Forgiveness Sunday, March 6, 2022

Sunday, March 06, 2022

(Cheese Fare)

The 42 Martyrs of Amoria in Phrygia; Discovery of the Precious Cross and Nails by St. Helena; Venerable Fridolin, Enlightener of the Upper Rhine

Tonight, Sunday, March 6: Forgiveness Vespers at 5:00 as the Lenten Journey begins.

Thought for Today“When fasting is understood in a true, Christian sense and not in a legalistic, pharisaical way, then the forgiving of insults and abstaining from covetness are a fast, and this is the most important fast, or, if you wish, the greatest fruit of fasting. For indeed, there is very little value in abstaining from food without abstinence from the returning of insult for insult and the illusion of earthly riches.” +St. Nicholai of Zica on the Forgiveness Sunday Gospel. (Matthew 6:14-21)

Visitors Today: The confirmation class from First United Methodist Church will be visiting us for Liturgy. Their annual visit usually has about a dozen participants. I’m certain that All Saints will give them the usual friendly welcome!

Special Visitor Next Weekend: Fr. John Parker, Dean of St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary in Eastern Pennsylvania, will be with us next weekend.  He will concelebrate Great Vespers Saturday evening, present to the teens at SOYO following the service, and serve and preach Sunday at Divine Liturgy. Let us welcome him with open arms and open hearts on this first Sunday of Great Lent.

House Blessings: Father Peter Jon will continue to bless homes in the coming days and weeks. He will contact you to schedule a house blessing, but you may also choose to email him directly to request a particular date.

Grant Opportunity for Women: The Antiochian Women are inviting applications for $500 grants for women 26 years of age or older, who are members in good standing in our parish and are actively involved in the sacraments and life of the parish, who are applying for or registered in an academic or trade study program, and who have a financial need.  The applications are on the parish bulletin board, and must be received by the committee by June 1, 2022.  They must be accompanied by an essay and a priest’s recommendation.

Join the All Saints Myrrh Bearers who will begin reading through the Psalms/Psalter on Monday,  March 7, the first day of Great Lent, through Palm Sunday. Details are in the hallway or contact Wendy Elizabeth Carter at bvscarters@gmail.com. 

Today’s  Coffee Hour: Hostess – Melissa Barbarick with Parishioners A-B

Next Week (Sunday, March 13): Hosts – Carter Family with Parishioners C-G

THIS WEEK

Great Lent

Monday, March 7:The Canon of St. Andrew of Crete at 6:00

Tuesday, March 8: The Canon of St. Andrew of Crete at 6:00

Wednesday, March 9: Presanctified Liturgy at 6:00  Ask Abouna  and Orthodoxy 101

Fr. Peter Jon’s topic is “Desert Spirituality.”

Thursday, March 10: The Canon of St. Andrew of Crete at 6:00

Friday, March 11: Akathist at 6:00

Saturday, March 12: Adult Bible Study at the Webbs  9:00 – 10:30 am

Saturday, March 12:  Great Vespers at 5:00; Jr. SOYO at 4:00; Sr. SOYO at 6:00

Sunday, March 13: Matins at 8:50; Divine Liturgy at 10:00

LOOKING AHEAD

March is Women’s month in  our Archdiocese.

March 13: Next Sunday, Daylight time changes – Spring forward one hour. Sunday of Orthodoxy

March 13: Sunday Lenten Vespers Series begins with Lenten Vespers at Holy Trinity at 5pm. This year’s theme is “Iconography and the Incarnation.”

March 19: OCLife Retreat at St George with Frederica Mathewes-Green as the speaker

March 21:  ONE NIGHT ONLY , Monday, March 21st –  Man Of God: The Life of Saint Nectarios of Aegina . https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1146 Check on my listings to find a theater near you. 

Receiving the Eucharist: We invite you to receive the Holy Eucharist if you are an Orthodox Christian who has prepared yourself through fasting, prayer, and recent confession.  If you are not Orthodox, or are Orthodox but  have not prepared, we invite you to receive a piece of the blessed bread.

EPISTLE and GOSPEL READINGS

The Reading is from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. (13:11-14:4)

(For Sunday of Forgiveness)

O chant unto our God, chant ye. Clap your hands, all ye nations!

