March 17, 2019, Sunday of Orthodoxy

Sunday, March 17, 2019

First Sunday of Great Lent (Sunday of Orthodoxy)

Venerable Alexios the ‘Man of God;’ Patrick, bishop of Armagh and enlightener of Ireland;

Venerable Theosteriktos the Confessor of Pelecete Monastery; Venerable Makarios of Kalyazin

**Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great**

Welcome to All Saints!

Bring your icons for the  Procession of Icons around the church on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. This follows  “Blessed be the Name of the Lord” near the end of  Divine Liturgy.

Lenten Nourishment:  “Of course it would be easier to get to paradise with a full stomach, all snuggled up in a soft featherbed, but what is required is to carry one’s cross along the way for the Kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles, but many!” – Elder Anthony of Optina

His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH’s Sunday of Orthodoxy letter is attached to the printed bulletin.

This Evening:  Sunday of Orthodoxy,  Pan-Orthodox Great Vespers at Holy Trinity in Carmel at 5:00For those interested in attending, Howard Webb will be driving the All Saints van, leaving  the All Saints parking lot at 3:20 pm Sharp!  We will stay after the service for the meal, and so likely will not return to Bloomington before 8:30 pm.  We have room for 5 more.   First come first served! Check with the Webbs.

Coffee Hour: Scheduled contributors and cleaners for today are those with last names beginning C-G.

Food Pantry:  Please remember the third leg of the spiritual stool (acts of charity), and generously give to our food pantry to help feed those in need. Many families continue to be blessed weekly by your donations!  Take an occasional peak in Marcia’s office to see what’s needed.

Discussion Group: The next meeting is at the Webb’s home on Friday, March 22nd at 7:30 after the Akathist.  The topic is “Christian Epistemology and Assumptions of Christian thinking.”

Annunciation Liturgy: The Great Feast of the Annunciation falls on Monday this year, and therefore the festal liturgy will take place at 10am, Monday, March 25th. Fish, wine and oil are permitted to celebrate this great feast in the midst of the Great Fast.

Confession of Faith on the Sunday of Orthodoxy

 (Please join the clergy in reciting the confession at the end of the service)

As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught,…as the Church has received…as the teachers have dogmatized,…as the Universe has agreed,…as Grace has shown forth,… as Truth has revealed,…as falsehood has been dissolved,…as Wisdom has presented, …as Christ awarded,…thus we declare,…thus we assert,…thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor as Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honoring as true servants of the same Lord of all and accordingly offering them veneration.

(LOUDER) This is the Faith of the Apostles, this is the Faith of the Fathers, this is the Faith of the Orthodox, this is the Faith which has established the Universe.

Parish Council meets today.

THIS WEEK

During Great Lent, we will observe the fast during meal and snack times.

Tuesday, March 19: Evening Bible Study at Kh. Marilyn’s home at 7:00

Wednesday, March 20: Presanctified Liturgy at 6:00followed by a light meal and teaching

Thursday, March 21: St. John’s Fellowship at the Haney’s home at 10:00

Thursday, March 21: Afternoon Bible Study at Becky’s home at 3:00) ; OCF at the Webb’s home at 6:00

Friday, March 22: Akathist Hymn at 6:00

Saturday, March 23: Great Vespers at 5:00 – SOYO at 6:00

Sunday, March 24:  Matins at 8:50; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 – 5pm Lenten Vespers at Ss. Constantine & Elena

DURING GREAT LENT

  • Wednesday’s Presanctified Liturgy  is a beautifully ancient form of Great Vespers with communion to strengthen us for the fast. An edifying teaching with soup supper will follow each week — a cherished time of fellowship for many in our community. Refrain from eating or drinking after lunchtime in preparation for Holy Communion.
  • The Akathist to the Holy Theotokos will be chanted each Friday.
  • Each Sunday Evening Lenten Vespers will be at a different church at 5:00. [March 31st – St. John the Forerunner; April 7th – St. George , Indy; April 14th – All Saints]

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 in the wooden bowls held by the altar servers at the front of the church. Approach to the cup starts at the front rows; the choir and preschool go first.

Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings

Epistle: The Reading is from St. Paul’s  Letter  to the Hebrews. (11:24-26, 32-40)

Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets; who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Gospel: The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (1:43-51)

At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to Jesus, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God! Thou art the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

Divine Liturgy Variables for Choir and Parish

Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 1

While the stone was sealed by the Jews, and the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world.  For which cause the heavenly powers cried aloud unto Thee, O Giver of Life. Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ; Glory to Thy Kingdom,; Glory to Thy Providence, O Thou Who alone art the lover of mankind.

Kontakion for Sundays in Great Lent (and the Akathist to the Theotokos) – Tone 8

To thee, the Champion Leader, do I offer thanks of victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror; but as thou that hast that power invincible, O Theotokos, thou alone can set me free: from all forms of danger free me and deliver me, that I may cry unto thee: Hail, O Bride without Bridegroom.

Megalynarion – St. Basil”s  Liturgy (instead of It is Truly Meet…)

In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, all creation: the angelic hosts, and the race of men, O hallowed Temple and noetic paradise, glory of Virgins, of whom God was incarnate and became a little child, even our God Who is before all the ages; for He made thy womb a throne, and thy body He made more spacious than the heavens. In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, all creation; and it glorifieth thee.

FAMILY NOTES

Prayer List: Hannah (Deacon & Marcia’s granddaughter) with newborn daughter (8 weeks premature); Mary & Robert;Shirley; Rose; Lexi; Theo; Heather; Doug Barrett;Amber Smith;Jeremy P; Charles; Vicki; Alice & Marvin Grayson; Laura Sue and Elmo; Nancy; Nick;Bruce; Joanna Zaharako; Dee; Mary Ann;Alexanders; Emilija and her newborn daughter; Kristina (Weber) and newborn son;; Sharon Catherine; Lillian Purcell; Eileen; Leanne; Ashlee W; Kh. Kristina; Vivian; Paul; Cathy; Sitto; Elias; Waded; Neva; Bill; Lonnie; Fr. George; Fr. Basil; Iva Lee; Nancy & Shalayna; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer & Regina; those suffering in the drug crisis, with fire devastation, with flood damage in the USA; those suffering in Syria and the Middle East; safety in public places, in our schools and on our southern borderMetropolitan Paul; Archbishop John; our church and our nation.

Blessed Name Day: David Patterson (St. Patrick – 17th); Galina McLaws (23rd)

Memory Eternal: Justin (22); Agnes (Feb 28th, godmother of the Webbs); Maggie (March 13th, Deacon’s 100 year old aunt)

Happy Birthday: Marah Polit (19th); Lilly Blair (20th); Saraqael Hsu (21st); Georges Tabbal (21st); Ghada Labban (21st); Heidi Swakopf (21st)