On Bright Friday, the first Friday after Pascha, the Life-Giving Spring is celebrated. The Life-Giving Spring (Ζωοδόχος Πηγή) is a title given to the Mother of God, an actual miracle-working spring (Greek: αγιάσμα) at Valoukli, near the Queen City of Constantinople, to a soldier named Leo Marcellus, who later became Byzantine Emperor Leo (457-474 A.D.). Holy Emperor Leo I the Thracian oversaw the building of the church that was named in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos. For almost fifteen hundred years, this church has been one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Greek Orthodoxy.

This Great Prophet of God, Jeremias, who loved his brethren and lamented for them greatly, who prayed much for the people and the Holy City, was the son of Helkias of the Tribe of Levi, from the city of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. He was sanctified from his mother's womb, as the Lord Himself said concerning him: "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; I appointed thee a Prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5). He prophesied for 30 years, from 613 to 583 B. C. During the last captivity of the people in the reign of Sedekias, when only a few were left behind to cultivate the land, this Prophet remained with them by the permission of Nabuzardan, the captain of the guard under Nabuchodonosor.

This most renowned and glorious Holy Martyr was born in Cappadocia, the son of rich and God-fearing parents. His father suffered for Christ, after which his mother moved to Palestine. When George grew up, he went into the army, in which he rose, by the age of 25, to the rank of tribune, and as such was in service under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

The Holy Fire (Greek ΄Αγιον Φώς) is a miracle that occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem on Holy and Great Saturday, the day preceding Holy Pascha. It is considered by many to be the longest-attested annual miracle in the Christian world, though the event has only been documented consecutively since 1106. In many Orthodox countries around the world, the miracle is televised live.

Nothing so moves a sinner to repentance as eternity, and nothing is so useful to every Christian as remembrance and contemplation of eternity. Eternity restrains a man from sin, calms his passions, turns him from the world and all its vanity, makes his heart contrite, gives birth to tears of repentance, incites him to prayer, and works true sighing of the heart. Contemplation and remembrance of eternity can correct even the most depraved man.

A real and powerful encouragement in the struggle against sin, and in the holy and Christian life, is the contemplation of the sufferings of Christ. Of this the Apostle says, "and if you call on the Father, Who without respect of persons judges according to every man's works, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: for as much as you know that you were redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:17-19).