Христос Међу Нама! Christ is in our midst! Cristo esta' entra nosotros! | |
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Homily on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy
By Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rejoicing today in the triumph of Orthodoxy on this first Sunday of Lent, we joyfully commemorate three events: one event belonging to the past; one event to the present; and one event which still belongs to the future.
Whenever we have any feast or joy in the Church, we Orthodox first of all look back — for in our present life we depend on what happened in the past. We depend first of all, of course, on the first and the ultimate triumph -- that of Christ Himself. Our faith is rooted in that strange defeat which became the most glorious victory — the defeat of a man nailed to the cross, who rose again from the dead, who is the Lord and the Master of the world. This is the first triumph of Orthodoxy. This is the content of all our commemorations and of all our joy. This man selected and chose twelve men, gave them power to preach about that defeat and that victory, and sent them to the whole world saying preach and baptize, build up the Church, announce the Kingdom of God. And you know, my brothers and sisters, how those twelve men — very simple men indeed, simple fishermen — went out and preached. The world hated them, the Roman Empire persecuted them, and they were covered with blood. But that blood was another victory. The Church grew, the Church covered the universe with the true faith. After 300 years of the most unequal conflict between the powerful Roman Empire and the powerless Christian Church, the Roman Empire accepted Christ as Lord and Master. That was the second triumph of Orthodoxy. The Roman Empire recognized the one whom it crucified and those whom it persecuted as the bearers of truth, and their teaching as the teaching of life eternal. The Church triumphed. But then the second period of troubles began.
The following centuries saw many attempts to distort the faith, to adjust it to human needs, to fill it with human content. In each generation there were those who could not accept that message of the cross and resurrection and life eternal. They tried to change it, and those changes we call heresies. Again there were persecutions. Again, Orthodox bishops, monks and laymen defended their faith and were condemned and went into exile and were covered with blood. And after five centuries of those conflicts and persecutions and discussions, the day came which we commemorate today, the day of the final victory of Orthodoxy as the true faith over all the heresies. It happened on the first Sunday of Lent in the year 843 in Constantinople. After almost 100 years of persecution directed against the veneration of the holy icons, the Church finally proclaimed that the truth had been defined, that the truth was fully in the possession of the Church. And since then all Orthodox people, wherever they live, have gathered on this Sunday to proclaim before the world their faith in that truth, their belief that their Church is truly apostolic, truly Orthodox, truly universal. This is the event of the past that we commemorate today.
But let us ask ourselves one question: Do all the triumphs of Orthodoxy, all the victories, belong to the past? Looking at the present today, we sometimes feel that our only consolation is to remember the past. Then Orthodoxy was glorious, then the Orthodox Church was powerful, then it dominated. But what about the present? My dear friends, if the triumph of Orthodoxy belongs to the past only, if there is nothing else for us to do but commemorate, to repeat to ourselves how glorious was the past, then Orthodoxy is dead. But we are here tonight to witness to the fact that Orthodoxy not only is not dead but also that it is once more and forever celebrating its own triumph — the triumph of Orthodoxy. We don’t have to fight heresies among ourselves, but we have other things that once more challenge our Orthodox faith.
Today, gathered here together, Orthodox of various national backgrounds, we proclaim and we glorify first of all our unity in Orthodoxy. This is the triumph of Orthodoxy in the present. This is a most wonderful event: that all of us, with all our differences, with all our limitations, with all our weaknesses, can come together and say we belong to that Orthodox faith, that we are one in Christ and in Orthodoxy. We are living very far from the traditional centers of Orthodoxy. We call ourselves Eastern Orthodox, and yet we are here in the West, so far from those glorious cities which were centers of the Orthodox faith for centuries — Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Moscow. How far are those cities. And yet, don’t we have the feeling that something of a miracle has happened, that God has sent us here, far into the West, not just in order to settle here, to increase our income, to build up a community. He also has sent us as apostles of Orthodoxy, so that this faith, which historically was limited to the East, now is becoming a faith which is truly and completely universal.
