Newsletter-April 2018
Easter
Easter is drawing near at an alarming speed! Pascha is on April 8, 2017. Preparation for Holy Week as well as our annual Easter dinner will soon be underway. Please think about how you can offer your services as we prepare for this event. Most importantly, please take steps to arrange your daily schedule to be able to attend services and worship together during this most sacred and spiritual time.
Tickets for the dinner will be available for purchase beginning March 18th. They will be available at church or by calling Jenny Gaviotis at 389-3416. Jenny is starting a new job and cannot answer her cell phone between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Please leave a voicemail or a text (preferred) and she will return your call as soon as possible. Dine-in seating is limited to 122 people. We will give parish members the first opportunity to purchase tickets; however, ticket sales will be opened to the public on March 27th. We are also offering 15 take-out tickets. ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE! There will not be any tickets available at the door! To obtain an accurate count for food purchase, sales will STOP on April 1st and no more tickets will be sold after this date. All tickets must be paid for before April 1st. We will not be making any exception to this rule as it makes it very difficult for our cooks and preparation committee. Prices are $25.00 per adult; children from 6-12 years old are $10.00 and children 5 and under are free. When purchasing tickets please advise if you have children 5 & under attending as they must be counted in our seating total. PLEASE GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY!!We cannot stress enough that if you have not purchased your tickets by the deadline, you will not be able to attend the dinner.
There is a ton of work and several activities that will require everyone’s participation to make this Holy Week and Pascha celebration a success! Please give careful consideration as to how you can help! We need people to help with giving the church a really good cleaning upstairs and downstairs. We will do this on Lazarus Saturday when we have completed the palm crosses. We need help with chanters, altar boys, readers, food prep (Friday, April 6thand Saturday, April 7th, times TBA), and set-up of the church hall for the dinner (Friday, April 7th, time TBA).
Saturday, March 31, 2018
SATURDAY OF LAZARUS
Orthros 9:00 a.m.
Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
We celebrate the Divine Love that brought Lazarus back to life. The same love that Christ offers each one of us today.
We will meet in a basement after services to fold palms. We would like to have a luncheon provided with possible pizza and salad.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
PALM SUNDAY
Orthros 9:00 am
Divine Liturgy 10:00 am
Palm Sunday Luncheon after Divine Liturgy
First Bridegroom Service 7:00 p.m.
In the Divine Liturgy, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On this day we receive palm branches to show that we accept Jesus as King and are willing to follow Him to the Cross.
In the first Bridegroom service, we remember Joseph the son of Jacob, who was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. After much suffering, there came triumph for him and Egypt. He is, thus, a prototype of Christ. The gospel for the day tells about the barren fig tree, speaking of the world’s failure to bear fruit in Christ.
Lenten Pot-Luck Luncheon.
Monday, April 2, 2018
HOLY MONDAY
Second Bridegroom Service 7:00 pm
In the second Bridegroom Service we remember the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The end is coming. There is also the condemnation of the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
HOLY TUESDAY
Third Bridegroom Service 7:00 pm
We remember the sinful woman who anointed Christ in anticipation of His death. Her repentance and love of Christ is the theme of the hymn of Cassiane.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
HOLY WEDNESDAY
Sacrament of Holy Unction 7:00 pm
On this evening when we have confessed our sins and seek to be reconciled with God, the priest anoints us with Holy Oil that we may be healed physically and spiritually
Thursday, April 5, 2018
HOLY THURSDAY
Divine Liturgy 10:00 a.m.
Holy Passion Service 7:00 p.m.
The Divine Liturgy depicts the Last Supper of Christ with His Disciples. We also remember the washing of the feet of the Disciples and the betrayal of Judas.
In the Holy Passion Service, we remember when our Lord went to the Cross and died to take away our sins. The 12 Gospel readings relate the events of Jesus’ Holy Passion and His last instructions to the Disciples.
Friday 6, 2018
HOLY FRIDAY
Royal Hours 9:00 a.m.
Decoration of Epitaphio 10:30 a.m.
Apokathelosis—Taking down the Body of Christ 3:00 p.m.
Lamentations 7:00 p.m.
Royal Hours Service re-tell the story of Christ’s Passion with the addition of prophesies psalms and hymns. The service helps us keep vigil at the side of the Crucified Christ and relates Jesus’ suffering to our own redemption.
Apokathelosis Service: The priest takes Christ’s Body from the Cross, wraps it in a white cloth as a sign of His burial by Joseph of Arimathea.
Lamentations Service: We lament Jesus’ undeserved death for our salvation. With both sorrow and joy we sing the Lamentations (Praises) to Him who is symbolically buried. The Epitaphio is taken in a candlelight procession around the Church.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
HOLY SATURDAY
Divine Liturgy: Christ’s descent into Hades 10:00 a.m.
Resurrection Service 11:30 p.m.
During Divine Liturgy, we remember Christ descended into Hell that death itself might be destroyed, and we anticipate Christ’s victory over the power of death.
Resurrection Service: At midnight in a darkened church the faithful receive the resurrection light from the priest and form a procession out of the church. The congregation hears the good news of Christ’s triumph from the Gospel. The joyous hymn of Christ’s resurrection is triumphantly chanted- “Christ is Risen!”
Easter Sunday April 8, 2018
EASTER SUNDAY
Agape (Love) Service 4:00 p.m.
As a manifestation that Christ’s teachings have been spread to the ends of the earth, the Gospel of St. John, which tells of the resurrection, is read in many different languages.
Easter Dinner 5:00 p.m
Confessions by appointment only please call father john’s cell phone (307) 259-9697