Sunday, March 22, 2015

 

NOTE: Deacon Seraphim will not be here Saturday

for the Adult Discussion Group or for March Appointments. 

 Sunday, March 22, 2015

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of John Climacus, author of “The Ladder”; Hieromartyr Basil of Ancyra; Martyr Kallinika of Rome; Venerable-Martyr Euthymios of Prodromou Skete on Athos

Visitors, you are welcome at  all services throughout Great Lent.

Let us pray to the Lord: “For the suffering Christians of Syria, Palestine, Iraq, & all of the Middle East, and for those suffering in the Ukraine.”

 Nourishment of the Soul: “I was an infant, and that time has gone. I was an adolescent, and that too has passed. I was a young man, and that too is far behind me.  The strong and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white, I succumb to age, but that too passes; I approach the end and will go the way of all flesh. I was born in order to die. I die that I may live. Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom!” St. Tikhon of Voronezh

 Library: We urge you to make use of the library in the hallway, and ask that you look at the check-out sheets to see if it is time to return materials checked out more than a month.

Sunday School for those in Grades One through 12 will meet after Divine Liturgy.

 Many Thanks to all who contributed to the warmth of the hands and hearts of so many local youngsters this winter. The drive for caps and gloves is over now that Spring has come.

 Communion: 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.

  Communion Line: The choir goes first in both lines so members may continue ministering through music during communion. Little Lambs Sunday School follows. The ushers then assist each row from front to back.  Those in the overflow behind the choir may follow adjacent rows.

Today there will be Trisagion  Prayers of Mercy at the one-year anniversary of the falling-asleep of our beloved Metropolitan PHILIP of thrice-blessed memory and for Fr. Alexander Atty and Fr. Thomas Hopko.

THIS WEEK

Women will usher and read the Epistle during March.

Consult your All Saints Annual Calendar for Fasting Allowances during Great Lent.

 Monday, March 23: Compline and the Reading of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt at 6:00

Wednesday, March 25: Annunciation Liturgy at 6:00 followed by Orthodoxy 101 at 7:45.

Father Peter Jon will speak during the Fish Meal on “The Annunciation and Holy Communion”.

Thursday, March 26: SOYO at 6:00 followed by Compline at 7:30 (tentative)

Friday, March 27: 5th Akathist Hymn at 6:00

Saturday, March 28: Great Vespers at 5:00

Sunday, March 29: Matins at 8:50; Divine Liturgy of St. Basil at 10:00 — CHOIR PRACTICE

 LOOKING AHEAD

March 31: Skate Night at Western Skateland

April 3: Akathist of St. Lazarus

April 4: Lazarus Saturday Liturgy and All Saints Workday in preparation for Holy Week

April 5: Palm Sunday

ALL SAINTS FAMILY NEWS

 Anniversary Blessings: Dan & Stephanie Dillard (28th)

Happy Birthday: Tristan Rigsby (26th)

Blessed Name Day: Galina McLaws (23rd); Gabriel Stant (26th); Gabriella Crandall (26th)

Memory Eternal:   Peter (4th); Fr.Thomas Hopko (18th)

Prayer List: Fr. Gordon & Kh. Mary Sue Walker (both in ill health); Deacon Seraphim (surgery scheduled); Vicki Gans (surgery March 19); Kh. Marilyn (surgery March 23); Paoli victims Melissa & Children; Jean Foley & Laham family (lung cancer – friends of Lloyd & Barbara George); Bill Bauer (heart surgery); Hoppe & Moore Families (OCMC Missionaries); Dye Family; Vivian Orfanos; Fr. Athanasius Wilson; Natalie; Senior Saints; Ioana; Patricia; Marianne (Stephanie’s friend); Dee Haney; Galina; John G; Nicetas; Barb; Shirley; Metropolitan Paul, Archbishop John; Kh. Loretta; Fr. John Koen; Archpriests Roman, George & Stephen; Krystal & Jason; Adrian, Catherine & Marah; Heather (Charles’ daughter); Susan; Gabriella & Matt; Sara; Shelley; Fr. Moses Berry; Geni; Frank & Becky Hrisomalos; Those with child: (Kh. Kristina, Mary, Kathleen; Brooke (Theckla); Elizabeth, and Gabriella);  Kh. Marilyn; Noah; Emily D; Emma; Kim; Nancy; Neal; Lyuda; Bob R; Alex; John; Leanne; Beth; Lillian; Julie; Roger; Virginia McCallister; Marilyn; Eric; Cheryl; Lori; Pam; Debbie; Natasha; Michael & Shelley:  Gabriel; Mary; Doug; Janet; Kelly; Matushka Raisa; John C; Marty; Charles; Eileen; Mary; Marvin, Alice; Katie; Deborah; Ruth; Steve; Kevin; Romaine; Derek, Claire & Micah; Tim; Preston; Sharon; Sherri; Dianna; Michael and Diane; Aaron; Brent; Jennifer; Brigid; Caleb; Dennis & Joyce; Ethan; Lena, Dean; Gayle; Thomas; Amy; Heidi; Gene & Connie; Cathi

Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings                                           

 Prokeimenon: “The Lord will give strength to His people.”

Verse: “Bring unto the Lord, ye sons of God; bring unto the Lord glory and honor!”  Psalm 28:11,1

Epistle: The Reading is from Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews. (6:13-20)

 BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, he swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.”  And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.  For people indeed swear by what is greater, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.

            So when God, being minded to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of His counsel, He interposed it with an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, we, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope that is set before us; a hope, which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and entering into ”that which is with the veil,” where Jesus entered as a Forerunner on our behalf, having become a High Priest “forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

 Gospel: The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (9:16-30)

 AT THAT TIME, a man came to Jesus, kneeling down and saying unto Him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit. and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked Thy Disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”  And Jesus answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you?  How long am I to bear with you?  Bring him to Me.”  And they brought the boy to Him; and when the spirit saw Jesus, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.  And Jesus asked his father, “How long has he had this?”  And he said, “From childhood.  And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if Thou canst do anything, have pity on us and help us.”  And Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.”  And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, “He is dead.”  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when Jesus had entered the house, His Disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”  And Jesus said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.”  They went on from there and passed through Galilee.  And Jesus would not have anyone know it; for He was teaching His Disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and after He is killed, He will rise on the third day.”

 Divine Liturgy Variables

 Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 8

From the heights Thou didst descend, O Compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.

 Apolytikion for St. John Climacus – Tone 8

The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit though thy struggles a hundredfold.  Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father John Climacus, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.

 Kontakion for Annunciation (and Great Lent) – 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.

 Megalynarian (instead of It Is Truly Meet)

All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace, the assembly of angels and the race of man. O sanctified Temple and Spiritual Paradise, the glory of virgins, from whom God was incarnate, and became a child, Our God before the ages.  He  made thy body into a throne, and He made thy womb more spacious than the heavens.  All of Creation rejoices in Thee, O Full of Grace, glory to Thee.