St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church

This is the Day of all Days

and the Feast of Feasts!

CHRIST IS RISEN!

TRULY HE IS RISEN!

Calendar
Holy week Services, 2010

Sunday, March 28 - Church
Palm Sunday
11:45 a.m.

Wednesday, March 31 - Rectory
Holy Wednesday
7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 1 - Church
Holy Thursday
7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 2 - Church
Holy Friday
7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 3 - Church
Holy Saturday
8:15 p.m.

Sunday, April 4 - Church
Holy Pascha
1:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 11 - Church
Thomas Sunday
11:45 a.m.

Announcements
+ Last updated on March 28, 2010 +

• We invite you and your Friends to join us at Church for Palm Sunday, Holy week services and to celebrate Holy Pascha on Saturday, April 3rd-4th, immediately after the service at the Church Hall; we will have our annual Holy Pascha Breakfast. Don’t forget to bring your Easter Basket or a dish if you like. We will also, bless your baskets Sunday afternoon right after the service. Happy Easter!

• Message from Fr. Mark, Fr. Liviu and Dn. Johnny: Holy Pascha is on April 4th 2010; we cannot tell you how important attending services for the Holy Week are. The Passion of our Lord happens once a year. Between Nativity (Christmas) and Pascha (Easter), Holy Week reveals to us what our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ had to endure, so that we could have eternal life in the Kingdom of God. “He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish.” (John 11:26). Of course, Pascha completes this cycle, and it is the icing on the cake, so to speak. Christmas and Pascha are our second chance to have eternal life into the Kingdom, since God destroyed the Earth by the flood. Again, we celebrate Holy Week once a year, so please try to give up your time for the Lord as He gave Himself up for us, so that we could have eternal salvation. Remember the time we give for Him is only a drop in the bucket for what He did for us.

• As we approach Palm Sunday (Christ triumphal into Jerusalem). Even though this Sunday is a joyful occasion, please keep in mind that our fast doesn’t end on Palm Sunday, but starts a stricter fast during the Passion Week of our Lord. Remember, abstinence from dairy and meat during lent and Holy week is one way growing closer to God in the process of our spiritual cleansing and growth. “And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out? So He said to them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:28-29.
  

• Bible Study is canceled because of Palm Sunday; our next Bible Study will be Sunday, April 25^th.

Sunday, March 28, 2010
Palm Sunday

• Troparion of Lazarus, Tone 1

O Christ God, when thou didst raise Lazarus from the dead, before thy passion, did confirm the universal resurrection. Wherefore, we like Babes carry the palms of triumph and victory, and cry unto thee, O Vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord.

• Troparion of Lazarus, Tone 4

O Christ God, when we were buried with Thee in Baptism, we became deserving of thy Resurrection to immortal life. Wherefore, we praise thee, crying, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.

• Kontakion of Palm Sunday, Tone 4

In Heaven He is seated upon a Throne and on earth He rides upon a foal. O Christ our God, accept the praise of the Angels and the hymn of the children who cry out to You, "Blessed are You who come to recall Adam."

Epistle: Philippians 4:4-9
Gospel: John 12:1-18

The entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ to Jerusalem

It was a custom of the Jewish to greet people of high rank with branches of Palms. The Jews believed that Jesus was coming as the expected Messiah after he raised Lazarus form the dead. They thought He would free them from the Roman Soldiers too. On Sunday, five days before the Passover of the law, Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, people greet Him with palm branches in theirs hands and spread their cloaks before Him on the road as a sign of respect and victory over the devil and the death. They cried out: “Hosanna in the Highest, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!” The word Hosanna means “Save, I pray,” or “Save, now.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of our journey to Holy Pascha.

Holy Passion Week:

The last week of Christ’s life is called Passion Week or Holy Week. In the Orthodox churches, services are held from the evening of Palm Sunday to Great Holy Saturday. The Services which are held on the evening of Palm Sunday, Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday are called the Bridegroom prayer.

Troparion of the Bridegroom

Behold, the Bridegroom cometh at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom he shall find awake. But he whom he shall find neglectful, is verily unworthy. Behold, therefore, my soul, beware, lest thou fallest into deep slumber, and the door of the kingdom be closed against thee, and thou be delivered to death. But be thou wakeful, crying, Holy! Holy! Holy! Art thou, O God. Through the intercessions of the in corporals, have mercy upon us.

