Πρ 1:1-8 Acts

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͵ δι' 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 πατρὸς ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου· ὅτι Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι͵ ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν πνεύματι βαπτισθήσεσθε ἁγίῳ οὐ μετὰ πολλὰς ταύτας ἡμέρας. Οἱ μὲν οὖν συνελθόντες ἠρώτων 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 ἐφ' ὑμᾶς͵ καὶ ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.

Ιωα αʹ 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 ἕν 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 πιστεύσωσιν δι' αὐτοῦ. οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός. Ἦν 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 ἦλθεν, 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 κέκραγεν 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.

Great and Holy Pascha

My beloved in the Risen Lord:

 Christ is Risen!

             As we celebrated our Lord’s Resurrection and chant joyously the hymn proclaiming Christ’s triumph over all forces of darkness, we are renewed by the dignity that comes from our destiny as Orthodox Christians who have been saved by the Crucified and Risen Christ and offered the opportunity to live eternally with Him.

             The Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the single cosmic event that gives meaning, purpose and hope to all humanity. Our worship, our prayer, our good deeds and our discipline of fasting are all beautiful and meaningful only because they lead to the reality of our Lord’s Resurrection.

             With tears in our eyes we commemorate His death on Good and Holy Friday. We know well that it was because of our sins that our Lord was nailed to the Cross.  His death was the terrible price that had to be paid for our salvation.  And so, we preach the “Crucified Christ.”  However, we worship the “Resurrected Lord.”

            The Resurrection is our only true hope! There is no tragedy in the eyes of God. There is no death.  The deep darkness of all human sufferings is totally dispelled by the brilliant light that emanates from the tomb of Christ.  We proclaim triumphantly with Saint Paul: “I consider that the sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared with the future glory which shall be revealed to us.”(Romans 8:18)

             Trampling death by death, our Lord offers us eternal life instead of death, hope in place of despair and bliss in lieu of sorrow. As we “enter into the joy of our Lord,” according to Saint John Chrysostom, may we also exclaim with him, “O death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory? For Christ, having risen from the dead has become the first fruits of those who fall asleep.”

             In sin there is death; in holiness there is life.  And the life of Christ transforms our life. Though we are sinners, yet we are holy. Day by day our life is changing and some day, through the grace of God, we will be able to proclaim with Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.”  (Galatians 2:20)

             During our life journey, and especially during Great Lent, we strive to empty ourselves of the “death” that dwells within us, in order to become worthy vessels of the “new life” in Christ. Let us have constantly before us the glorious icon of our Lord’s Resurrection, as we carry our cross, as we pray and fast, as we seek repentance, and as we grow closer to Him. By the grace of God we will fight the “good fight”and we will keep the Faith. And by His grace we will be deemed worthy to receive the crown of righteousness, which our Lord gives to all who have loved His appearing (II Timothy 4:8).

             Christ is Risen! Praying that Christ our true God Who rose from the dead abundantly bless you and your loved ones and may the light of Great and Holy Pascha shine brilliantly within your hearts, I humbly remain,

 With love and blessings in the Risen Christ,

+Protopresbyter Panagiotis

* Saturday, May 1st – 9:00am Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great

                                    11:30pm Orthros of the Resurrection

 

 

Church Calendar

* Friday, May 21st - Last day of Greek language classes. 

* Sunday, May 23rd - Greek School commencement ceremony.

 DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

FELLOWSHIP HOUR HAS BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

ABSOLUTELY NO GATHERINGS IN THE CHURCH HALL.