SS. kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org

office@rochesterorthodoxchurch.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muñoz, Proistamenos

ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY

Τού λίθου σφραγισθέντος υπό τών Ιουδαίων, καί στρατιωτών

φυλασσόντων τό άχραντόν σου σώμα, ανέστης τριήμερος Σωτήρ,

δωρούμενος τώ κόσμω τήν ζωήν. Διά τούτο αι Δυνάμεις τών ουρανών,

εβόων σοι Ζωοδότα. Δόξα τή Αναστάσει σου, Χριστέ, δόξα τή

βασιλεία σου, δόξα τή οικονομία σου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε.

Though the tomb was sealed by the Judeans and soldiers guarded Your

pure body, You arose, O Savior, on the third day giving life to the world.

Therefore, O Giver of life, the heavenly powers praise You: Glory to Your

resurrection O Christ, Glory to your Kingdom, Glory to Your

dispensation, O Lover of mankind.

Εν σοί Μήτερ ακριβώς διεσώθη τό κατ' εικόνα, λαβούσα γάρ τόν

Σταυρόν, ηκολούθησας τώ Χριστώ, καί πράττουσα εδίδασκες

υπεροράν μέν σαρκός παρέρχεται γάρ, επιμελείσθαι δέ ψυχής,

πράγματος αθανάτου, διό καί μετά Αγγέλων συναγάλλεται Οσία

Μαρία τό πνεύμά σου.

In thee the image was preserved with exactness, O Mother; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow

Christ, and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlook the flesh, for it passeth away, but to attend to

the soul since it is immortal. Wherefore, O righteous Mary, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.

ΚΟΝΤΑΚΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

Ti ypermacho stratigo ta nikitiria, os lytrotheisa ton deinon efharistia, anagrafo si e polis sou Theotoke,

all’os ehousa to kratos aprosmahiton, ek pantinon me kyndinon eletheroson, ina krazo si, Here nymfi

anymfefte.

O Champion Leader, we your faithful inscribe to you the prize of victory as gratitude for being rescued

from calamity, O Theotokos. But since you have invincible power, free us from all kinds of perils so that

we may cry out to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.

5th

Sunday of lent: st. Mary the Egyptian

Mark, Bishop of Arethusa, Martyr Cyril the Deacon and Those with him, The Holy Martyrs Jonas and

Barachesius, Eustathios the Confessor, Bishop of Bithynia

March 29th, 2015

+Fast: Wine/Oil Allowed+

Today’s scripture readings

Epistle reading

St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 9:11-14

Prokeimenon. Mode Plagal 4.

Psalm 75.11,1

Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.

Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

BRETHREN, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the

greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all

into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal

redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes

of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who

through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead

works to serve the living God.

Gospel pericope

Mark 10:32-45

At that time, Jesus taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,

saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief

priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles;

and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days

he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him,

"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do

you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and

one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am

baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink

you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit

at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been

prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant of James and John. And Jesus

called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the

Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be

so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever

would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served

but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Announcements

Liturgical/Program Schedule:

Wed. April 1st: Presanctified Liturgy followed by Lenten Potluck, 6pm

Fri. April 3rd: Final Presanctified Liturgy of the year, 9am (**note morning service**)

Sat. April 4th: Saturday of Lazarus, Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:30am, CLEAN-UP following

Sun. April 5th: Palm Sunday, Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:30am, Plaki Luncheon following

Today’s Memorial Service: Mr. Traian Calin Pop- 10 yrs (Daniela Meier’s brother)

Habitat for Humanity Book Drive: Our ever active GOYA is partnering w/ Habitat for

Humanity to provide a new bookcase loaded with books for children between the ages of 3-10.

That’s where YOU get involved! We are asking that parishioners bring either new or gently

used books, targeting the mentioned age group, to church on Sundays through Palm Sunday. If

you have any questions please see a GOYAN or one of their advisors, Mike or Halina. Thank

you for helping us help local families!

Palm Sunday Fish Plaki Dinner: April 5th, immediately following Divine Liturgy in the

church hall. Please join us for a fish plaki dinner and support Holy Anargyroi’s Philoptochos

Society as all proceeds go to our chapter and local charities. $12 for adults and $6 for children.

Chanter’s 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 you’ll be reading so the proper preparations can be made; no last minute additions

will be accommodated the day of.