This is a thrilling moment in the history of Orthodoxy. That is why it is so important for us to be here tonight and to understand, to realize, to have that vision of what is going on. People were crossing the ocean, coming here, not thinking so much about their faith as about themselves, about their lives, about their future. They were usually poor people, they had a difficult life, and they built those little Orthodox churches everywhere in America not for other people but for themselves, just to remember their homes, to perpetuate their tradition. They didn’t think of the future. And yet this is what happened: the Orthodox Church was sent here through and with those poor men. The truth itself, the fullness of the apostolic faith -- all this came here, and here we are now, filling this hall and proclaiming this apostolic faith — the faith that has strengthened the universe. And this leads us to the event which still belongs to the future.
If today we can only proclaim, if we can only pray for that coming triumph of Orthodoxy in this country and in the world, our Orthodox faith forces us to believe that it is not by accident but by divine providence that the Orthodox faith today has reached all countries, all cities, all continents of the universe. After that historic weakness of our religion, after the persecutions by the Roman Empire, by the Turks, by the godless atheists, after all the troubles that we had to go through, today a new day begins. Something new is going to happen. And it is this future of Orthodoxy that we have to rejoice about today.
We can already have a vision of that future when, in the West, a strong American Orthodox Church comes into existence. We can see how this faith, which for such a long time was an alien faith here, will become truly and completely universal in the sense that we will answer the questions of all men, and also all their questions. For if we believe in that word: “Orthodoxy," "the true faith"; if for one moment we try to understand what it means: the true, the full Christianity, as it has been proclaimed by Christ and His disciples; if our Church has preserved for all ages the message of the apostles and of the fathers and of the saints in its purest form, then, my dear friends, here is the answer to the questions and to the problems and to the sufferings of our world. You know that our world today is so complex. It is changing all the time. And the more it changes, the more people fear, the more they are frightened by the future, the more they are preoccupied by what will happen to them. And this is where Orthodoxy must answer their problem; this is where Orthodoxy must accept the challenge of modern civilization and reveal to men of all nations, to all men in the whole world, that it has remained the force of God left in history for the transformation, for the deification, for the transfiguration of human life.
The past, the present, the future: At the beginning, one lonely man on the cross — the complete defeat. And if at that time we had been there with all our human calculations, we probably would have said: "That’s the end. Nothing else will happen." The twelve left Him. There was no one, no one to hope. The world was in darkness. Everything seemed finished. And you know what happened three days later. Three days later He appeared. He appeared to His disciples, and their hearts were burning within them because they knew that He was the risen Lord. And since then, in every generation, there have been people with burning hearts, people who have felt that this victory of Christ had to be carried again and again into this world, to be proclaimed in order to win new human souls and to be the transforming force in history.
Today this responsibility belongs to us. We feel that we are weak. We feel that we are limited, we are divided, we are still separated in so many groups, we have so many obstacles to overcome. But today, on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we close our eyes for a second and we rejoice in that unity which is already here: priests of various national churches praying together, people of all backgrounds uniting in prayer for the triumph of Orthodoxy. We are already in a triumph, and may God help us keep that triumph in our hearts, so that we never give up hope in that future event in the history of orthodoxy when Orthodoxy will become the victory which eternally overcomes all the obstacles, because that victory is the victory of Christ Himself.
As we approach the most important moment of the Eucharist, the priest says, "Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess...." What is the condition of the real triumph of Orthodoxy? What is the way leading to the real, the final, the ultimate victory of our faith? The answer comes from the Gospel. The answer comes from Christ Himself and from the whole tradition of Orthodoxy. It is love. Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess . . . confess our faith, our Orthodoxy. Let us, from now on, feel responsible for each other. Let us understand that even if we are divided in small parishes, in small dioceses, we first of all belong to one another. We belong together, to Christ, to His Body, to the Church. Let us feel responsible for each other, and let us love one another. Let us put above everything else the interests of Orthodoxy in this country. Let us understand that each one of us today has to be the apostle of Orthodoxy in a country which is not yet Orthodox, in a society which is asking us: "What do you believe?" "What is your faith?" And let us, above everything else, keep the memory, keep the experience, keep the taste of that unity which we are anticipating tonight.
