Friday, May 29, 2009

Schedule for Sunday, May 31
The Seventh Sunday of Pascha
Afterfeast of the Ascension
Commemoration of the Fathers of the
First Ecumenical Council

Music Workshop 9:00 AM

Third Hour Prayers ~9:45 AM

Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Thursday, May 28:
The Ascension of our Lord

Third Hour Prayers 9:45 AM

Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

Troparion-Tone 4

O Christ God, You have ascended in Glory,

Granting joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Through the blessing they were assured

That You are the Son of God,

The Redeemer of the world!

+ Share the joy of Orthodox Christianity! Come and See! +

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Schedule for this Weekend
Saturday, May 23
Great Vespers 5:00 PM

Sunday of the Blind Man, May 24
Liturgical Music Workshop 9:00 AM
Third Hour Prayers ~9:45 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM
Share the joy of Orthodox Christianity! Come and See!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Holy Synod of Bishops
Honors Archbishop DMITRI
at Mid-Pentecost - May 12-13
with Hierarchical Liturgy
at St. Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas

His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH gathered with the bishops of the holy synod to honor Archbishop DMITRI upon his retirement. His Eminence was the first bishop of the Diocese of the South, providing decades of service as a missionary pastor to congregations stretching from New Mexico to the Carolinas. Eis polla eti, despota! Many Years, Master!



Friday, May 15, 2009

May 17:
Fifth Sunday of Pascha
Sunday of the Samaritan Woman


Music Workshop - 9:00 AM
Third Hour Prayers - 9:45 AM
Divine Liturgy - 10:00 AM

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Wednesday, May 13: Midfeast of Pentecost


Today is the midpoint of the fifty days between the Feasts of Pascha and Pentecost. St John tells us (John 7:14) that "in the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the Temple, and taught." This coming Sunday, the Church will commemorate the meeting of our Lord with the Samaritan Woman at the well, which is foreshadowed in the Troparion appointed for this day:

Troparion-Tone 8

In the middle of the feast, O Savior,

Fill my thirsting soul with the waters of piety,

As You cried to all:

If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink!

O Christ God, Fountain of life, glory to You!

Friday, May 08, 2009

Schedule for this Weekend:

Saturday, May 9
Great Vespers 5:00 PM

Sunday of the Paralytic, May 10
Music Workshop 9:00 AM
Third Hour Prayers 9:45 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Thoughts in Light of Holy Pascha



Years ago, after the customary reading of the Paschal Homily of Saint John Chrysostom at the Paschal Vigil, Metropolitan ANTHONY (Bloom) shared these thoughts with the congregation:

If I may I wish to add just a few words of my own. Christ is life and the victory of life. In the world in which He came, death was prevalent and seemed to be all-powerful over men; when He came, He defeated death by His resurrection. And nowadays we live in a world which is full of torment, of pain, of fear, of murder, of death, and we may say, “But where is the victory?”.. The victory is in each of us, the victory is in all those of us who believe that death cannot separate us from God, that death is no longer a victory of evil over us, but a triumph of us through our faith, because death is no longer separation. Saint Paul says that for him death is a meeting with Christ; as long as he lives in the flesh he is separated, partly, from God. But with his death he enters in full unity and communion with Him. This is our faith, but there is more to it in a sense, because life is triumphant in our midst. However frightening and dark the world is nowadays, we know that victory has already been won, that God has won and that we who believe in Him partake together with Him in His victory. And therefore, let us bring, to all around us, this message of life and glory!

Christ is risen!


(image from www.orthodoxwiki.org; quotation from www.mitras.ru/eng/eng_112.htm)