                Brethren, now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk becomingly, as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. But as for the one who is weak in faith, receive him, but not for disputes over opinions. For one believes he may eat anything; but the weak person eats herbs. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to be the judge over the servant of a stranger? To his own master he either stands or falls; but he will be made to stand; for God is able to make him stand.

The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (6:14-21)

(For Sunday of Forgiveness)

           The Lord said to His Disciples: If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father Who is in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

DIVINE LITURGY VARIABLES for CHOIR and PARISH

Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 4

Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying: Death hath been spoiled; Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy.

Kontakion for Forgiveness Sunday – Tone 6

O Thou Who guidest to wisdom, and givest understanding and intelligence, the Instructor of the ignorant, and Helper of the poor, strengthen my heart and grant it understanding, O Master. Give me word, O Word of the Father; for behold, I shall not refrain my lips from crying to Thee, O merciful One, have mercy upon me who am fallen.

FAMILY NEWS

Pantry Needs: Canned chicken, green beans, boxed mac/cheese, pasta sauce, peanut butter, soups.

Housekeeping: The church has had drainage issues in the restrooms several weeks in a row despite having the septic tanks drained and the pump replaced. The latest problem resulted from a backup caused by a huge clog of items that should not be flushed at the church even if they may be flushed safely in a municipal sewer system. Septic Tanks are different and receive only toilet tissue. Please dispose of other items in the basket provided. Thanks!

Coffee Hour Reminders: First Sunday A-B; Second Sunday C-G; Third Sunday H-R; Fourth Sunday S-Z; Fifth Sunday All Pitch-in.

Birthday Celebrations: Alice Marie P (6th); Pauline S (11th); Ryan S (12th)

Blessed Name Day: Daniel M (St. Simeon the New – 12th)

Memory Eternal: Fr. James Roselli; Awanda Michael Burge

Prayer List: Wendy Elizabeth’s Aunt Helen (Covid-Pneumonia);Awanda’s family; Mary Ann; Emma, Mary Ann’s granddaughter recovering from a serious surgery; Linda; Steve Crandall; Adrian and Marah Polit; Megan after her pre-term baby’s death;  Fr. Athanasius Wilson; Jack;Christopher; refugees  and immigrants; our nation and nation’s leaders at all levels of government; schools: school children, youth and personnel across the nation; Nancy Jones; April; Don; Vicki; Fr. Jerome; Catherine; Anastasia with child; Bonnie Thelen; Wadia; Jayci; Dee, Patricia, Marvin, Alice; Michael; Olga; Eileen; Soren; Kitsa; Apthrodite and Angelos; Kim; Dusty, Cari; Betsy, Josh; Allison;  Andrew and Isaac (Korea/military); Leanne; Heather; Nancy; Sharon Catherine; Emma; Lexi, Ross and Vivian; Theo; Doug; Jeremy; Marcia & Deacon; Elias; Waded; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer; Christy

Donations to the church are being made online at www.allsaintsbloomington.org and by U.S mail.  Many thanks to all who continue supporting All Saints.

From the Assembly of Bishop in the United States of America

The recent geopolitical developments and aggression against Ukraine will inevitably bring suffering and death on innocent children, women and men of the country, who are – so many of them – our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox Christian faith.

As the Hierarchs of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA, we earnestly and urgently lift up our prayers for all the people of Ukraine, imploring God that peace and justice may be restored in accordance with the spirit of the Gospel reflected in the words of Saint Paul: “For Christ is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us” (Ephesians 2:14).

As we prepare ourselves to enter the prayerful time of Holy and Great Lent, a time of humility and repentance, we fervently and sincerely urge a change of heart, calling upon all parties and all people to refrain from further aggression, withdraw of all weapons and troops from sovereign lands, and instead to pursue de-escalation and the restoration of peace through dialogue and mutual respect.

                The Assembly of Bishops, comprised of all the active, canonical Orthodox Bishops of every jurisdiction [11] in the United States of America, is the primary and official forum for Orthodox Christian Unity in the United States of America. Its purpose is to preserve and contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church by helping to further her spiritual, theological, ecclesiological, canonical, educational, missionary, and philanthropic aims.