At the end of the first century — when the Church was still a very small group, a very small minority, in a society which was definitely anti-Christian when the persecution was beginning — St. John the Divine, the beloved disciple of Christ, wrote these words: "And this is the victory, our faith, this is the victory." There was no victory at that time, and yet he knew that in his faith he had the victory that can be applied to us today. We have the promise of Christ, that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church. We have the promise of Christ that if we have faith, all things are possible. We have the promise of the Holy Spirit, that He will fill all that which is weak, that He will help us at the moment when we need help. In other words, we have all the possibilities, we have everything that we need, and therefore the victory is ours. It is not a human victory which can be defined in terms of money, of human success, of human achievements. What we are preaching tonight, what we are proclaiming tonight, what we are praying for tonight, is the victory of Christ in me, in us, in all of you in the Orthodox Church in America. And that victory of Christ in us, of the one who for us was crucified and rose again from the dead, that victory will be the victory of His Church.
Today is the triumph of Orthodoxy, and a hymn sung today states solemnly and simply: "This is the Apostolic faith, this is the Orthodox faith, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the faith that is the foundation of the world." My dear brothers and sisters, this is also our own faith. We are chosen. We are elected. We are the happy few that can say of our faith, "apostolic," "universal," "the faith of our fathers," "Orthodoxy," "the truth." Having this wonderful treasure, let us preserve it, let us keep it, and let us also use it in such a way that this treasure becomes the victory of Christ in us and in His Church. Amen.
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CommemoratingSt Sophronius Patriarch of Jerusalem, St Euthymius Bishop of Novgorod, St Sophronius Bishop of Vratcha Bulgaria, Hieromartyrs Pionius and Limnus of Smyrna and those with them: Asclepiades, Macedonia and Sabina, Translation of the relics of the Martyr Epimachus of Pelusium, Venerable Sophronius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves
RESURRECTION TROPARION — TONE 1
When the stone had been sealed by the Jews, while the soldiers were guarding Your most pure body, You rose on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world. The powers of heaven therefore cried to You, O Giver of Life: “Glory to Your Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Your Kingdom! Glory to Your dispensation, O Lover of mankind!”
SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY TROPARION — TONE 2
We venerate Your most pure image, O Good One; and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ our God. Of Your good will You were pleased to ascend the cross in the flesh and deliver Your creatures from bondage to the Enemy. Therefore with thankfulness we cry aloud to You: “You have filled all with joy, O our Savior, for You alone have come to save the world.”
LENTEN TRIODION KONTAKION — TONE 2
No one could describe the Word of the Father; but when He took flesh from you, O Theotokos, He accepted to be described, and restored the fallen image to its former state by uniting it to divine beauty. We confess and proclaim our salvation in words and images.
INSTEAD OF ‘IT IS TRULY MEET…”
All of creation rejoices in you, O Full of Grace: the assembly of Angels and the race of men. O sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, the glory of virgins, from whom God was incarnate and became a Child – our God before the ages. He made your body into a throne, and your womb He made more spacious than the heavens. All of creation rejoices in you, O Full of Grace. Glory to you!
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~Scripture Readings of the Day~ | |
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READERS:
This Week: Matins: Nick Ressetar Epistle: Natasha Milanovich
Next Week: Matins: Lenny Tepsich Epistle: Jovan Milanovich
EPISTLE: Hebrews 11: 24 - 26, 32 - 40, 12: 1 - 2
DEACON: Let us pay attention.
PRIEST: Peace be unto all!
READER: And with your spirit!
DEACON: Wisdom.
READER: The Prokeimenon in the Fourth Tone: Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your Name forever!
CHOIR: Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your Name forever!
READER: v: You are just in all that you have done for us!
CHOIR: Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your Name forever!
READER: Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, ...
CHOIR: ...and praised and glorified is Your Name forever!
DEACON: Wisdom!
READER: The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Hebrews
DEACON: Let us attend!
READER: Brethren, by faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
PRIEST: Peace be unto you, reader!
READER: And with your spirit! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
CHOIR: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
READER: Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel also was among those who called on His Name.
CHOIR: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
READER: They called to the Lord and He answered them.
CHOIR: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
АПОСТОЛ: Јеврејима 11: 24—26, 32—40, 12: 1—2
Ђакон: Пазимо
Свештеник: Мир свима!
Читач: I Духу Твоме!
Ђакон: Премудрост
Читач : ПРОКИМЕН- глас 4 Благосливен си Господе Боже отаца наших, и хваљено и прослављено је име Твоје у вјекове.
