Fourth Sunday of Lent - Saint John of the Ladder

Transcript

1 Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 8306 NC HWY 751, Durham NC News & Announcements April 10, 2016 Fourth Sunday of Lent - Saint John of the Ladder Terence and his Companions beheaded at Carthage Gregory V, the Holy Martyr and Patriarch of Constantinople Holy Father Theona, Archbishop of Thessolonica 150 and more Righteous Martyr Fathers of the Sacred Monastery of Pantocrator Daou Pentelis NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy 10:00 am To Our Visitors and Guests We welcome you to worship with us today, whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us. Although Holy Communion and other Sacraments are offered only to baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Antidoron is not a sacrament, but it is reminiscent of the agape feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. After the Divine Liturgy this morning please join us in the Church hall for fellowship and refreshments. Please complete a Visitor's Card before you leave today and drop it in the offering tray, or give it to one of the parishioners after the service, or mail it to the church Office. St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20 Today's Readings: BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 1

2 Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 6:13-20 Ἀδελφοί, τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ὁ θεός, ἐπεὶ κατʼ οὐδενὸς εἶχεν μείζονος ὀμόσαι, ὤμοσεν καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ, λέγων, Ἦ μὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε, καὶ πληθύνων πληθυνῶ σε. Καὶ οὕτως μακροθυμήσας ἐπέτυχεν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν, καὶ πάσης αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογίας πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν ὁ ὅρκος. Ἐν ᾧ περισσότερον βουλόμενος ὁ θεὸς ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὸ ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ, ἐμεσίτευσεν ὅρκῳ, ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ καταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος ἣν ὡς ἄγκυραν ἔχομεν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ βεβαίαν, καὶ εἰσερχομένην εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.. The Gospel according to Mark 9:17-31 At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 9:17-31 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἄνθρωπός τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγων, διδάσκαλε, ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν μου πρός σε, ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον. καὶ ὅπου ἂν αὐτὸν καταλάβῃ, ῥήσσει αὐτόν, καὶ ἀφρίζει καὶ τρίζει τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ξηραίνεται καὶ εἶπον τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου ἵνα αὐτὸ ἐκβάλωσι, καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν. ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῷ λέγει ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος, ἕως πότε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔσομαι; ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν; φέρετε αὐτὸν πρός με. καὶ ἤνεγκαν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτόν. καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εὐθέως τὸ πνεῦμα ἐσπάραξεν αὐτόν, καὶ πεσὼν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκυλίετο ἀφρίζων. καὶ ἐπηρώτησε τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ πόσος χρόνος ἐστὶν ὡς τοῦτο γέγονεν αὐτῷ; ὁ δὲ εἶπε παιδιόθεν. καὶ πολλάκις αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς πῦρ ἔβαλε καὶ εἰς ὕδατα, ἵνα ἀπολέσῃ αὐτόν ἀλλ εἴ τι δύνασαι, βοήθησον ἡμῖν σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐφ ἡμᾶς. ὁ δὲ Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι, πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι. καὶ εὐθέως κράξας ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ παιδίου μετὰ δακρύων ἔλεγε πιστεύω, κύριε βοήθει μου τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ. ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Ιησοῦς ὅτι ἐπισυντρέχει ὄχλος, ἐπετίμησε τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ λέγων αὐτῷ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἄλαλον καὶ κωφόν, ἐγώ σοι ἐπιτάσσω, ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ μηκέτι εἰσέλθῃς εἰς αὐτόν. καὶ κράξαν καὶ πολλὰ σπαράξαν αὐτὸν ἐξῆλθε, καὶ ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ νεκρός, ὥστε πολλοὺς λέγειν ὅτι ἀπέθανεν. ὁ δὲ Ιησοῦς κρατήσας αὐτὸν τῆς χειρὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀνέστη. Καὶ εἰσελθόντα αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν κατ ἰδίαν, ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς τοῦτο τὸ γένος ἐν οὐδενὶ δύναται ἐξελθεῖν εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ. Καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἐξελθόντες παρεπορεύοντο διὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν ἵνα τις γνῷ ἐδίδασκε γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται. Philoptochos Autism Fund Collection Today The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has called Autism a national public health crisis more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. This fund provides assistance and support to persons within the Autism spectrum and promotes education to heighten Autism awareness. From , over $130,000 has been distributed from this fund. GENERAL PHILOPTOCHOS MEETING TODAY AFTER CHURCH IN THE BOARD ROOM. 2

