The Byzantine (Eastern) System

The system which is utilized will vary among the differing faith tradi- tions. The Byzantine (Eastern) System The Byzantine system is utilized by many of the churches of the Eastern Orthodox faith tradition. The Byzantine (Eastern) year begins with Easter and concludes with the following year’s Easter Vigil. Sundays that have no special name are called after the subject of the Gospel lection. The series is as follows: Easter Sunday of Thomas Sunday of the myrrh-bearing woman Sunday of the paralytic Sunday of the Samaritan woman Sunday of the blind man Ascension day on the following Thursday Sunday of the first ecumenical council Pentecost Trinity (kept the day after Pentecost) A series of 17 Sundays of Matthew and 14 Sundays of “Luke Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee Sunday of the Prodigal Son Sunday of abstention from meat (apocreo) Sunday of eating cheese (tyrophagon) First to fifth Sundays in Lent (which begins the day after tyrophagon) Palm Sunday Holy Week, ending with Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Easter Vigil The Jerusalem (Western) System The Roman Catholic faith tradition, with minor variations, continues to utilize the major portion of the Jerusalem system. Other Christian faiths 2-29