This Week

Sunday of Veneration of the Holy Cross, March 31
9:00 AM: Orthros; 10:00 AM: Procession of the Cross & Divine Liturgy, Sunday School; 12:30 PM: Health Coaching #3

Wednesday, April 3
5:30 PM: Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts; 6:45 PM: Lenten Potluck Dinner & Fellowship

Thursay, April 4
7:00 PM: Ward VI (City of Burlington) Neighborhood Planning Assembly

Friday, April 5
9:00 AM: Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts; 7:00 PM: 4th Salutations to the Holy Theotokos

Saturday, April 6
4:00 PM: Bible Study; 5:00 PM: Great Vespers

Sunday of St. John Klimakos, April 7
9:00 AM: Orthros; 10:00 AM: Divine Liturgy, Sunday School; 12:30 PM: Health Coaching #4

Fasting this Week
Sun & Sat: Wine & Oil Allowed; Mon-Fri: Strict Fast

Announcements & Future Events

WELCOME VISITORS — WE ARE PLEASED THAT YOU HAVE JOINED US TODAY! The Orthodox Church teaches that Holy Communion is a sign of unity. In order to receive Holy Communion in the Greek Orthodox Church, you must have been baptized or chrismated in the Christian Orthodox Faith. If you are interested in learning more about Christian Orthodoxy, please contact our Parish Priest, Father Andreas. Communicants should prepare themselves through fasting, prayer and confession. All Christians are invited to come forward at the end of Divine Liturgy to receive the Antidoron, holy bread, which is offered to all as a blessing.

Veneration of the Holy Cross: today is the Veneration of the Holy Cross, with the Procession of the Decorated Cross. The Procession will be at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. There will be a special collection for the benefit of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA.

Clergy Synaxis: Fr. Andreas will be attending the Metropolis clerical gathering in Boston, and will be away from his office Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday.

Hierarchical Visit: His Eminence Metropolitan METHODIOS of Boston has informed us that he will visit our parish on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt, April 14, to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. What a blessing to see our Arch-Pastor after three years, and to have his wisdom and counsel to complete Lent and Holy Week! Please plan now on attending this blessed event in our spiritual journey as Dormition Church.

Saints and Feasts

March 31

Sunday of the Holy Cross

With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes apparent. Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings to our help the all-holy Cross, the joy of the world, the strength of the faithful, the staff of the just, and the hope of sinners, so that by venerating it reverently, we might receive strength and grace to complete the divine struggle of the Fast.

March 31

Hieromartyr Hypatius

This Saint, who was from Cilicia of Asia Minor, became Bishop of Gangra, the capital of Paphlagonia. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council. Because of his confession of the Orthodox Faith, he was put to death by the Novatians, a sect which denied that sins committed after Baptism could be forgiven.

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Mode

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world His great mercy.

Apolytikion of Sun. of the Elevation of the Cross in the First Tone

Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victory to the faithful over the enemy, and by Your Cross protecting Your commonwealth.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal 4th Mode

Τῇ ὑπερµάχῳ στρατηγῷ τὰ νικητήρια, * Ὡς λυτρωθεῖσα τῶν δεινῶν εὐχαριστήρια, * Ἀναγράφω σοι ἡ Πόλις σου Θεοτόκε. * Ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσµάχητον, * Ἐκ παντοίων µε κινδύνων ἐλευθέρωσον, * Ἵνα κράζω σοι· Χαῖρε νύµφη ἀνύµφευτε.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Sunday of the Holy Cross
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6

BRETHREN, since we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"; as he says also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Holy Cross
The Reading is from Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

Wisdom of the Fathers

When, on this day, we look at the precious Cross of Christ, in faith let us adore it, let us rejoice, and embrace it ardently, beseeching our Lord, who of His own choice gave Himself to be crucified on it, to make us worthy of adoring His most precious Cross so that, free from all defilement, we may attain the day of Resurrection.

Orthros for the Adoration of the Holy Cross

To deny oneself means to give up one's bad habits; to root out of the heart all that ties us to the world; not to cherish bad thoughts and desires; to suppress every evil thought; to avoid occasions of sin; not to desire or to do anything out of self-love, but to do everything out of love for God. To deny oneself, according to St. Paul means "to be dead to sin. . . but alive to God."

St. Innocent of Alaska

The Lenten Spring, SVS Press, p. 147, 19th Century

General Information

Contact Information

Past Bulletins