3 Today's Commemoration On this Sunday, the third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the Saint John Climacus by Nicol Zabak The symbolic ascent to heaven is customarily portrayed by the flight skyward with angelic wings; one of our saints, however, depicts the ascension by the more practical use of a ladder. This symbolic ladder is to be scaled in a series of spiritual rungs where increasingly more exertion is required in order to see the Kingdom of God. The author of this approach was St. John of the Ladder who was one of the greatest writers in Christianity. The Ladder of Perfection is a treatise on spiritual exercises and actions, which present in a brilliant and scholarly fashion and approach to the throne of Heaven. Born in the sixth century, John spent the first sixteen years of his life in Palestine, the ancient Holy Land of his birth whose traditions he respected and whose Christian heritage is cherished. His early ambitions were realized when he went to the monastery of St. Catherine at Mt. Sinai, the oldest Christian monastery in the world. There he became one of the most scholarly monks in Christendom. The site of St. Catherine s was conducive to prayer and meditation, for there the scene of the burning bush took place and there Moses received the word of God himself. Moreover, to this place the grieving St. Helen, mother of St. Constantine the Great, came on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land some three hundred years before. John is remembered not only as the author of the masterful Ladder of Perfection, but also as the originator of hesychasm, the divine quietness that leads one to God through constant prayer, the prayer which has come to be known as the pure or intellectual Jesus Prayer. Regarding this John wrote: Let the remembrance of Jesus be present with each breath, and then you will know the value of hesychia. He continued to champion this doctrine which found eager support among Christian thinkers, chief among them was St. Gregory Palamas, whose sponsorship brought about official Church recognition of hesychasm in the fourteenth century. For more than seventy years, John of the Ladder practiced what he preached in the confines of his desert monastery. He achieved such a reputation for piety and wisdom that men from all walks of life were drawn to his side and came from all over the east to make a pilgrimage to his retreat. From John s strong faith and fervent prayer came the power of healing through the divine intervention of the Jesus. If nothing else, St. John s visitors would leave him with a serenity which they had never before experience and with a sense of fulfillment that would last a lifetime. One of the Christendom s finest figures, he died on March 30 at the age of eighty-six. His feast day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. FUNDRAISING PROJECTS TO DATE: 2015 February 7 June 6-7 July 18 September 12 September 26 October 3 November 6 November December 6 December 12 January 16 January 30 February 20 October 1 September 24 Gyro Day Greek Festival Gyro Feast Yard Sale Fashion Show Chicken Dinners To-go Evening of Music Joint Philoptochos/PC Fundraiser Saint Barbara Celebration Banquet Holiday Greek Pastries 2016 Evening of Music Spaghetti Event Gyro Event Chicken Event Evening of Jazz 3

4 Holy Worship Services of the Week Wednesday, April 13th Pre-Sanctified Liturgy at 6:30 pm Friday Evening, April 15th 5th Salutation to the Theotokos 6:30 pm Blessings, Donna Looking ahead to Lent and Easter, I wanted to set up some rehearsal times as the church calendar is full with activities. These will be primarily on Saturday mornings. We may have to add/subtract as we get closer to Easter but I will let you know any changes.plan to come to all or as many as you can. Saturday, March 12...Rehearsal from noon to 1:30 This rehearsal will be preparation for the Sunday of Orthodoxy service on March 20. Saturday, April :30-1:00 Saturday, April :30-1:00 Saturday, April :30-1:00 Palm Sunday...April 24, Holy Week...April 25-29, Resurrection Service,...April 30, Youth Dance Practice Schedule: The St. Barbara Greek Dance Troupe has completed 6 practices and has 6 remaining in order to prepare for this year s festival. Practices are immediately following church on Sundays. The remaining schedule is as follows: April 10 and 17 (no dance practice from Saturday of Lazarus, April 23 through Easter on May 1) May 8, 15, 22 and 29 (May 29 contingent on everyone s availability due to the holiday weekend) Please make every effort to attend the remaining practices and block your calendars for the festival on June 4 and 5. If you have any questions please contact Alexia and Keith Rheinhardt at keithalexia@gmail.com or Seamstress Needed The St. Barbara Dance Troupe desires to upgrade our costumes with new headscarves for the young ladies and updated sashes for the young men. If you have sewing skills and would be willing to help with this effort, please contact Alexia and Keith Rheinhardt (keithalexia@gmail.com or ). 4

