3 PM today, great vespers of the un-nailing of Christ
6 PM tonight, lamentations.
Saturday, 9 AM: harrowing of Hades
10 PM, Saturday: Rush, Matins and Divine Liturgy of Holy Pascha.
Great and All-Holy Pascha
Thought for Today: “The all gracious God today bestowed upon us gifts, too great to be adequately expressed in words. Therefore, let us all rejoice together, and while rejoicing, let us praise our God… For I ask, what was given to us for our salvation that was not given to us by the Holy Spirit? He freed us from slavery, adopted and called us to the freedom of the children of God. From the fountain (i.e., the Holy Spirit) flow prophecies, the grace of healing, and all the other gifts and fruits with which the Church is wont to adorn herself. + St. John Chrysostrom +
VARIABLE for CHOIR and PARISH
The Eisodikon (Entrance Hymn) of Pascha
In the gathering places bless ye God the Lord, from the springs of Israel. Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead, who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Paschal Apolyikion – Tone 5
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!
The Hypakoe of Pascha – Tone 4
When they who were with Mary came, anticipating the dawn, and found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher, they heard from the Angel: Why seek ye among the dead, as though He were mortal man, Him Who abideth in everlasting light? Behold the grave-clothes. Go quickly and proclaim to the world that the Lord is risen, and hath put death to death. For He is the Son of God, Who saveth the race of man.
The Kontakion of Pascha – Tone 8
Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of Hades, and didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women, Rejoice, and giving peace unto Thine Apostles, O Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.
EPISTLE and GOSPEL READINGS
The Epistle
This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein!
O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endureth forever.
The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. (1:1-8)
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom He had chosen. To them He presented Himself alive after His passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, “You heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”
The Gospel
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (1:1-17)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not. He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not. But to all who received Him, who believed in His Name, He gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to Him, and cried, “This was He of Whom I said, ‘He Who comes after me ranks before me, for He was before me.’”) And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Receiving the Eucharist:We invite you to receive the Holy Eucharist if you are an Orthodox Christian who has prepared yourself through fasting, prayer, and recent confession. If you are not Orthodox, or are Orthodox but have not prepared, we invite you to receive a piece of the blessed bread in the wooden bowls held by the altar servers at the front of the church.
Metropolitan Saba: The Enthronement of His Eminence Metropolitan SABA will take place at Saint Nicholas cathedral in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, May 13. Axios!!
THIS WEEK
Today Sunday: Agape Service, at12:00 noon; followed by theProcession to the empty Tomb; Agape Feast and Pascha treats for the children.
Wednesday, April : Paschal Vespers (Readers TBD) at 6:00 pm.
Saturday, April 22: Great Vespers at 5:00 pm; jr. SOYO at 3:30 pm; SOYO at 6:00 pm.
Sunday, April 23 : Matins at 9:00am; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am; Parish Council will meet after Divine Liturgy.
FAMILY NEWS
Birthday Celebrations: Gabriella Crandell (20th).
Memory Eternal: Ronald; Jack; Kh. Rita.
Prayer List: Michael, Olga, Eileen, Soren, Kathy; Toni;Jan; Don and Dee; those suffering the war of Ukraine; Peace talks; our nation and all nations’ leaders; Earthquake victims and relief efforts in Syria and Turkey; schools: school children, youth and personnel across the nation; Mat. Raisa; Mary Ann; Emma (Mary Ann’s granddaughter); Bob & Bonnie Thelen; Wes (infant with brittle bone disorder); Megan (lymphoma); Mark (CHF) and (caregiver) Barbara; Wes’s grandfather;Josiah; Vicki;Vicki’s granddaughter; Arianna; Linda; Steve Crandall; Fr. Athanasius; Fr.Gabriel;Jack;Christopher; Nancy; Fr. Jerome Mother Nektaria; Catherine; Wadia; Jayci; Patricia, Marvin, Alice; Kitsa; Apthrodite and Angelos; Kim; Kristy, Dusty, Cari; Betsy, Josh; Allison; Andrew (Texas/military); Isaac (Germany/military); Leanne; Heather; Nancy; Sharon Catherine; Lexi, Ross and Vivian; Theo; Doug; Jeremy; Marcia & Deacon; Elias; Waded; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer; Christy; Megan; John; Stanley; Anna with child (Coran’s friend); Megan with child; Paulina with child; Macrina with child; Emilia with child; Anne; Allen; Linda; Marilyn; Mary Barger; Norma; Allison and children.
LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, April 22: Baby Shower Brunch for Macrina Robertson, 10am-12pm; All Saints Orthodox Church. All Ladies, girls and infants are invited.
Registry: babylist.com/coranrobertson.
