Archangel Michael Church Η Εκκλησία του Αρχαγγέλου Μιχαήλ 100 Fairway Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 Phone: (516) 944-3180 Web Site: www.archangelmichaelchurch.org Clergy: Fr John Lardas, Fr Joshua Pappas, Fr Dennis Strouzas April 30, 2017 Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women 2 nd Mode 4 th Morning Gospel The Vision of God If we could preserve the perfect vision of the invisible God, we would be happier, wiser, and stronger in every walk of life. (St Nikolai Velimirovich +1956) What is this vision of God? How do we know if we ve seen God, if we ve experienced Him? Isn t it much easier, much safer, to focus on objective, tangible things in life, whether religious or otherwise? The account of the myrrh-bearing women in today s gospel helps us answer these important questions. The myrrh-bearers - who left everything and followed Jesus like the disciples - are on their way to Christ s tomb, and their eyes are fixed on earthly things. They re carrying ointments and spices to anoint Christ s dead body, according to Jewish custom. They re weighed down by the normal cares and concerns of life; anxiety fills them because they don t know who will roll away the large stone in order for them to enter the tomb. But when they arrive, all expectations are shattered. The stone is already rolled to the side, and Christ s body is nowhere to be found. Instead, inside the tomb, they encounter a young man dressed in a dazzling white robe - an angel. The myrrh-bearers are seized with fear; they re motionless, unable to say anything. The angel senses their fear and assures them with sensitivity, saying: Don t be afraid. He s preparing them to receive the greatest news humanity has ever received, and he delivers the news, as St Nikolai explains, in the briefest, simplest way possible: Christ is risen; He is not here. At this point, if we look at the original Greek, we see that something more than just fear takes hold of the myrrh-bearers. Fear causes them to literally shake and tremble, but they re also in a state of ecstasy. They re awe-struck to such a degree that they re taken out of their normal mode of existence in a manner beyond explanation. Gone is the ordinary perception of things. It s almost as if they re transported outside themselves; they re so gripped that their eyes no longer focus on the material objects around them but on divine things beyond all forms and images. Through no merit of their own, God seizes the myrrh-bearers and grants them an experience of divinity, of sublime ecstasy. What a precious thing - to experience God in a way that arrests all our thoughts and preoccupations. Many of us have had similar experiences, whether or not we realize it. And how do we respond when we re gripped by an intense awareness of God? Silence. As St Nikolai says: We mortal humans express God s glory more easily in silence and with tears than with our tongues.
Άγιοι και Εορτές Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡµέρᾳ, Κυριακῇ τρίτῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πάσχα, τὴν τῶν ἁγίων γυναικῶν Μυροφόρων ἑορτὴν ἑορτάζοµεν ἔτι δὲ µνείαν ποιούµεθα καὶ τοῦ ἐξ Ἀριµαθαίας Ἰωσήφ, ὅς ἦν µαθητὴς κεκρυµµένος πρὸς δὲ καὶ τοῦ νυκτερινοῦ µαθητοῦ Νικοδήµου. Tοῦ Ἁγίου ἐνδόξου Ἀποστόλου Ἰακώβου ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Θεολόγου. Tοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡµῶν Κλήµεντος τοῦ Ποιητοῦ. H Ἁγία Νεοµάρτυς Ἀργυρῆ. Ἀπολυτίκιον Τῆς Ἑορτῆς Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς µνήµασι, ζωὴν χαρισάµενος. Εἰσοδικόν Ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Θεόν, Κύριον ἐκ πηγῶν Ἰσραήλ. Σῶσον ἡµᾶς Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ψάλλοντάς σοι, Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἀναστάσιµον Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἡ Ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος, τότε τὸν ᾍδην ἐνέκρωσας τῇ ἀστραπῇ τῆς Θεότητος, ὅτε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ Δυνάµεις τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἐκραύγαζον Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡµῶν δόξα σοι. Ἀπολυτίκιον Τῆς Ἑορτῆς Ὁ εὐσχήµων Ἰωσήφ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καθελών, τὸ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶµα, σινδόνι καθαρᾷ, εἰλήσας καὶ ἀρώµασιν, ἐν µνήµατι καινῷ, κηδεύσας ἀπέθετο ἀλλὰ τριήµερος ἀνέστης Κύριε, παρέχων τῷ κόσµῳ τὸ µέγα ἔλεος Ἀπολυτίκιον Τῆς Ἑορτῆς Ταῖς µυροφόροις Γυναιξί, παρὰ τὸ µνῆµα ἐπιστάς, ὁ Ἄγγελος ἐβόα Τὰ µύρα τοῖς θνητοῖς ὑπάρχει ἁρµόδια, Χριστὸς δὲ διαφθορᾶς ἐδείχθη ἀλλότριος, ἀλλὰ κραυγάσατε Ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος, παρέχων τῷ κόσµῳ τὸ µέγα ἔλεος. Κοντάκιον Εἰ καὶ ἐν τάφῳ κατῆλθες Ἀθάνατε, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ᾅδου καθεῖλες τὴν δύναµιν καὶ ἀνέστης ὡς νικητής, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, γυναιξὶ Μυροφόροις φθεγξάµενος, Χαίρετε, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις εἰρήνην δωρούµενος, ὁ τοῖς πεσοῦσι παρέχων ἀνάστασιν. Saints and Feasts On this day, the third Sunday reckoned from Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the holy Myrrh-bearing Women, along with Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple, and also Nicodemos, the disciple by night; the holy and glorious Apostle James, the brother of St. John the Theologian; our devout father Clement the ecclesiastical poet; the holy Neo-martyr Argyri, who confessed