“Take, eat; this is My Body… Drink of it, all of you; this is My Blood…” (Matthew 26:26–28)

The sacred day of Great and Holy Thursday stands as a profound turning point in the liturgical rhythm of Holy Week. For the Orthodox Church, it is not merely a remembrance of a meal in an upper room - it is the establishment of the very mystery of our salvation, the Holy Eucharist, through which heaven touches earth and the faithful are invited into eternal communion with the living God.

At Saint Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Pro-Cathedral in Los Angeles, California, this divine mystery was renewed with awe and reverence under the archpastoral leadership of His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, spiritual father of the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. The faithful gathered in prayerful expectation to participate in the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, commemorating the mystical Supper in which Christ, the eternal High Priest, gave Himself - His very Body and Blood - for the life of the world.

Archbishop Daniel was prayerfully joined at the altar by Very Rev. Fr. Vasile Saucir, pastor of St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Pro-Cathedral in Los Angeles, CA and Rev. Fr. Myroslav Mykytyuk, pastor of Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Los Angeles, CA. Assisting them was Protodeacon Pavlo Vysotskyi of Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Memorial Church in South Bound Brook, New Jersey, whose voice carried the sacred petitions like incense rising before the Lord.

In the presence of the faithful, seminarians, and chanters, the church became - on that day - an upper room of grace, a place where eternity was present, where the very words of Christ spoken over bread and wine two thousand years ago once again became “Spirit and life.”

Holy Thursday, in its deepest meaning, is the feast of the priesthood, the beginning of the sacramental life of the Church. As Archbishop Daniel reflected in his homily:

“Without the Eucharist, there is no Church. There is no faith. There is no meaning to our liturgical life. Why gather in temples, sing beautiful hymns, and light candles - if we do not come to the Table of the Lord to receive Him? The Divine Liturgy is not a performance. It is an invitation. Christ sets His table for us, and He calls not for spectators - but for partakers.”

The Eucharist is not only a sacrament; it is a calling, a mystery in which each priest finds his identity and every believer discovers the fullness of life in Christ. It is on this day that Christ, knowing the agony to come, stooped to wash the feet of His disciples, then rose to offer them His Body and Blood. This is the mystery we continue to reenact—not as a theatrical gesture, but as the real and living entrance into the life of God.

The Vesperal Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great on Holy Thursday merges the richness of vesperal psalmody with the glory of Eucharistic offering. The scriptural readings from Exodus, Job, Isaiah, and the New Testament foreshadow the Passion and Resurrection. But it is in the Institution Narrative - when the celebrant repeats Christ’s words - “Take, eat… Drink of it, all of you…” - that time bends, and we are mystically brought into that upper room.

During this sacred moment, as the seminarians prayerfully chanted, and the faithful stood in solemn stillness, Archbishop Daniel elevated the precious Body and Blood of Christ above the Holy Altar and proclaimed:

“Your own of Your own, we offer unto You, on behalf of all and for all!”

It is the cry of the entire Church through the ages - a proclamation of offering, of surrender, of holy communion.

In a moving exhortation before Communion, Archbishop Daniel turned to the faithful with pastoral urgency:

“Beloved in Christ, do not stand on the sidelines of this mystery. The Lord did not invite His disciples to watch Him. He called them to eat and drink. And today, He calls you. Come - receive Him. Do not leave this banquet untouched. The Body and Blood of the Lord are not symbols. They are life. They are healing. They are the restoration of our broken union with God.”

He continued:

“The greatest tragedy of modern Christianity is that many attend liturgy, but few truly commune. Few open their hearts to the transforming grace of the Eucharist. But Christ calls us not to ritualism, but to union. To participation. To life.”

And so, as the choir softly intoned the Communion hymn - “Receive the Body of Christ; taste the fountain of immortality” - men, women, and children came forward to the chalice. They came with repentance and hope, with tears and joy. Some with deep sorrow for Ukraine. Others with silent prayers for healing, peace, or strength. But all came to Christ.

The Church Fathers speak of the Eucharist not as an isolated act, but as the summit of spiritual life.

St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote: “Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup that leads to unity through His Blood.”

St. Cyril of Jerusalem taught: “Do not regard the bread and wine as simply that; for they are, according to the Lord’s declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ. Even though the senses suggest otherwise, let faith make you firm.”

And St. John Chrysostom proclaimed: “The table is full of fire. The bread is on fire. The wine is on fire. This fire is the Body and Blood of Christ.”

That sacred day in Los Angeles was not only a moment for the faithful of today - but a glimpse into the Church of tomorrow. The seminarians from St. Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Theological Seminary (Subdeacon Mykola Stefanyk, Seminarian Marian Meleshko and Seminarian Bohdan Bodnar) - among them those who accompanied the Archbishop - served, prayed, and chanted with reverence, embodying the spiritual legacy being handed down. Their voices merged with the archpastor’s prayers, echoing the centuries of apostolic succession and the unbroken stream of Eucharistic life.

As the faithful departed the cathedral that evening, they carried more than just the memory of a beautiful service. They carried the living Christ within them. They became Eucharistic people - those who live not just by bread alone, but by every word and mystery that proceeds from the mouth of God.

And Archbishop Daniel reminded them: “Holy Thursday is not just about the past. It is about today. And tomorrow. It is about how you will go home tonight, how you will live, how you will forgive, and how you will serve. You have received Christ. Now become Christ to the world.”

This is the meaning of Holy Thursday. This is the call of the Eucharist. This is the life of the Church - Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

“Today He Who Hung the Earth Upon the Waters Is Hung Upon the Tree…”

On Thursday evening, the journey of Holy Week deepened as Archbishop Daniel led the faithful in the solemn and awe-inspiring service of the Matins of Great and Holy Friday, commonly known as the Service of the Passion Gospels, at Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Los Angeles, where Rev. Fr. Myroslav Mykytyuk serves as pastor.

The service, which includes the reading of twelve Gospel passages recounting the Lord’s betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death, is one of the most spiritually intense and emotionally charged services of the Church year. As the Gospel readings unfolded, the faithful stood in sacred stillness, following Christ from Gethsemane to Golgotha.

Following the final Gospel reading, Archbishop Daniel offered a deeply moving sermon, reflecting on the spiritual power of the Passion narrative:

“This is not only the story of Christ’s suffering - it is the story of our redemption. His Cross is our healing. His silence before His accusers is our call to humility. His cry from the Cross is His invitation to follow Him, not just in words, but in life. Let these Gospels pierce your heart - so that your life may be changed by the love of the Crucified One.”

Thus concluded Holy Thursday - a day of divine gifts, priestly identity, Eucharistic communion, and sacrificial love. A day where the Church stood at the Table of the Last Supper… and then walked in silence to the foot of the Cross.