Sunday, May 21, 2017
Sixth Sunday of Pascha: Sunday of the Blind Man
Equals-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen
Constantine, Prince of Murom, and his sons Michael and Theodore, the Wonderworkers
Hristos A Inviat! Christ is Risen!
Visitors, we warmly welcome you to all services of the church.
Nourishment of the Soul: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13
The Great Feast of the Ascension: Please plan to participate in this important liturgy on Wednesday evening at 6:00. Communicants should fast from all food and drink following lunch, health permitting.
Breaking Ground: Next Sunday (the 28th) following the Divine Liturgy there will be a brief but celebratory ground-breaking ceremony on the site of our coming expansion. Excavation is scheduled to begin the following day and construction will last throughout much of the summer. Construction of the new lower parking lot is well under way.
Coffee Hour: Contributors this Sunday are those whose last names start with G-H.
Coffee Hour Request: If you are assigned to serve at coffee hour, please set desserts on a higher surface where the smallest among us cannot easily help themselves.
Myrrh Bearers leadership for 2017-2018: Co-chairs will be Barbara Grinder, Rhonda Webb and Jennifer Rigsby with Jennifer continuing as secretary and Nina Rogers as treasurer.
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.
Parish Council meets today in Father’s office following Sunday school dismissal.
THIS WEEK
Wednesday, May 24: Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Ascension at 6:00
Thursday, May 25: Bible Study at Becky’s home – 3:00 – 5:00
Friday, May 26: Akathist to the Protection of the Theotokos at 6:00
Saturday, May 27: Great Vespers at 5:00
Sunday, May 28: Matins at 9:00; Divine Liturgy at 10:00
FAMILY NOTES
Anniversary Greetings: Adrian & Catherine P (21st); David & Jan G (26th)
Many Years on your Birthday: Ben J (24th)
Name Day Blessings: Saraqael H (21st)
Memory Eternal: Met. Elias; Lavonne (Martin’s Grandmother)
LOOKING AHEAD
You are invited to Taylor Shahadey’s high school graduation open house on Sunday, June 4th, 2:00 – 6:00 pm, at 329 S. Woodfield Lane. All are welcome!
Prayer List: Matthew & family (John’s friends); Adrian (Olga’s brother); Cathy;“For the suffering Christians of Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, & all of the Middle East, and for those suffering in Ukraine.”; Fr. Steven Rudy (cancer); Finley (infant girl child-Improved); Fr. Basil; Fr. Philip; Grant (Leukemia); Chris; Doug & Dorothy Barrett; Eileen; the Tabbals; Mary Ann & Jen; Dee and Don; Kh.Kristina; Betsy and Hannah; Leslie (paralysis); Jasmine; Deborah & Thomas; James; Becky H; Tom; Annie; Catherine; Janett; Julian; Kh. Mary Sue Walker; Vicki; Hoppes & Jesse Brandow (Missionaries); Vivian; Natalie; Senior Saints; Patricia; Nicetas; Barb; Shirley; Metropolitan Paul, Archbishop John; Fr. John Koen; Archpriest George; Heather; Susan; Gabriella & Matt; Sara; Shelley; Geni; Emily D; Emma; Nancy; Neal; Bob R; Leanne; Beth; Lillian; Julie; Roger; Virginia; Marilyn; Eric; Cheryl; Lori; Pam; Debbie; Natasha; Michael & Shelley: Gabriel; Mary; Janet; Kelly; Matushka Raisa; Marty; Charles; Mary; Marvin, Alice; Katie; Ruth; Steve; Romaine; Derek, Claire & Micah; Tim; Sharon; Sherri; Dianna; Michael and Diane; Aaron; Brent; Jennifer; Brigid; Ethan; Lena, Dean; Gayle; Thomas; Amy; Heidi; Gene & Connie, Caleb D; Megan & Colin; Bill & Sandy; Sabrina; Christy; Pete; Tammy K.
Today’s Epistle and Gospel Readings
Prokeimenon: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth.”
Verse: “The heavens declare the glory of God.!” Psalm 18:14,1
Epistle: The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. (26:1, 12-20)
In those days, King Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.”
Gospel: The Reading 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.
Divine Liturgy Variables
Order at the Beginning of the Service
Priest alone: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life! — People: Repeat twice.
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.
Apolytikion of Ss. Constantine and Helen – Tone 8
Having seen the image of Thy Cross in Heaven, and, like Paul, having received the call not from men, Thine apostle among kings, Constantine, entrusted the commonwealth to Thy hand, O Lord. Keep us always in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, O only Lover of mankind.
Kontakion of Pascha – Tone 8
Thou didst descend into the tomb, O Immortal. Thou didst destroy the pow’r of Death. In Victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming rejoice to the myrrh-bearing women: Granting peace to Thine Apostles, and bestowing Resurrection on the fallen.
Megalynarion for Pascha – Tone 1 – “The Angel Cried…”
Koinonikon (Communion Hymn) of Pascha – Tone 8
Receive ye the body of Christ; taste ye of the Immortal Fountain.
Order of the Great Dismissal
Priest alone: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death…
People: … and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!
(The same rubric is used during the Prokeimenon at vespers with the priest or chanter alone at first and the people following.)