Greek Or th od ox Patriar chate of A le xandria & All Afr ica

A L L G L OR Y , H ONOUR A ND W OR S H IP T O T H E F AT H ER , A ND T O T HE S ON , A N D T O TH E H OL Y S P IR IT , NOW A ND FORE VE R , A ND U NT O T H E A GE S OF A GE S . A ME N . R E ME MB ER ING A LS O OU R M OST H OL Y , M OS T P UR E , M OS T B L ES S ED A ND G L OR IOU S L A D Y , M AR IA , T HE OT OKOS , YE T E V ER V IR GIN , T OGE T H E R WIT H A LL T H E S A INT S . A ND LE T US C OMMIT OUR S EL V ES A ND ON E A NOT HE R A ND OU R WH OLE L IFE T O C H R IST OU R G OD . A ME N .

9th Sunday of Triodion Tone (8) Plagal 4

6 April 2014

5th Sunday of Great Lent St Mary of Egypt

ALSO THE FE AST OF ST EUTY CH IOS O F CONSTA NTIN OPLE ST ME THO DI OS, EQU AL TO T HE APOSTLES & ENL IG HTE NER O F T HE S LAVS ST PLAT ONI DA OF SYR IA 120 H OLY MARTY RS O F PE RSIA ST JE RE MI AH AND ST AC HI LI OS THE PRE SBYTER ST GRE GORY THE BY ZANT INE O F CONSTANT INOPLE & MOU NT AT HOS ST GE NNA DI OS OF D IO NYSIOU M ONASTE RY, MOU NT ATHOS

RESURRECTION APOLYTIKION TONE(8) PLAGAL 4

Ex

ipsous katilthes O Efsplaghnos, tafin katedexo triimeron, ina imas elevtherosis ton Pathon. I Zoi ke i Anastasis imon, Kyrie, Doxa Si!
TONE(8) PLAGAL 4

Thou

descended from on High, O Tender-hearted One; Thou endured the three-days burial, so that Thou might free us from our passions, O our Life and Resurrection: Glory to Thee!

RESURRECTION KONTAKION

Exanastas

tou Mnimatos, tous tethneotas igiras, ke ton Adam Anestisas: ke i Eva horevi en ti Si Anastasi, ke kosmou ta perata Panigirizousi, TI EK NEKRON

On

EGERSI SOU, POLIELEE.

Rising from the grave Thou roused the dead and Raised up Adam. Eve dances at Thy Resurrection, and the ends of the world keep festival at Thy Rising from the dead, O Most Merciful.

FESTAL APOLYTIKION OF ST MARY OF EGYPT

- TONE (8) PLAGAL 4

En Si

Miter akrivos diesothi to kat ikona; lavousa gar ton Stavron, ikolouthiasas to Hriste, ke prattousa edidaskes, iperoran men sarkos, parerhete gar; epimilisthe de psihis, pragmatos athanatou; dio ke meta Angelo sinagallete, Osia Maria, to pnevma Sou.

In Thee, O Mother, was preserved, intact what was in

Gods Image; for after taking up the Cross, Thou followed Christ our Lord, and by Thy actions Thou taught us to overlook the flesh, for it perishes and to care for the soul, which is Immortal; wherefore, O Holy Mary, Thy spirit rejoices, along with the Angels. Protector of the Christians Unashamable, Mediator to the Creator Immovable, despise not, the pleading voices of those in sin, but hasten O Good One, to the Aid of all of us, who in Faith cry out to Thee: speed up Thine Intercession, and present Thy Supplication, O Theotokos who always protects all those who honour Thee!

KO NTA KIO N OF THE EVE R BL ESS ED TH E OTO KOS

Prostasia ton Hristianon akateskhinte, mesitia pros ton O

Piitin ametathete, mi Paridis, amartolon deiseon fonas, alla profthason os agathi, is tin voithian imon, ton pistos kravgazonton Si: Tahinon is presvian, ke spefson is ikesian, i prostatevousa ai, Theotoke, ton Timonton Se.

Resurrection Matins Gospel 8 John 20 : 11 - 18

OUR RISEN LORD JESUS SPEAKS TO ST MARY MAGDALENE

Pray to the Lord our God and render Thanks to Him! God is known in Judea His Name is Great in Israel!

St Pauls Epistle to the Hebrews 9 : 11 -14

THE HE AVE NLY H OLY S ANCT UARY A ND THE D IVINE LIT URGY

Brethren: Christ came as High Priest of the Good Things to come with the greater and more Perfect Tabernacle Not Made With Hands that is, not of this Creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own Blood He entered the Most Holy Place once, for all having obtained Eternal Redemption. For, if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of heifers, sprinkled upon the unclean Sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the Blood of Christ - Who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God - Cleanse our conscience from dead works, to Serve the Living God?!
In contrast to the Old Covenant Hebrew High Priest, C HRIS T OUR S AVIOUR IS OUR ONL Y H IGH P RI EST OF G OD S N EW C OVENANT . Christ entered the Heavenly Sanctuary once for all i.e. H IS O NE P ERF EC T A ND U L TIMAT E B LOO D S AC RIFIC E CO VERS ALL THE SINS COMMITTED BY ALL HUMAN BEI NGS FO R ALL T IME THROUGHOUT HUMA N HISTO RY A ND F OR EV ER ! ] Christ was our High Priest TH E D IVI NE , P ERFECT O FFERE R W HO OFFER ED H IS OWN P ERF EC T , SINLESS B LOO D TH E D IVINE P ERFECT O FFERIN G WHICH IS ABLE TO H EAL
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THE EN TIR E COR RUPTIO N OF ALL HUMA NITY FO R ALL TIM E AND NEEDS NEVE R BE REP EAT ED EVE R AGAI N ! His Most Precious Blood Offering R ESTO RES EACH AN D EV ER Y ONE O F US HUMAN BEINGS throughout history TO OUR PROPER , FORM ER S AC RED R ELATI ONSHIP WI TH A LMIGHT Y G OD . C HRIST S S A CRIFI CE P URI FIES C LEANS ES our conscience and R EI NSTA TES US AS H OLY O R S ANCTIFI ED BEINGS who are DRAWN CL OSE R TO A LMIGH TY G OD TH ROUGH CO RR EC T L ITUR GICAL W ORSHIP serve the Living God together
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with our C OMMITM ENT TO CONS TA NT R EP EN TA NC E of our habitual sins. Because we continue to use our God-given free will to indulge our wilful and selfish flesh rather than to obey the Spiritual Guidance of our Holy Conscience the little Remnant or Voice of God within us WE MUST CONS TAN TLY S TRI VE AN D S T RUGGLE TO RESIS T T EMPTA TIO N
AND RESOL VE OUR SINS AS SOO N AS WE FALL INTO A ST AT E OF S PIRI TUAL D EA TH by means of sincere Repentance

and a determined effort to return to Spiritual Life and so continue our Spiritual Journey in the Divine Footsteps of our Lord and Saviour. c N O S PIRITUAL P R OG RESS IN C HRIS T IS POSSIBL E WITH OUT CONS TAN T W A TCHFULNESS AN D S T RUGGLE . Those who erroneously believe that the mere acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour will guarantee us Eternal Life are seriously deceiving themselves because that implies that our Struggle for Theosis (Spiritual Perfection) has been achieved. However, OUR S PI RITUAL S TRUG GLE THROUGH OUT THIS EN TIRE P REPARA TOR Y P ERIO D B EFOR E E T ER NITY IS AN ON GOIN G S ACR ED M ISSI ON TH AT IS ONL Y ENDED A T OUR VERY LAS T BREATH . Christ our Lord emphasised the fact that F AI TH WITHOUT G OOD W O RKS A ND S PI RITUAL S TRUG GLE DOES NOT BENEFI T ANYO NE and is actually be mere lip-service AN EMPT Y TYPE OF FAITH WI THOUT A NY SUBSTA NC E ! L IFE I N C HRIST MEANS A PERSON AL C OMMITMENT T O ALL FACE TS OF C HRIS TIA N F AITH AN D W ORSHIP not simply a few selected portions of the whole Faith according to the luke-warm manner we choose to follow Him. A GENUIN E L IFE I N C HRIS T IS our most determined effort - A DEDICA TED O R S A CR ED C OMMITM EN T T O G O D , which is compelled by our utter Love for Almighty God and a

desire to please Him in all ways possible: Let it be according Thy Will, O Lord! Tragically, in this day and age, a large majority of our fellow sinners have been deceived by false teachings of Spiritual Wolves who lead Gods Lost Sheep even further astray and then consume them with their lies and duplicity luring them with baited hooks that have a miniscule drop of Truth just enough to entice them and by telling them whatever they want to hear pleasing or pleasuring people rather than OBE YING TH E D IVINE W ILL OF G OD which R EQUIR ES what they lack L OV E , H UMILITY A ND O B EDI EN CE TO G O D ! The DEAD WO RKS that St Paul often cautions us against is a reference to all human activity in and of this fallen age when we participate in acts of mortality, immorality and corruption EVE RYTHI NG THAT ALIENA TES AN D EXIL ES US FROM TH E D IVI NE P R ESENC E A ND G RA CE OF OUR L O VIN G AND B ENEV OLENT G OD . Liturgically speaking, dead works include the actions of O L D C OVENA NT T YPE OF WOR SHIP , WHICH AR E N O LON GER REQUI RE D OF US AS C HRIST H AS FULFILLED EV ER YTHIN G REQUI RE D OF TH OSE OL D L AWS . c O UR C OMMITM EN T T O G OD RE QUIRES US TO FULFIL H IS N EW C O VENAN T : TO L OV E G OD with all our mind, with all our heart, with all our strength and with all our soul, AND TO L OV E O NE ANOTHER AS MUCH AS H E L OV ES US unconditionally and completely, without exception! and this includes all the Ten Commandments as well! c T HE N EW C O VENA NT OF G O D IS A C O VENA NT OF E T ERN AL L OV E and so WE WILL BE J UDG ED A CCO RDING T O EVERY WO RD , TH OUGHT A ND DEED COMPELL ED AN D FULFILLED WITH A GAPE D IVI NE L OV E a difficult Sacred Task To achieve until our very last breath!