Each day of Holy Week has its own particular theme:

• Palm Sunday evening theme: Kindness and love for Christ

We commemorate the story of Joseph, the beloved son of Jacob, who was betrayed by his brothers and was sold into slavery. After much suffering, there came triumph for him in Egypt. He is an image of Christ. Also the Gospel reading gives us the example of the barren fig tree that was cursed and withered (Matthew 21: 18-20). What does not bear fruit in Christ will be destroyed. The Kingdom is coming and those who are not ready will be left out. It connects us to the past which is the Old Testament and the future that is our own lives.

• Holy Monday evening theme: Preparation

We commemorate the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13). We should not forget about the end of our life. But we should be prepared at every moment, like the wise virgins, so that we may meet the Bridegroom (Christ). This point out that we as Christians should be ready and prepared always in our Christian life because we never know when the bridegroom (Christ) will come.

• Holy Tuesday evening theme: Repentance

We commemorate the events of the anointing of our Lord by a sinful woman, who anointed Jesus with precious myrrh and washed His feet with her hair. Her action of love is in contrast to that of Judas who betrayed the Master for thirty pieces of silvers (Matthew 26: 6-13). Because the betrayal took place on Wednesday, we have received the tradition to fast on Wednesday throughout the year. It is time to reflect upon our sinfulness and ask for repentance.

• Holy Wednesday evening theme: Healing

The Sacrament of Holy Unction, one of the seven sacraments of the Church, is celebrated this day. It meant to bring healing for every sick person. Worshippers are anointed with the sanctified oil for the healing of body and soul.

• Holy Thursday evening theme: The Holy Passion of Christ-Crucifixion

We celebrate the Holy Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. He willingly endured the cross and the Death to take away our sins and save us. We listen to the twelve gospel readings in which we experience the entire story of his suffering and crucifixion. The Hymns we here focus on a great contrast Christ, who is our God, is treated as a lowly criminal. Each of the Hymns compares ideas of Christ’s glory with details of His suffering. After the fifth Gospel reading, the Procession of the Cross takes place inside the Church while we sing:

Holy Thursday Evening (The 15th Antiphon)

Today, He is suspended on a tree who suspended the earth over the waters.
Today, He is suspended on a tree who suspended the earth over the waters.
Today, He is suspended on a tree who suspended the earth over the waters.
A crown of thorns was placed on the head of the king of angels.
He who wore a false purple robe covered the heavens with clouds.
He was smitten who in the Jordan delivered Adam.
The Groom of the church was fastened with nails,
and the Son of the Virgin was pierced with a spears.
Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ.
Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ.
Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ.
Make us to be hold Thy glorious Resurrection.

• Holy Friday evening theme: Lamentations

The lamentations tell of the passion, death and burial of Christ but with the assurance and joy of His coming Resurrection. The faithful follow in a procession of the Epitaphios around the Church singing “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us.” On that night Christ confronts death, we learn that we are all made for life. He has filled it with life; He has taken its power and transformed death from a tragic and into a joyful beginning.

• Holy Saturday evening theme: Resurrection

At midnight, the Church is darkened, the Priest, Standing before the Holy Altar, lights a white candle from the eternal vigil light; Everyone joins together as the light is passed to each person in the church; and exiting from the Royal Doors, We celebrate Christ’s glorious Resurrection holding the candles high and singing:

“Christ is risen from the death,
O Christ is risen from the death,
trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”

• Pascha Sunday (Vespers):

We will read the Gospel in many languages to show or to tell the good news of Christ’s saving resurrection is for all people in the world. In the Orthodox Church, it is a custom to greet each other from the day of resurrection until Ascension Day by saying:

English: CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
Slavic: KRISTOS VOSKRESYE! VOYISTINO VOSKRESYE!
Ukrainian: HRYSTOS VOSKRES! VOISTYNU VOSKRES!
Russian: KRISTOS VOSKRES! VOISTINU VOSKRES!
Romanian: KRISTOS A INVIAT! ADEVERAT A INVIAT!
Arabic: AL MASEEH QAM! HAQAN QAM!
Greek: KRISTOS ANESTI! ALITHOS ANESTI!
Albanian: KRISHTI ESHTE GJALLE!
Serbian: HRISTOS VASKRESIE! VOISTSINU VASKRSE!

Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday of Thomas

• Troparion of St. Thomas, Tone 7

While the tomb was sealed, Thou didst shine forth from it, O Light. While the doors were closed, Thou didst come in to Thy Disciples, O Christ God, Resurrection of all, renewing in us through them an upright Spirit, according to the Greatness of Thy mercy.

• Kontakion of Easter, Tone 8

When thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of Hades. In victory didst thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming rejoice to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection of the fallen.

Epistle: Acts 5:12-20
Gospel: John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

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