Holy Week Liturgical Books: We have ordered several copies of the official Holy Week Book

endorsed by our Metropolis. This comprehensive book, compiled by Fr. Pappadeas, will be

used exclusively for all the liturgical celebrations from Palm Sunday evening through the Agapi

Vespers on Pascha. Each book is $25, and ARE NOW AVAILABLE.

HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION—Only Orthodox Christians (i.e. the Orthodox Church

does not observe ‘open communion’) in good standing are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently, provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally and physically. They must 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 fasts of the Church, 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 to receive Holy Communion, state your Christian (baptismal) name clearly, 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 of the Cross as you step away. Please do not be in a rush while communing! Please take special care not to bump the Holy Chalice.

Pascha flowers: A table will be set up in the Narthex for collections of monetary donations

towards the Pascha flowers on Sundays until April 5th- Donations can also be made at any time

to the Church during Lent, please mark ‘Pascha flowers’ with your check or donation. Thank

you!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SAVE THE DATE: SPRING GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF ALL STEWRDS IN GOOD

STANDING OF HOLY ANARGYROI G.O. CHURCH WILL BE SUNDAY APRIL

19th AFTER THE DIVINE LITURGY!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Today’s liturgical commemorations

1. SAINT MARK, CONFESSOR AND BISHOP OF ARETHUSA IN SYRIA: We are

told about Mark's suffering by St. Gregory the Theologian and by Blessed Theodorit.

According to this report, Mark, during the reign of Emperor Constantine, destroyed a pagan

temple and converted many to the Faith of Christ. When Julian ascended the throne and,

shortly thereafter, apostatized from the Faith of Christ, a citizen of Arethusa then also denied

Christ and reverted to paganism. Then they rose up against Mark because he destroyed their

temple, seeking that he either rebuild the temple or pay a large sum of money. Since the aged

Mark refused to do either of the two, he was flogged, mocked and dragged through the

streets. After that they severed his ears with a thin but strong thread. They then stripped him,

rubbed him with honey, and left him tied to a tree in the heat of summer so that he would be

bitten by wasps, mosquitoes, and hornets. The martyr of Christ endured all without moaning.

Mark was very old, but in his countenance he shone like an angel. The pagans reduced the

price for their temple even more and finally sought from Mark an insignificant sum, which

he could have easily given, but he refused to give even one coin for this purpose. His

patience made an enormous impression on the citizens, and they began to admire him for it

and to feel sorry for him. They then lowered the cost of the temple to practically nothing, in

order to allow him to live. Finally, they permitted him to go free, and one by one they all

received instruction from him and returned to the Faith of Christ. At the same time, in the

city of Heliopolis at the foot of Mt. Lebanon Cyril a deacon, suffered for a similar act.

During the time when Christianity enjoyed freedom, Cyril destroyed some idols and under

Julian the Apostate, was brutally tortured.

Spring Cleanin’ Time! It’s time to get ready for Pascha, and we’re asking for volunteers to clean the

nave of the Church, and help out on the following days:

Saturday of Lazarus, April 4th – thorough cleaning – after services

Palm Sunday, April 5th

– after luncheon remove palms, decorate for Holy Week.

Holy Saturday, April 11th- after Liturgy, light cleaning and decorate for Pascha

LENTEN POTLUCK

The FINAL Lenten Potluck will be Wednesday April, 1st

after the Presanctified Liturgy. We will gather in the

library for a simple Lenten meal. Please plan on attending

these compunctionate services and bring a fasting meal to

share! THANK YOU to all have participated!

________________________________________________________________________________

Pearls from the Desert

“When Abba Macarius was returning from the marsh

to his cell one day carrying some palm-leaves, he met

the devil on the road with a scythe. The latter struck

at him as much as he pleased, but in vain, and he said

to him, 'What is your power, Macarius, that makes me

powerless against you? All that you do, I do, too; you

fast, so do I; you keep vigil, and I do not sleep at all;

in one thing only do you beat me.' Abba Macarius

asked what that was. He said, 'Your humility.

Because of that I can do nothing against you.'”

Today’s

commemorations

St. Mary the Egyptian: An Icon of Repentance

When Mary was only twelve years old, she left her

parents and departed to Alexandria, where she lived a

depraved life for seventeen years. Then, moved by

curiosity, she went with many pilgrims to Jerusalem, that

she might see the Exaltation of the venerable Cross. Even

in the Holy City she gave herself over to every kind of

licentiousness and drew many into the depth of perdition. Desiring to go into the church on the

day of the Exaltation of the Cross, time and again she perceived a certain invisible power

preventing her entrance, whereas the multitude of people about her entered unhindered.