The Holy Gospel According to St Mark 10 : 32 45

OUR LOR D J ESUS THI RD P ROPH E CY C ON CERNI NG HI S PASS IO N

At that time, they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus had gone before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed, they were afraid, for He had taken the Twelve aside again and had begun to tell them the things that would happen to Him. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests, and to the Scribes; and they will condemn Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again. So James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Him and asked: Teacher, we want Thee to do for us whatever we ask. And He said to them: What do you want Me to do for you? And they said to Him: Grant us that we may sit, one on Thy right hand side and the other on Thy left, in Thy Glory. And Jesus said to them: You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink from the Cup that I drink, and be Baptised with the Baptism with which I Am Baptised? And they answered: We are able. And Jesus said to them: You will indeed drink the Cup from which I drink, and with the Baptism with which I Am Baptised you will be Baptised; but to sit on My right hand side and on My left is not Mine to grant, since it is for those for whom it is prepared. And when the ten heard about it, they were greatly displeased with James and John. And Jesus called them to Himself and said to them: You know that those who are considered Rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet is shall not be so among you; for whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desire to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to Serve and to give His Life as a Ransom for many.
Our Lord Jesus Christs Revelations of His approaching Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen His Holy Apostles and Faithful Disciples for the terrifying Events with which they would all too soon be confronted. c T HE D IVI NE P R OPHECIES OF OUR L O R D J ESUS C HRIS T ALSO CONFI RM TH E T RUTH AN D R EALIT Y TH AT H E APPROA CHED H IS TERRIBL E P ASS ION AC CORDI NG T O H IS OWN W ILL AN D H IS OWN TIMI NG . Our Lord Jesus pointed out that A NY QUEST FO R TEMPO RAL POWER AN D GLO RY I S UNFITTIN G FO R A F AITHFUL D ISCIPLE OF C HRIST and it only exposes an earthly misunderstanding of the Eternal Kingdom of God. St Matthew noted that the Mother of Zebedees sons actually asked for the great Honour for her beloved sons to be seated on either side of Christ in His Eternal Glory, but THE FACT THA T OUR S AVI OUR USED TH E PLURAL
TERM Y OU SHOWS THAT H E KNEW WHO REALL Y SOUGHT THIS D IVINE F AVOUR FROM H IM . However, a True Disciple of Christ should BE REA DY TO SACRIFI CE EVEN F AMILY RELATI ONSHIPS IF THEY PREV EN T US FROM FULFILLING OUR S ACRED D UTY TO G O D OR IF THEY IMP EDE OUR S PI RITUAL G ROWTH IN C H RIST J ESUS .

Our Lord Jesus referred to His Crucifixion as a Cup, and His Death as Baptism. His unjust Crucifixion like a common criminal was regarded as a Cup since H E DRA NK OF I T VOLUNTA RILY FR EEL Y AN D WILLINGLY F OR TH E E T ER NAL B ENEFIT O R S AL VATI ON OF ALL MANKIND FO REVE R . his Death was regarded as Baptism since H E WAS FULLY IMMERSE D I N IT , WHILE IT C L EA NSED TH E ENTI R E HUMAN R ACE AN D R ENEW ED THE EN TIRE C REA TIO N .

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Furthermore, THE P R OPHEC Y OF C HRIST C ONCERNI NG S T J OHN A ND S T J AM ES participating in the same Cup and Baptism SHOWS H IS D IVI NE K NOWL EDGE OF THEI R FUTURE PERS ECUTI ON , SUFFERI NG A ND H OLY M A RTY RDOM for their Love of Christ, which they would endure after the Glorious Day of Holy Pentecost from the beginning to the end of their Holy Gospel Mission on earth. Although our Lord Jesus Christ told the two Apostles that the places of Great Honour in the Eternal Kingdom of God are not His to grant, it does not mean that He has no Divine Authority, but rather that SUCH D I VIN E F AVOURS AR E N OT H IS TO G RA NT A RBITRA RILY T O ANYO NE . Instead H E WOULD GR ANT TH EM T O TH OSE FO R WHOM A LMIGHTY G O D HAS PREPA RED THEM : BY THE W ILL OF G OD TH E F ATH ER , THROUGH G OD TH E W OR D AN D S ON ,
AND B Y TH E A CTIO N A ND ABILITI ES MA DE P OSSIBLE B Y G OD TH E H OLY L IF E -G I VING S PI RIT .

Kingdom, St John Chrysostom taught us that N O ON E NO O RDI NA RY HUMAN BEI NG - C OULD POSSIBL Y OC CUPY SUCH AN EL EVA TED D IVI NE P OSITI ON ! However, according to the Depiction of our God-Inspired Holy Icons, TH E HIGH EST PLAC ES OF HONOUR THAT HAV E BEEN GR ANTED TO HUMAN BEI NGS B ELO NG T O TH E E VER B LESSED , A LL P URE AND M OS T H OLY T HEO TOKOS ( TH E M OST B L ESSE D AM ONGS T ALL WOM EN ) AN D S T J OH N TH E B APTIST A ND F O RERUNN ER TO C HRIS T OUR S AVIOUR ( TH E GREAT EST H OL Y P ROPH ET EV ER B ORN OF WOM EN ) BUT
THEY A RE N EV ER S EAT ED A ND TH EY ST AN D IN PERF ECT

H UMILITY AND O B EDIENCE A T EI THER SI DE OF OUR E N THRO NE D L O RD AN D M AST ER , J ESUS C H RIST having dedicated their entire earthly lives to the Service of Almighty God with all due Humility and Obedience, as well as many other Virtues as well THE TWO MOS T The phrase for many, is an Aramaic expression meaning for all.
PERF ECT HUMA N ROL E MO DELS W E COULD EVER WISH T O IMITAT E TOG ETH ER WITH OUR L OR D AND S A VIOUR .

With regard to being seated as equals to Christ on His right and left hand side in Gods Eternal, Heavenly Our Venerable Holy Mother, St Mary of Egypt was a Desert Ascetic who repented her debauched life of fornication. She lived during the 6th Century and finally Reposed in Christ in a most remarkable manner in 522. Our Holy Church Commemorates St Mary of Egypt on the day of her Repose 1 April as well as on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent. St Mary had begun her life being controlled by physical passions both hers and others. She had run away from home at the tender age of twelve to live as a harlot and by spinning flax. One day she met a group of young men who were on a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Life-giving Cross of Christ. She accompanied them but in order to seduce as many of them as she could. However, when they reached Jerusalem and went to the Church of the Resurrection, only she was prevented from entering the Holy Site by an invisible Power. Three times she tried to push her way inside, but three times she was unable to do so, and she had to remain in the courtyard. Her eyes caught sight of a Holy Icon of our Ever Blessed Lady Theotokos tenderly holding our Infant Saviour, and she wept uncontrollably, as though her heart would break: ...the Grace of the Lord touched my heart and I wept and lamented, beating my breast in the most intensive grief I had ever felt. She then prayed with all her heart and soul to the Panagia to allow her to behold the True and Lifegiving Cross of Christ of which she had heard so much. She vowed to renounce all her worldly passions and go wherever the Ever Blessed Lady might lead her. Suddenly she was able to enter the Holy Church and immediately went to venerate the Holy Cross together with all the other Faithful Pilgrims. ...Thus I saw the Divine Mysteries of God, and how God accepts the Penitent, and I fell to the ground and kissed it. After a while, she exited the Church and went to stand before the beautiful Holy Icon that had compelled her to a state of sincere Repentance and she thanked our Lady for Her Compassion. A stranger gave her enough money to buy three small loaves of bread, and, having enquired how to get to the Jordan River, St Mary set off on her long Spiritual Journey to Theosis. Arriving at a Holy Monastery along the banks of the Jordan River, she received the Holy Mysteries of Baptism and Holy Eucharist before setting off once again into the wilderness. For the rest of her life, St Mary of Egypt lived a most strict Ascetic Life in the wilderness, the specific details of which are unknown and insignificant. Initially she ... spent seventeen years in this wilderness (after having spent seventeen years in
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immorality!) fighting the wild beasts of my mad desires and passions... She survived on water and whatever edible plants and fruit she found in the desert for 48 years after leaving Jerusalem until her Repose in Christ. Her entire focus, however, was on the renunciation of her physical desires, against which she bravely and ceaselessly fought for all those long and lonely years. ...Constantly weeping and striking myself on the breast, I remembered the Sacred Vow I had made and at last I beheld a Radiant Light shining on me from everywhere. After such a violent tempest, a Lasting Calm ensued! Her intense Spiritual Struggles against the vile temptations of the evil one were strengthened and sustained by the Intercessory Prayers of the Ever Blessed Theotokos:.... from that time until now, the Mother of God helps me in everything! After 47 years in total solitude, St Mary met St Zosimas who was wandering about in the wilderness seeking profound Wisdom. After their rather strange first meeting, St Zosimas managed to coax St Mary to relate her amazing Life as a Holy Ascetic. She recounted her story with great Humility while also demonstrating her Gift of Clairvoyance, for she knew exactly who St Zosimas was, despite never having met him before, nor having any contact with others in all those years. She was also able to quote verbatim from Holy Scripture, which further astonished St Zosimas because, as she told him: ... I have seen no human face but yours from the time that I crossed over the Jordan River. I never learnt from books. I have never heard anyone read or sing from them. Perhaps the Word of God, Who is Alive and Active, teaches mankind Knowledge by Itself... Finally, she requested St Zosimas to meet her again the following year on Holy Thursday on the bank of the Jordan River to bring her Holy Eucharist for which she had yearned all those years. St Zosimas did exactly this, although he began to doubt his previous experience as the sun began to set. Suddenly St Mary appeared on the opposite, far, bank of the Jordan River and, after Blessing herself with the Sign of the Cross, she proceeded to walk over the flowing waters to St Zosimas. When he began to prostrate himself before her, she rebuked him, saying that as a Priest he was superior to her and he was holding the Life-giving Holy Mysteries. With much Joy and Gratitude, St Mary of Egypt received Holy Communion, after which she gave St Zosimas instructions concerning his Monastery and also requested him to once again return the following year to where they had first met. 3.

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St Zosimas duly did what St Mary of Egypt had requested but instead of Communing her, he found her body lying peacefully alongside the Jordan River where they had first met. In the sand she had written her name and informed him that she had Reposed immediately after their last meeting - after having received the longawaited Holy Eucharist. However, St Zosimas soon realised it was beyond his ability to dig a deep enough grave for her Holy Relics but suddenly, to his abject terror, a huge lion appeared, went to St Mary and gently licked her feet. Then the lion began to dig into the sun-baked earth so that St Zosimas was able to bury St Mary as was fitting. The lion remained with St Zosimas until he had recited all the Prayers for St Mary of Egypt and was ready to return to his Monastery, before it went off in the opposite direction.

St Zosimas related these wonderful Events to his faithful disciple, St Sophronios, (who later became the Patriarch of Jerusalem and who wrote down everything that St Zosimas had told him concerning St Mary of Egypt.) St Zosimas also corrected the faults of the Monks according to the instructions of St Mary, and they all enjoyed a fulfilled Monastic Life. St Zosimas Reposed Peacefully in Christ at the age of 100 years. (The complete Life of St Mary of Egypt is read during the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, which expresses profound contrition for all our sins and a yearning for True Repentance and an Eternal Relationship with God.)
METROPOLITAN PANTELEIMON LAMPADARIOS OF ANTINOES, THE KALYMNITE ORTHODOX NEWSLETTER OF ST THEODORE, LANHAM, USA 1 APRIL 2012

Nikitas Stithatos - On the Practice of the Virtues Thus it will be quite clear to all whether we are If we harbour evil thoughts, our face will be still subject to unclean passions and to the morose and sullen; our tongue will be law of the mundane will, or whether we are incapable of praising God and we will be free from such servitude and live according surly towards others. to the Law of the (Holy) Spirit. But if we harbour in our heart what is deathless In the words of Solomon: 'A glad heart makes and Holy, our face will radiate Joy and the face radiant; but a doleful heart makes Gladness, and we will lift up our voice in it sullen...' (CF. PROVERBS 15:13) Prayer and be most gentle in speech. St. John Klimakos - The Ladder of Divine Ascent
However great may be the life we lead, if we have not acquired a contrite heart, we may count it stale and spurious. For this is essential - truly essential, if I may say so - for those who have again been defiled after Baptism that they should Cleanse the pitch from their hands with Unceasing Fire of heart and with the Oil of God.

