First Sunday of Great Lent (Sunday of Orthodoxy)
Hieromartyr Konon of Isauria; Martyrs Archelaos and his 152 companions in Egypt
Thought for Today: “When thoughts are choking me like so many thorns, I enter the church, the hospital of souls. The beauty of the icons delight my vision like a verdant meadow, and without my noticing it stirs my soul to praise God.” + St. John of Damascus +
March is Women’s Month
The women of the parish will be reading the Epistle during Divine Liturgy, assisting with ushering and holding the Prosphora bowl during Holy Eucharist.
Sunday of Orthodoxy
e Confession of Faith: 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.
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.
EPISTLE and GOSPEL READINGS
The Epistle
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
For Thou art just in all that Thou hast done for us.
The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul 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 pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the recompense of reward. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and all the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, and turned to flight armies of the aliens. Women received their dead by resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a witness through their faith, did not receive the promise, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
The Gospel
The Reading 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.”
Metropolitan Saba: AXIOS! He is worthy! His Beatitude Patriarch John X and the Holy Synod of Antioch have elected Metropolitan Saba as the new Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of All North America. We will begin commemorating His Eminence when he is officially enthroned as Metropolitan in the near future.
VARIABLE for CHOIR and PARISH
Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 5
Let us believers praise and worship the Word; coeternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation. For, He took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh to suffer death; and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.
Apolytikion of First Sunday of Great Lent – Tone 2
Thy pure image do we venerate, O good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God; for by Thine own will Thou didst ascend the Cross in Thy body, to save Thy creatures from the bondage of the enemy. Wherefore, with thankfulness we cry aloud to thee: Thou hast verily filled all with joy, since Thou didst come, O our Savior, to save the world.
Kontakion for Sundays in Great Lent (and Akathist Saturday) – 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.
THIS WEEK
Today, Sunday March 5: Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers at 5:00 pm St. George Orthodox Church Fishers, IN.
Tuesday, March 7: OCF dinner and discussion, 6:30 pm at the Webb’s home.
Wednesday, March 8: Presanctified Liturgy, 6:00 pm followed by Orthodoxy 101. We will serve a two-year memorial for our beloved Bara Bachmura just before liturgy. May her memory be eternal.
Friday, March 10: Akathist Hymn, at 6:00 pm.
Saturday, March 11: Digging into Romans: Our Saturday morning Bible Study is 9:00-10:30 at the Webbs home at 3960 E Fenbrook Lane, 47401.
Saturday, March 11: Great Vespers at 5:00 pm; Jr SOYO at 3:30 pm; Teen SOYO at 6:00 pm.
Sunday, March 12: Matins at 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am. Saint Gregory Palamas Sunday; Myrrh Bearers’ will meet after Divine Liturgy.
LOOKING AHEAD
Pascha Choir Practice will be Sunday after Divine Liturgy on 3/19, 3/26, and 4/2.
FAMILY NEWS
Birthday Celebrations: Polina Mullis (5th); Alice Marie Piercefield (6th); Paulina Schulz (11th).
Memory Eternal: Ruperto, Caren, Priest Slobodon, Susan, Rhea, Nicko, Delores (Dee).
Prayer List: Michael, Olga, Eileen, Soren, Kathy; Toni;Jan; Don and Dee; those suffering the war of Ukraine; Peace talks; our nation and all nations’ leaders; Earthquake victims and relief efforts in Syria and Turkey; schools: school children, youth and personnel across the nation; Mat. Raisa; Mary Ann; Emma (Mary Ann’s granddaughter); Bob & Bonnie Thelen; Wes (infant with brittle bone disorder); Megan (lymphoma); Mark (CHF) and (caregiver) Barbara; Wes’s grandfather;Josiah; Vicki;Vicki’s granddaughter; Arianna; Linda; Steve Crandall; Fr. Athanasius; Fr.Gabriel;Jack;Christopher; Nancy; Fr. Jerome Mother Nektaria; Catherine; Wadia; Jayci; Patricia, Marvin, Alice; Kitsa; Apthrodite and Angelos; Kim; Kristy, Dusty, Cari; Betsy, Josh; Allison; Andrew (Texas/military); Isaac (Germany/military); Leanne; Heather; Nancy; Sharon Catherine; Lexi, Ross and Vivian; Theo; Doug; Jeremy; Marcia & Deacon; Elias; Waded; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer; Christy; Megan; John; Stanley; Anna with child (Coran’s friend); Malory and child born of her (Reed’s sister); Megan with child; Paulina with child; Macrina with child, Anne; Allen; Linda; Marilyn; Mary Barger; Norma; Allison and children.
Earthquake Relief: Thank you for helping to relieve the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Turkey and Syria. Our Parish has raised and sent $4514.14 to the effort.
Real Opportunity! One of our beloved IU students, Sarah Richardson, will participate in Real Break in May. Her group will travel throughout Egypt visiting the monasteries of St. Anthony, St. Paisios the Great, St. Moses of Ethiopian, St. Marcius the Great, and St. Menas the Wonderworker. They will also have the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist and St. Athanasius the Great. Sarah will host a fast-friendly bake sale at coffee hour today, Sunday March 5, to raise funds for her pilgrimage.
Giving Opportunities:
The Benevolence Fund: Donations may be made to this fund throughout the year, and are mainly used to support families in need of help with rent and utilities payments. Thank you for your ongoing generosity.
Our In-House Food Pantry needs canned vegetables, soups, meats, tuna, salmon, smoked oysters, sardines, chicken, spaghetti sauce and peanut butter. We have an abundance of pasta.
Coffee Hour Host: Melissa Barbarick with Parishioners A-B.
Next week Host: Wendy Carter with Parishioners C-G.
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.