Archangel Michael Church Η Εκκλησία του Αρχαγγέλου Μιχαήλ March 26, Leave-taking of Annunciation Grave Mode 7th Morning Gospel

Transcript

1 Archangel Michael Church Η Εκκλησία του Αρχαγγέλου Μιχαήλ 100 Fairway Drive, Port Washington, NY Phone: (516) Web Site: Clergy: Fr. John Lardas, Fr. Joshua Pappas, Fr. Dennis Strouzas March 26, Leave-taking of Annunciation Grave Mode 7 th Morning Gospel Today - the fourth Sunday of Great Lent - is usually dedicated to St. John Klimakos, who exemplified the 30 steps of repentance and holiness outlined in his Ladder of Divine Ascent. However, since today is the day after the Annunciation - one of the 12 major feasts of the Church - St. John is replaced by the leave-taking of the Annunciation and the Synaxis of Archangel Gabriel. Below is an excerpt from one of Fr. Alexander Schmemann s sermons on the Annunciation: I don t pretend to understand what an angel is, nor, using the limited language of rationalism, can I explain the event that occurred almost 2000 years ago in a tiny Galilean town. But it strikes me that mankind has never forgotten this story, that these few verses have repeatedly been incorporated into countless paintings, poems, and prayers, and that they have inspired and continued to inspire. This means, of course, that people heard something infinitely important to them in these words, some truth which apparently could be expressed in no other way than in the childish, joyful language of Luke s Gospel. What is this truth? What happened when the young woman, barely past childhood, suddenly heard - from what profound depth, from what transcendent height! - that wonderful greeting: Rejoice! For that is indeed the angel s message to the Theotokos: Rejoice! The world is filled with countless books on struggle and competition, each attempting to show that the road to happiness is hatred, and in none of them will you find the word joy. People don t even know what the word means. But the very same joy announced by the angel remains a pulsating force that still has power to startle and shake the human heart. But what is this joy about? Above all we rejoice in the very presence of this woman herself, whose face is known throughout the world, who gazes upon us from icons, and who became one of the most sublime and purest figures of art and human imagination. We rejoice in her response to the angel, to her faithfulness, purity, wholeness, to her total self-giving and boundless humility, all of which forever ring out in her words: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. The joy of Annunciation is about the angel s glad tidings, that the people had found grace with God and that soon, very soon, through her, through this totally unknown Galilean woman, God would begin to fulfill the mystery of the world s redemption. There would be no thunder and no fear in His presence, but He would come to her in the joy and fullness of childhood. Through her a Child will now be King: a Child, weak, defenseless, yet though Him all the powers of evil are to be forever stripped of power.

