This Week

Saturday of Lazaros, April 20
9:00 AM: Divine Liturgy; 10:15 AM: Sunday School Retreat & Palm-tying; 5:00 PM: Great Vespers

Palm Sunday, April 21
9:00 AM: Orthros & Blessing of Palms; 10:00 AM: Divine Liturgy; 11:30 AM: Fish Luncheon; 7:00 PM: Bridegroom Service

Holy Monday, April 22
9:00 AM: Presanctified Liturgy; 7:00 PM: Bridegroom Service

Holy Tuesday, April 23
6:00 AM: Presanctified Liturgy; 7:00 PM: Bridegroom Service

Holy Wednesday, April 24
9:00 AM: Presanctified Liturgy; 3:30 PM: Sacrament of Holy Unction; 7:00 PM: Mystical Supper Service with Anointing

Holy Thursday, April 25
9:00 AM: Vesperal Divine Liturgy; 7:00 PM: Holy Passion Service

Great & Holy Friday, April 26
9:00 AM: Royal Hours; 3:30 PM: Apokathelosis Vespers; 7:00 PM: Lamentations (Orthros) Service

Holy Saturday, April 27
9:00 AM: Vesperal Divine Liturgy; 11:15 PM: Resurrectional Pannychis (Vigil)

GREAT & HOLY PASCHA, April 28
12:00 AM: Resurrection Service & Divine Liturgy; 12:00 PM: Agape Vespers

Fasting this Week
Sat: Wine & Oil Allowed; Sun: Fish Allowed; Remainder of Week until Pascha: 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.

Palm Sunday Fish Luncheon: please join our whole parish family after Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday for our annual Fish Luncheon. Kids and college students eat for free, we kindly ask for a $10 donation from each adult diner.

Last Weekend Fundraiser: we sold over $6,300 of food at last week's Take-Out Dinner, what a great success. Many thanks to all of our volunteers and guests. We are grateful to our Parish Council for leading this efforts, and especially to Sotos Papaseraphim and Nectar Rorris for running the kitchen!

Shut-Ins and Sick: as he does every year, Fr Andreas will visit the sick and shut-in of our parish for anointing with Holy Unction on Holy Thursday and Holy Friday. Starting tomorrow, until Pascha, we have 23 Divine Services in our church; so needless to say, Father's schedule is very tight. If you desire our priest to visit you or your family member, please contact him at the church office.

Saints and Feasts

April 21

Palm Sunday

On Sunday, five days before the Passover of the Law, the Lord came from Bethany to Jerusalem. Sending two of His disciples to bring Him a foal of an ass, He sat thereon and entered into the city. When the multitude there heard that Jesus was coming, they straightway took up the branches of palm trees in their hands, and went forth to meet Him. Others spread their garments on the ground, and yet others cut branches from the trees and strewed them in the way that Jesus was to pass; and all of them together, especially the children, went before and after Him, crying out: "Hosanna: Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel" (John 12:13). This is the radiant and glorious festival of our Lord's entry into Jerusalem that we celebrate today.

The branches of the palm trees symbolize Christ's victory over the devil and death. The word Hosanna means "Save, I pray," or "Save, now." The foal of an ass, and Jesus' sitting thereon, and the fact that this animal was untamed and considered unclean according to the Law, signified the former uncleanness and wildness of the nations, and their subjection thereafter to the holy Law of the Gospel.

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion for Palm Sunday in the 1st Mode

To confirm the general resurrection before Your Passion, You resurrected Lazarus from the dead, O Christ our God. Therefore imitating the children, carrying the symbols of victory, we cry out to You the Victor over death: "Hosanna in the highest! Blessed are You, the One, who comes in the name of the Lord."

Apolytikion for Palm Sunday in the 4th Mode

We were buried with You through Baptism, O Christ our God, and thus by Your Resurrection we have been granted immortal life, and extolling You we cry aloud, "Hosanna in the highest! Blessed are You, the One who comes in the name of the Lord."

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal 2nd Mode

In heaven upon the throne, on earth upon the colt, * You were carried, O Christ our God; * and the praise of the Angels, and the hymns of the children, You received as they cried to You, * "Blessed are You, the One, who is coming to call Adam back again."

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Palm Sunday
The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9

BRETHREN, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel Reading

Palm Sunday
The Reading is from John 12:1-18

Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazaros was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazaros was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."

When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazaros, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazaros also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazaros out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

In the Life of the Church

Cheirothesia: On Sunday, April 14, Cuthbert Barnes, George Bennis, and Nicholas Rorris were tonsured as minor clergymen and set aside to the order of Reader in the Holy Orthodox Church by the hand of His Eminence Metropolitan METHODIOS of Boston after the witness of Fr. Andreas Papayiannis, Proistamenos. ΑΞΙΟΙ!

Wisdom of the Fathers

-Geronda, are tribulations always beneficial for people? "It depends on how each person faces and deals with (them)... but people who have philotimo will say, 'Glory be to God! This trial has brought me closer to God. God has allowed this for my benefit.'"

St Paisios the Athonite

Spiritual Councils IV: Family Life p.218, 20th century