Nikitas Stithatos - On the Practice of the Virtues

A soul receives either Blessings or penalties and punishment according to its inner activities. If it concerns itself with things Divine and tills the ground of Humility, tears fall on it like rain from Heaven, and it cultivates Love for God, Faith and Compassion for others. And when in this way the soul is Renewed in the Beauty of Christ's Image, it becomes a Light to others; attracting their attention with the Rays of its Virtue, it Inspires them to Glorify God. But if the soul devotes itself to mundane and merely human matters, stirring and agitating the fetid waters of sin, it nourishes hatred and repels what is good and beautiful. Deformed in this way according to the mundane, ugly image of fallen man, it becomes a thing of darkness to others; and through its evil talk and depravity it corrupts immature and fickle souls, inducing them to blaspheme God. Thus the soul receives its Reward according to the state it is in when death overtakes it.

St John of Kronstadt
Our life is incomplex: because our Life is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Most Incomplex Eternal Being - having no beginning. "God has given to us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son." Why, then, do we seek life in men, in enjoyments, in money, in honours, in dress, etc.? There is no life for the heart in these things, but only affliction, straitness, and Spiritual Death. Why do we forsake the Fountain of Living Waters our Lord - and hew out "...cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water"? Why do we toss about, and trouble about trifles ? Why are we so greedy after enjoyments, money, honours, dress, and various other things? All these are dead, perishable, transitory. The Devil, who has the power of death, is also incomplex, and catches us in his snares, wounding us unto death. This is why we must be on our guard, and not attach ourselves to anything, so that we may not be hurt by him.

St Maximos the Confessor

Those who Love God will certainly Love their neighbour as well. Those who gives alms in imitation of God do not discriminate between the wicked and the virtuous, the just and the unjust, when providing for the bodily needs of others. They give equally to all according to their need, even though they prefer the virtuous person to the wicked person because of the probity (integrity) of their intention.

St Isaac the Syrian

It is a Spiritual Gift from God for us to perceive our sins.

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Greek Or th od ox Patriar chate of A le xandria & All Afr ica

A L L G L OR Y , H ONOUR A N D W OR S H IP T O T H E F A T HE R , A ND T O T HE S ON , A ND T O T HE H OL Y S P IR IT , NOW A ND FOR E V ER , A ND UNT O T HE A GE S OF A GE S . A ME N . R E ME MB ER ING A LS O OUR M OS T H OL Y , M OS T P U R E , M OS T B L ES S E D A ND G L OR IOU S L A D Y , M AR IA , T H E OT OKOS , YE T E V E R V IR GIN , T OGE T H ER WIT H A LL T H E S A INT S . A ND L E T US C OMMIT OU R S E LV E S A ND ONE A N OT H ER A ND OUR WH OL E L IFE T O C H R IS T OUR G OD . A ME N .

12 April 2014

Saturday of St Lazaros The Raising of St Lazaros, Four Days Dead

ALSO T HE FE AST O F ST B ASIL THE CONFE SSOR OF PARI UM S T ZE NO THE BISHOP OF VE R ONA ST ISAA C T HE SYRI AN, ABBOT OF SPO LETO MONASTE R Y ST ME N AS, ST D AVI D & ST JO HN M ONK- MARTYRS OF PA L E STINE ST ANTHUSA OF C ONSTANTI NOPLE ST ATH ANAS IA, ABBE SS OF AE GINA ST AKA KIOS THE YOUN GER OF M OUNT AT HOS
A P O L Y T I K I O N O F S A T U R D A Y O F T H E R A I S I N G O F S T L A Z A R O S TON E 1

Tin

kinin ananstasin pro tou Sou Pathos pistoumenos, ek nekron igiras ton Lazaron Hriste O Theos, othen ke imis, os i Pedes, ta tis Nikis Simvola ferontes, Si to Niki ti tou Thanatou voomen. Osanna en tis Ipsistis, Evlogimenos O erhoemenos en Onomati Kyriou.

Christ our God, before Thy Passion, Thou raised Lazaros 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 Thee, the Victor over Death: "Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!"

K O N T A K I O N O F S A T U R D A Y O F T H E R A I S I N G O F S T L A Z A R O S - TONE 2

panton Hara, Hristos i Alithia, to Fos i Zoi, tou kosmou i Anastasis, tis en gi pefanerote, ti Aftou Agathotiti, ke gegone tipos tis Anastaseos, tis pasi Parehon Thian afesin.

Christ, the Joy of all, the Truth, the Light, the Life, the
Resurrection of the world, in His Goodness, appeared to those on earth; and He became the pattern of the Resurrection, by granting Divine Remission to all.

INSTEAD OF THE TRISAG ION HYMN :

Osi

> Doxa

is Hriston Allilouia! [3]

Evaptisthite,

Hriston

enedisasthe.

As

Patri, ke Io, ke Agio Pnevmati ke nin ke Ai ke is tous eonas ton eonon.

> Glory

many as have been Baptised into Christ, have put on Christ: Alleluia! [3] to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

Amin Hriston enedisasthe. Allilouia! Dynamis! Osi is Hriston Evaptisthite,

Allilouia!

Hriston

enedisasthe.

Amen Have put on Christ: Alleluia! Power/Strength As many as have been Baptised into
on Christ: Alleluia!

Christ, have put

St Pauls Epistle to the Hebrews 12 : 28 13 : 8

THE PURITY OF C HRIST IAN CO MMUN ITY

Brethren: Since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have Grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear. For our God is a Consuming Fire. Let Brotherly Love continue. Do not forget to welcome strangers, for by doing so some have unwittingly hosted Angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them those who are mistreated since you yourselves are in the Body also. Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled: but fornicators and adulterers God will Judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with the things that you have. For Christ Himself has said; I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear. What can mankind do to me? Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose Faith you follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. E T ER NAL LIF E IS CONTI NUOUS E UCH ARIS TIC (T HANKS GIVI NG ) O NLY THOSE THINGS TH AT A RE CR EA TED C AN B E SHAK EN AN D D IVINE L ITU RGY . EVEN DEST ROY ED THE T EMPOR AL , IMPERMAN ENT AND IMPERF ECT . Grace is a reference to OUR SIN CERE A ND P ROFOUN D T HE FINAL C ONSUMMA TIO N OF THE E TERNAL K ING DOM OF G O D GRA TITUDE TH AT C OMPELS US TO S ER VE G OD AND T O IS U N S H A K A B L E A N D I N D E S T R U C T I B L E A N D E N D U R E S WORSHIP H IM IN A N A CC EPTABL E MA NN ER , with proper F O R E V E R FO R ALL E T ER NITY AN D EVE RYTHI NG OF E T ER NITY Reverence and Godly Fear . IS E V E R L A S T I N G , U N C H A N G E A B L E A N D I M P E R I S H A B L E . (D IV INE G RACE T HAT E NABLES US TO DO T HE W ILL OF G OD WIT H That is why we must prepare ourselves throug hout this HUMBLE O BE DIEN CE IS BESTOWE D ON US BY G OD T HE H OLY lifetime to B E C O M E W O R T H Y S P I R I T U A L C I T I Z E N S O F S PIRIT .) GOD S E T ER NAL KI NG DOM OF LO VE, PE AC E A N D JO Y P RAC TIC AL B RO THE RLY L OV E IS TO B E SHOWN TOWAR DS ALL BY MEANS OF ALL TH E S PIRITUAL T OOLS WITH WHICH FELLOW C H RISTIA NS AN D D IS CIPLES OF C H RIST a nd C HRIST OUR L OR D AND S AVIOUR HAS PROVI DED US ALL H IS ESPE CIALLY TOW ARDS THE LOWLY , THE POWERLESS , AND ALL D IVINE C OMMAN DMENTS AN D T EA CHIN GS . VICTIMS OF CRU ELTY AN D INJUSTI CE .

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 Stra ngers are T RAVELLE RS ( VISITO RS ) I N N EED OF C H RISTIA N H OSPITALIT Y . T HE H OSPI TALIT Y O F A BR AHAM THE A NCI EN T P A TRI AR CH IS A GOO D EXAMPL E TO US : he never ate a meal unless he had others with whom to s hare it. The da y came when he hosted three very special Visitors the Hol y Tri nity at the Oaks of Ma mre, where they left their three sta ffs of cyp ress , ceda r a nd pine imbedded in the earth, which g rew into a most uniq ue Tree. (GEN ESIS 18 : 1 8 & 19: 1 3) (When King Solomon was building his first great Temple in Jerusalem centuri es later, the Trinity Tree was cut down but the wood was never used a nd merely thrown aside, until the C rucifixion of Christ when He was forced to carry the heavy cross-bar (not the whole cross) as part of His p ublic humiliation and punishment, before being nailed at the wrists to it. The cross-bar was then fastened to the up right p ole which was secured in a hole in the rock on Golgotha . After His Death, the cross-ba r was sepa rated from the upright post and C hrist was unnailed.

According to Hebrew C ustom, every drop of blood would be gathered and b uried with the mortal remains, so the cross-ba r and nails would also have been included in our Lord s Tomb and later removed a nd preserved (hidden) by the Faithful Christia ns after His Glorious Resurrection and due to Roman p ersecution of C hristia ns. The Romans tried to bury Golgotha a nd the Tomb of Christ, which also inadvertantl y included the cave where the crosses had been hidden. They then built a huge temple in honour of one of their gods, but the secret of that Holy Site was maintained throug hout the centuries by a faithful Hebrew fa mily until St Helena the Empress was trusted enough to be i nformed about it. After the pagan temple had been demolis hed , the cave with the Life-giving Cross , the Tomb of Christ and Golgotha were unearthed. The huge Church of the Res urrection was built over the entire Holy Site where it remains to this day as our Most Holy Place of Worship a nd many Divine Miracles.)