2 Άγιοι και Εορτές Ἀπόδοσις τοῦ Εὐαγγελισµοῦ. Τὴν Σύναξιν ἐπιτελοῦµεν τοῦ Ἀρχαγγέλου Γαβριήλ. Tῶν Ἁγίων κϛʹ Μαρτύρων, τῶν ἐν Γοτθίᾳ µαρτυρησάτνων. Tῶν Ἁγίων Μαρτύρων, Κοδράτου, Θεοδοσίου, Μανουήλ, καὶ ἑτέρων Μʹ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀνατολῇ. Tοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡµῶν Στεφάνου τοῦ ὁµολογητοῦ, τοῦ Τριγλίας Ἡγουµένου. Saints and Feasts The leave-taking of Annunciation; the synaxis of Archangel Gabriel, since he ministered the divine and ineffable mystery of the Incarnation; the holy twenty-six martyrs who witnessed in the land of the Goths; the holy martyrs Quadratus, Theodosios, Manuel, and another fourty in the Anatolia; our devout father Stephen the confessor, Abbot of Triglia. Α πολυτίκιον Α ναστα σιμον Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον, ἠνέῳξας τῷ Λῃστῇ τὸν Παράδεισον, τῶν Μυροφόρων τὸν θρῆνον µετέβαλες, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις κηρύττειν ἐπέταξας ὅτι ἀνέστης Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, παρέχων τῷ κόσµῳ τὸ µέγα ἔλεος. Α πολυτίκιον Τῆς Ἑορτῆς Σήµερον τῆς σωτηρίας ἡµῶν τὸ Κεφάλαιον, καὶ τοῦ ἀπ' αἰῶνος Μυστηρίου ἡ φανέρωσις, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Υἱὸς τῆς Παρθένου γίνεται, καὶ Γαβριὴλ τὴν χάριν εὐαγγελίζεται. Διὸ καὶ ἡµεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ τῇ Θεοτόκῳ βοήσωµεν Χαῖρε Κεχαριτωµένη, ὁ Κύριος µετὰ σοῦ. Απολυτίκιον Των Ταξιαρχών Τῶν οὐρανίων στρατιῶν Ἀρχιστράτηγοι, δυσωποῦμεν ὑμᾶς ἡμεῖς οἱ ἀνάξιοι, ἵνα ταῖς ὑμῶν δεήσεσι, τειχίσητε ἡμᾶς, σκέπῃ τῶν πτερύγων, τῆς ἀΰλου ὑμῶν δόξης, φρουροῦντες ἡμᾶς προσπίπτοντας, ἐκτενῶς καὶ βοῶντας Ἐκ τῶν κινδύνων λυτρώσασθε ἡμᾶς, ὡς Ταξιάρχαι τῶν ἄνω Δυνάμεων. Κοντα κιον Τῇ ὑπερµάχῳ στρατηγῷ τὰ νικητήρια, ὡς λυτρωθεῖσα τῶν δεινῶν εὐχαριστήρια, ἀναγράφω σοι ἡ Πόλις σου Θεοτόκε. Ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσµάχητον, ἐκ παντοίων µε κινδύνων ἐλευθέρωσον, ἵνα κράζω σοι Χαῖρε νύµφη ἀνύµφευτε. Resurrectional Hymn (Grave Mode) By Your Cross, O Lord, You destroyed death. To the thief You opened Paradise; the myrrhbearers' sorrow You transformed into joy. And You sent Your Apostles forth to proclaim that You had risen from the dead, Christ our God, bestowing on all the world Your great mercy. Hymn of the Feast (4 th Mode) Today is the summary of our salvation, and the revelation of the age-old mystery. For the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announces the good news of grace. Therefore, let us join him, and cry aloud to the Theotokos: "Rejoice, Maiden full of grace! The Lord is with you." Hymn of the Archangels Supreme Commanders of * the hosts of the Heavens * we, the unworthy, importune and beseech you * that by your supplications you encircle us * in the shelter of the wings * of your heavenly glory * guarding us who now fall down * and cry to you with fervor. * Deliver us from dangers of all kinds * as the great marshals of the heavenly hosts on high. Kontakion of the Feast (Pl. 4 th Mode) O Champion General, I your City now ascribe to you * triumphant anthems as the tokens of my gratitude, * being rescued from the terrors, O Theotokos. * Inasmuch as you have power unassailable, * from all kinds of perils free me so that unto you * I may cry aloud: * Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.

3 St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews (6:13-20) 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. Πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ἐπιστολῆς Παύλου (6:13-20) Ἀδελφοί, τῷ Ἀβραὰµ ἐπαγγειλάµενος ὁ Θεός, ἐπεὶ κατ' οὐδενὸς εἶχε µείζονος ὀµόσαι, ὤµοσε καθ' ἑαυτοῦ, λέγων ἦ µὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε καὶ πληθύνων πληθυνῶ σε καὶ οὕτω µακροθυµήσας ἐπέτυχε τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Ἄνθρωποι µὲν γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ µείζονος ὀµνύουσι, 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 Holy 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." Kατὰ Μᾶρκον ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου (9:17-31) Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἄνθρωπός τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ γονυπετῶν αὐτῷ καὶ λέγων Διδάσκαλε, ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν µου πρὸς σέ, 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 Ἰησοῦς 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 Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἐπισυντρέχει ὄχλος ἐπετίµησε τῷ πνεύµατι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ λέγων αὐτῷ Τὸ πνεῦµα τὸ ἄλαλον καὶ κωφὸν, ἐγὼ σοι ἐπιτάσσω, ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ µηκέτι εἰσέλθῃς εἰς αὐτόν. καὶ κράξαν καὶ πολλὰ σπαράξαν αὐτόν ἐξῆλθε, καὶ ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ νεκρός, ὥστε πολλοὺς λέγειν ὅτι ἀπέθανεν. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς κρατήσας αὐτὸν τῆς χειρὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀνέστη. Καὶ εἰσελθόντα αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον οἱ µαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπηρώτων αὐτόν 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.

