Weekly Events

WEEKDAY SERVICES

THE GREAT AND HOLY FRIDAY, APRIL 26th — 9:00 a.m. - Service of the Royal Hours

11:00 a.m.-Decoration of the Epitaphios /

3:00 p.m. -Vespers of the Descent from the Cross

6:30 p.m. - Service of the Lamentations (Epitaphios)

THE GREAT AND HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 27th —

8:30 a.m.- Divine Liturgy & Holy Communion – 10:30 a.m.

11:00 p.m. - The Canon of the Resurrection

Sunday, April 28th—EASTER AGAPE SERVICE at 11 a.m.

Friday, May 3rd—LIFE GIVING FONT - Div. Liturgy at 8:30 a.m.

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Beloved All,

Fr. Anthony and the Parish Council would like to wish you a

“Blessed and Happy Feast of the Resurrection!”

May the Holy Light that springs each year from the Holy Sepulcher illumine your hearts, so that in it you may see the Light the Ineffable!

CHRIST IS RISEN!

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On Easter Sunday, after the Agape Service, we will hold our Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the Church grounds for our children. We hope you will attend the service and the hunt. Which lucky child will find the Golden Egg this year? The eggs will have verses from the Bible. After the egg hunt Fr. Anthony will speak with the children and reconstruct the story of the Resurrection that is in the eggs.

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THANK YOU

We thank the Parish Council President Diane Karavitis the parish council members, all the members of ministries, the office staff, the choir, the chanter, the altar boys, the myrrh-bearing girls and the sextons, for having so kindly taken care of the preparation of our Church, and for their participation in the services for Holy Week and Holy Resurrection.

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CONFESSIONS and HOUSE BLESSINGS—Fr. Anthony will be available for confessions and house blessings, by appointment only. Please call the church office.

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SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

Attention all High School Graduates! The Scholarship Committee and Philoptochos are proud to announce that scholarships are once again available. The deadline will be May 15th. Applications will be in the Church office and online on the Church website.

Saints and Feasts

April 28

Great and Holy Pascha

Mary Magdalene, and the other women who were present at the burial of our Saviour on Friday evening, returned from Golgotha to the city and prepared fragrant spices and myrrh, so that they might anoint the body of Jesus. On the morrow, because of the law which forbids work on the day of the Sabbath, they rested for the whole day. But at early dawn on the Sunday that followed, almost thirty-six hours since the death of the Life-giving Redeemer, they came to the sepulchre with the spices to anoint His body. While they were considering the difficulty of rolling away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, there was a fearful earthquake; and an Angel, whose countenance shone like lightning and whose garment was white as snow, rolled away the stone and sat upon it. The guards that were there became as dead from fear and took to flight. The women, however, went into the sepulchre, but did not find the Lord's body. Instead, they saw two other Angels in the form of youths clothed in white, who told them that the Saviour was risen, and they sent forth the women, who ran to proclaim to the disciples these gladsome tidings. Then Peter and John arrived, having learned from Mary Magdalene what had come to pass, and when they entered the tomb, they found only the winding sheets. Therefore, they returned again to the city with joy, as heralds now of the supernatural Resurrection of Christ, Who in truth was seen alive by the disciples on this day on five occasions.

Our Lord, then, was crucified, died, and was buried on Friday, before the setting of the sun, which was the first of His "three days" in the grave; observing the mystical Sabbath, that "seventh day" in which it is said that the Lord "rested from all His works" (Gen. 2:2-3), He passed all of Saturday in the grave; and He arose "while it was yet dark, very early in the morning" on Sunday, the third day, which, according to the Hebrew reckoning, began after sunset on Saturday.

As we celebrate today this joyous Resurrection, we greet and embrace one another in Christ, thereby demonstrating our Saviour's victory over death and corruption, and the destruction of our ancient enmity with God, and His reconciliation toward us, and our inheritance of life everlasting. The feast itself is called Pascha, which is derived from the Hebrew word which means "passover"; because Christ, Who suffered and arose, has made us to pass over from the curse of Adam and slavery to the devil and death unto our primal freedom and blessedness. In addition, this day of this particular week, which is the first of all the rest, is dedicated to the honour of the Lord; in honour and remembrance of the Resurrection, the Apostles transferred to this day the rest from labour that was formerly assigned to the Sabbath of the ancient Law.

All foods allowed during Renewal Week.

April 28

The Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus

These holy Martyrs, who were from various regions, suffered martyrdom together when they were beheaded in Cyzicus, a city in Asia Minor on the southern coast of the Sea of Marmara.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal Fourth Mode. Psalm 117.24,29.
This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Verse: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 1:1-8.

In the first book, O Theophilos, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of lsrael?" He said to them, "it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."

Προκείμενον. Plagal Fourth Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 117.24,29.
αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος· ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ
Στίχ. ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἀγαθός, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων 1:1-8.

Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην περὶ πάντων, ὦ Θεόφιλε, ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας, ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου οὓς ἐξελέξατο, ἀνελήφθη· οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις, διʼ ἡμερῶν τεσσαράκοντα ὀπτανόμενος αὐτοῖς, καὶ λέγων τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ. Καὶ συναλιζόμενος παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ περιμένειν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρός, Ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου· ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι, ὑμεῖς δὲ βαπτισθήσεσθε ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας. Οἱ μὲν οὖν συνελθόντες ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες, Κύριε, εἰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἀποκαθιστάνεις τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Ἰσραήλ; Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, Οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς οὓς ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ. Ἀλλὰ λήψεσθε δύναμιν, ἐπελθόντος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς· καὶ ἔσεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ, καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.

Gospel Reading

Great and Holy Pascha
The Reading is from John 1:1-17

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'") And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Great and Holy Pascha
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 1:1-17

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος. Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν ὃ γέγονεν. Ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.

Ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ Θεοῦ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ἰωάννης· οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσι δι᾽ αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός. Ἧν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω. Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. Ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκός, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρός, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν.

Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγε λέγων· Οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον, ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν. Καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος· ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.

Sunday's Sermon

LAST WEEKS SERMON

Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ

Today we are entering to the Holy Week.

Tonight with the procession of the Bridegroom Icon of our Lord we will enter in to the services that tell us day by day about the last events that happened before His Glorious Resurrection.

But let us concentrate on today for now, because what happened on this day two thousand years ago is very significant and has many lessons for us.

I would like to bring two things to your attention from today's Gospel. The first is that Christ enters into Jerusalem as a king and the second is that people receive Him as a King. Last time in my sermon I told you about two kinds of kingdoms, about the kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this world.

It is very interesting that historians say that at the same time when Jesus was entering into Jerusalem from the east gate of the city, Pontius Pilate was entering from the west.

So even here we see parallels and competition between the Kingdom of God and the powers of this world. But what is the most important thing here?

The most important thing here is our choice; which one of these kingdoms do we welcome into our lives. According to the story of the Palm Sunday we see that people were welcoming Christ in to the city which means that we should do the same. We do the same by decorating our churches holding long services and sharing palms with each other. The same way people were throwing palm branches in front of the feet of our Lord, the same way they had decorated his way to Jerusalem. Today dear brothers and sisters we are all excited with the entrance of the Lord το Jerusalem and we are amazed how well he was accepted, but we need to keep in mind that pretty soon we will also go through his arrest, his passion and his crucifixion.

We will see how the same people who welcomed him to Jerusalem also demanded from Pilate to crucify him and let Barabbas go. We will see how the same people make fun of him at the cross asking him to come down from the cross if he is the Messiah. We will see even his own disciples abandoning him after he was arrested.

So today is a good day for learning how to be consistent in our discipleship. Today is a day to learn how we can be faithful to him always every day of our lives. Today is a good day to learn that his compassion is endless.

That even if we have abandoned him in the past he still loves us and embraces us.

Today is a good day to learn that it does not matter how long have we ignored him, he is still standing outside and knocking on the door of our hearts asking for a permission to enter into the Jerusalem of our hearts.

Dear brothers and sisters today the Lord is here not for entering into our churches and cities but he is here for entering into our hearts. So open your hearts and minds to his call and his Love so that he will enter in to your heart as he entered to the house of Zacchaeus and blessed everything that was in it. May the Lord bless your hearts the same way now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Amen.

ΚΗΡΥΓΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΕΡΑΣΜΕΝΗΣ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΑΣ

Στο όνομα του Πατρός και του Υιού και του Αγίου Πνεύματος

Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές εν Χριστώ Σήμερα μπαίνουμε στη Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα. Απόψε με την πομπή της Εικόνας του Νυμφίου του Κυρίου μας θα μπούμε στις λειτουργίες που μας λένε μέρα με τη μέρα για τα τελευταία γεγονότα που συνέβησαν πριν από την ένδοξη ανάστασή Του. Για τώρα ας επικεντρωθούμε στο σήμερα, γιατί αυτό που συνέβη σήμερα πριν από δύο χιλιάδες χρόνια είναι πολύ σημαντικό και έχει πολλά διδάγματα για μας. Φυσικά δεν μπορούμε να επικεντρωθούμε σε όλα τα πράγματα που μπορούμε να διδαχτούμε από το σημερινό Ευαγγέλιο, αλλά θα ήθελα να επιστήσω την προσοχή σας σε δύο πράγματα. Το πρώτο είναι ότι ο Χριστός εισέρχεται στην Ιερουσαλήμ σαν βασιλιάς και το δεύτερο είναι ότι οι άνθρωποι υποδέχονται Αυτόν σαν βασιλιά. Την τελευταία φορά στο κήρυγμά μου σας μίλησα για δυο είδη βασιλείων, για τη βασιλεία του Θεού και για τη βασιλεία αυτού του κόσμου. Είναι πολύ ενδιαφέρον ότι οι ιστορικοί λένε ότι την ίδια στιγμή που ο Ιησούς εισήλθε στην Ιερουσαλήμ από την ανατολική πύλη της πόλης ο Πόντιος Πιλάτος εισήλθε από τα δυτικά.