Хор: Благосливен си Господе Боже отаца наших, и хваљено и прослављено је име Твоје у вјекове.
Читач: Јер си праведан у свему што си нам учинио.
Хор: Благосливен си Господе Боже отаца наших, и хваљено и прослављено је име Твоје у вјекове.
Читач: Благосливен си Господе Боже отаца наших,
Хор: и хваљено и прослављено је име Твоје у вјекове.
Ђакон: Премудрост
Читач: Читање из посланице Св. Апостола Павла Јеврејима
Ђакон: Пазимо
Читач: Браћо, вјером Мојсеј, када је одрастао, одрече да се назива син кћери Фараонове; И више вољаше да страда са народом Божијим него да има привремену насладу гријеха, сматрајући поругу Христову за веће богатство од свега блага египатскога, јер гледаше на награду. И шта још да кажем? Јер ми не би достало времена кад бих стао казивати о Гедеону, Вараку, Самсону, Јефтају, Давиду, Самуилу и о другим пророцима, који вјером побиједише царства, чинише правду, добише обећања, затворише уста лавовима, угасише силу огњену, утекоше од оштрица мача, од немоћних постадоше јаки, бијаху силни у рату, поразише војске туђинске; Неке жене примише своје мртве васкрсењем; други пак бијаху мукама уморени не приставши на избављење, да би добили боље васкрсење; А други искусише поруге и шибања, па још окове и тамнице; Камењем побијени, престругани, измучени, од мача помријеше; потуцаше се у кожусима и козјим кожама у оскудици, у невољама, у патњама; Они којих свијет не бијаше достојан, потуцаху се по пустињама и горама и по пештерама и по јамама земаљским. И сви ови, освједочени у вјери, не добише обећање; Зато што је Бог нешто боље предвидјео за нас, да не би они без нас достигли савршенство. Зато и ми, имајући око себе толики облак свједока, одбацимо свако бреме и гријех који нас лако заводи, и са стрпљењем хитајмо у подвиг који нам предстоји, гледајући на Исуса, Начелника и Савршитеља вјере, који умјесто предстојеће му радости претрпи крст, не марећи за срамоту, и сједе с десне стране Пријестола Божијега.
Читач: I Духом Твоме! Алилуиа, Алилуиа, Алилуиа
Хор: Алилуиа, Алилуиа, Алилуиа
Читач: Мојсеј и Арон, свештеници Његиви, и Самуило један од оних који призиваху име Његово.
Хор: Алилуиа, Алилуиа, Алилуиа
Читач: Призиваху Бога и Он их услиши.
Хор: Алилуиа, Алилуиа, Алилуиа
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LITURGY GOSPEL:
John 1: 43-51
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
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ЈЕВАНЂЕЉЕ:
ЈОВАН 1: 43-51
У вријеме оно, хтједе Исус отићи у Галилеју, и нађе Филипа, и рече му: Хајде за мном! А Филип бјеше из Витсаиде, из града Андрејева и Петрова. Филип нађе Натанаила и рече му: Нашли смо онога за кога писа Мојсеј у Закону и Пророци: Исуса, сина Јосифова, Назарећанина. И рече му Натанаило: Из Назарета може ли бити што добро? Рече му Филип: Дођи и види! А Исус видје Натанаила гдје долази к њему и рече за њега: Ево правог Израиљца у коме нема лукавства. Рече му Натанаило: Откуда ме познајеш? Одговори Исус и рече му: Прије него те позва Филип, видјех те кад бијаше под смоквом. Одговори Натанаило и рече му: Рави, ти си Син Божији, ти си цар Израиљев. Одговори Исус и рече му: Зато што ти казах да те видјех под смоквом, вјерујеш? Видјећеш више од овога. И рече му: Заиста, заиста вам кажем: од сада ћете видјети небо отворено и анђеле Божије како узлазе и силазе на Сина Човјечијега.