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

The Holy Gospel According to St John 11 : 1 45

At that time, a certain man was sick: Lazaros of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister, Martha. It was that Martha who had anointed our Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His Feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazaros, was sick. Therefore, the sisters sent a message to Jesus, saying: Lord, behold: he whom Thou Love is sick. When Jesus heard that, He said: This sickness is not unto death, but for the Glory of God so that the Son of God may be Glorified through it. Now Jesus Loved Martha and her sister, and Lazaros, so when He heard that Lazaros was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this, He said to His Disciples: Let us go to Judea again. The Disciples said to Him: Rabbi, lately the Hebrews sought to stone Thee, and art Thou going there again? And Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the Light is not in him. These things He said, and after that He said to them: Our friend, Lazaros, sleeps, but I go so that I may wake him up. And His Disciples said: Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well. However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He spoke of taking rest in sleep. So Jesus told them plainly: Lazaros is dead. And I Am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him. And Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow Disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with Him. So when Jesus went, He found that Lazaros had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Hebrews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. And Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary sat in the house. And Martha said to Jesus: Lord, if thou had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that whatever Thou ask of God, God will grant Thee. Jesus said to her: Your brother will rise again. Martha said to Him: I know that he will rise again in the Resurrection at the Last Day. Jesus said to her: I Am the Resurrection and the Life: he who believes in me, although he may die, he shall Live. And whoever lives and believes in Me, shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to Him: Yes, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ the Son of God Who is to come into the world. And having said these things, Martha went her way, and secretly called Mary, her sister, saying: The Teacher has come and is calling for you. And as soon as Mary heard that, she quickly arose and went to Him. Now Jesus had not yet gone into the town, but was in the place where Martha had met Him. When the Hebrews, who were with her in the house, comforting her, saw that Mary had quickly arisen and gone out, they followed her, saying: She is going to the tomb to weep there. And when Mary arrived where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His Feet, saying to Him: O Lord, if Thou had been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Hebrews who had come with her, weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said: Where have you laid him? They said to Him: Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. And the Hebrews said; See how He Loved him! And some of them said: Could not this Man Who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying? And Jesus, again groaning within Himself, went to the tomb, which was a cave, and a stone lay against it. And Jesus said: Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him: Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days! Jesus said to her: Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the Glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the cave where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His Eyes and said: O Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I know that Thou always hears Me, but because of the people who are standing by, I say this, so that they may believe that Thou sent Me. Now when Jesus had said these things, He cried with a loud Voice: Lazaros! Come forth! and he who had died came out, bound hand and foot with grave-cloths, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them: Loosen him, and let him go. And many of the Hebrews who had gone to Mary, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in Him, but some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus had done. Saturday of St Lazaros The Begi nning of the Cross "Having fulfilled Forty Days... we ask to see the Holy Commemoration of Christ's Suffering, Death and Week of Thy Passion." Resurrection, which begins on the Saturday of St Lazaros. With these words sung at Vespers of Friday, Great Lent comes to its end and we enter into the annual

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The double Feast of St Lazaros' Resurrection and the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is described in Liturgical texts as the "Beginning of the Cross" and is to be understood therefore, within the context of Holy Week. The common Troparion of these days explicitly affirms that by Raising St Lazaros from the dead, Christ confirmed the Truth (and Reality) of our ultimate General Resurrection. It is highly significant that we are led into the Darkness of the Cross by one of the Twelve Major Feasts of the Church. Light and Joy shine not only at the end of Holy Week but also at its beginning - they Illumine Spiritual Darkness itself and reveal its ultimate meaning. All those who are familiar with Orthodox Worship know the peculiar, almost paradoxical character of St Lazaros Saturday Services. The Divine Liturgy is a Sunday - a Resurrection - Service that is celebrated on a Saturday, which is a day usually devoted to the Liturgical Commemoration of the dead. And the Joy that permeates these Holy Services stresses one central theme: the forthcoming Victory of Christ over Hades. Hades is the Biblical term for Death in its universal power, for that inescapable darkness and destruction that swallows all life and poisons with its shadow the whole world. But nowwith St Lazaros' Resurrection"...Death begins to tremble." For there the decisive duel between Life and Death begins, and it gives us the Key to the entire Liturgical Mystery of Holy Pascha. In the early Church St Lazaros Saturday was called "Announcement of Pascha" because it announces and anticipates, indeed, the Wonderful Light and Peace of the next SaturdayGreat and Holy Saturday - the Day of the Life-giving Tomb. ST LAZAROS, THE FRIEND OF OUR LORD J ES US CH RIST Let us first of all understand that St Lazaros, a dear friend of our Lord Jesus, personifies the whole of mankind and also each human being, and Bethany, the home of St Lazaros symbolises the whole world as the home of mankind, for each human being was created as a friend of God and thus, we are all Called to this Divine Friendship, which consists of the Knowledge of God, our Communion with Him and our sharing of Life with Him (and IN Him.) In Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men.
(JOHN 1:4)

And yet these Friends whom God Loves and whom in Love He has created, and whom He has Called to Life, is destroyed and annihilated by a power that God has not created i.e. Death. God encounters in His own created world a power that destroys His Work and annihilates His Perfect Design. The world is but lamentation and sorrow, tears and death - how is this possible? How did this happen?

These are the questions implied in St Johns slow and detailed narrative of our Lord Jesus going to the tomb of His friend. And there, our Lord Jesus wept. (JOHN 11:35) Why did He weep if He knew that in a moment He would call St Lazaros back to life? Byzantine Hymnographers failed to grasp the true meaning of these tears, ascribing them to His human Nature, whereas the Power of Resurrection belongs to His Divine Nature as the Eternal Son of God. However, the Orthodox Church teaches us that all actions of Christ are Theandric, i.e. both Divine and human, and they are Actions of the One and same God-Man. But then His very Tears are Divine for He wept because He contemplated the triumph of death and destruction in the world created by Him. LOVE, THE POWER OF LIFE It stinks, said the Hebrews who tried to prevent our Lord Jesus Christ from opening the sealed tomb and approaching the (decomposing) corpse. Furthermore, that awful warning applies to the whole world - to all life (that has been corrupted by sin.) God is Life and the Giver of Life and He Calls all mankind into the Divine Reality of Life yet, behold: It stinks! The world was created by God to reflect and proclaim His Glory yet, now It stinks! At the tomb of St Lazaros God encountered Death - the reality of anti-life, of destruction and despair. He confronted His Enemy, who has corrupted and enslaved His beautiful, perfect World and become its evil Prince. And we who follow our Lord Jesus as He approaches the tomb, enter with Him into that Hour of His, which He announced so often as the Climax and the Fulfilment of His whole Work. The Cross, its necessity and Universal meaning are announced in the shortest verse of the Holy Gospel: Jesus wept We understand now that it is because He wept because He Loved His Friend, St Lazaros, and He alone had the Power to call him back to life. The Power of Resurrection is not a Divine ...Power in itself, but the Power of love, or rather Love as Power. God is Love and Love is Life - and Love creates Life It is Love that wept at that tomb and it is Love that restores us to Life. This is the meaning of the Divine Tears of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, whereby Love is at work again Recreating, Redeeming and Restoring the darkened life of mankind: Lazaros, come forth!... And this is why St Lazaros Saturday is the beginning of the Holy Cross, as the symbol of the Supreme Sacrifice of Love and the Glorious Resurrection, as the Ultimate Triumph of Love.
FROM TH E CHR ISTIAN WAY (1961) BY ARCHPRIES T ALEXAND ER SCHMEM ANN - 15 / 04 / 2011 HTTP://WWW .PRAVOSL AV IE.RU/ ENGL ISH/29999.HTM

Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) of Eastern America & New York On St Lazaros Saturday
It often happens that when a child misbehaves badly, a parent will administer an appropriate punishment in order to correct him or her. However, when the parent sees the sorrowful weeping of the child, Parental Love naturally compels the parent to console the beloved child. A terrible sentence was imposed upon our fallen Ancestors living in the Garden of Eden in Paradise. After committing their terrible sin of Disobedience, when they betrayed Him and heeded the evil tempter and enemy of God, our Lord said to them: You shall return to the earth, for out of it you were taken... - meaning that fallen mankind will be returned to the earth from whence we were created. In this manner, the Lord God sentenced our Ancient Ancestors and their progeny to Death, for before this, mankind had not experienced Death. Having no sin, mankind did not die and would have lived forever, but after the Fall from Divine Grace
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through voluntary Disobedience to God, we all became the prey of Death. And our Lord knows that Death terrifies mankind and, in fact, nothing else horrifies us more that the prospect of Death. For that reason and in order to ease the frightening thought of Death - to alleviate that fear - our Lord Jesus Christ performed His Wondrous Deeds of which is recorded in the Holy Gospels. In particular, He performed the Great Divine Miracle, which we Commemorate today - the greatest of all His Divine Miraclesthe Raising from the dead of St Lazaros, (who had been dead for four days and whose body had already begun to decompose.) Our Lord Jesus had before this day, taught His Apostles: He who believes in Me although he were dead yet shall he live. He also revealed to them that the moment would come when those who already repose in their tombs,
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would hear the Voice of the Son of God and would emerge alive once again. And yet Death, which destroys our body, still horrifies us. Nevertheless, our Lord, consoles us and encourages us by making an example of St Lazaros, who heard the Voice of the Son of God and came out of his tomb. Our Lord Jesus Christ called out aloud and His Omnipotent Voice shook the very depths of Hades, and, as a Miraculous Consequence, St Lazaros, whose body had already begun to decay, came out of the tomb alive, unharmed and in perfectly good health. Todays Feast is for this reason especially close to our hearts - especially joyful because today we celebrate our future Resurrection. In seven days time, it is the Feast of Feasts - the Triumph of All Triumphs - when we will celebrate the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ Who Raises us all together with Him. And so to illustrate how this will occur - how the all dead will rise from their tombs at the sound of the compelling, most beautiful Voice of the Son of God, Christ brought back to life the ...four-days-dead... St Lazaros. This most wonderful Event is declared by the Festal Troparion that we sing today and tomorrow: By raising Lazaros from the dead before Thy Passion, Thou confirmed the Universal Resurrection, O Christ God! It is confirmed, without a doubt, that there will be a General Resurrection of all humanity ever created. Our soul is filled with special Joy on this Feast Day - a Brilliant Joy, because Death no longer terrifies us. How unfortunate are the godless! St. John Klimakos Make the effort to raise up, or rather, to enclose your mind within the words of your Prayer; and if, like a child, it gets tired and falters, raise it up again. The mind, after all, is naturally unstable, but the God Who can do everything can also give it firm endurance. Persevere in this, therefore, and do not grow weary; and He Who sets a boundary to the sea of the mind will come to you too during your Prayer and will say: ... Thus far you shall come, and no farther." (JOB 38:11). Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) The praying mind does not think does not reason but lives. Abba Xanthias (4th c.) A dog is better than I am, for he has love and he does not judge. Father Seraphim Rose Only Struggle a little more. Carry your Cross without complaining. Do not think you are anything special. Do not justify your sins and weakness, but see yourself as you really are. And, especially, Love one another! St. John Klimakos The believing man is not one who thinks that God can do all things, but one who trusts that he will obtain everything he needs. St. Joseph of Opti na To be concerned for the good upbringing of children and the care of the elderly and infirm - these are Works of Mercy, commanded of us Christians by the Lord - for which He promises a Reward to all those who fulfil His Commandments: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy.

