Fast of the Apostles (Peter and Paul) begins June11 thru June 29th
June 3, 2012
Sunday of Pentecost
Feast of the Holy Trinity
- Troparion for Pentecost, Tone 8
- Kontakion for Pentecost, Tone 8
Epistle: Acts 2:1-11
Gospel: John 7:37-52, 8:12
Sunday of Pentecost
Pentecost is the “Descent of Holy Spirit”. This is the day that our Lord Jesus Christ promised to his disciples would happen. “When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place and suddenly a sound came from Heaven like the rush of a mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed upon each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 1-4). The fullness of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit is manifested with the Spirit coming to man. The disciples now the Apostles had received “the power from on high” had the responsibility to spread the Good News. They began to preach and bear witness to Jesus as the risen Christ, the King and Lord. Because the fullness of the Holy Spirit appeared in the room that day, Pentecost is also referred to as Trinity Day in the Orthodox Church. The tongues of fire over the Apostles heads were the tongues of many languages so they could speak the language of the country they were going to.
June 10, 2012
First Sunday after Pentecost
All Saints Sunday
- Troparion of Resurrection, Tone 8
- Troparion of the Saints, Tone 4
- Troparion of St. Michael, Tone 4
- Kontakion of the Saints, Tone 8
Epistle: Hebrew 11:33-12:2
Gospel: Matthew 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30
All-Saints Sunday (First Sunday after Pentecost)
Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to the memory of all the saints. The Holy Spirit joins the saints unites itself with them and acts with them to make the light shine in the world. Each saint becomes a stream or branch of the Holy Spirit. According to the Gospel, “out of his heart shall flow the rivers of living water” (John 7: 38). When we know how to act in the light of God, we as Christians become the container of the Holy Spirit. “Walk as children of the light. St Paul tells us for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. (Eph 5:9). When we sing the Beatitudes at the liturgy during the procession with the Gospel, we honor all the saints that have pleased God by what they have done such as faith, hope and love. Through the Beatitude hymn we sing, the faithful can reflect about the saints, the joy and comfort they bring to us as an intercession to Jesus. For they share and are part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
June 17, 2012
Second Sunday after Pentecost
- Troparion of Resurrection, Tone 1
- Troparion of the Martyrs, Tone 4
- Troparion of St. Michael, Tone 4
- Kontakion of the Theotokos, Tone 4
Epistle: Romans 2:10-16
Gospel: Matthew4:18-23
Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul (Celebrated on June 29th)
With the help of Sts. Peter and Paul they both reestablished the confidence of the Christian nation and led them out of their hopeless state to an era of new prosperity. Keep in mind Christianity was still in its infancy. Out of all the disciples, Peter seems to be the most prominent. He ranks with St Paul without whom Christianity flourished and survived during the pagan era of false gods and spiritual persecution. The moving verse from the New Testament of St Matthew when Christ told Peter: “And I say to thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock, I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18). St Paul conversion to Christianity began when he met our Lord on the road to Damascus. It was on this road he embraced Jesus the risen Messiah whom he set out to defeat. Christ spoke to him saying: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4) Thereafter he was called Paul, and devoted himself to the new Christian faith, announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord.
June 24, 2012
Third Sunday after Pentecost
The Nativity of the Holy Forerunner John the Baptist
- Troparion of Resurrection, Tone 2
- Troparion of St. John, Tone 4
- Troparion of St. Michael
- Tone 4 Kontakion of the Theotokos, Tone 4
Epistle: Rom. 13:11-14:1-4
Gospel: Lk. 1:1-25. 57-68, 80
Nativity of St. John the Baptist-June 24th
St. John was the son of
Zacharias, an elderly priest and Elizabeth. Holy Scriptures tells us
Elizabeth was barren because both of them were well advanced in years
(Luke 1:7). Scriptures also tells us Elizabeth fertility had been
restored by an act of God for her to conceive St. John the one to be the
forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ, and “The voice of the one crying
in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make his paths straight”
(Luke 3:4). It is important to mention that not only did St. John
baptize our Lord, but also whose birth was ordained by God to be the
part of the divine plan to pave the way for the Son of God Jesus
Christ.
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