After the midnight Paschal Liturgy, we all gather together to bless the Pascha baskets. These baskets have been carefully prepared with many of the foods from which we’ve been fasting for the past month and a half during Great Lent. There are several foods traditionally included in the basket. These are: a yeast bread, a bitter herb, wine, cheese, meat, butter, salt, and a red egg. Each has symbolic significance.
The Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ
Imagine taking a course in US History that begins with the Declaration of Independence and then immediately jumps to the Viet Nam war. Obviously you would be shocked that the teacher had left out all the important content in between those two events.
THE FIRST CENTURY
In lesson 1, we studied the founding of the church upon the chief cornerstone, the God-man Jesus Christ, the twelve disciples, the seventy, the seven deacons, and the Christian community growing up in the city of Jerusalem.
The development of the church in the first century is marked by three pivotal events:
1. The martyrdom of Stephen and the subsequent persecution of the church.
THE FIRST 300 YEARS
Persecution and Growth
The Twelve Apostles and the Rest of the Story
The Book of Acts tells us of Paul’s missionary journeys and of his journey in chains to be martyred in Rome; but, the account of his martyrdom is left to be told by another source (that is, Holy Tradition). This is the case for most of the other apostles. James, the brother of John, is the only apostle who’s martyrdom is recorded in the Book of Acts.