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~ The Week Ahead: Scriptures and Services ~ | |
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~Prayers for the Faithful~
In Our Prayers
Metropolitan Paul, Archbishop Youhanna, Protinica Ljubica Jockovic, Protopresbyter Rodney Torbic, Popadija Sara Golic, Matushka Barbara Ealy, the child Katie Elizabeth and her parents Mileva and Michael Repasky, the child Metodija and his parents Fr. Dn. Milan and Mira Damljanovic, the child Louise Bare and her parents Zachary & Elizabeth, Shayle York and the newborn Šeren Lily, Kaitlyn Hook and the newborn Bowen William, Cassandra Semic and the child newly born of her, Mara Bebeau and the child to be born of her, Catherine Lewis and the child to be born of her, Kyranna Baker and the child to be born of her, Michelle Adams, Addy Andy, Lori Bare, Dori & Doug Bert, Jonathan Bertsch, Darlene & Larry Black, Carole Blitva, Stephan and Barbara Blitva, Walter “Bud” Brown, Rebecca Cappetta, Guiliana & Aleksandar Carricato, Susan & Jim Cibort, Leann Cox, Victoria Cox, Art Dils, Tommy & Kara (Blitva) Dorsey, JoAnn Filepas, Anaya Garvin, Christian & Melanie Geib, Michael Geppert III, Nevenka Gojkovic, Dr Andrea Govelovich, Nick & Terry Govelovich, Kata Gruich, George Gutshall, Dan Hazlett, Travis Heilman, Adam Herigan, Edith Herigan, Kay Himes, Edward Hojnicki, Nicole Stefan Imschweiler, Susan Jacobs, Slobodan Jovicic, Myong Sook Kim, Spencer Klinge, Dorothy Krnjaich, Henry Laichak, Peter Lalic, Dragan Lalovic, Stella Wren Lappas, Dick Livingston, Maggie Livingston, Boro Lojpur, Stephen Lundingrin, Penny MacDonald, Dianne & Jim Martin, Rowan Martin, Jack McFall, Marija Miljkovic, Daria Milletics, Peter Mrgich, George Myers, Katherine Nation, Patty Navarro, Bosiljka Ninkovic, Lila Packer, Daniel Paddock, Vid & Marica Pejcic, Hope Pesner, Kobe Petrovich, Sue Petrovich, Tracy Petrovich, Christopher Radanovic, Linda Rodgers, Logan Roszkowski, Chloe Ruff, Jane Rush, Greg Selman, Michael Schaffner, Maryann Seiders, Steven Semic, Benjamin Shaffer, Tessa Shaffer, John Sheaffer, Branko Smitran, Zorka Starcevich, Tim Stefan, Stevan and Mary Stojic, Patricia & Joseph Sypniewski, Leonard Tepsich, Leroy Tepsich Jr, Savka Trivun, Edie & Michael “Bo” Venesevich, Michael Vishnesky, Rita Vorkapich, Kristina Vukalo, Steve Vulich, Paula Werner, Draga Worman, Beverly Yanich, Tosh Yanich, Dewey Yetter, Mila “Millie” Yezdimir, Marija Zabrodnaya, Jason Zeigler, Ashley Ziobrowski, Demetrios & Eleni Ziogas, Miriam “Mim” Codan Ziolkowski
Those Who Need Special Care
HOMELAND: Draga Donato; MASONIC HOME ELIZABETHTOWN: Ray Foltz; RS: Cedo Lukic
Those to be Baptized
Sloane & Berkeley Semic, Barrett Scott, Divna & Danica Mitrovic, Nora & Maeve Van Huysen, Sloane & Šeren York
Our College Students
Sophia Adams, Cameron Barber, Michael Geppert, Anastasija Gligorevic, Cayden Healy, Matthew Hoover, Kalei Howard, Faith Kingsbury, Sophia Mummert, Kobe Petrovich, Christina Radanovic, Ioanna Radanovic, Madison Vorkapich, Anastasija Vukalo
Our Dearly Departed Loved Ones
Dragoljub (Don) Maransky, Marshall Vujasinovich, Goran Stekovic, Louis ’Chuck’ Belic, Florence Ivanoff, Sofija Wuselich, Dr Stevan ‘Rick’ Zivic, Radenko Kuzmanovic, Nathan Rush, Slavko Djordjic, Slobodan Saran, George Radanovic
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~Vigils Offered~
DR BEVERLY BOSILJKA YANICH Offered in joyful celebration of our cousin Beba’s birthday (March 30). Offered with love and prayers that God bless her with good health in the years ahead. Mnogaja Ljeta! Danilo, Tosh and Joyce.
