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SS. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-02-26
Bulletin Contents
Eden
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SS. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • +1 (906) 487-7013
  • Street Address:

  • 17745 Erickson Drive

  • Atlantic Mine, MI 49905


Contact Information




Services Schedule

Saturday 3 June / 21 May

6:00 PM Vigil 

Sunday 4 June / 22 May 

Pentecost

10:00 AM Divine Liturgy with Kneeling Vespers following

Saturday 10 June / 28 May

1st Sunday after Pentecost

6:00 PM  Vigil

Sunday 11 June / 29 May

10:00 AM Divine Liturgy

 

Please confirm the schedule on our website for short term changes


Past Bulletins


Saints and Feasts

Eden
February 26

Forgiveness Sunday

The Holy Fathers have appointed the commemoration of Adam's exile from the Paradise of delight here, on the eve of the holy Forty-day Fast, demonstrating to us not by simple words, but by actual deeds, how beneficial fasting is for man, and how harmful and destructive are insatiety and the transgressing of the divine commandments. For the first commandment that God gave to man was that of fasting, which the first-fashioned received but did not keep; and not only did they not become gods, as they had imagined, but they lost even that blessed life which they had, and they fell into corruption and death, and transmitted these and innumerable other evils to all of mankind. The God-bearing Fathers set these things before us today, that by bringing to mind what we have fallen from, and what we have suffered because of the insatiety and disobedience of the first-fashioned, we might be diligent to return again to that ancient bliss and glory by means of fasting and obedience to all the divine commands. Taking occasion from today's Gospel (Matt. 6:14-21) to begin the Fast unencumbered by enmity, we also ask forgiveness this day, first from God, then from one another and all creation.


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Tone

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 6th Tone

O Master, Prudence, Guide of Wisdom, Instruction to the foolish and Defender of the poor, strengthen my heart and grant it discernment. Give me words, Word of the Father, for behold, I shall not keep my lips from crying out to You, "O Merciful One, have mercy on me who has fallen."
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Third Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Mark 16:9-20

At that time, Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, and he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 8th Tone. Psalm 75.11,1.
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:11-14; 14:1-4.

Brethren, salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for God is able to make him stand.


Gospel Reading

Forgiveness Sunday
The Reading is from Matthew 6:14-21

The Lord said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."


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Announcements

 New books arrived in our bookstore - as always our bookstore is an honor system. Please put the money for your purchase in the first drawer and mark on the sheet what you bought. If you want to pay book purchases with your credit card please see Br. Anthony

 Forgiveness Sunday

Please note that February 26 is Forgiveness Sunday. We will have a traditional Blini meal after Divine Liturgy. Please also note that the rite of Forgiveness will this year not be after the Divine Liturgy in combination with Vespers. It will be at 7:15 PM in combination with Compline and is considered the beginning of Great Lent. You should make an effort to come to this considerable short but important service, where we asking for forgivness of each other, so to start Great Lent with the right mindset. If you were not able to attend this service, it is pious practice to ask for forgiveness of people the first time you see them in the upcoming clean week. So if you come to one of the Great Canons you ask for forgivness then.

Clean Week

The full lenten schedule will be served during clean week. Please look at the calendar on our web site for the detailed schedule.

You should make it a priority to attend the Great Canon of St. Andrew served every night (Monday to Thursday at 5:30 PM)

The first Presanctified Liturgy for the season will be served on Wednesday morning at 10AM.

Another Presanctified Liturgy is scheduled for Friday, 5:30 PM.

On Saturday, on which we commemorate St. Theodore the Recruite, we will have Divine Liturgy at 7:30 AM followed by a Panakhida.

You might get the impression that during Clean Week (as with Holy Week) you spent the majority of your time at church: that is not by accident this way. Our begin as our end on our journey is marked with a great effort to serve God and to grow in our faith. But we will only grow if we make it a priority in our life.

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Stewardship

January 2017

Income: $3,316

Expenses: $2,044

Difference: $1,272

YearToDate Difference: $1,272

We are raising funds for our biggest projects in the near future: 

  • The renewal of our siding, replacing old windows and improving our insulation on church and rectory to save on heating costs.
  • The install of the dome and three-bar cross we were given the year before last. 

To easily contribute to these fundraisers please go to our website ss-sergius-herman-valaam.org

In your charity please remember us to your ability and help this small community. 

With the financial help of yours, we were able to replace all our windows in the rectory. Thank you very much. This will not only keep us warmer during the winter months but also help to save some money during the heating season. 

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Henceforward then we must be free from our listlessness; "for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."[*] You see how he puts the Resurrection now close by them. For as the time advances, he means, the season of our present life is wasting away, and that of the life to come waxes nearer. If then thou be prepared, and hast done all whatsoever He hath commanded, the day is salvation to thee...Yes, for the day is calling us to battle-array, and to the fight. Yet fear not at hearing of array and arms. For in the case of the visible suit of armor, to put it on is a heavy and abhorred task. But here it is desirable, and worth being prayed for. For it is of Light the arms are! Hence they will set thee forth brighter than the sunbeam, and giving out a great glistening, and they place thee in security: for they are arms, and glittering do they make thee: for arms of light are they!...It is the deadly kind of passions then that he is for extinguishing, lust, namely, and anger. Wherefore it is not themselves only, but even the sources of them that he removes. For there is nothing that so kindles lust, and inflames wrath, as drunkenness, and sitting long at the wine...
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 25 on Romans 13, 4th Century

Here it were well to sigh aloud, and to wail bitterly: for not only do we imitate the hypocrites, but we have even surpassed them.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 20 on Matthew 6, 4th Century

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Prayer Requests

Sick:

Alexander, Valery, Philip, Eric, Suzanna, Matushka Anna and her newborn child Irene, Luoba, Katherine, Kevin, Demetra, Judy (non-orthodox), Pat (non-orthodox), Heather (non-orthodox)

In time of distress:

Hieromonk Alexander (Frizzell), Silouan, Amy

Newly Reposed:

Monk Joseph (former known as Rdr. Issaac Lambertson), Petar

If you have prayer requests you would like announced, please e-mail rector@ss-sergius-herman-valaam.org

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Fasting in the upcoming week

This is Clean week. All days are fast days. 

Saturday and Sunday wine and oil are allowed.

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