Holy anargyroi Orthodox Church (GOA)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org frmark@rochesterorthodoxchurch.org - Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos
/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY

, , , , , , , . O Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common Resurrection for all. Therefore, we carry the symbols of victory as did the youths, and we cry out to You, the victor over death, "Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. " , , , , , , . O Christ, Our God, we have been Buried with You through Baptism, and by Your Resurrection made worthy of Life immortal. Praising You, we cry out, "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."
/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

, , , , , , . In Heaven, He is seated upon a Throne and on earth He rides upon a foal. O Christ our God, accept the praise of the Angels and the hymn of the Children who cry out to You, "Blessed are You who comes to recall Adam."

Palm Sunday
St. John the Martyr of Romania, Holy 9 Martyrs of Cyzicus April 28th, 2013

+Fish, wine, oil allowed+

TODAYS SCRIPTURE READINGS

EPISTLE READING

St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9 BRETHREN, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.
GOSPEL READING

John 12:1-18 Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazaros was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazaros was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazaros, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazaros also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazaros out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.

COMMUNION PRAYERS
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You. Have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen. Behold, my Maker, I approach Holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for You are fire which burns the unworthy, but cleanse me from every stain. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mysteries to your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom. Seeing the Divine Blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal that burns the unworthy. It is Gods Body that deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind mystically. You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your divine love You have changed me. Burn away my sins with spiritual fire and make me worthy to be filled with Your joy, that rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Comings. How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter the bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse the vileness of my soul and save me. Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the pledge of the future life and Kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mysteries to your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.

HOLY WEEK 2013

Palm Sunday Eve: 1 Bridegroom Service- 7pm Holy Monday: 2nd Bridegroom Service-7pm Holy Tuesday: 3rd Bridegroom Service (Hymn of Kassiane)-7pm Holy Wednesday: Holy Unction-3:30pm & Orthros of Holy Thursday-7pm Holy Thursday: Vesperal Liturgy-8:30am & Holy Passion Service (12 Gospels)-7pm (Reading of the Psalms) Holy Friday: Royal Hours-9am - Apokathilosis-3pm & Lamentations-7pm Holy Saturday: Vesperal Liturgy-8:30am *His Grace, Bishop Demetrios celebrating* & HOLY PASCHA/ANASTASIS-11pm* Holy PASCHA: Agapi Vespers-11am *Paschal Dinner to follow service in church hall.
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No Catechetical School: Today to allow the children to participate in the procession with the palms. Palm Sunday Fish Plaki Dinner: TODAY, immediately following Divine Liturgy in the church hall.
Please join us for a fish plaki dinner and support Holy Anargyrois Philoptochos Society as all proceeds go to our chapter and local charities. $12 for adults and $6 for children. Chanters Stand (Psalteri): please be advised that the psalteri is an extension, of sorts, of the altar and is therefore not common space. Rather, it is reserved for those individuals who have expressed a desire to Father to be present at the psalteri and who have received his blessing to do so. During Holy Week we have a plethora of services some of which are quite long and we may be in need of readers. If you are interested in functioning as such please speak with Father before proceeding to the psalteri. Agapi Vespers: to avoid disorder and confusion if you would like to read the Gospel Section in a foreign language for the Agapi Vespers please see Father before Holy Friday indicating which language youll be reading so the proper preparations can be made; no last minute additions will be made the day of.

OCMC Coinc Boxes: The Sunday School students have been given coin boxes to help raise money for the
Orthodox Christian Mission Center (www.ocmc.org). The money the children and teens collect will go towards the mission work of our Orthodox missionaries around the world. Currently there are about 18 brave American men and women who are in countries such as Albania, Guatemala, Mongolia, Tanzania, Moldova and Romania representing and teaching our Orthodox faith. A few of the programs they help operate are medical clinics, schools, camps, soup kitchens, and addiction support groups. Our students will stand in the Narthex on Palm Sunday, April 28th, after Divine Liturgy to collect coins. We also have a box at the Pascha flowers donation table in the Narthex. Please talk to your child about the importance of praying for and raising money for others and also encourage them to earn coins. The coin boxes will be collected on the last day of Sunday School, May 19th. In the past four years; our Holy Anargyroi parish has sent a slow but steady increase of donations from year to year towards the Mission Coin Box project. Last years total was $425 and may we continue to be generous in our donations. On behalf of our hard working missionaries, thank you!