Έτσι ακόμα κι εδώ βλέπουμε παραλληλισμούς και ανταγωνισμό μεταξύ της Βασιλείας του Θεού και των δυνάμεων αυτού του κόσμου. Αλλά ποιο είναι το πιο σημαντικό πράγμα εδώ; Το πιο σημαντικό εδώ είναι η επιλογή μας. Ποιο από αυτά τα βασίλεια καλωσορίζουμε στη ζωή μας.

Σύμφωνα με την ιστορία της Κυριακής των Βαίων, βλέπουμε ότι οι άνθρωποι καλωσόρισαν τον Χριστό στην πόλη, πράγμα που σημαίνει ότι πρέπει να κάνουμε κι εμείς το ίδιο. Κάνουμε το ίδιο στολίζοντας τις εκκλησίες μας, κάνοντας μεγάλες λειτουργίες και μοιράζοντας βάια μεταξύ μας.

Με τον ίδιο τρόπο που οι άνθρωποι έριχναν κλαδιά βαίων μπροστά στα πόδια του Κυρίου μας, με τον ίδιο τρόπο στόλισαν το δρόμο Του προς την Ιερουσαλήμ. Σήμερα, αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές, είμαστε ενθουσιασμένοι όλοι με την είσοδο του Κυρίου στην Ιερουσαλήμ και είμαστε έκπληκτοι πόσο καλά Τον υποδέχτηκαν αλλά πρέπει να έχουμε κατά νου ότι σύντομα θα Τον δούμε να συλλαμβάνεται, θα δούμε τα πάθη Του και τη σταύρωσή Του. Θα δούμε πώς οι ίδιοι που τον υποδέχτηκαν στην Ιερουσαλήμ ζήτησαν επίσης από τον Πιλάτο να τον σταυρώσει και να αφήσει τον Βαραβά να φύγει. Θα δούμε πώς οι ίδιοι άνθρωποι Τον περιγελούν στο Σταυρό, ζητώντας του να κατέβει από τον σταυρό εάν είναι ο Μεσσίας.

Θα δούμε ότι ακόμη και οι ίδιοι οι μαθητές του Τον εγκαταλείπουν μετά τη σύλληψή του. Έτσι σήμερα είναι μια καλή μέρα για να μάθουμε πώς να είμαστε συνεπείς σαν μαθητές του Ιησού. Σήμερα είναι μια ημέρα για να μάθουμε πώς μπορούμε πάντα να είμαστε πιστοί σε Αυτόν κάθε μέρα της ζωής μας. Σήμερα είναι μια καλή ημέρα για να μάθουμε ότι η συμπόνια του είναι ατελείωτη. Ότι ακόμη και αν τον εγκαταλείψαμε στο παρελθόν, μας αγαπά ακόμα και μας αγκαλιάζει. Σήμερα είναι μια καλή μέρα να μάθουμε ότι δεν έχει σημασία πόσο καιρό τον έχουμε αγνοήσει, ότι ακόμα στέκεται έξω και χτυπάει στην πόρτα της καρδιάς μας ζητώντας την άδεια να εισέλθει στην Ιερουσαλήμ της καρδιάς μας. Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές σήμερα ο Κύριος δεν είναι εδώ για να εισέλθει στις εκκλησίες και στις πόλεις μας, αλλά είναι εδώ για να εισέλθει στην καρδιά μας. Έτσι λοιπόν ανοίξτε τις καρδιές και το μυαλό σας στο κάλεσμα και στην αγάπη του, ώστε να εισέλθει στην καρδιά σας όπως εισήλθε στο σπίτι του Ζακχαίου και ευλόγησε όλα όσα ήταν μέσα σε αυτό. Είθε ο Κύριος να ευλογεί τις καρδιές σας με τον ίδιο τρόπο πάντοτε νυν και αει και εις τους αιώνες των αιώνων .

Αμήν

Wisdom of the Fathers

But why did He appear not to all, but to the Apostles only? Because to the many it would have seemed a mere apparition, inasmuch as they understood not the secret of the mystery For if the disciples themselves were at first incredulous and were troubled, and needed the evidence of actual touch with the hand, and of His eating with them, how would it have fared in all likelihood with the multitude? For this reason therefore by the miracles [wrought by the Apostles] He renders the evidence of His Resurrection unequivocal, so that not only the men of those times-- this is what would come of the ocular proof--but also all men thereafter, should be certain of the fact, that He was risen. Upon this ground also we argue with unbelievers. For if He did not rise again, but remains dead, how did the Apostles perform miracles in His name? But they did not, say you, perform miracles? How then was our religion instituted?

St. John Chrysostom

Homily I on Acts I, 4th Century

General Information

Past Bulletins

Weekly Events

Saints and Feasts

Great and Holy Pascha

The Holy Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Gospel Reading

Sunday's Sermon

Wisdom of the Fathers