FOR VISITORS

Welcome home!

Please let either a greeter or a parish council members know if this is your first time at Saints Constantine and Helen so that we can make you feel more at home.

At the end of the service, come and introduce yourself to Father Jason, and receive a piece of "antidoro" (blessed bread). Also, join us for coffee hour after Liturgy!

Remember, the Church is everyone's home whether we are longtime members of the parish, or if we are stepping into the Church for the first time. Everyone one of is responsible for showing hospitality to those who we do not know.

CHURCH ETIQUETTE

Let everything we do be done in an orderly way (1st Corinthians 14:40)

Please be respectful of both God and others in the Church. Make every effort to be in church before the Divine Liturgy begins, and to remain quiet and respectful throughout the entire service.

Appropriate clothing should be worn, hands should be prayerfully at our sides or folded, not in our pockets, or laid on the tops, or sides of the pews; there should be no food or drink in the Church (no gum chewing!) unless it's Holy Communion or food that has been blessed and distributed by a clergyman; when seated, legs should not be crossed. Remember that socializing is for coffee hour and should not take place in the narthex. Limit talking and moving around, and try not to create a distraction for yourself or for others. Please clean up after yourself, and do not leave bulletins or bread crumbs behind you once the service has come to a conclusion.

FOR MEMBERS

"I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matthew 25:35)

Welcome everyone (both visitors and longtime members) with a smile. If it's someone's first
time visiting Saints Constantine and Helen, help them find a seat, and to understand the service

Appropriate clothing should be worn, hands should be prayerfully at our sides or folded, not in our pockets, or laid on the tops, or sides of the pews; there should be no food or drink in the Church (no gum chewing!) unless it's Holy Communion or food that has been blessed and distributed by a clergyman; when seated, legs should not be crossed. Remember that socializing is for coffee hour and should not take place in the narthex. Limit talking and moving around, and try not to create a distraction for yourself or for others.

Please clean up after yourself, and do not leave bulletins or bread crumbs behind you once the service has come to a conclusion.

PARTICIPATING IN THE DIVINE LITURGY

We must all make every effort to be present and to participate in the Divine Liturgy.

Orthros (Matins) begins at 8:30 am & the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am! Sing with the congregation! Volunteer to help the readers! The Great Doxology can be found on page 1 in the "Green Book."The hymns for the day can also be found in the bulletin.

Remember, the Divine Liturgy is meant to be a work of all people!

HOLY COMMUNION

"With the fear of God, with faith, and with love, draw near."- St. Cyril of Alexandria

Here are some things to pray and to think about before approaching the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ:

1.) The frequent reception of Holy Communion is encouraged. However, this means that we must always be prepared to receive Holy Communion. If you have not been present in the life of the Church for an extended period of time, you should speak to your priest prior to receiving Holy Communion. Never be afraid or discouraged to come and speak to Father Jason before receiving Holy Communion!

2.) We can only receive communion once we have been joined to Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. This takes places through the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation, and Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church. If you would like to become an Orthodox Christian. Please see Father Jason!

3.) God knows our hearts. Through prayer and repentance, our task is to see ourselves as God does so that we will confess, not only our sins, but call upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! Living our lives prayerfully gives us endless opportunities to enrich our lives as Orthodox
Christians. This of course gives us something to reflect on both before and after we consume the Body and Blood of our Lord. Are we going forth into the world in peace and loving others as God does?

4.) Nothing should ever be consumed prior to receiving Holy Communion unless it is medically necessary, and one consults with the priest. Women should also remove lipstick.

CAUTION! Please approach the chalice carefully! Never do anything that could potentially spill the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ from the Chalice!!!

PASTORAL VISITATIONS

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. (James 5:13-15)

Please call the Church Office or call Father Jason’s emergency cell phone number to let him know what your pastoral needs are you can also ask your family members, a social worker, or a Hospital Chaplain to notify the Church so that they can inform Father Jason that you are in
need of pastoral care.

For additional resources about Holy Communion, Confession, or any other pastoral concern please see Father Jason or visit our Church website http://orthodoxcheyenne.org/

CONFESSION

A young monk said to the great ascetic Abba Sisoes: “Abba, what should I do? I fell.” The elder answered: “Get up!” The monk said: “I got up and I fell again!” The elder replied: “Get up again!” But the young monk asked: “For how long should I get up when I fall?” “Until
your death,” answered Abba Sisoes.—Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Confession is necessary for our personal healing, and for the repentance and forgiveness of sins. It’s also a vital element of our Lord’s Commission to us as Orthodox Christians for the life and growth of the Church.

Never be afraid to speak to Fr. Jason in order to make the necessary arrangements for the sacrament of confession. You can call during the week, or just get a hold of him after Liturgy!

St. Macrina's Academy

It's that time of the year again! Registration will take place throughout the entire year. Get your young people registered so that they can participate in Sunday School!

Thank you to all parents and teachers who participated in last weeks FTO meeting!