Therefore, wounded in heart by this, she decided to change her way of life and reconcile herself

to God by means of repentance. Invoking our Lady the Theotokos as her protectress, she asked

her to open the way for her to worship the Cross, and vowed that she would renounce the world.

And thus, returning once again to the church, she entered easily. When she had worshipped the

precious Wood, she departed that same day from Jerusalem and passed over the Jordan.

She went into the inner wilderness and for forty-seven years lived a most harsh manner of life,

surpassing human strength; alone, she prayed to God alone. Toward the end of her life, she met a

certain hermit named Zosimas, and she related to him her life from the beginning. She requested

of him to bring her the immaculate Mysteries that she might

partake of them. According to her request, he did this the following

year on Holy and Great Thursday. One year after this, Zosimas

again went thither and found her dead, laid upon the ground, and

letters written in the sand near her which said: "Abba Zosimas,

bury here the body of wretched Mary. I died on the very day I

partook of the immaculate Mysteries. Pray for me." Her death is

reckoned by some to have taken place in 378, by some, in 437, and

by others, in 522. She is commemorated also on the Fifth Sunday

of Great Lent. Her life was recorded by Saint Sophronius of

Jerusalem.

This Saturday: raising of lazarus/beginning of holy week

The story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead by Jesus

Christ is found in the Gospel of John 11:1-45. Lazarus

becomes ill, and his sisters, Mary and Martha send a message

to Jesus stating, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” In response

to the message, Jesus says, “This illness does not lead to

death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may

be glorified through it” (vv. 1-4). Jesus did not immediately

go to Bethany, the town where Lazarus lived with his sisters.

Instead He remained in the place where He was staying for

two more days. After this time, He told his disciples that they

were returning to Judea. The disciples immediately expressed

their concern, stating that the Jews there had recently tried to

stone Him (John 10:31). Jesus replied to His disciples, “Are

there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during

the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this

world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them” (vv. 5-10).

After He said this, Jesus told his disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep and that He was going there to wake him.

The disciples wondered why He would go to wake Lazarus, since it was good for him to sleep if he was ill. Jesus,

however, was referring to the death of Lazarus, and thus told the disciples directly that Lazarus was dead (vv. 11-

14). When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Since Bethany was near

Jerusalem, many of the Jews had come to console Mary and Martha. When Martha heard that Jesus was approaching

she went to meet Him and said to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now

I know that God will give you whatever you ask of Him.” Jesus told her that her brother will rise again. Martha said

that she knew he would rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus replied, “I am the resurrection and the

life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never

die.” Jesus asked Martha if she believed this. She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the

Son of God, the one coming into the world” (vv. 17-27). Martha returned to tell Mary that Jesus had come and was

asking for her. Mary went to meet Him, and she was followed by those who were consoling her. The mourners

followed her thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When she came to Jesus, she fell at His feet and

said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus saw her weeping and those who were with

her, and He was deeply moved. He asked to be taken to the tomb of Lazarus. As Jesus wept for Lazarus the Jews

said, “See how He loved him.” Others wondered that if Jesus could open the eyes of the blind, He certainly could

have kept Lazarus from dying (vv. 28-37). Jesus came to the tomb and asked that the stone that covered the door be

taken away. Martha remarked that Lazarus had now been in the tomb for four days and that there would be a stench.

Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” The stone was taken away,

and Jesus looked toward heaven and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me, but I have said this for the sake

of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” As a result of this miracle, many of the Jews

that were present believed in Jesus. Others went and told the Pharisees what Jesus had done. In response the

Pharisees and chief priests met and considered how they might arrest Him and put Him to death (v. 45ff). This

miracle is performed by Christ as a reassurance to His disciples before the coming Passion: they are to understand

that, though He suffers and dies, yet He is Lord and Victor over death. The resurrection of Lazarus is a prophecy in

the form of an action. It foreshadows Christ’s own Resurrection eight days later, and at the same time it anticipates

the resurrection of all the righteous on the Last Day: Lazarus is “the saving first-fruits of the regeneration of the

world.”

Beginning of holy week: the

bridegroom services

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 beginning 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.

"The Bridegroom" Icon portrays Christ during His Passion, particularly during the period when

our Lord was mocked and tortured by the soldiers who crowned Him with thorns, dressed Him in

purple and placed a reed in His Hands, jeering Him as the "King of the Jews."