Of course, we know that they are in error for we know that mankind is not annihilated nor do we cease to exist after Death. But these poor deluded folks think that when Death comes, everything comes to an end for the person who has died and, for them, there is no question of any life despite all their talk about how their leaders will live in Eternity in the heart of their followers! The human soul does not seek this. The human soul seeks only an escape from the fear of Death and our Lord God has granted us that freedom from such fears, for after all He has done for us, Death does not mean our total disappearance into the abyss of non-existence. Now, according to the Will of God, death is only a temporary slumber, unlike our earthly sleep, from which His Almighty Voice will awaken us all at a time known only to God the Father, so that we can then pass into Eternity ( into either Eternal Life in His Blissful Kingdom of Peace and Joy, or Eternal Death, which is a bitter, dark and painful exile into Outer Darkness far, far away from all Gods Goodness and Light.) How bright and happy is this Feast Day of the Raising of St Lazarus! The human soul cannot but tremble with elation because, once again, we are celebrating our Universal Resurrection! Remember this, O human soul! And constantly thank our Lord God for His Great Mercy! Amen.
HTTP://WWW .R USSIANORTHODOXCHURCH.WS/ SYNOD/ ENGROC OR/ENS ER _M ETF ILA RETLAZA RUS .HTML

The Eternal, Inspired Wisdom of our Holy Church Fathers

St Clement of Alexandria If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes. St. Dorotheos of Gaza Listen to what the Lord Himself tells us: 'Learn of Me, for I Am Meek and humble of heart and you shall find Rest for your soul.' (MATTHEW 11:29). There you have it in a nutshell: He has taught us the root and cause of all evils and also the remedy for it, leading to all Good. He shows us that pretensions to superiority cast us down and that it is impossible to obtain Mercy except by the contrary, that is to say, by Humility. St. Theophan the Recluse The soul becomes deadened by the spirit of the world, and possessed by sin that lives in the world. The entire structure of our Church Services, with their tone, meaning, Power of Faith, and especially the Grace concealed with them, have an Invincible Power to drive away the spirit of the world. In freeing the soul from the worlds onerous influence, it allows the soul to breathe freely and to taste the sweetness of Spiritual Freedom. Walking into Church we walk completely into a completely different world, are influenced by it, and change according to it. St. Isaac the Syrian The Path of God is a daily Cross. No one has ascended into Heaven by means of ease, for we know where the way of ease leads and how it ends.

Hieromonk Damascene (Christensen)

Serving people does not mean giving them whatever they want. Through the inner knowing of our spirits, as they are informed by our Creator, we can distinguish peoples demands from their true needs, whatever the cost. Such is the Way of Heaven, and such the true meaning of love for others.

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Greek Or th od ox Patriar chate of A le xandria & All Afr ica

A L L G L OR Y , H ONOUR A ND W OR S H IP T O T H E F A T HE R , A ND T O T H E S ON , A ND T O T H E H OL Y S PIR IT , NOW A ND FOR E V ER , A ND UNT O T HE A GE S OF A GE S . A ME N . R E ME MB ER ING A L S O OU R M OS T H OL Y , M OS T P U R E , M OS T B L E SS E D A N D G L OR IOU S L A D Y , M A R IA , T H E OT OKOS , YE T E V E R V IR GIN , T OGE T H ER WIT H A LL T H E S A INT S . A ND L ET U S C OMMIT OU R S E L V ES A N D ON E A N OT H ER A ND OUR WH OL E L IFE T O C H R IS T OUR G OD . A ME N .

13 April 2014 10th Sunday of Triodion Tone 1 Palm Sunday The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem
ALSO THE FEAST OF ST ARTEM ON THE PRE SBYTER OF LAOD ICE A , SYR IA ST CRE SCE NS OF MYRA , LYC IA ST T HO MAIS OF ALEXAN DRIA

RESURRECTION APOLYTIKION TONE1

Tou

lithou sfragisthentos ipo ton Ioudeon ke stratioton filassonton to ahranton Sou Soma, Anestis trimeros, Sotir, Doroumenos to kosmo tin Zoin. Dia touto e Dinamis ton Ouranon evoon si Zoodota. Doxa ti Anastasi Sou, Hriste! Doxa ti Vasilia Sou! Doxa ti Ikonomia Sou, mone Filanthrope!
TONE1

While

the stone was sealed by the Judeans, and soldiers stood on guard over Thine Undefiled Body, Thou rose on the Third Day, O Saviour Who gives Life to the world. For which cause the Heavenly Powers cried aloud to Thee: O Giver of Life: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to Thy Kingdom! Glory to Thy Providence, O Thou Who alone Loves mankind!

RESURRECTION KONTAKION

Exanestis

os Theos, ek tou tafou en Doxi, ke kosmon sinanestisas, ke i fisis ton vroton os Theon Se animnise, ke thanatos ifaniste; ke O Adam horevi Despota, ke i Eva nin ek ton desmon litroumeni, heri krazousa:. Si i O pasi parehon, Hriste tin Anastasin! TONE 4

Thou rose from the grave in Glory as God and raised the
world up with Thee. Mortal nature sang Thy praise as God, and Death disappeared. Adam danced, O Master, and now Eve, freed from her chains, rejoices as she cries: It is Thee, O Christ, Who grants Resurrection to all!

FESTAL APOLYTIKION PALM SUNDAY

Tin

kinin Anastasi pro tou Sou Pathous pistoumenos, ek nekron igiras ton Lazaron Hriste O Theos; othen ke imis O i pedes, ta tis Nikis simvia ferontes, Si to Nikiti tou Thanatou voomen; Osanna en tis Ipsistis! Evlogimenos O erhomenos en Onomati Kyriou. Si di dia tou Baprismatos, Hriste O Theos imon, tis Athanatou Zois i xiothimen ti Anastasi Sou, ke animnountes krazomen: Osanna en tis Ipsitis! Evlogimenos O erhomenos, en Onomati Kyriou!

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the common Resurrection before Thy Passion assuring us, from the dead Thou raised Lazaros, O Christ our God; therefore we also, like the children, carrying symbols of Victory, to Thee the Victor over Death, we cry: Hosannah in the Highest! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! by Baptism we are buried with Thee, O Christ our God, so by Thy Resurrection we are made worthy of Eternal Life; and praising Thee, we cry aloud: Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!

FESTAL KONTAKION OF PALM SUNDAY

To Throno en Ourano, to polo epi tis gis, epohoumenos,

Hriste, O Theos, ton Angelon, tin enesin, ke ton pedon animnisin, prosedeho voonton Si: Evlogimenos O erhomenos, ton Adam anakalesasthe.

In

Heaven upon a Throne, on earth upon a colt, being carried, O Christ our God, Thou accepted the Angels praise and the childrens extolling Hymns, as they cried out to Thee: Blessed is He Who comes, fallen Adam to recall again!

Matins Gospel: Matthew 21: 1 - 11;

15 - 17

THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM BY OUR TRUE MESSIANIC KING AND LORD GOD

At that time, when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two Disciples, saying to them: Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loosen then and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say: The Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them. All this was done so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying: Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, Thy King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, a foal of a donkey. So the Disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes upon the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them upon the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest! And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying: Who is this? So the multitudes said: This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee! But when the Chief Priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the Temple and saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! they were indignant, and said to Him: Dost Thou
PALM SUNDAY CHRISTS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM 13 APRIL 2014 9

hear what these are saying? And Jesus said to them: Yes. Have you never read: Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants Thou has perfected praise? Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.
Our Lord Jesus Christs Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is celebrated by the Holy Church on Palm Sunday. By the time of Christ, Jewish Nationalism had led to the expectation of a political Messiah to deliver them from Roman oppression and rule and to re-establish King Davids Kingdom. In utter Humility, our Lord Jesus emphasised the fact that He had not come to establish an earthly Kingdom because He did not enter Jerusalem on a horse or in a chariot like a conquering hero but instead He entered on a donkey a real sign of His Humility and Peace. (SEE THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH 9:9 LXX) c C HRIST S T RIUMPHAL E N TRA NC E INT O TH E H OLY C IT Y DECLA RED THE E STABLISHM ENT OF TH E K I NG DOM OF A LMIGH TY G OD . c I T WAS ALSO A D I VIN E P R OMISE OF OUR L O RD J ESUS C HRIS T S F INAL E N TRANC E I NTO TH E H EA VENLY J ERUSALEM TOG ETH ER WITH ALL F AITHFUL B ELI EV ERS AN D OF H IS AC CEP TING THE N EW J ERUSAL EM AS H IS P URE B RIDE . (SEE THE REVELATION OF CHRIST THE
APOCALYPSE 21:2)

THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH THE NEW JERUSALEM - IS TRULY THE ALL PURE BRIDE OF CHRIST WHO IS THE DIVINE BRIDEGROOM

St Matthew recorded in his Holy Gospel that there was A COL T AS WELL AS A DO NKE Y and our Holy Church Fathers regard the two animals as REP RES EN TING THE F AITHFUL H EB REWS A ND THE G ENTILES WHO ARE BR OUGHT TO GETHER IN TH E K IN GDOM OF G OD . At Vespers of Palm Sunday we sing: Thy riding upon a foal prefigured how the untamed and uninstructed Gentiles would pass from unbelief to Faith.

Those people who spread their clothes upon the ground before our Lord Jesus Christ, did so as a spontaneous gesture of reverence to a great King and it is Spiritually Interpreted as OUR N EED TO LA Y DOWN OUR FLESH AN D I NDEED , OUR VE RY LIVES , FOR C H RIST . Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! comes from Psalm 117:25-26, which was associated with M ESSIANIC E XPEC TA TION . It was recited daily for six days during the Feast of Tabernacles, and seven times on the 7th Day as branches were waved. Hosanna! means Save, we pray! At Vespers of Palm Sunday we sing: Keep the Feast with the children, and holding branches in your hands, sing Hosanna.... many Liturgical Hymns of this day emphasise the perfect Praises of the children, which, unlike that of adults, were innocent, fitting, unashamed and from pure Love. c W E A RE ALL CALL ED TO G L ORIF Y C HRIS T IN THE S AME S PI RIT OF UNASHAMED AN D P URE L OV E ! In contrast, the adults Praises carried earthly expectations and hidden agendas which, when left unfulfilled, led them to rebel against our Lord Jesus Christ just a mere five days later!
AS USUAL, THE EVIL ONE ALWAYS USES OUR HUMAN WEAKNESSES AND SELFISH DESIRES AGAINST US AND AGAINST THE WILL THE GOD. IN THE CASE OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR, THE ENEMIES OF GOD USED THE EARTHLY DESIRES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE PEOPLE AS AN EXCUSE FOR THEIR UNJUST AND UNLAWFUL PUNISHMENT AND EXECUTION OF CHRIST. HOWEVER, THE LORD OUR GOD, VOLUNTARILY SUBMITTED TO THEIR EVIL SCHEMES SO THAT HE COULD ENTER HADES, SMASH OPEN ITS GATES AND SET THE RIGHTEOUS FREE. FROM THAT MOMENT ONWARDS, THE RIGHTEOUS WOULD REPOSE IN PEACE IN PARADISE UNTIL JUDGEMENT DAY.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good and His Mercy endures forever! The Epistle of St Paul to the Philippians 4 : 4 9
EXHO RT ATI ON F OR D AILY LI VIN G THE S EC R ET O F SPIR ITUAL C ONT E NTM EN T

Blessed is the Messiah Who comes in the Name of the Lord!

