were slated to be shot after resistance fighters and British forces sabotaged an airfield.
Picture: © Rene Boulay, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.. Source.
Posted July 25 2018
In 1910, Constantine Zervakos, a young monk from the Greek island of Paros, found himself charged with espionage.
Picture: © Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.
Posted November 1 2016
Picture: © Andrey Mironov, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 4.0.. Source.
Posted February 2 2016
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