Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Mode

The stone had been secured with a seal by the Judeans, * and a guard of soldiers was watching Your immaculate body. * You rose on the third day, O Lord * and Savior, granting life unto the world. * For this reason were the powers of heaven crying out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; * glory to Your eternal rule; * glory to Your dispensation, only One who loves mankind.

Τοῦ λίθου σφραγισθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ στρατιωτῶν φυλασσόντων τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα, ἀνέστης τριήμερος Σωτήρ, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ζωήν. Διὰ τοῦτο αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐβόων σοι Ζωοδότα· Δόξα τῇ ἀναστάσει σου Χριστέ, δόξα τῇ Βασιλείᾳ σου, δόξα τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ σου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε.

Apolytikion for Sun. of St. Mary of Egypt in the Plagal Fourth Mode

In thee the image was preserved with exactness, O Mother; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlook the flesh, for it passeth away, but to attend to the soul since it is immortal. Wherefore, O righteous Mary, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.

Ἐν σοὶ Μῆτερ ἀκριβῶς διεσώθη τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα, λαβοῦσα γὰρ τὸν Σταυρόν, ἠκολούθησας τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ πράττουσα ἐδίδασκες ὑπερορᾶν μὲν σαρκὸς παρέρχεται γάρ, ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δὲ ψυχῆς, πράγματος ἀθανάτου· διὸ καὶ μετὰ Ἀγγέλων συναγάλλεται Ὁσία Μαρία τὸ πνεῦμά σου.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Mode

O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto thee: Hasten to intercession and speed thou to make supplication, O thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor thee.

Προστασία τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀκαταίσχυντε, μεσιτεία πρὸς τὸν Ποιητὴν ἀμετάθετε. Μὴ παρίδῃς ἁμαρτωλῶν δεήσεων φωνάς, ἀλλὰ πρόφθασον, ὡς ἀγαθή, εἰς τὴν βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, τῶν πιστῶς κραυγαζόντων σοι· Τάχυνον εἰς πρεσβείαν, καὶ σπεῦσον εἰς ἱκεσίαν, ἡ προστατεύουσα ἀεί, Θεοτόκε, τῶν τιμώντων σε.

Services and Sacraments

April 2, 2023 – Sunday of St Mary of Egypt

Memorials:

JUDY MARIE TYRRELL – 40 Days

ANTONIOS ILIAKIS - 1 Year

DEMETRI KANELLOPOULOS – 1 Year

MARIA ZESTOS - 5 years
VASILI ZESTOS - 6 years
Coffee Hour Sponsor

May their memory be eternal!

SERVICES THIS WEEK:

Saturday, April 8 – SATURDAY OF LAZARUS, Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Service will be followed by a Pancake Breakfast, and the making of palm crosses in the Hellenic Cultural Center. Saints Constantine and Helen Church

We strongly encourage those who will not be attending church to participate in services through our website at https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming

If you wish to follow along with the text, please use this link: https://dcs.goarch.org/

VIDEO ARCHIVE: Previously recorded Sunday Divine Liturgy services will now be archived and available on our website! Go to https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming and you can click on the service you would like to view.

LIGHT A CANDLE AND SAY A PRAYER: When you are not able to attend church, you can purchase a candle from our church website (home page or video-streaming page), which be lit before the following service or a service that you specify. Please give specific names, living or deceased, that you would like Father to remember in prayer. Father will light candles one hour before each service. For Sunday services, please place candle orders prior to 8:00 am Sunday morning.

Please Pray For: Suzanne, Lambrine, Nick, Fotini, Niki, Angelo the priest, George, Matthew, Maria, Tom, Stefanos, Georgia, Leonidas, Gus, Connie, Maria, Brenda, Panagiota, Nicholas, Vicki, Susan, Tom, Thomas, Jim, Panagioti, Gloria, Evans, Phyllis, Marti, Marty, Janet, John, Paul, Zacharias, Vanessa (Vasiliki), Jake, Maegan, Irene, Lisa, Pat, Jonathan, Alexandra, Tracy, Dianna, Betty, Catherine, Susan, Evelyn, Gregg, Peter, Angela, Bill, Carrie, Vito, Pete, Amalia, Stephanie, Lisa, Anastasia, Kylie, Effie, Nicholas, and Maria.

Names may be added to the prayer list by request. If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, or if there is a name that should be removed from the prayer list, please contact the church office at stcons2@gmail.com

Saints and Feasts

April 02

Amphianos & Aedesios the Martyrs of Lycia

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 9:11-14.

BRETHREN, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Προκείμενον. First Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 32.22,1.
Γένοιτο, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς.
Στίχ. Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν Κυρίῳ

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 9:11-14.