Prokeimenon

Brethren: Rejoice in the Lord always! Again, I will say: Rejoice! Let your gladness be known to all mankind! The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by Prayer and Supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, Brethren: whatever things are True, whatever things are Noble, whatever things are Just, whatever things are Pure, whatever things are Lovely, whatever things are of Good Report, if there is any Virtue and if there is anything Praiseworthy meditate on these things. The things that you learnt and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of Peace will be with you. The Holy Gospel According to St John 12 : 1 18
THE AN OI NTI NG & TH E TRIUMPH AL ENT RY OF OUR LOR D J ESUS CHRIST

At that time, six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazaros was who had been dead and whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served but Lazaros was one of those who sat at the table with Him. And Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the Feet of Jesus and wiped Them with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. And one of His Disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simons son, who would betray Him, said: Why was this fragrant oil 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 had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said: Leave her alone; she has kept this for the Day of My Burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always. Now a great many of the Hebrews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus sake only, but so that they might also see Lazaros whom He had raised from the dead. However, the Chief Priests plotted to put Lazaros to death also, because on account of him, many of the Hebrews had gone away and believed in Jesus. The next day a great multitude who had gone to the Feast, when they heard that Jesus was going to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out: Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord! The King of Israel! And Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat upon it, as it is written: Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting upon a donkeys colt. His Disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was Glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. Therefore, the people who were with Him when He called Lazaros out of his tomb, and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For that reason the people also met Him because they heard that He had done that Sign. This was the third Passover that is mentioned by St John the Divine c O UR L OR D J ESUS C HRIS T HAD AL READY B EEN G LORIFI ED
Theologian in his Holy Gospel and it is the setting for the final week of our Lord and Saviours earthly Ministry, which is narrated in careful detail.
THROUGH H IS S IGNS (D IVI NE M IR ACLES ) A ND W OR DS , AND IT REMAI NED F OR H IM T O B E ULTIMA TEL Y G L ORIFI ED TH ROUGH H IS D EATH A ND R ESURREC TIO N .

10.

PALM SUNDAY CHRISTS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

13 APRIL 2014

The other Disciples had made the same sort of comment as Judas Iscariot concerning the expensive oil of spikenard but with very different motives to his. At the house of Simon the Leper (the one grateful leper in a group of ten whom our Lord Jesus had healed) a woman also used very expensive fragrant oil with which to anoint His Head and although the Disciples protested at the extravagance, our Lord accepted that anointing as an honour from someone who had newly discovered Faith in Him. He also accepted her loving gesture as a Sign of His approaching Burial. (MATTHEW 26:6 - 13) Nevertheless, according to St John Chrysostom, His Disciples were not wrong in principle because M ERCY SHOWN T O THE POOR IS MO RE F ITTI NG THA N OUTWA RD S IG NS O R GESTUR ES SHOWN EV EN TO G OD . (MATTHEW 25:40; JAMES 1:27) However, the Disciples did not understand that ON CE SUCH A G IFT HAD BEEN GIVEN , IT WAS A G R EA TER M ERCY TO A CC EPT IT WITH L OV E A GAP E . If anyone had asked Christ before the woman did this, He would not have approved it. But after she had done it, He looked only to the motive itself. For after the fragrant oil had been poured, what good was a rebuke? Likewise, if you see anyone providing a Sacred Vessel or Ornament for the walls of a church, do not spoil his zeal. But IF BEFO REHAND HE ASKS ABOUT IT , C OMMAND HIM T O GIVE
INST EAD TO TH E POO R . (ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM)

Judas Iscariots lust for money by entrusting him with their limited funds and He allowed him to exercise Apostolic Authority. Our Lord also washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, just as He did to each of His other Disciples, and H E ALLOW ED J UDAS I SCARI OT TO PART AKE OF TH EIR L AST S UPPER - FR OM THE SAME T ABLE OF H IS M YSTICAL S UPPER TH E VERY FI RST H OLY E UCHARI ST /C OMMUNION . Y ET , DESPIT E ALL THAT , J UDAS I SCARI OT N EVER OV ERCAM E HIS TERRIBLE GR EED A ND S ELFISHN ESS . WHEN J UDAS I SCA RIOT IS R EFERR ED T O AS BEIN G ON E OF THE T WELVE , I T EMPHAS ISES THE DEP TH AND EXTENT OF HIS FATAL BETR AYAL OF OUR L O RD J ESUS C HRIST W HO AC CEP TED HIM IN TO THE I NN ER S ANCTUM OF H IS E ARTHL Y M INIS TR Y . c It proves and emphasises HOW SHOCKI NG , DEVAST ATI NG AN D DAN GEROUS THOUGHTL ESS , SELF - S ERVING MO TIV ES RE ALLY AR E BOTH TOWA RDS G OD AN D OUR F ELLOW SIN NERS !
TRUST IS A PRICELESS, IRREPLACEABLE GIFT WE GIVE TO ONE ANOTHER. IF THAT TRUST IS BROKEN OR DAMAGED, IT CAN NEVER BE REPAIRED OR REGAINED. CONSEQUENTLY, IF WE BREAK THE TRUST OF OTHERS WHETHER IN US OR IN OTHERS - WE WILL BE SEVERELY JUDGED DUE TO THE INESTIMABLE AND IRREPARABLE DAMAGE AND HURT IT CAUSES EVERYONE CONCERNED! THEREFORE, WITHOUT FAIL TREAT THE WONDERFUL GIFT OF TRUST WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT AND CARE AND NEVER FOR A MOMENT THINK THAT LIES, DECEPTION, THEFT, ETC WILL REMAIN A HIDDEN SECRET! SOONER OR LATER, GOD WILL EXPOSE OUR WICKEDNESS TO THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF HIS DIVINE TRUTH FOR THE WHOLE UNIVERSE TO BEHOLD! ALWAYS BE ABSOLUTELY TRUSTWORTHY TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE TO YOU!! EXPOSURE OF OUR SINS IS FAR MORE DEVASTING AND SHAMEFUL THAN WE CAN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND SO WE MUST ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN STEADFASTLY RIGHTEOUS AND TRUSTWORTHY THROUGH CONSTANT PRAYERS FOR GUIDANCE AND SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE! c BE ASHAMED OF YOUR SINS WHEN YOU COMMIT THEM OR ARE TEMPTED TO DO SO, RATHER THAN WHEN YOU REPENT THEM AND CONFESS THEM BEFORE GOD AND HIS HOLY PRIESTHOOD.

J UDAS I SCARIOT W AS MOTI VA TE D BY HIS I NSAT IABLE GREED WHILE THE OTHER D ISCIPL ES W ERE MO TIV AT ED BY THEI R V I RTUE OF C HARIT Y /L OV E . The fact that our Lord Jesus put such a greedy thief like Judas Iscariot in charge of the money, shows that B Y EV ERY MEANS POSSIBLE H E TRI E D TO S AVE J UDAS I SCA RIOT : Christ fulfilled The Holy Prophet of God foretold these Events over 400 years before, which we Commemorate today. Having completed His Teaching on Earth, our Lord Jesus Christ made His Triumphant Entry into the Royal and Holy City of Jerusalem where the One True God was worshipped. Our Lord Jesus made this Triumphant Entry as King and Victor, in order to complete His Service to mankind by a decisive exploit by destroying Death by His own Death thereby removing the Curse from the human race by taking the great burden of this Curse upon Himself. He made His Triumphant Entry into the Holy City on the colt of an ass a young, untrained colt ... whereon yet never man sat... in order to restore to mankind the Royal Dignity that our Forefather, Adam, had wasted to restore this Dignity by ascending the Cross. (LUKE
19:30)

Palm Sunday the Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem

It is a Nation that has lost Counsel, neither is there understanding in them. They had not sense to understand: let them reserve these things against the time to come. (DEUTERONOMY 32: 28 29) For their vine is the vine of Sodom, and their vinebranch of Gomorrha! (DEUTERONOMY 32:32) While to the contrary, he said: Rejoice, you Heavens, with Him (the Son of God) and let all the Angels of God worship Him! Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His People, and let all the sons of God Strengthen themselves in Him! (DEUTERONOMY 32 : 43) The Entry into Jerusalem upon an unbroken colt is a repetition of the Prophecy of St Moses not verbally but symbolically, for St Moses had foretold that the Gentiles would rejoice in the Lord, but the Hebrews would reject Him. The unbroken colt ... whereon yet never man sat... is symbolic of the Gentiles who would become Faithful Disciples of Christ our Saviour. The Apostles garments symbolise our Lord Jesus Christs Teachings whereby they would instruct the Gentiles, and the Lord being seated upon the colt, symbolises Christ being Spiritually Seated upon us, thereby Sanctifying us and making us God-like. Our Lord Jesus Christ led the people into Jerusalem, to the Bosom of the Church to the Eternal City of God not made by mankind the City of Salvation and Blessedness. The Hebrews were also present but although they cried with their lips: ... King of Israel! their wicked leaders had already resolved to kill our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. There is another meaning of the ... colt of an ass... The unbroken, untrained, colt symbolises every person who is led or driven by their irrational desires and who are therefore deprived of Spiritual Freedom, for they are still attached to the passions and habits of fleshly lifestyles. Christs Teachings loosens us sets us free from our worldly attachments He sets us free from our restrictive, demanding, sinful and fleshly will. The symbolic meaning and significance of the Apostles leading the colt to Christ, placing their garments upon it, our Lord being seated upon it and making His Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem is that those who have left their sinful lifestyles are led to the Holy Gospels the Divine Truth of God and are vested in Apostolic Vestments, which are the most detailed and 13 APRIL 2014 11

The unbroken colt was tamed beneath the Wondrous Rider. The Apostles placed their garments upon the colt, and great multitudes of people ran ahead to welcome our Lord and to follow Him into the Holy City, loudly exclaiming in their ecstasy and expectation: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He (the King) Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest! (LUKE 19:39 & MATTHEW 21: 9) Our Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed King in the Name of the Lord at His own beckoning not accidentally, and not by conscious human will. In the course of four days, those same people who on that first Palm Sunday proclaimed Him King, would shout Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him! ... We have no King but Caesar! (JOHN 19:15) The Entry of our Lord Jesus Christ on an unbroken colt was most significant according to our Holy Church Fathers who explained that it had a profound Prophetic meaning. The Omnipresent Lord had already seen the Hebrews approaching final Apostasy from God as early as when the Mosaic Law was given to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, through the words of the Divinely Inspired Patriarch, St Moses: They have sinned... he said of the Hebrews future Apostasy against our God-Man, Jesus Christ, as if he were speaking of something already done. They have sinned, not pleasing Him; spotted Children, a forward and perverse generation! Do you thus recompense the Lord? (DEUTERONOMY 32:5-6)