Christ in Constantinople. Hymn of the Feast (Pl. 1 st Mode) Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life. Entrance Hymn (2 nd Mode) Bless God in the churches, the Lord from the fountains of Israel. Save us, O Son of God, risen from the dead, we sing to You, Alleluia. Resurrectional Hymn When You descended into death, Life immortal, You vanquished the power of hell by Your resplendent divinity and when You raised the dead from the depths of darkness all the Heavenly Powers cried out triumphantly: O Give of Life, Christ our God, Glory to You! Hymn of the Feast (2 nd Mode) When he took down Your immaculate Body from the Cross, the honorable Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen shroud with spices and laid it for burial in a new tomb. But on the third day You arose, O Lord, and granted the world Your great mercy. Hymn of the Feast (2 nd Mode) The Angel standing at the sepulcher cried out and said to the ointment-bearing women: The ointments are appropriate for mortal men, but Christ has been shown to be a stranger to decay. So go and cry aloud, The Lord has risen and granted the world His great mercy. Kontakion of the Feast (Pl. 4 th Mode) Though You went down into the tomb, O Immortal One, yet You brought down the dominion of Hades; and You rose as the victor, O Christ our God; and You called out "Rejoice" to the Myrrh-bearing women, and gave peace to Your Apostles, O Lord who to the fallen grant resurrection.
Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 In those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. Πράξεων τῶν Ἀποστόλων 6:1-7 Ἐν ταῖς ἡµέραις ἐκείναις, πληθυνόντων τῶν µαθητῶν ἐγένετο γογγυσµὸς τῶν Ἑλληνιστῶν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑβραίους ὅτι παρεθεωροῦντο ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῇ καθηµερινῇ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν. Προσκαλεσάµενοι δὲ οἱ Δώδεκα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν µαθητῶν εἶπον Οὐκ ἀρεστόν ἐστιν ἡµᾶς καταλείψαντας τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ διακονεῖν τραπέζαις ἐπισκέψασθε οὖν ἀδελφοί ἄνδρας ἐξ ὑµῶν µαρτυρουµένους ἑπτὰ πλήρεις πνεύµατος καὶ σοφίας οὓς καταστήσοµεν ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ταύτης ἡµεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσοµεν. Καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον ἄνδρα πλήρη πίστεως καὶ πνεύµατος ἁγίου καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Πρόχορον καὶ Νικάνορα καὶ Τίµωνα καὶ Παρµενᾶν καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προσευξάµενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας. Καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ηὔξανεν καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθµὸς τῶν µαθητῶν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴµ σφόδρα πολύς τε ὄχλος τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουον τῇ πίστει. Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8 At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Kατὰ Μᾶρκον 15:43-47; 16:1-8 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ἐλθὼν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ Ἁριµαθαίας, εὐσχήµων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόµενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τολµήσας εἰσῆλθε πρὸς Πιλᾶτον καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶµα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἐθαύµασεν εἰ ἤδη τέθνηκε, καὶ προσκαλεσάµενος τὸν κεντυρίωνα ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν εἰ πάλαι ἀπέθανε καὶ γνοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ κεντυρίωνος ἐδωρήσατο τὸ σῶµα τῷ Ἰωσήφ. καὶ ἀγοράσας σινδόνα καὶ καθελὼν αὐτὸν ἐνείλησε τῇ σινδόνι καὶ κατέθηκεν αὐτὸν ἐν µνηµείῳ ὃ ἦν λελατοµηµένον ἐκ πέτρας, καὶ προσεκύλισε λίθον ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τοῦ µνηµείου. ἡ δὲ Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία Ἰωσῆ ἐθεώρουν ποῦ τίθεται. Καὶ διαγενοµένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ Ἰακώβου καὶ Σαλώµη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώµατα ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν. καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τς µιᾶς σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ µνηµεῖον, ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου. καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς Τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡµῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ µνηµείου; καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος ἦν γὰρ µέγας σφόδρα. καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τὸ µνηµεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον καθήµενον ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς, περιβεβληµένον στολὴν λευκήν, καὶ ἐξεθαµβήθησαν. ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐταῖς Μὴ ἐκθαµβεῖσθε Ἰησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνὸν τὸν ἐσταυρωµένον ἠγέρθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε ἴδε ὁ τόπος ὅπου ἔθηκαν αὐτόν. ἀλλ' ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς µαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ὅτι προάγει ὑµᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε, καθὼς εἶπεν ὑµῖν. καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ µνηµείου εἶχε δὲ αὐτὰς τρόµος καὶ ἔκστασις, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπον ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.