4 Σύναξη του Αρχαγγέλου Γαβριήλ Βιογραφία Το όνομα Γαβριήλ σημαίνει «άνθρωπος του Θεού». Στην Αγία Γραφή, τον Αρχάγγελο Γαβριήλ τον συναντάμε μία φορά στην Παλαιά Διαθήκη και δύο φορές στην Καινή. Στην Παλαιά Διαθήκη, μας τον παρουσιάζει ο Δανιήλ σε μια όραση του (Η' 16-17), όταν ζητάει απ' αυτόν την εξήγηση της. Εκεί παρουσιάζεται μπροστά του κάποιος άνθρωπος, που είναι ο Αρχάγγελος Γαβριήλ, και του εξηγεί ότι το κριάρι με τα δύο κέρατα σήμαινε τους βασιλείς της Μηδίας και της Περσίας, ο δε τριχωτός τράγος, το βασιλιά της Ελλάδας. Στην Καινή Διαθήκη, ο αρχάγγελος Γαβριήλ στέλνεται στο Ζαχαρία (Λουκ. Α' 11-19) και του αναγγέλλει ότι η γυναίκα του Ελισάβετ θα συλλάβει και θα γεννήσει τον Ιωάννη τον Πρόδρομο. Ο Αρχάγγελος Γαβριήλ, επίσης, είναι αυτός που ευαγγελίζεται στην Παρθένο Μαρία την άσπορη σύλληψη και γέννηση του Σωτήρα Χριστού (βλέπε 25 Μαρτίου). Α πολυτίκιον Ἦχος δ Τῶν οὐρανίων στρατιῶν Ἀρχιστράτηγε, δυσωποῦμέν σε ἀεί ἡμεῖς οἱ ἀνάξιοι, ἵνα ταῖς σαῖς δεήσεσι τειχίσῃς ἡμᾶς, σκέπῃ τῶν πτερύγων τῆς ἀῢλου σου δόξης, φρουρῶν ἡμᾶς προσπίπτοντας ἐκτενῶς καί βοῶντας Ἐκ τῶν κινδύνων λύτρωσαι ἡμᾶς, ὡς Ταξιάρχης τῶν ἄνω Δυνάμεων. Κοντάκιον Ἦχος δ Ἀρχιστράτηγε Θεοῦ λειτουργέ θείας δόξης, τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁδηγέ καὶ ἀρχηγέ Ἀσωμάτων, τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν πρέσβευε, καὶ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος, ὡς τῶν Ἀσωμάτων Ἀρχιστράτηγος. *Οι πληροφορίες είναι από:

5 Worship Services Monday, March 27, 2017 ~ The Great Compline ~ 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, 2017 ~ The Great Compline ~ 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, 2017 ~ Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy ~ Chapel 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ~ Followed by Lenten Discussion Thursday, March 30, 2017~ The Great Compline ~ 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 31, 2017 ~ Pre-Sanctified Divine Liturgy ~ 9:30 a.m. Salutations of the Akthistos ~ 7:00 p.m. Saturday, April 1, 2017 ~ Divine Liturgy of the Akathistos ~ 9:30 a.m. Upcoming Events Save the New Date and save your blood donation for the Archangel Michael Annual Blood Drive scheduled for Tuesday, May 2nd from 2:30 pm 8:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. 1 in 3 adults will require a blood transfusion at some point in their lives. To be eligible to donate, you must be between the ages of 16 and 75, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Maryann or Marina Vlahos at Save the Date ~ Saturday, June 3, 7:30 p.m. ~ GAIA Theater Group presents in the Fellowship Hall H Βασιλοποὑλα πἁει στὁν πὁλεμο

6 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS Blessings in a Backpack: Let us not forget the families here in our hometown of Port Washington that count on these weekend backpacks to supplement the weekly hot breakfast and lunch programs that the schools offer. We are committed to filling 55 backpacks each weekend until April 2 nd. Our Greek Language Institute PTA is coordinating the sign-up genius, the collection of the needed foods and the filling and delivery of the backpacks. Please contact us for details if you would like to participate. Blessings in a Backpack is a 501 c(3) non- profit currently feeding over 89,000 children in nearly 1100 schools in 47 US states and D.C. Dance your way to fitness with GREEK ZUMBA this Tuesday 3/28 here at the AMC gym. Bring water, a mat and your kefi! 6-7 pm $20 donation We are working on making this program a recurring one. Stay tuned The Clothing drive to benefit Dress for Success and Career Gear (professional attire for men and women) has begun and will run thru the end of May. Donations can be dropped off at the Church office, Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm and on Sundays during coffee hour. Please place your items in the appropriately labeled bins. Donations should be clean and ready-to-wear. ALL SIZES ARE NEEDED AND WELCOMED! Red Eggs needed! Please help us by dyeing an extra couple dozen eggs. You can deliver them to the church starting Holy Wednesday up until and no later than Good Friday morning, when we will be wrapping them in tulle in preparation for Anastasi. Tsourekia from Agia Skepi will be for sale at $15 for the 1.25lb braid / $20 for the 2lb boxed loaf on Palm Sunday and on Holy Wednesday. Tables will be set up outside the Fellowship Hall.

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