Ἀδελφοί, Χριστὸς δὲ παραγενόμενος ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, διὰ τῆς μείζονος καὶ τελειοτέρας σκηνῆς, οὐ χειροποιήτου, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν, οὐ ταύτης τῆς κτίσεως, οὐδὲ διʼ αἵματος τράγων καὶ μόσχων, διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος εἰσῆλθεν ἐφάπαξ εἰς τὰ ἅγια, αἰωνίαν λύτρωσιν εὑράμενος. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων, καὶ σποδὸς δαμάλεως ῥαντίζουσα τοὺς κεκοινωμένους, ἁγιάζει πρὸς τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς καθαρότητα, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃς διὰ πνεύματος αἰωνίου ἑαυτὸν προσήνεγκεν ἄμωμον τῷ θεῷ, καθαριεῖ τὴν συνείδησιν ὑμῶν ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, εἰς τὸ λατρεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι;

Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
The Reading is from Mark 10:32-45

At that time, Jesus took his twelve disciples, and he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant of James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 10:32-45

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, παραλαβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητάς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤρξατο αὐτοῖς λέγειν τὰ μέλλοντα αὐτῷ συμβαίνειν, ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι καὶ γραμματεῦσι, καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν θανάτῳ καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ἐμπαίξουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐμπτύσουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται. Καὶ προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ ᾿Ιάκωβος καὶ ᾿Ιωάννης υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου λέγοντες· διδάσκαλε, θέλομεν ἵνα ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωμεν ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί θέλετε ποιῆσαί με ὑμῖν; οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐτῷ· δὸς ἡμῖν ἵνα εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου καθίσωμεν ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου. ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε. δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθῆναι; οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐτῷ· δυνάμεθα. ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τὸ μὲν ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω πίεσθε, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι βαπτισθήσεσθε· τὸ δὲ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλ᾿ οἷς ἡτοίμασται. Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ δέκα ἤρξαντο ἀγανακτεῖν περὶ ᾿Ιακώβου καὶ ᾿Ιωάννου. ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς λέγει αὐτοῖς· οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ δοκοῦντες ἄρχειν τῶν ἐθνῶν κατακυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι αὐτῶν κατεξουσιάζουσιν αὐτῶν· οὐχ οὕτω δὲ ἔσται ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ γενέσθαι μέγας ἐν ὑμῖν, ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος, καὶ ὃς ἐὰν θέλῃ ὑμῶν γενέσθαι πρῶτος, ἔσται πάντων δοῦλος· καὶ γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθε διακονηθῆναι, ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι, καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν.

Parish News and Updates

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:

GOYA “BLANKET MADNESS”: Our GOYAns are in the “March Madness” spirit! They will be collecting donations TODAY, Sunday April 2, to purchase materials to make lap blankets for seniors in residential facilities. Be a part of the fun! Pick your favorite team to win and make a donation to help our GOYAns provide blankets to seniors!

PANCAKES AND PALMS: Following the Saturday of Lazarus Divine Liturgy service on April 8th, we will be serving a Pancake Breakfast in the Hellenic Cultural Center for those who wish to stay and make palm crosses to be distributed on Palm Sunday. Please come with your family and share in this meaningful annual tradition.

GOYA MEETING: There will be a GOYA meeting on Saturday April 8^th, following the Pancake Breakfast in the Hellenic Cultural Center.

HOLY FRIDAY YOUTH RETREAT: From the Mystical Supper to Christ’s final moments on the cross and burial in the tomb, our youth will spend April 14^th, Holy Friday afternoon from 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm in learning, reflection, and prayer. Craft activities and snacks are included. Please contact the church office or sign up on the sheet posted outside the library entrance to let us know your young people’s availability to participate in this special Holy Friday Retreat. Stcons2@gmail.com or 734.525.6789. The church will provide a letter signed by Father Teodor requesting an excused absence for your child from school on that day.

PALM SUNDAY LUNCHEON: Our parish will hold its traditional Palm Sunday fish luncheon on Sunday, April 9^th, immediately following the Divine Liturgy service. We have delicious new menu items in our buffet! Plan to stay after service and attend with your family, as we begin Holy Week together. Tickets are on sale after church and in the church office. Additional info in the flyer included in this bulletin.

ANASTASI SUPPER: After the midnight Anastasi service, and the Divine Liturgy service, there will be a late-night (early morning) Anastasi Supper. Break the fast and of course, break a red egg or two with our parish family - Magiritsa soup and lamb will be served. Donations are appreciated, but not required for the supper.