Των Αγίων Μυροφόρων γυναικών, έτι δε Ιωσήφ του εξ Αριμαθαίας και του νυκτερινού μαθητού Νικοδήμου: Μυροφόρες είναι οι γυναίκες που ακολουθούσαν το Κύριο μαζί με τη Μητέρα του, έμειναν μαζί της κατά την ώρα του σωτηριώδους πάθους και φρόντισαν να αλείψουν με μύρα το σώμα του Κυρίου. Όταν δηλαδή ο Ιωσήφ και ο Νικόδημος ζήτησαν κι' έλαβαν από το Πιλάτο το δεσποτικό σώμα, το κατέβασαν από το σταυρό, το περιέβαλαν σε σινδόνια μαζί με εκλεκτά αρώματα, το τοποθέτησαν σε λαξευτό μνημείο κι' έβαλαν μεγάλη πέτρα πάνω στη θύρα του μνημείου, παρευρίσκονταν θεωρώντας κατά τον ευαγγελιστή Μάρκο η Μαρία η Μαγδαληνή και η άλλη Μαρία που καθόταν απέναντι του τάφου. Άλλη Μαρία εννοούσε οπωσδήποτε τη Θεομήτορα. Δεν παρευρισκόταν μόνο αυτές, αλλά και πολλές άλλες γυναίκες όπως αναφέρει και ο Λουκάς. Άγιος Ιάκωβος ο Απόστολος αδελφός Ιωάννου του Θεολόγου: Ο Απόστολος Ιάκωβος ήταν υιός του Ζεβεδαίου και της Σαλώμης και πρεσβύτερος αδελφός του Ευαγγελιστού Ιωάννου. Καταγόταν κι αυτός από την Βησθαϊδά της Γαλιλαίας. Ασχολούνταν με την αλιεία μαζί με τον Ιωάννη, έχοντας και οι δύο μαζί τους και τον πατέρα τους, καθώς και πολλούς εργάτες. Είχαν δικό τους πλοίο και συνεργάτης τους ήταν και ο Απόστολος Πέτρος. Παρ' όλα αυτά όταν άκουσαν το κήρυγμα του Ιησού «ἀφέντες τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν Ζεβεδαῖον ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ τῶν μισθωτῶν ἀπῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ» ( Μαρκ. 1, 20). Ο Ιάκωβος μαζί με τον Ιωάννη επέδειξαν μεγάλο ζήλο ως Μαθητές του Κυρίου. Γι' αυτό και εκλήθησαν υιοί βροντής και έγιναν μάρτυρες πολλών μεγάλων γεγονότων, που δεν τα εβίωσαν οι άλλοι Απόστολοι. Έγιναν αποκλειστικοί μάρτυρες της Μεταμορφώσεως του Κυρίου. Είδαν την θαυμαστή ανάσταση της θυγατέρας του αρχισυνάγωγου Ιάρειου και είχαν την ευλογία να προσκληθούν από τον Ιησού κοντά Του κατά τις ώρες της προσευχής και της αγωνίας Του στο κήπο της Γεσθημανή. Η οικειότητα αυτή οδήγησε προφανώς τον Ιάκωβο με τον αδελφό του Ιωάννη να ζητήσουν μέσω της μητέρας τους από τον Κύριο πρωτοκαθεδρία στην εγκόσμια βασιλεία Του, παρανοώντας την αποστολή του Μεσσία. Οι δύο Μαθητές εζητούσαν από τον Χριστό δόξα με ανθρώπινα κριτήρια, έχοντας κατά νου ότι η Βασιλεία Του είναι αισθητή. Ο Χριστός όμως, διορθώνοντας την εσφαλμένη δοξασία τους, υποδεικνύει την πραγματική και αιώνια δόξα, η οποία διέρχεται μέσα από το «ποτήριον», που είναι τα Πάθη και ο Σταυρός. Γι' αυτό τους λέγει: «Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε. Δύνασθε πιεὶν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι;». Μετά την Πεντηκοστή ο Απόστολος Ιάκωβος εκήρυξε το Ευαγγέλιο στην ευρύτερη περιοχή της Παλαιστίνης. Μεγάλο πλήθος ανθρώπων μεταστρεφόταν στη νέα πίστη και άλλαζε τρόπο ζωής χάρη στο έργο του Ιακώβου. Αυτό εθορύβησε ιδιαίτερα τους άρχοντες των Ιουδαίων, οι οποίοι, το έτος 44 μ.χ. τον συνέλαβαν και τον αποκεφάλισαν, ως αμνό, με διαταγή του Ηρώδου του Αγρίππα. *Οι πληροφορίες είναι από: http://www.saint.gr/index.aspx
