Sunday, June 02, 2019

Sixth Sunday of Pascha

 Sunday of the Blind Man

Nikephoros the Confessor, Archbishop of Constantinople;

New-martyrs Demetrios of Philadelphia, John of Trebizond, and Constantine of Athos

Welcome to All Saints!

Nourishment for the Soul: “Often I have prayed and asked for what I thought was good, and persisted in my petition, stupidly importuning the will of God, and not leaving it to Him to arrange things as He knows is best for me.  But when I have obtained what I asked for,  I have been very sorry that I did not ask for the will of God to be done; because the thing turned out not to be as I had thought.” – Evagrios, the Solitary

The Holy Fire in Bloomington:  Last Wednesday, we received the HOLY FIRE from Jerusalem! Charles C traveled to Manassas, Virginia to bring it to us and share with others along the way.

Coffee Hour: Scheduled contributors and cleaners for today are those with last names beginning A-B.

THIS WEEK

Wednesday, June 5: Evening Liturgy of Holy Ascension at 6:00

Thursday, June 6: Bible Study at Becky’s home at 3:00 – Holy Ascension Feast Day

Saturday, June 8: Great Vespers at 5:00 with SOYO at 6:00

Sunday, June 9: Matins at 9:00; Divine Liturgy at 10:00

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. Approach to the cup starts at the front rows; the choir and preschool go first.

LOOKING AHEAD

• Crafting Workshop…June 15th at 3:00
• Holy Pentecost…June 16th with Kneeling Vespers
• Midwest Parish Life Conference in Champaign-Urbana…19th-23rd
• All Saints Day…June 23rd –  our Patronal Feast Day Celebration
• Apostles’ Fast…June 24th – 29th (Vesperal Liturgy on the 28th)
• Caleb & Tabitha’s Wedding…July 14th

Divine Liturgy Variables for Choir and Parish

The Eisodikon (Entrance Hymn) of Pascha.

In the gathering places bless 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

Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 5

Let us believers praise and worship the Word; co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation. For, He took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh to suffer death; and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

Kontakion of Pascha – Tone 8

Thou didst descend into the tomb, O Immortal. Thou didst  destroy the power of Death; in Victory Thou didst arise, O Christ God, proclaiming ‘Rejoice’ to the myrrh-bearing women; granting peace to Thine Apostles, and resurrection to the fallen.

Throughout the World…the apolytikion of our parish

Megalynarion for Pascha – Tone 1

The Angel cried:

Koinonikon (Communion Hymn) of Pascha – Tone 8

Receive ye the body of Christ; taste ye the Fountain of immortality.

Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings

Epistle: The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.  (16:16-34)

In those days, as we Apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying.  She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”  And this she did for many days.  But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”  And it came out that very hour.  But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, “These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city.  They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”  The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.  And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.  Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.  But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.  And immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s fetters were unfastened.  When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.  But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”  And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?”  And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house.  And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family.  Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.

Gospel: The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (9:1-38)

At that time, when Jesus was passing, He saw a man blind from his birth.  And His Disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him.  I must work the works of Him Who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  As He said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” [which means Sent].  So he went and washed and came back seeing.  The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?”  Some said, “It is he”; others said, “No, but he is like him.”  He said, “I am the man.”  They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”  He answered, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.”  They said to him, “Where is He?”  He said, “I do not know.”  They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.  Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight.  And he said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”  Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.”  But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?”  There was a division among them.  So they again said to the blind man, “What do you say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?”  He said, “He is a prophet.”  The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?”  His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes.  Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.”  His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore his parents said, “He is of age, ask him.”  So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.”  He answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  They said to him, “What did He do to you?  How did He open your eyes?”  He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you too want to become His disciples?”  And they reviled him, saying, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.  We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He comes from.”  The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel!  You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him.  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”  They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?”  And they cast him out.  Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”  He answered, “And Who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?”  Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is He who speaks to you.”  He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped Him.

FAMILY NOTES

Thank you for your generous gifts during my time of recuperation! We have been blessed with an amazing parish family and can feel your prayers, support and love at  every moment. I feel truly fortunate to declare, ‘Christ is risen!’ Elizabeth, Cody, Joel and Felicity.

Was your jacket left in the hall closet? Take a look since there are seasonal items of  clothing without an owner! Periodically we remove these and donate them to Goodwill.

Food Pantry:  Our food pantry has been visited this week, so your donations could fill in the shelves with applesauce, peaches, and peanuts/peanut butter. We have lots of canned meat.

Name Day Remembrances: Cleo S (St. Kalliope – 8th)

Anniversary Memories: Herman & Johanna Han (3rd); Deacon & Marcia (6th)

Birthday Blessings: Delaney Mc (6th); Cathy A (7th) Caden Mc (8th)

Prayer List: Judy; Vicki;Elizabeth; Patricia;Hannah, Ty, & tiny infant Alice; Mary & Robert;Shirley; Rose (Sharon Catherine’s daughter with chemo); Lexi; Theo; Heather; Doug Barrett;Jeremy P; Charles; Alice & Marvin; Grayson; Cleo; Marcia; Nancy; Nick;Bruce; Joanna Zaharako; Dee; Mary Ann;Emilija and infant daughter; Sharon Catherine; Lillian Purcell; Eileen; Leanne; Ashlee W; Kh. Kristina; Vivian; Paul; Cathy; Sitto; Elias; Waded; Neva; Bill; Lonnie; Fr. George; Fr. Basil; Iva Lee; Nancy & Shalayna; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer & Regina; those suffering in the drug crisis, with fire devastation, with flood damage in the USA; those suffering in Syria and the Middle East; safety in public places, in our schools and on our southern border;  Metropolitan Paul; Archbishop John; our church and our nation.