EGG HUNT: After the beautiful Easter Sunday Agape service at 11:00 am, we will have our annual Easter Egg Hunt in the HCC! There will be lots of activities for the kids, treats, eggs… and of course the Easter Bunny will be there! Coffee and donuts for the grown-ups. Bring your young ones to church to receive the light and stay for the fun!

PRAY WITH US: All are welcome! This Tuesday, April 4^th at 10:00 am is our final Lenten Prayer group meeting. Please gather with us in the Board Room as we read the Akathist for St. Nektarios.

LENTEN SEAFOOD BUFFET This Friday April 7 is the final Lenten Seafood Buffet supper at the HCC for 2023. The delicious Lenten Seafood Buffet Supper is served from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. No reservations are required, but if you are coming with a large group, please contact the HCC to let them know, as these events are always very busy.

EUCHRE TOURNAMENT: Our Men’s Club is planning its annual Euchre Tournament onSaturday, April 22^nd. Cost is $45/per person, which includes cash prizes, keg beer, wine, pizza, hot dogs, slider, snacks and a contribution toward Feed the Needy and other church-related programs. Contact Paul Stavropoulos by phone at 248.709.9876 or by email at paulstavropoulos@att.net.

NEW AND NOTICES:

MYRROPHORES: We are looking for girls to volunteer (K – 6th grade) to act as the myrrh bearers (“myrrophores”) for the Good Friday 6:30 pm Epitaphio service. Girls should wear an all-white dress and shoes. We would like all the girls in this age group to participate. If your young girl would like to participate, send an email to the church office at stcons2@gmail.com, and we’ll send further instructions. Since white dresses can be hard to come by at this time of year, if your child has a white dress that they have outgrown or no longer use, please bring it to the church office, or hang it on the costume rack in the coat room for another young girl.

NAMES FOR GOOD FRIDAY MEMORIAL SERVICE: There will be a short Memorial service following the 3:30 pm Good Friday Apokathelosis service. There are sheets available in this bulletin and at the Pangari for names of the deceased that you would like remembered in prayer. We will not be taking any online submission of names.

RED EGG DYE: We are expecting a large shipment of Anatoli brand Red egg dye from Greece, which will be available for sale in the Church Bookstore on Palm Sunday and through Holy Week. (Our last shipment sold out immediately at the GreekFest.)

MDSC SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: Our parish will sponsor $100 for each St. Cons child who is registered for the Metropolis of Detroit Summer Camp program to assist with registration fees. Please talk to Fr. Teodor or the church office to get your scholarship if your child has registered for camp.

CHILDREN’S LAMBATHES: Our Mom’s Group is selling Children’s lambathes after church on Sunday and can be purchased after services or through the church office as long as they last!

COMMUNION VISITS: Father Teodor is making Easter Communion visits to the homebound. Please contact the church office if you would like to schedule a visit.

WE’RE HIRING! WE NEED YOUR HELP! As we move into the very busy spring and summer months, our Hellenic Cultural Center needs more staff! The HCC is hiring servers, dishwashers, and kitchen prep workers now. If you are interested, or if you know somebody who would like to apply for work, please contact Kathy McMullen at helleniccc@gmail.com or 734.525.3550. These would be good jobs for people looking for some extra income, but not a full-time commitment; for college students and older teens during the summer months; or anybody who wants to join a great team and work hard for the benefit of our parish.

MEMORIAL SERVICES: Please call the church office to schedule all memorials and coffee hour sponsorships at least two weeks in advance. On the day of the service, please bring a list of family names you would like Father to remember in prayer. Coffee Hour sponsorship is not required, however the church is grateful to those who wish to make a sponsorship donation of $150, and the HCC will set up a table with cloth and coffee, etc. for your family.

REMEMBER THE CHURCH IN YOUR WILL: You’ve supported the church your whole life, remembering us in your estate plan will help the church when you’re gone. Consult your estate planner or contact the Church office for information. We are grateful to our parishioners who have left bequests to the church. Their loving legacy made a big difference! May their memory be eternal.

Wisdom of the Fathers

Before He humbled Himself, only the angels knew him. After He humbled Himself, all human nature knew Him. You see how His humbling of Himself did not make Him have less but produced countless benefits, countless deeds of virtue, and made His glory shine forth with greater brightness? God wants for nothing and has need of nothing. Yet, when He humbled Himself, He produced such great good, increased His household, and extended His kingdom. Why, then, are you afraid that you will become less if you humble yourself?

St. John Chrysostom

On the Incomprehensible Nature of God. 8.46-47. Taken from: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Vol: Mark. Intervarsity Press, 2005, p. 143.

But let no man be troubled at the apostles being in such an imperfect state. For not yet was the cross accomplished, not yet the grace of the Spirit given. But if thou wouldest learn their virtue, notice them after these things, and thou wilt see them superior to every passion.