Worship Services Monday, May 1, 2017 ~ Small Blessings of the Waters (Chapel) ~ 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 3, 2017 ~ Paraclesis ~ 10:00 a.m. (Chapel) Followed by Bible Study Vespers ~ 7:00 p.m. (Chapel) Followed by Bible Study Friday, May 5, 2017 ~ The Feast of St. Irene the Great Martyr Orthros ~ 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy ~ 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 8, 2017 ~ The Feast of St. John the Theologian (Chapel) Orthros ~ 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy ~ 9:30 a.m. Memorials Pauline Gurnelos ~ 40 days Angela Williams ~ 40 days Evangelia Vovou ~ 1 year Everlasting be their memory. Αἰωνία ἡ μνήμη Upcoming Events The Archangel Michael Annual Blood Drive is almost here! Remember, you can save up to three lives by donating blood! Please help. Donating blood is safe, simple and life-saving. Our blood drive is this Tuesday, May 2nd from 2:30 pm 8:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Please sign up today! For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Maryann or Marina Vlahos at 627-7303. P.S. Don t forget to bring your I.D. Sunday, May 7, 2017 ~ Youth Choir Fundraiser after the Divine Liturgy Friday, May 19, 2017 ~ Preschool Dinner Dance ~ Strathmore Vanderbilt Country Club Sunday, May 21, 2017 ~ General Assembly after the Divine Liturgy Tuesday, May 30, 2017 ~ Greek School Moving Up Ceremony Pre K-2 grade Thursday, June 1, 2017 ~ Greek School Graduation Grades 3-7 Saturday, June 3, 2017 ~ GAIA Theater Group presents H Βασιλοποὑλα πἁει στὁν πὁλεμο Thursday, June 8, 2017 ~ 24th Annual Carl Watson Memorial Golf Outing
PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS For those adept at making Prosforo, please do so as soon as you are able and offer it to the church, as supplies are running low. Are you interested in being part of one of the largest women s philanthropic board in the United States. Our board elections will be on Sunday, May 21st. If you are interested, please contact us at philoptochos@archangelmichaelchurch.org and we can provide you with all the information. We look forward to welcoming new board members to our chapter! GREEK ZUMBA FITNESS TUESDAYS AT AMC Schedule for MAY and JUNE as follows: 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. in the Gym 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. in the Piano Room 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. in the Piano Room $15 per session - please join us! Save the Date, Tuesday, May 16, 2017 ~ Ladies of Philoptochos get connected. Meet at 3:00 p.m SHARP at 130 Liberty Street for a PRIVATE TOUR of the interior and exterior of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center. Then at 6:30pm the Direct Archdiocesan District Philoptochos will be having its first ever networking Ladies night out. For more information go to: https://archangelmichaelchurch.org/flyers/ DAD-get-connected-flier.pdf 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! Coffee Hour each week is provided for the benefit of all our fellowship by the Parish Council and organized and served by our Philoptochos. Families are welcomed and encouraged to host on any given Sunday. Please contact us to schedule your Sunday and we will be happy to guide you in the process. We also invite other organizations within our community to host as well! We need you! All are welcome and invited to join Philoptochos! We need everyone's help to carry out our mission to help those in need. Please consider getting more involved, and pick up a membership form outside the Fellowship Hall or access it on the church s website as well as through a link on the weekly blasts