PALM SUNDAY CHRISTS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

refined Knowledge of Christ and His Teachings and Commandments. Our Lord is seated upon His Faithful Disciples and appears to them and abides in them according to His Divine Promise: ... he who has My Commandments, and keeps them, is he who Loves Me; and he who Loves Me shall be Loved by My Father, and I will Love him, and will manifest Myself to him... And My Father will Love him, and We will come to him, and make Our Abode with him... (JOHN 14:21 & 23) Our Lords Coming to Earth is accompanied by His Divine Peace that surpasses words, description and comprehension. It is a Divine Peace that is Full of Grace, and worthy of the One Who grants it to us our Lord God. This Divine Peace is not to be compared with the natural rest of fallen mankind, who may experience rest and pleasure from fleshly delights, and who may consider our own insensibility, our own Eternal Death, to be rest. Our Lord Jesus Christ is seated upon the natural qualities of those who have willingly submitted to Him and have assimilated His Divine Teachings. Our Divine Saviour leads us into the Spiritual City of God the Eternal City of Peace into the Holy City of Jerusalem that is created by God and not by mankind. The souls that uphold our Lord are greeted by God the Holy Spirit, Who offers us Spiritual Joy that is incorruptible and Eternal. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! the Daughter of the Holy Church of Christ because we belong to no one but Almighty God! Proclaim it aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold! The King is coming to Thee, Just, and a Saviour! He is Meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal ...
(ZACHARIAH 9:9)

know Christs Eternal Kingdom of Love through our own Spiritual Experience. The passions are tamed in us by the Grace-filled Power of Christ Who guides us and leads us. Our natural qualities cannot break their natural laws they cannot go beyond their boundaries and be transformed into uncontrolled passions. Taking all our thoughts, feelings and actions from the Good Example of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can and must proclaim the Name of the Lord to our Brethren, and we must praise Him with Hymns ... in the midst of the Church... (PSALM 21: 22) As we are Born of the Holy Spirit and thus ... a Daughter of the Spirit... we are able to behold the Spiritual Procession of our King. We are able to behold the Righteousness of our King, Who is ... meek and lowly in heart... and ... He will guide the meek in Judgement; He will teach the meek His Ways... (MATTHEW 11:29 & PSALM 24:9) Our Lord God is Spirit, Who is incomparable to any created spirit, as He is in all aspects infinitely different from all His creatures. The Holy Created Spirits (His Angelic Hosts) are His Thrones and Chariots, for He is seated and rides upon the Cherubim; He is also seated and rides upon those Blessed human souls who have willingly and lovingly submitted to Him and brought all our natural qualities to Him as a Whole Burnt Offering. Our Lord and King rides upon our souls, and enters the Holy City of God, bringing all Holy Souls with Him. Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is the King of Israel Who comes in the Name of the Lord! Amen
ADAPTED & EDITED BY MP: PALM SUNDAY SERMON DELIVERED BY ST IGNATIOS (BRIANCHANINOV) TRANSLATED FROM RUSSIAN BY NUN CORNELIA (REES) 07/04/2012 HTTP://WWW.PRAVOSLAVIE.RU/ENGLISH/34671.HTM

We have felt the Grace-filled Peace of Christ, and we have all become a Daughter of this Peace, for we have all been Renewed with Spiritual Youth and have come to

Eternal, Inspired Wisdom of our Holy Church Fathers Nikitas Stithatos - On the Practice of the Virtues
The secret of happiness is to count our Blessings while others are adding up their troubles. If while we are engaged in Ascetic Labour and hardship, God withdraws from us because of some bodily lapse, or lapse of tongue or thought, we must not take this to be strange or untoward. The lapse is ours and due to ourselves. Had we not ourselves first indulged in some new-fangled, overweening and obnoxious thought about ourselves, or had we not in arrogance treated someone disdainfully or criticized others for their human weakness, we would have recognized our own fallibility, and God - in His Righteous Judgment - would not have withdrawn from us. We must learn from this not to judge others, not to think too highly of ourselves and not to look down on others.
(CF. MATTHEW 7:1, ROMANS 12:3 & 1 CORINTHIANS 4:6)

St John of Kronstadt
should live in Love and Harmony; should our neighbour rob us of our property, even then we ought not to be disquieted, but should bear it meekly, trusting to God to punish for the offence. You know, that the Lord Himself meekly allowed even His garments to be taken from Him, and His Body to be tortured upon the Crossfor your sake, to teach you Meekness and Gentleness in all misfortunes and offences.

The Lord sometimes suddenly sends bountiful material Gifts, such as, for instance, money in payment for some very easy work, and thus rewards you for the expenditure you have incurred in affording help to your neighbour. In general He freely bestows upon us the Bountiful Gifts of His Mercy, in order that we should not grudge His Gifts to those whom He sends to us, or whom He allows to take our property, which He has given us in order that we should not be at enmity amongst ourselves, but

St Maximos the Confessor St Anthony of Egypt

He who has realized Love for God in his heart is tireless, as Jeremiah says, in his pursuit of the Lord his God, and bears every hardship, reproach and insult nobly, never thinking the least evil of anyone. (CF. JEREMIAH 17:16. LXX) A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is sane, they will attack him saying: "You are mad! You are not like us!"

St Maximos the Confessor

Do not say that you are the Temple of the Lord, writes Jeremiah, nor should you say that Faith alone in our Lord Jesus Christ can Save you, for this is impossible unless you also acquire Love for Him through your works. As for Faith by itself - ...the demons also believe, and tremble! (CF. JEREMIAH 7:4 & JAMES 2:19)

Elder Porphyrios - Wounded by Love

Let us scatter our Love selflessly to all, without regard to the way they act towards us. When the Grace of God enters us, we will not be concerned about whether they Love us or not - or whether they speak to us politely or not. We will feel the need to Love all people. It is egotism on our part to wish for others to speak to us politely. If they dont, we should not be upset. Let them speak to us as they wish. We need not become beggars for Love. 12.

Our aim should be to Love them and pray for them with all our soul. Then we will become aware that all people Love us without our seeking it and without our begging for their Love. They will Love us freely and sincerely from the depths of their heart without our blackmailing them. When we Love without seeking to be Loved, people will gather around us like bees. This is true for everyone. 13 APRIL 2014

PALM SUNDAY CHRISTS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

Greek Or th od ox Patriar chate of A le xandria & All Africa

A L L G L OR Y , H ONOUR A ND W OR S H IP T O T H E F A TH E R , A ND T O T H E S ON , A ND T O T HE H OL Y S P IR IT , NOW A ND FOR E V ER , A ND U NT O T H E A GE S OF A GE S . A MEN . R E ME MB ER ING A L S O OUR M OS T H OL Y , M OS T P U R E , M OS T B LE S SE D A ND G L OR IOU S L A D Y , M A R IA , T HE OT OKOS , YE T E V E R V IR GIN , T OGE T H E R WIT H A LL T HE S A INT S . A ND LE T US C OMMIT OUR S E LV E S A N D ONE A NOTH E R A ND OUR WH OLE L IFE T O C H R IS T OU R G OD . A ME N .

20 April 2014

APOLYTIKION OF HOLY PASCHA

>Hristos

Anesti ek nekron, Thanato Thanaton patistas, ke tis en tis mnimasi, Zoin harisamenos!

> Christ

has Risen from the dead, by Death trampling upon Death, and has bestowed Life to those in the tombs!

PASCHAL ISODIKON

En

Ekklisies Evlogite ton Theon, Kyrion ek Pigon Israil. Soson imas, Iie Theou, O Anastas ek nekron, psalontas Si. Allilouia!

In

Places of Congregation, Bless God, the Lord, from the Springs of Israel. O Son of God, Who rose from the dead: Save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia! before dawn, Marys companions found the stone rolled away from the Tomb and heard these words from the Angel: Why do you seek as Man among the dead, the One Who exists in Eternal Light? Behold, the Burial Shrouds! Go in haste and preach to the world that the Lord has Risen, having put Death to death! And that He is the Son of God Who Saves the human race. Thou descended in the grave, O Immortal One, yet Thou destroyed the power of Hades; and Thou arose as Victor, O Christ our God! To the Myrrh-bearing Women Thou said: Rejoice! And to Thine Apostles Thou granted Thy Peace: the One Who grants Resurrection to the fallen ones.

IPAKOI TONE 4

Prolavouse ton

orthron e peri Mariam, ke evrouse ton lithon apokilisthenta tou Mnimatos, ikouon ek tou Angelou: ton en foti aidio iparhonta, meta nekron ti zitite os anthropon? Vlepete ta entafia spargana; damete ke to kosmo kirixate, os igerthi O Kyrios, Thanatosas ton Thanaton; oti iparhi Theou Ios tou Sozontos to genos ton anthropon.

Arriving

KONTAKION FOR HOLY PASCHA UNTIL

ASCENSION DAY

ke en tafo katilthes athanate, alla tou Adou kathiles tin dinamin; ke Anestis os nikitis, Hriste O Theos, Ginexi Miroforis fthengxamenos: Herete! Ke tis sis Apostolis irinin doroumenos, o tis pesousi parehon Anastasin.

Although

INSTEAD OF THE TRISAGION (AGIOS O THEOS)

>Osi >

is Hriston Evaptisthite, Hriston enedisasthe. Allilouia! [3] Doxa Patri, ke Io, ke Agio Pnevmati ke nin ke Ai ke is tous eonas ton eonon.

>As

Amin >Hriston enedisasthe. Allilouia! Dynamis! >Osi is Hriston Evaptisthite, Hriston

many of you as have been Baptised into Christ, have put on Christ: Alleluia! [3] > Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen

enedisasthe. Baptised into Christ, have put on Christ: Alleluia Allilouia! The Acts of the Holy Apostles of Christ According to St Luke 1 : 1 9
FROM HOLY PASCHA TO PENTECOST

>You have put on Christ: Alleluia! Power/Strength! >As many of you as have been

The former account I made, O Theophilos, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He, through the Holy Spirit, had given Commandments to the Apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His Suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days, and speaking of the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
HOL
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PAS

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THE G

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RESUR

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20 AP

RIL

2014

13.

And, being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, He said: ... which you have heard from Me; for John truly Baptised with water, but you shall be Baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying: Lord, will Thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel? And He said to them: It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has put in His own Authority. But you shall receive Power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be Witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a Cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly towards Heaven as He went up, behold, two men in white apparel stood by them, who said: Men of Galilee: why do you stand gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus Who was taken up from you into Heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into Heaven. The Holy Gospel According to St John 1 : 1 17
THE WORD & SON OF GOD

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things are made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him is Life and the Life is the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a Witness, to bear witness of the Light, so that all mankind, through him, might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That is the True Light which gives Light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become Children of God, to those who believe in His Name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of mankind, but of God. And the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory the Glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth. John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying: This is He of Whom I said: He Who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me. And of His Fullness we have all received, and Grace for Grace. For the Law was given through Moses, but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ.

The Paschal Vespers Service of Love

TH IS SHO RT BUT VE RY S IGN IFI CANT VE SPE RS SE RV ICE IS HELD LATE R IN THE MO RNIN G OF HOLY PASC HA AND SHO ULD BE ATTENDE D BY ALL WHO HAVE F ULF ILLE D THE IR PASC HAL P ILGR IM AGE. THE SA CRE D LE SSONS ARE RE AD IN EVERY LANGUA GE POSSIBLE DE PE NDING O N THOSE WHO ARE AVA ILABLE TO RE AD T HE M I N DIFFERE NT LA NGU AGES. (IF YOU CAN RE AD ANOT HE R LAN GUA GE, CONSULT Y OUR PAR ISH PR IE ST BE FOREHAN D AND VO LUNTE E R TO DO ONE OF T HE RE AD INGS .) THE VE SPE RS OF LOVE CONCLUDE S THE FIRST PASCH AL SU NDAY SE RVI CE S, WH IC H CONT INUES (AS ONE DAY) UNTIL NE XT SU NDAY (THE INCREDUL ITY OF ST T HO MAS.)