5 DUKE OCF News The Duke Students will meet with Fr. Stavroforos on the First and Third Mondays of the Month at the Mosaic Space, Keohane 4B (4th Floor) Here is a map for you to find it. I recommend taking a few seconds to orient yourselves before the walk. The room is near the walking bridge over Wannamaker Lane. For more information contact Andrew Katsohirakis at andrew.katsohirakis@duke.edu Thursday, April 21 Monday, May 2 Easter flower orders continue today Return forms to eve kantner FLowers are Given In Memory of or For the Health of Make Checks Payable to: saint barbara philoptochos society $15 per Arrangement LAST DAY TO ORDER flowers sunday april 10 Philoptochos News and Updates: April Wednesday 6: Board Mtg 7pm Sunday 10: Autism Collection Sunday 10: General Membership Mtg Saturday 16: Blanket Workshop 1-3 Friday 29: (after am Church service) Decorating the Kouvouklion Wrapping Dyed Easter Eggs May Wednesday 4: Board Mtg 7pm Saturday 14: Blanket Making 1-3 Sunday 15/22: General Membership Mtg (*depends on last day of Sunday School*) Sunday * : Sunday School Award and Recognition Day* June Saturday 18: Blanket Making 1-3 Dues:for the current year are $30.00, checks should be made payable to St. Barbara Philoptochos SERVICES FOR THE VIRGIN MARY DURING GREAT LENT Services of Salutations to the Theotokos on Friday Evenings throughout Great Lent at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 18th Friday, March 25th Friday, April 1st Friday, April 8th The Akathist to the Theotokos Friday, April 15th at 6:30 p.m. 5

6 Why should I go to the church and participate in this service? First, it is always good to make an effort to go to the church and pray. Second, it is always good to pray together with my parish priest and my fellow parishioners; my daily prayers are essential, but no less important are my corporate prayers. Third, it is good to offer thanksgiving to the Virgin Mary for all the many prayers and intercessions she has made to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for me and my family. I cry out to her in my need - but I seldom pause to thank her for her prayers. Fourth, it is good to participate in these services which only take place during Great Lent. Besides, the hymns and melodies are some of the most-beautiful and most-beloved in the Orthodox Church. Pre-sanctified Liturgies During Great Lent Pre-Sanctified Liturgies offered on Wednesday Evenings throughout Great Lent at 6:30 p.m. Dates that the Pre-Sanctified will be offered: Wednesdays March 16, 23, 30 Wednesdays April 6, 13, 20 Explanation of the Service: The Eucharistic Divine Liturgy is not celebrated in the Orthodox Church on Lenten weekdays because of its celebratory nature. In order for the faithful to sustain their Lenten effort by participation in Holy Communion, the Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts is served. The Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts is usually an evening service. It is the solemn Lenten Vespers with the administration of Holy Communion added to it. There is no consecration of the Eucharistic gifts at the Pre-sanctified Liturgy. Holy Communion is given from the Eucharistic gifts sanctified on the previous Sunday at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Fasting Guidelines for Receiving Holy Communion at the Evening Service: So that the Body and Blood of our Lord may be the first thing to pass our lips on the day of communion, we abstain from all food and drink from the time that we retire (or midnight, whichever comes first) the night before. Married couples should abstain from sexual relations the night before communion. When communion is in the evening, as with Pre-sanctified Liturgies during Lent, this fast should if possible be extended throughout the day until after communion. For those who cannot keep this discipline, a total fast beginning at noon is sometimes prescribed. The St. Barbara Philoptochos would like to thank those parishioners who generously donated clothing for the Philoptochos Dress for Success Campaign. The clothing was delivered April 4th. We had a nice amount of suits and some accessories. Dress for Success is a National nonprofit organization supplying homeless and needful women with office appropriate attire and accessories for interviews and the workplace. Thank you for your generosity. Catherine Constantinou 919/