Only those Orthodox Christians in good standing are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently, provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally, and physically. They should be on time for the Divine Liturgy and be in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should be in a confession relationship with their priest or spiritual father, have observed the fasting regulations, and they should have self-examined their conscience. On the day of receiving Holy Communion it is not proper to eat or drink anything before coming to church. When you approach the holy chalice state your baptismal name, and hold the red communion cloth to your chin. After receiving wipe your lips on the cloth, step back carefully, hand the cloth to the next person and make the sign the of the cross as you step away. Please do not be in a rush while communing.
WITH THE FEAR OF GOD, FAITH, AND LOVE DRAW NEAR:

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Who turned off the lights!? in order to maintain the proper ambiance of compunction and solemnity of the Holy Week services the lights will be dimmed to a bare minimum. You are encouraged to bring a candle from the narthex with you in order to follow along in the Holy Week book.

Spring Cleanin Time!

Its time to get ready for Pascha, and were asking for volunteers to clean the nave of the Church, and help out on the following days:

Palm Sunday, April 28th after luncheon remove palms, decorate for Holy Week. Holy Saturday, May 4th- after Liturgy, light cleaning and decorate for Pascha

Palm Sunday Plaki Dinner

Fish Plaki, rice, salad, dessert, drinks Adults: $12 Children 12 & under: $6

Sponsored by the Philoptochos Society

Todays commemoraTions
1. THE HOLY APOSTLES JASON, SOSIPATER AND THE VIRGIN CERCYRA The first two were of the Seventy Apostles and the latter was the daughter of a king from the island of Corfu. Jason and Sosipater are mentioned by St. Paul and he calls them his relatives. "Jason and Sosipater, my relatives" (Romans 16:21). Jason was born in Tarsus as was the Apostle Paul and Sosipater was born in Achaea. The first was appointed bishop of Tarsus by the apostle and the other was appointed bishop of Iconium. Traveling about and preaching the Gospel these two apostles arrived on the island of Corfu, where they succeeded to build a church to the honor of St. Stephen the First-martyr and to win over some heathens to the Church. The king of the island threw them both into prison where seven thieves were also imprisoned. Their names were: Sagornius, Jakishol, Faustian, Januarius, Marsalus, Euphrasius and Mamminus. The apostles converted these seven to the Faith of Christ and turned these wolves into lambs. Upon hearing this, the king ordered that these seven be put to death in boiling pitch. Thus, they received the wreath of the martyrs. While the king was torturing the apostles, his daughter, the virgin Cercyra, watched from the window at the suffering of these men of God and learning for what reason they were being tortured, she declared herself a Christian and distributed all of her jewels to the poor. The king became enraged at his daughter and closed her in a special prison. Since he did not succeed to dissuade her from Christ by this imprisonment, he ordered that the prison be burned. The prison burned, but the virgin remained alive. Upon seeing this miracle many people were baptized. The infuriated king then ordered his daughter to be tied to a tree and Cercyra was slain by arrows. Those who believed in Christ fled from the terrible king to the nearest island and hid themselves. The king pursued them by boat in order to apprehend them, but the boat sank into the sea and thus the unrighteous one perished as did the one-time pharaoh. The new king embraced the Faith of Christ, was baptized and received the name Sebastian. Jason and Sosipater freely preached the Gospel and strengthened the Church of God in Corfu. They lived to a ripe old age and there ended their earthly life and took up habitation in the mansions of the Lord. 2. THE HOLY MARTYRS MAXIMUS, DADA AND QUINTILIAN Maximus, Dada and Quintilian suffered during the reign of Diocletian. They were tried and tortured by Commander Tarquinius. After imprisonment and torturing, they were all beheaded. 3. THE HOLY MARTYR TIBALD Tibald was a Slav from Pannonia. During the reign of Diocletian he was brutally tortured for the Faith of Christ and suffered in a place called Tsibal.