KIM FAMILY Offered prayerfully by the Heilman Family.
DARLENE & LARRY BLACK Offered with love by the Barber, Geib & McLaughlin Families for God’s Blessings during their recovery. We pray that He will bless them with good health. Our Love & Prayers are with them.
TOOTSIE KRNJAICH Offering vigils and prayers for our Kuma Tootsie. May God’s blessings be with her during her rehab period. From her Godchildren, Kat and families.
MICHAEL GEPPERT Offered prayerfully by Mom & Dad for improvement in health and God’s blessings and loving care during his recovery.
†JAMES FARANOV Offered in loving memory of his falling asleep in the Lord (3 years—March 24), by his loving Kumovi Arlene & Pete. May his Memory be Eternal!
†BECKI MOLINARO Offered in loving memory of my dear friend’s repose (4 years—March 28). Dearly missed by Nikki Lewis and Family.May her Memory be Eternal! Vjecnaja Pamjat!
†AARON WHITMYER Offered in loving memory of his birthday (March 29). May his Memory be Eternal! Vjecnaja Pamjat! From Nikki & Chloe Lewis Ruff and family.
†MIRJANA ’MIRA’ DONISON Offered in loving memory of our dear Sister/Tetka/Teta Mira on her repose (21 years—March 30). We pray for her peaceful repose and eternal life with our Lord. Forever in our hearts, with love seja Zorica and the whole family. Vjecnaja Pamjat! Memory Eternal!
†LOUISE MILLETICS Offered in loving remembrance of our Mother/Nannie’s birthday (March 30), by Dave, Daria, Jason & Sarah. Vjecnaja Pamjat! Memory Eternal!
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Please continue to pray for all of those currently being persecuted for Christ's sake in Kosovo, Metohija, Montenegro, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Morocco, China, North Korea, for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, that they might be comforted with the Joy of our Lord, and for those who are unjustly persecuted that they may be strengthened by the love of Christ which knows no division.
LET US PRAY TO THE LORD!
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Stewardship Offering Information
Date 3/17/2024
Collection: $3,382.00
Date 3/10/2024
Collection: $4,197.00
Date 3/3/2024
Collection: $3,524.00
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March Birthdays
Ruth Yovanovich (Mar 1), Gregory Yanich (Mar 1), Karen Stefan (Mar 2), Matea Jovic (Mar 3), George Radanovic (Mar 4), Dasha Gencturk (Mar 4), Donald Semic (Mar 5), Alex Bazdar (Mar 5), Nick Ressetar (Mar 7), Eric Garvin (Mar 8), Kirsten Geib (Mar 10), Monroe Semic (Mar 10), Sylvia Velencia (Mar 11), Stephani Yanich (Mar 13), Millie Trayer (Mar 14), Vega Stevenson (Mar 14), Tootsie Krnjaich (Mar 16), Donna Carricato (Mar 18), Tosha Yanich (Mar 19), Natalija Gligorevic (Mar 19), Rohan Radanovic (Mar 19), Mileva Jovic (Mar 21), Danielle Van Huysen (Mar 21), Protinica Carole Balach (Mar 22), Val Radosevich (Mar 26), Anastasija Vukalo (Mar 27), Ava Kingsbury (Mar 28), Zorka Starcevich (Mar 29), Beba Yanich (Mar 30), Blagica Raic (Mar 30), Clark Filepas (Mar 30), Mya Rose Petrovich (Mar 30), Mitch Matovich (Mar 31)
March Anniversaries
Igor & Brankica Skinder (Mar 21)
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LIVING THE FAITH CLASS
Father Chris will continue the adult education classes during lent with his Living the Faith—Responses of the Divine Liturgy, on Sundays after Divine Liturgy. This will begin TODAY, March 24.
FREE WILL LUNCHEON
The Choir will be hosting a free will luncheon on April 7, to benefit the church mortgage fund. Please stay and help support the Choir and our Church.