7 April Religious Calendar for rd Salutation Service - 6:30 pm on Friday 3 - Veneration of the Holy Cross - 3rd Sunday of Lent - 9:00 am 6 - Pre-Sanctified for the 4th Wednesday of Lent - 6:30 pm 8-4th Salutation Service - 6:30 pm on Friday 10 - St. John Climacus - 4th Sunday of Lent - 9:00 am 13 - Pre-Sanctified for the 5th Wednesday of Lent - 6:30 pm 15 - The Akathyst Service - 6:30 pm on Friday 17 - Mary of Egypt - 5th Sunday of Lent - 9:00 am 20 - Pre-Sanctified for the Wednesday before Holy Week - 6:30 pm Saturday of Lazarus - 9:00 am 24 - Palm Sunday Morning - 9:00 am 24-1st Bridegroom Service - 6:30 pm 25 - Holy Monday - 2nd Bridegroom Service - 6:30 pm 26 - Holy Tuesday - 3rd Bridegroom Service - 6:30 pm 27 - Holy Wednesday - Service of Holy Unction - 6:30 pm 28 - Holy Thursday Morning Vespers with Liturgy of St. Basil- 9:00 am 28 - Holy Thursday Evening Passion Service - 6:30 pm 29 - Good Friday Morning Royal Hours - 9:00 am 29 - Good Friday Afternoon Descent from the Cross - 3:00 pm 29 - Good Friday Evening - Lamentation Service - 6:30 pm 30 - Holy Saturday Morning Vespers with Liturgy of St. Basil- 9:00 am 30- Matins and Resurrection Service - 11:00 pm 1 - Easter Agape Service - 11:00 am 7

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9 READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE SATURDAY NIGHT LENTEN BOOK CLUB text Pavel Florensky's "Iconostasis" St. Vladimir Press 1996 Session 1 (March 5): The Spiritual Structure of Dreams -pages Session 2 (March 12): Spiritual Sobriety and the Iconic Face - pages Session 3 (March 19): Orthodox Services and the Icon-pages Session 4 (March 26): The Councils on the Icon and the Iconpainter's Canonic Life -pages Session 5 (April 2): The History of Artistic Technique, Western and Iconic-pages Session 6 (April 9): Iconic Clothes and the Meaning of Gold -pages Session 7 (April 16): The Ontology of Making the Icon -pages Session 8 (April 23): The Metaphysics of Light and St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians & Conclusion-pages AHEPA SCHOLARSHIPS : Please note that the following AHEPA scholarships are available to students who qualify : 1) AHEPA National [ahepa.org] undergraduates and graduates may apply by latest March 31 st ; 2) District 3 [ahepa district 3] high school grads and undergraduates may apply by Apriol 15; 3) Chapter 277 local scholarships St. Barbara parish high school grads may apply by latest April 15, 2016; hard-copy applications for all scholarships are also on the AHEPA table. 9

10 FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO PARTICIPATE : A Palm Cross Maker After Services for the Saturday of Lazarus Contact Evelyn Zehia ezehia@att.net or Cleo Papanikas cleopatrazp@aol.com A Holy Week Reader Contact Pete Marinos pnm1@yahoo.com An Epitaphio Decorator After the Royal Hours on Good Friday Contact Dina Paliouras via cindy.paliouras@gmail.com A Parent with Child who Receives the Body of Christ from the Cross. In the middle of the 3:00 service of Good Friday Contact Cleo Papanikas cleopatrazp@aol.com Participating in the Choir Contact Donna Trohanis donnatro@bellsouth.net Participating in the Reading of the Gospel in a Language other than English or Greek at the Agape Service Contact Pete Marinos pnm1@yahoo.com or Larry Odzak larryodzak@gmail.com Easter Eggs for Toole Wrapping Should be dyed at home and brought to church on Good Friday to be wrapped on the premises. Contact Catherine Mariakakis at mariakakis@frontier.com Volunteering in the Narthex and Ushering Parishioners Contact Johnny Mariakakis mariakakis@att.net Being a Pall-bearer that carries the Epitaphio Contact Nicholas Paliouras nickpali82@yahoo.com Being a Myrrh-bearer at our Lord's Tomb Contact Cleo Papanikas cleopatrazp@aol.com Being an Altar Boy Contact Burt Keener bkeener@nc.rr.com or Gus Megaloudis gusmegaloudis@hotmail.com Adorning the Church with an Easter Lily that your Purchased Hope Odzak hdodzak@gmail.com Contributing a food item for the International Easter Pot Luck After the Midnight Service Let Helen Paliouras Know What Your Bringing. elenipali.@att.net. All Covered Dishes Should be taken directly to the Church Hall. Everyone is invited to offer a cover dish. Watching your child Enjoy the Easter Egg Hunt Activities on Thomas Sunday May 8 Contact Person Christi Kleoudis ckleoudis@gmail.com 10