Orthodox Christian Celebration of Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, which is preceded by the Matins service. A Great Vespers is conducted on Saturday evening according to the order prescribed in the Triodion. Scripture readings for Palm Sunday are: At the Vespers: Genesis 49:1,8-12; Zephaniah 3:14-19; Zechariah 9:9-15. At the Orthros (Matins): Matthew 21:1-17. At the Divine Liturgy: Philippians 4:4-9; John 12:1-18. On this Sunday, in addition to the Divine Liturgy, the Church observes the Blessing and Distribution of the Palms. A basket containing the woven palm crosses is placed on a table in front of the icon of the Lord, which is on the Iconostasion. The prayer for the blessing of the Palms is found in the Ieratikon or the Euxologion. According to the rubrics of the Typikon, this prayer is read at the Orthros just before the Psalms of Praise (Ainoi). The palms are then distributed to the faithful. In many places today, the prayer is said at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, before the apolysis. The text of the prayer, however, indicates clearly that it is less a prayer for the blessing of the palms, even though that is its title, and more a blessing upon those, who in imitation of the New Testament event hold palms in their hands as symbols of Christ's victory and as signs of a virtuous Christian life. It appears then, that it would be more correct to have the faithful hold the palms in their hands during the course of the Divine Liturgy when the Church celebrates both the presence and the coming of the Lord in the mystery of the Eucharist. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pearls from the Desert O

strange and inconceivable thing! We did not really die, we were not really buried, we were not really crucified and raised again, but our imitation was but a figure, while our salvation is in reality. Christ was actually crucified, and actually buried, and truly rose again; and all these things have been vouchsafed to us, that we, by imitation communicating in His sufferings, might gain salvation in reality. O surpassing loving-kindness! Christ received the nails in His undefiled hands and feet, and endured anguish; while to me without suffering or toil, by the fellowship of His pain He vouchsafed salvation. -St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The bridegroom services

Beginning on the evening of Palm Sunday and continuing through the evening of Holy Tuesday, the Orthodox Church observes a special service known as the Service of the Bridgegroom. Each evening service is the Matins or Orthros service of the following day (e.g. the service held on Sunday evening is the Orthros service for Holy Monday). The name of the service is from the figure of the Bridegroom in the parable of the Ten Virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13. The first part of Holy Week presents us with an array of themes based chiefly on the last days of Jesus' earthly life. The story of the Passion, as told and recorded by the Evangelists, is preceded by a series of incidents located in Jerusalem and a collection of parables, sayings and discourses centered on Jesus' divine sonship, the kingdom of God, the Parousia, and Jesus' castigation of the hypocrisy and dark motives of the religious leaders. The observances of the first three days of Great Week are rooted in these incidents and sayings. The three days constitute a single liturgical unit. They have the same cycle and system of daily prayer. The Scripture lessons, hymns, commemorations, and ceremonials that make up the festal elements in the respective services of the cycle highlight significant aspects of salvation history, by calling to mind the events that anticipated the Passion and by proclaiming the inevitability and significance of the Parousia. The Orthros of each of these days is called the Service of the Bridegroom (Akolouthia tou Nimfiou). The name comes from the central figure in the well-known parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The title Bridegroom suggests the intimacy of love. It is not without significance that the kingdom of God is compared to a bridal feast and a bridal chamber. The Christ of the Passion is the divine Bridegroom of the Church. The imagery connotes the final union of the Lover and the beloved. The title Bridegroom also suggests the Parousia. In the patristic tradition, the aforementioned parable is related to the Second Coming; and is associated with the need for spiritual vigilance and preparedness, by which we are enabled to keep the divine commandments and receive the blessings of the age to come. The troparion "Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night", which is sung at the beginnin g of the Orthros of Great Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, relates the worshiping community to that essential expectation: watching and waiting for the Lord, who will come again to judge the living and the dead. On Holy Monday we commemorate Joseph the Patriarch, the beloved son of Jacob. A major figure of the Old Testament, Joseph's story is told in the final section of the Book of Genesis (chs. 37-50). Because of his exceptional qualities and remarkable life, our patristic and liturgical tradition portrays Joseph as tipos Christou, i.e., as a prototype, prefigurement or image of Christ. The story of Joseph illustrates the mystery of God's providence, promise and redemption. Innocent, chaste and righteous, his life bears witness to the power of God's love and promise. The lesson to be learned from Joseph's life, as it bears upon the ultimate redemption wrought by the death and resurrection of Christ, is summed up in the words he addressed to his brothers who had previously betrayed him,
Fear not ... As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones. Thus he reassured them and comforted them (Genesis 50:19-21).