NEW AED PURCHASED (HELP NEEDED)
SOTAYA has purchased a new AED (Automated External Defibrillator) to be used in medical emergencies until an ambulance can arrive. It is being stored in the coat room in a cabinet with other medical supplies. If you are currently CPR certified and would be able to help in the event of an emergency, please submit your name to Yovanka Hoover (yshoover@gmail.com. We would like to have a team of medical responders listed next to the AED. Hvala!
EASTER LILIES & PASCHA ITEMS
If you would like to purchase an Easter Lily to help decorate the Lord’s Tomb on Great & Holy Friday, please contact Daria in the church office. Cost is $10.00. Also contact Daria if you would like to make donations for red candles, wine, incense, rose oil or olive oil. If you would like the item for the health of someone or in memory of someone, please have your request/money in by April 28 for it to appear in the Pascha bulletin.
SOTAYA SPRING CONCERT
Save the date for our SOTAYA Spring Concert on the evening of Saturday, May 11th with music and dancing to follow. Full details to come, stay tuned…..
SPECIAL THANKS TO GOD
Arlene & Pete Barber would like to thank everyone for the cards, prayers and love sent their way during Arlene’s recent surgery and ongoing recovery.
NUTROLL ORDER PICKUP
Please pick up your Nut/Apricot rolls this Thursday, March 28, between 4 pm - 6 pm
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CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Office hours are Monday thru Friday from 9 am until noon. You may call the office during these hours at (717) 939-3872 or come by the office in person. Office hours will be adjusted when services are occurring during those hours.
BULLETIN DEADLINE
Bulletin Deadline is Wednesday at 11 am
Please send all bulletin requests to the church office at office@stnicholassteelton.org
You may also call at (717) 939-3872
SERBIAN-AMERICAN CLUB 2024 SCHOLARSHIP
The Serbian-American Club is once again offering a scholarship to a graduating high school senior continuing their education. The guidelines and application can be found on the Tutors stand in the Narthex and below. Application deadline is May 1, 2024. The Club is accepting additional scholarship donations which will be added to the amount already collected for the scholarship. If you are interested in donating, see Chris Radanovic.
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March Charity
St Sava Pro-Cathedral in New York
The St. Sava Pro-Cathedral in New York City was burned in a fire on Pascha in 2016. The Cathedral is the Seat of our Diocese of Eastern America. As such, it also belongs to all of the faithful in the Diocese. The Cathedral is currently being renovated, and in need of funds to do so. The entirety of the project will eventually amount to around $62 million when completed. Thus, it is indeed a long range project in need of renewed support. Currently, the Cathedral has completed the Secure & Enclosure Phase. ... With the issuance of a temporary occupancy permit, our faithful will be allowed to return to their house of worship, the St. Sava Cathedral, which is now saved for posterity. Progress reports are available at https://www.easterndiocese.org or at the cathedral website: https://stsavanyc.org.
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Procession of the Holy Icons
Weather permitting, we will process outside, once around the Church
The order of the procession will be the Cross, candles, ripidia (shields), banners, Censer (Deacon), Gospel (Priest), Choir, Faithful carrying their icons.
PRIEST: Prayer before the Ambo
CHOIR: AMEN
SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY TROPARION — TONE 2
We venerate Your most pure image, O Good One; and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ our God. Of Your good will You were pleased to ascend the cross in the flesh and deliver Your creatures from bondage to the Enemy. Therefore with thankfulness we cry aloud to You: “You have filled all with joy, O our Savior, for You alone have come to save the world.”
This is sung until we re-enter the Church, and proclaim the Synodikon of Orthodoxy.
CHOIR: Budi Imja… and the rest of the Liturgy
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SYNODIKON OF ORTHODOXY
As the prophets beheld / as the Apostles have taught, / as the Church has received / as the teachers have dogmatized / as the Universe has agreed / as Grace has shown forth / as Truth has revealed / as falsehood has been dissolved / as Wisdom has presented / as Christ has Awarded / thus we declare / thus we assert / thus we preach Christ our true God / and honor His Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, / in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons / on the one hand worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord / and on the other hand honoring as true servants of the same Lord of all / and accordingly offering them veneration.
This is the Faith of the Apostles!
This is the Faith of the Fathers!
This is the Faith of the Orthodox!
This is the Faith which has established the Universe!
Recite the Creed Together
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