Friday Night, March 24: Great Vespers with fourth stasis of the Akathist
Saturday Morning, March 25: The Annunciation Liturgy
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Fourth Sunday of Great Lent &
Leave-taking of the Annunciation to the Theotokos
The synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel; Stephen the Confessor, Abbot of Triglia
Visitors, you are always welcome here. Parishioners, we miss you when you are not with us.
Nourishment of the Soul: “Send your treasures to the heavenly storage room. Deposit your wealth in God’s bank, distributing to the poor, the orphans and the widows so that you can receive a million times more in the Second Coming of Christ.” – Elder Joseph the Hesychast
March is Women’s Month: Today Alice will read the Epistle. Lucia, Barb and Jennifer will usher.
Tonight at 5:00: Sunday, March 26: Lenten Vespers will be at St. George in Terre Haute, 1900 S. 4th Street. Next week’s service is at St. Stephen’s in Indy, 1435 N. Medford.
A Note from Father Peter Jon: With just two weeks left of Great Lent you may find yourself wanting to add something to your spiritual daily discipline. A handful of new titles appropriate for this holy season have been added to the bookstore: most notably, “Living without Hypocrisy: The Sayings of the Optina Elders” and “The Ladder of Divine Ascent.”
An Invitation: The Webbs invite you to join the OCF students at a showing of the movie “Ostrov” (The Island) in their home on Friday March 31, following the Akathist prayers. “Somewhere in Northern Russia in a small Russian Orthodox monastery lives an unusual man whose bizarre conduct confuses his fellow monks, while others who visit the island believe that the man has the power to heal, exorcise demons and foretell the future.” It is in Russian with English subtitles, and has won many awards, including best feature film in Russian in 2007. It is challenging spiritually and is beautifully crafted. 3960 E Fenbrook Ln 47401
Wednesday, March 29th:Both O101 and the meal following have been cancelled since the service is longer than the usual Presanctified Liturgy, served on Wednesdays during Great Lent.
Coffee Hour Foods: Contributors this Sunday are those whose last names start with I-Z.
Food for Hungry People Program: Make checks payable to All Saints, and we will send one check after Holy Pascha.
Myrrh Bearers meeting briefly today in Marcia’s office immediately after Dismissal at 11:35.
THIS WEEK
Wednesday, March 29: Canon of St. Andrew and the Life of St. Mary of Egypt
Thursday, March 30: Bible Study at Becky’s home with Kh. Marilyn leading – 3-5:00 pm
Thursday, March 30: Presanctified Liturgy at 6:00
Friday March 31: Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God at 6:00
Saturday, April 1: Great Vespers at 5:00
Sunday, April 2: Matins at 9:00; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 – Choir Practice follows Divine Liturgy
LOOKING AHEAD
April 2: This is the last practice before Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Attendance is vital for those singing at Pascha.
April 2: St. Mary of Egypt in Greenwood sends an invitation to the parish to attend their name day celebration. There is a flyer posted in the hallway.
April 8: Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy and Workday
April 9: Palm Sunday and the first evening service of Holy Week
FAMILY NOTES
Birthday Greetings: Tristan R (26th); Matthew C (26th); Nina R (29th); Darryl J (29th) )
Name Day Blessings: Gabriella C and Gabe S (Holy Archangels – 26th); Molly A
(St. Mary of Egypt – 1st)
Memory Eternal: Kevin Speier, Stephanie; Kristina (Feb.28th)
Prayer List: Hal and Alex John; Stephanie (surgery last Friday); Adrian (surgery last Wednesday -Olga’s brother); “For the suffering Christians of Syria, Palestine, Iraq, & all of the Middle East, and for those suffering in Ukraine.”; Fr. Steven Rudy (cancer); Finley (infant girl child with stroke and spasms-Improved); Fr. Basil; Fr. Philip; Grant (Leukemia); Chris; Doug & Dorothy Barrett; Eileen; the Tabbals; Mary Ann & Jen; Dee and Don; Kh.Kristina; Betsy and Hannah; Leslie (paralysis); Jasmine; Deborah & Thomas; James; Becky H; Tom; Annie; Catherine; Janett; Julian; Kh. Mary Sue Walker; Vicki; Hoppes & Jesse Brandow (Missionaries); Vivian; Natalie; Senior Saints; Patricia; Nicetas; Barb; Shirley; Metropolitan Paul, Archbishop John; Fr. John Koen; Archpriest George; Heather; Susan; Gabriella & Matt; Sara; Shelley; Geni; Emily D; Emma; Nancy; Neal; Bob R; Leanne; Beth; Lillian; Julie; Roger; Virginia; Marilyn; Eric; Cheryl; Lori; Pam; Debbie; Natasha; Michael & Shelley: Gabriel; Mary; Janet; Kelly; Matushka Raisa; Marty; Charles; Mary; Marvin, Alice; Katie; Ruth; Steve; Romaine; Derek, Claire & Micah; Tim; Sharon; Sherri; Dianna; Michael and Diane; Aaron; Brent; Jennifer; Brigid; Ethan; Lena, Dean; Gayle; Thomas; Amy; Heidi; Gene & Connie, Caleb D; Megan & Colin; Bill & Sandy; Sabrina; Christy O.
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.
Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings
Prokeimenon: ” The Lord will give strength to His people.”
Verse: “The Lord will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 28:11,1
Epistle: The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews. (6:13-20)
Brethren, when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by one greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He interposed with an oath. So that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Gospel: The Reading 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
The Second Antiphon Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who wast incarnate for our sake; who sing to Thee. Alleluia.
Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 7
Thou didst shatter death by Thy Cross; Thou didst open paradise to the thief; Thou didst turn the sadness of the ointment-bearing women into joy. And didst bid Thine Apostles proclaim a warning, that Thou hast risen, O Christ, granting to the world the Great Mercy.
Apolytikion of the Annunciation – Tone 4
Today is the beginning of our salvation, and the manifestation of the mystery from the ages; for the Son of God becometh the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaimeth grace. Wherefore, do we shout with him to the Theotokos: Rejoice, O full of grace! The Lord is with thee.
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.
Koinonikon (Communion Hymn) for the Annunciation – Tone 8
The Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath chosen it for His dwelling. Alleluia.