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Fourth Sunday of Great Lent

Commemoration of John Climacus, Author of “The Ladder”

Martyr Mark, bishop of Arethusa, Martyr Cyril the deacon of Heliopolis and those with them;

Martyrs Jonah and Barachisios of Persia and those with them; Eustathios the Confessor, bishop of Bithynia

Nourishment for the Soul:  “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

LIVE – STREAMING SERVICES: Our hard-working technical team continues to work out the kinks with live streaming of  services through www.allsaintsbloomington.org. This week they purchased and installed new camera and microphone equipment. If you viewed the Liturgy Wednesday night, you could likely see and hear the difference. If you tuned in Wednesday night you also may have noticed we began the liturgy 20 minutes late. This was because of some issues getting the new gadgets to communicate with the old. If there are technical challenges with future church services, we will continue to do what it takes to keep the parish connected in real-time. Thank you for your prayers and your patience.

Fr. Peter Jon’s Daily Videos:  During this crisis, Fr. Peter Jon plans to continue to post short, encouraging videos on most days when there aren’t services. While this is in no way a substitute for real, in-person connections, hopefully it can ever-so-slightly ease a little of the pain of isolation so many of us are feeling.  Let’s stay connected as a community! 

THIS WEEK

Friday, April 3: Live streaming of The Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

Sunday, April 5: Live streaming of Matins at 9:00; Divine Liturgy at 10:00

Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings

Epistle: The Reading is from St. Paul’s  Letter to the Hebrews. (6:13-20)

The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Brethren, when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by one greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He interposed with an oath. So that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel: The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (9:17-31)

At that time, a man came to Jesus, kneeling down and saying unto him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked Thy Disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And Jesus answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to Me.” And they brought the boy to Him; and when the spirit saw Jesus, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has he had this?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if Thou canst do anything, have pity on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when Jesus had entered the house, His Disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And Jesus said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And Jesus would not have anyone know it; for He was teaching His Disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and after He is killed, He will rise on the third day.”

Divine Liturgy Variables

Resurrectional Apolytikion – Tone 8

From the heights Thou didst descend, O Compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.

Apolytikion of St. John Climacus – Tone 8

The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundredfold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father John Climacus, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion for Sundays of Great Lent – Tone 8

To thee, the Champion Leader, do I offer thanks of victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror; but as thou that hast that power invincible, O Theotokos, thou alone can set me free: from all forms of danger free me and deliver me, that I may cry unto thee: Hail, O Bride without Bridegroom.

St. Basil’s Liturgy – The Megalynarion

In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, all creation: the angelic hosts, and the race of men, O hallowed Temple and noetic paradise, glory of Virgins, of whom God was incarnate and became a little child, even our God Who is before all the ages; for He made thy womb a throne, and thy body He made more spacious than the heavens. In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, all creation; and it glorifieth thee.

LOOKING AHEAD

• Donations to the church can be made on our web site at allsaintsbloomington.org

by U.S. mail.

• Soon, His Eminence JOSEPH will send directives regarding Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Holy Pashca.
• May 1-3 : Holy Dormition Monastery Pilgrimage to Rives Junction, Michigan: Rhonda is the contact person. Your response is needed to secure housing at the monastery on a busy weekend.

FAMILY NEWS

Birthday Greetings: Nina Rogers (29th); Darryl Jones (29th); Brian Owen (April 2nd); Irene Weber (3rd)

Name Day Blessings: Molly Alexander (St. Mary of Egypt – April 1st); Zane Nevils (Nicetas the Confessor – 3rd); Polina Mullis (St. Appolinaria – 4th)

Memory Eternal: Julia; James

Prayer List: Violet (Vicki’s daughter’s newborn); Beth & Bobby Lewis (Caleb’s parents with the virus); Kim; Dusty; Betsy; Allison; Robin; Doris Finchum; Mary Ann; Vicki;  Mat. Raisa; Kaylie and infant Oliver; Catherine with child; Rebekah with child; Amanda Hermione with child; Nikki with child;  Isaac in Air Force; Fr. Marc; Kh.Vanessa & Anthony Kinder; Fr. George; Fr. Basil & Kh. Cana; Judith Ann; George; Dee; Catherine (not in this parish); Michael & Olga;  Eileen; Leanne; Heather;Nancy; Sharon Catherine; Alice & Marvin; Kh. Kristina; Bonnie; Emma; Patricia; Mary & Robert;Shirley; Rose; Lexi, Ross & Vivian; Theo; Doug Barrett;Jeremy; Charles; Grayson; Cleo; Marcia & Deacon; Nick;Bruce; Joanna & Demetrios;Ashlee W; Paul; Cathy; Sitto; Elias; Waded; Neva; Bill; Lonnie; Nancy & Shalayna; Seraphima; Lilly’s family; Jennifer & Regina; those suffering in the drug crisis, with fire devastation, flood damage, and earthquake damage; those suffering in the Middle East; our nation; world-wide coronavirus outbreak.