Next Sunday, April 23: will be Barb Grinder’s final day with us at All Saints. Barb will be moving to Maine. May God grant her many years!
Coffee Hour Host: Agape Feast. Please bring sides/potluck dish for the meal; in addition to the planned lamb, pita and tzatziki.
Next week Host: Nina Rogers’ with Parishioners H-R.
Attention All Saints men 18 years and older: Please See Vasily (Glen) Carter for information about the newly-resurrected men’s group.
Bookstore Update: Thank you so much for your support of our All Saints Bookstore. In order to track purchases and maintain inventory more effectively we ask that when you purchase items you fill out a Purchase Slip and put it in the Payment box along with your cash or check. If you prefer to pay via our website donation app, please indicate “Online” as your method of payment. Then when paying online, Select “Make a Donation” and at the bottom of that page, next to “1 time” there is a blank space where you can type “Bookstore”. Thank you so much for your help.
For questions, or to request items you would like to see in the bookstore, please see Rhonda Webb or email her at webbrk1@gmail.com.
Giving Opportunities:
The Benevolence Fund: Donations may be made to this fund throughout the year, and are mainly used to support families in need of help with rent and utilities payments. Thank you for your ongoing generosity.
Our In-House Food Pantry needs canned vegetables, soups, meats, tuna, salmon, smoked oysters, sardines, chicken, spaghetti sauce, pasta. We have an abundance peanut butter.
Donations to the church are being made online at www.allsaintsbloomington.org and by U.S mail. Many thanks to all who continue supporting All Saints.
A Message for Pascha
By Metropolitan Saba (Isper)
Pascha returns annually as a precious season that places us before the fact of that salvation given to us by Christ’s voluntary death and glorious resurrection. Today is a day to renew our hope in the value of life. Today is a day to rectify our path towards true life. Today, we understand that eternal life is our goal and objective and that our life on earth—in all its joys and sorrows—only becomes a true life once we start approaching it as the beginning of our eternal life. We must examine our faith, our conduct, and our life’s path in light of the resurrection. Are these leading us to eternal life, the essence of which is God’s active, living, and life-giving presence in our lives? Our Christ did not endure all these sufferings to grant us a happy life that just lasts for some years on earth, only to vanish and disappear. He fulfilled His divine dispensation so that life on earth might become our passage into life eternal. It is through us, the children of the resurrection, that the world passes into life eternal. The pains, fears, and dangers that surround us must drive us to search for the meaning of life and to place everything in its appropriate context. Sooner or later, the shape of this world will pass away. Why do we then reduce our aspiration to what is on this earth, forgetting the genuine life to come? We believers fear not death but sin. We do not fear losing our earthly life but rather losing life with God. With the power of the resurrection, we confront the different forms of death armed by the unconquerable hope that Life has defeated death. The resurrection of Christ means that we Christians have no place for despair, regardless of tribulations and dark times. The guiding and directing light of the resurrection remains more powerful than anything. It is not a coincidence that Christ endured severe pains before He died and then arose. His resurrection occurred after He went through Golgotha in order to teach us that the pains of this life, as harsh as they might be, cannot be compared to the joys of the life to come, as the Apostle Paul teaches (2 Cor. 4:17). We believe that we will witness our personal resurrection before the general resurrection—that is, of course, if we are fully purified from our passions. This is why we will never tire of rising after every fall until we achieve that great purpose. We are certain that there is no salvation in the world except through this. The bigger the disappointments, the more we cling to our objective, for we have, in the resurrection of Christ, a hope and an energy that will never disappoint or be exhausted. Let us, therefore, be armed with the resurrection as the cornerstone of our Faith, and let us also, through the resurrection, drive away every despair, fight every fear, and renew our determination to build a virtuous life. Let us couple our faith with works, unite our words to actions, and not be satisfied with pleasantries. Carry the splendor of your rituals of worship into your world and society. Never cease trying to live your Christianity, and you will see that the rest will be added to you. On this feast, we must renew our love, which is tainted with fear, and look, not merely to ourselves, but to those who are in need of a breath of true life. Remember that man was created for endless love. In Christ, both God and our neighbor become close to us. I beg you to strive to discover that you are one family, responsible for each other, for you are brothers and sisters with one Father. It is proper to intensify our prayers and fasting in order to call upon God’s mercy. If we are truly the children of the resurrection, we must become witnesses for life and persistence. This is what we hope for and work towards, for the sake of our country, our people, and all the people of the world. In this spirit, we will welcome the feast this year by lifting up together our thoughts, wishes, and desires and placing them at the feet of Him who rose from the dead, hoping for the resurrection of the entire world. Amen.
Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!