Please be aware of changes in the Sunday School schedule leading up to Holy Week such as:

A special thanks goes out to all of our young people and parents who contributed to our Holy Week Retreat, helped serve in the altar, served as Myrrh Bearers, read at the chanters stand, and sang in the choir, and helped with our resurrection Easter Egg Hunt!

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GOYA News

Please thank and lend your support to our GOYA officers for this year:

President:  Katie Zaharas
Vice President:  Aubreyel Lawson 
Treasurer:  Morgan Pachares 
Secretary:  Alexis Zaharas

All young people who are old enough to participate in Metropolis and Archdiocese ministries (ages 11-18) are welcome to participate.

The mission and goal of GOYA ministry is to lead our young people into experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith. By developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and becoming active sacramental members of the living Church, our young people will be equipped with tools necessary to assist them in their journey toward salvation.

We have many things to thankful to God for:

• Ida Mae Apostolou for baking this week's prosforo

• Marianne Bouris & Angie Andrikopoulos for hosting fellowship

• Marie Pitt for being today's greeter

• Let us give thaks for the the Baptism of Lillian Lindholm

• Everyone who has volunteered and contributed thus far for our Capital Campaign to repair and improve the facilities of Saints Constantine and Helen

• All of our parishioners who contributed to setting our parish up for this year's Holy Week!

Church Business:

• Thank you for helping with Church Clean-up Day that took place on April 29th

Sunday of the Paralytic

John 5:1-15

At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.

Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet." But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, 'Take up your pallet, and walk.' "They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Our Lord tells us: "When two or three gather in my name, there I am in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) This means that we are enriched, not only by God's presence, but by the diversity of thought and experiences that His people bring when they offer their time, talent, and resources to the place that they assemble - His Church! 

Please remember a few things:

1.) We gather as a general assembly every time we worship and participate in the life of the Church as a parish family at Saints Constantine & Helen! 

2.) When we gather at a general assembly according to the Uniform Code of Parish Regulations, our own Parish By-Laws, our mutual goal should always be to prayerfully discern the best possible way to carry out the mission of the Church.

3.) Please respect the process, agenda, and order of the General Assembly, the directions of the Chairman, and those with whom you are interacting with.

With God's help, let us devote ourselves to the "apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" so that what we do will "seem good to us and to the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:42;15:28)."

Please also take a moment to read Article 18 of the Uniform Code Regulation of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese:

Section 1:

Every person who is baptized and chrismated according to the rites of the Orthodox Church is a parishioner. The religious, moral and social duties of a parishioner are to apply the tenets of the Orthodox Faith to his/her life and to:

1.) Adhere to and lives according to the tenets of the Orthodox faith

2.) Faithfully attend the Divine Liturgy and other worship services

3.) Participate regularly in the holy sacraments

4.) Respect all ecclesiastical authority and all governing bodies of the Church

5.) Be obedient in matters of the Faith, practice and ecclesiastical order

6.) Contribute towards the progress of the Church's sacred mission; and be an effective witness and example of the Orthodox Faith and Traditions to all people.

A parishioner in good standing practices all the religious and moral duties as described in this Section 1. At a minimum, a parishioner in good standing must:

1.) Be eighteen years of age or over;

2.) Be current in his or her stewardship and other financial obligations to the Parish,

3.) Abide by all the regulations herein stated and the Parish Bylaws;

4.) And cooperate in every way towards the welfare and well being of the Parish.

Section 2:

Any person wishing to be a parishioner in good standing in more than one Parish must remit his or her Stewardship financial obligation to each Parish as stated in Section 1 of this Article. A parishioner wishing to move from one Parish to another must present a letter of transfer from the Priest of the Parish from which he or she is moving stating that he or she is in good standing.

Section 3:

No person shall be deemed a parishioner in good standing while: not adhering to the standards outlined in Sections 1 and 2 of this Article; retaining affiliation in an Orthodox Parish which defies the jurisdiction or the ecclesiastical authority of the Archdiocese; being a member of or practicing a non-Orthodox faith or other religion; and deliberately disregarding and transgressing the moral law of the Church.

Section 4:

The Priest shall judge any cases of special circumstances justifying the waiver of a parishioner's stewardship financial obligations.

Section 5:

A parishioner in good standing has the right to attend, participate and vote at Parish Assemblies, as well as to vote in Parish Council elections. Each such parishioner may also be nominated for election to the Parish Council or to represent the Parish at a Local Assembly or the Congress.

Section 6:

An Orthodox Christian parishioner in good standing at his or her canonical Orthodox Parish may serve as a sponsor in another Parish without being obliged to become a member in good standing at the Parish where the sacrament will take place. A parishioner may serve as a sponsor in another Parish by presenting a letter of good standing from his or her home Parish Priest.

Section 7:

Each Parish shall maintain a Parish Record which shall include, at a minimum, the following information concerning each parishioner: baptismal and family name, occupation (optional), dates of baptism and/or chrismation and marriage, complete family record of spouse and children, date of entry into the Parish indicating if transferred from another Parish, date of death, and such other information that shall be deemed appropriate.