The Holy Gospel According to St John 20 : 19 25

OUR RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST APPEARS BEFORE HIS TEN DISCIPLES

T HIS IS PERHAPS THE GRE ATEST S ERMON E VER WRITTE N . I T IS READ IN E VERY O RTHODOX C HUR CH IN THE WORLD , EVERY YE AR AT THE P ASCHAL V IG IL , DUR ING T HE M AT INS OF P AS CHA . S T J OHN C HRYSOSTOM WAS THE A RCHB ISHOP OF C ONSTANTIN OPLE DURIN G THE F OURT H CENTURY . H E WAS FEARLESS WHE N DENOUNCING SIN IN HIG H PLACES , AND WAS A PROLIF IC WRITE R , AND BOLD PREACHER , UN AFRA ID TO HIT T HE TOPICA L ISSUES OF THE DAY SQU ARE LY BETWEEN THE EYE S WITH ALL T HE SUBTLE TY O F A BALL PEEN HAMMER . H IS LAST W ORDS WERE G LORY TO G OD FOR ALL TH INGS ! PLEASE NOTE : A LL O RTHODOX C HRISTI ANS ARE INV ITED TO PARTA KE O F H OLY C OM MUNION , RE GARDLESS OF WHET HER THE Y HA VE FASTED OR NOT ! (S ADLY , THOS E FAMIL Y M EMBER S A ND FRI EN DS WHO ARE NOT B A PTISED , C HRISMA TE D O RTH ODOX C HRIS TIANS MA Y NOT PART AK E OF THIS P ASCH AL B A NQUE T BUT WE DO L OO K FORW ARD TO C OMM UNING T OGETHER IN FUTURE . [O R THODOX M A RRI AG E DOES N O T INCLUDE THE P ARTAKIN G OF TH E H OLY M YST ERI ES .]) If any man be devout and Loves God, let him enjoy this fair and Radiant Triump hal Feast. If any man be a wise serva nt, let him, rejoici ng, enter into the Joy of his Lord. If any have laboured long in Fasting, let him now receive his Recompense. If any have wroug ht from the First Hour, let him today receive his J ust Rewa rd. If any have come at the Third Hour, let him with Thankfulness keep the Feast. If any have arrived at the Sixth Hour, 14.
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Then, the same day, at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the Disciples were assembled, for fear of the Hebrews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them: Peace be with you! When He had said this, He showed them His Hands and His Side. And the Disciples were glad when they saw our Lord. And Jesus said to them again: Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed upon them, and said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other Disciples therefore said to him: We have seen our Lord! And he said to them: Unless I see in His Wrists the print of the nails, and put my finger into His Side, I will not believe. The Paschal Sermon of St John Chrysostom

let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be d eprived thereof. If any have delayed until the Ninth Hour, let him d raw nea r, fearing nothing . If any have ta rried even until the Eleventh Hour, let him, als o, be not alarmed at his tardiness ; for the Lord , W ho is jealous of His honour, will accept the last even as the first; He grants rest unto him who comes at the Eleventh Hour even as unto him who has wrought from the First Hour.
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And He s hows Mercy upon the last, a nd cares for the first; and to the one He gives, and upon the other He bestows Gi fts. And He both accepts the d eeds, and welcomes the intention, and honours the acts and praises the offering. Wherefore, enter you all into the Joy of your Lord ; and receive your Reward both the first, and likewise the second . You rich and poor together - hold High Festival. You sob er a nd you heedless - honour the day. Rejoice today - both you who have Fasted and you who have disregar ded the Fast. The Table i s fully laden - feast, you all, sumptuously . The Calf is fatted - let no one go away hungry. Enjoy, you all, the Feast of Faith: Receive, you all , the Riches of Loving-kind ness. Let no one b ewail his Poverty, for the Universal Kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities , for Pardon has s hown forth from the Tomb. Let no one fear Death, for the Saviours Death has set us free. He Who was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into Hades, He made Hades captive. What new word can I share with you my friends? Since then many long years have passed. A new generation has arisen, tested by unique experience and, perhaps, touched by a new scepticism born from contact with the Western world that is estranged from Orthodox Faith. Perhaps today - even more so than when I delivered those Seven Homilies to the Youth - the souls of young people are increasingly assaulted by mental illness, which is brought about by treacherous propaganda of heretics, hidden behind the mask of liberal democracy, which often takes on the appearance of Christianity, just as Satan dons Angelic Light to deceive as many as possible. Back then (in Communism) we were oppressed through force, which created within us a natural resistance against a system of materialistic thinking and formed within us a Mystical Dimension. You, my young friend, did not believe anything that was told to you then, because, as you know, under the guise of relative truth, which the rulers of the time had proclaimed as absolute truth, a complete and totalitarian lie was hidden. Back then, the voice of the Priest reached you through the spoken Homily at the price of his liberty and even his life, and the Truth of Christ consoled a soul wounded by the violence of political language and physical terror. Back then you were told of Communist Internationalism and of an exclusively materialistic existence, which sought to kill the Universal Love of our Saviour. You were told that you were a mere instrument, without freedom, in the social and political mechanism, and that only integration into this necessity would bring you freedom. However, Christ Calls us all to a Greater (True) Freedom of a totally different order when He said to God His Heavenly Father: ...Sanctify them through Thy Truth; Thy Word is Truth... and to His Faithful Disciples: ...You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you Free!
(JOHN 17:17 & 8:32)

He embittered it when it tasted of His Flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: Hades, said he, was embittered, when it encountered Thee in the lower regions . It was embittered, for it was abolished . It was embittered, for it was mocked . It was embittered, for it was slain . It was embittered, for it was overthrown . It was embittered, for it was fettered in chai ns . It took a Body, and met God Face to face. It took ea rth, and encountered Heaven. It took that whi ch was s een, and fell upon the Unseen. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Christ is Risen, a nd you a re overthrown! Christ is Risen, a nd the demons a re fallen! Christ is Risen, a nd the Angels rejoice! Christ is Risen, a nd Life reigns! Christ is Risen, a nd not one dead remains in the grave! For C hrist, b eing Risen from the dead, has become the First Fruits of those who have Fallen Asleep. To Him be Glory and Dominion unto Ages of ages. Amen

Father George Calciu On Holy Pascha

find God, and we are bereft - just like St Mary Magdalene - crying from the Empty Tomb of our soul. Who has stolen our God from us? Which Grave Digger has hidden Him from us, so that we are all alone bereft of our Most Beloved Lord and weeping with such intense sorrow? We must return to the simple Truth of Faith - to the True Account of the Glorious Resurrection of Christ! We must run like St Peter and St John to our Lords Tomb stoop down and enter and we shall see, and we shall believe, that our Lord Jesus has indeed Resurrected from the dead exactly according to Holy Scripture! Perhaps when Communism tried to wrench our Faith from our heart - to form us into a mere cog in the gears of the social machinery - we, out of a spirit of youthful revolt had more Christ in our soul than we have today. Now we are attacked from all sides by the pandemonium of anti-Christian organizations, which are causing an amorphous (unstructured) mass of the worlds nations that are so easily led astray. In the political world, a few individuals are anointed in secret and installed to govern all people from positions of international power. They determine which nations have the right to bear children and which must abort them; they substitute themselves for God and sketch the destiny of nations according to their own self-serving pleasures and interests and whoever does not submit to them shall perish! This totalitarianism is being expressed, more and more even in the Life of our Holy Church - through Masonicstyle ecumenical international organizations, which actually impose a new religion, a new liturgy that is divested of all Sacredness, the Holy Mysteries, and Holy Ritual, like modern theatrical productions! These so-called religious theatres that gather in all the public marketplaces - led by heretics - represent the desanctification of Christianity and the Divine Liturgy. How can we not stand, like St Mary, before the Empty Tomb? All these attacks are pointed against us - especially against those who are young and inexperienced, because they are more deprived of protection and more sensitive to injustices. Our attackers want to convince us that we are, ourselves, empty tombs if we do not submit to them. However, St John the Beloved Apostle and Theologian exhorted us: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are from God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world! (1 JOHN 4:1). Who can test today if the spirits come from God when even some Orthodox and Catholic Priests themselves preach an anti-Christian Messianic message, similar to the Sects established by rebels against the Holy Church of Christ? Who protects you from straying, our young Brethren? Who vests our heart with the Presence of the One True Christ and not with the false christs of this age?
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It is not so, my friends, that back then the Christian Truth appeared crystal clear and easily understandable to us? Today, in the nest of lies that surrounds us, are we still able to distinguish the Truth from the lies as easily? Under the invasion of American and Protestant-style evangelization whereby partial truths of Christianity are preached together with Satanic rock music shameful spectacles of loud shrieks, false tears, and illusory, false miracles and healings assaulting the confused congregation - how can anyone find our True Christ, Lord and Saviour? Under the terrors of Communist Atheism, we could robe our soul with the Precious, Life-giving Body of our Lord, Anointed with Myrrh, as when St Joseph and St Nicodemos prepared Him for Burial. Today seduced by the infernal rhythm of drums and the barbaric shreeks of sectarian preaching, we no longer
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As many as received Him, to them He gave Power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in His Name; who were born - not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man - but of God. And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His Glory, the Glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father) Full of Grace and Truth And of His Fullness have we all received , and Grace for Grace...
(JOHN 1:1214,16).

We were born - not of desire of the flesh, nor of the will of mankind, but from God, Who became Flesh (Incarnate) for us for our sake - and of Whose Fullness we partook, and Grace after Grace we have received. This Divine Grace is a Shield against fornication, to which heretics push us, telling us that Liberty is the eradication of any obstacle facing us; that a good conscience is a talisman; that Honour is an old-fashioned, obsolete notion ; that sexuality is the unleashing of the beast within us; that our likeness to Christ is ...a story created by the Priests...; and that the Love of God and neighbour is ...a new way of inhibiting your personality. We must search our heart - beyond these diabolic lies - and we will find the Truth that shall set us free! And the Supreme Truth is the Resurrection of Christ, as the Proof for our own eventual Resurrection. We approached Passion Week, filled with sorrowful Repentance for our own participation in the crucifixion of Christ - not only by the mere decadence of the old Adam but through our daily actions, through which we have wounded Him Who is the Ideal of human Perfection. The Priest proclaimed from the Holy Altar "...the Death of God..." again and again during the 12 Holy Gospels read on Holy Thursday evening. O my Sweet Springtime, O my Sweetest Child, where has Thy Beauty gone? Although we were mournful and even tearful, we were never despairing, because we know that the time has come when the Son of Man would be betrayed and delivered into the hands of self-serving High Priests, who would judge and condemn our Lord and Saviour to death, but on the Third Day He would Rise from the dead. (CF.
MATTHEW 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:18-19 & MARK 10:33-34; LK. 9:22, 18:31-35)

He stood dead still for a few heart-stopping moments, and like a flash of lightning, I saw a shadow of the innocence of childhood pass over his face memories of a time when his Mama or Grandma had led him by the hand to Church and when he heard the Angelic Proclamation of the Priest joyfully exclaiming: Christ is Risen! And to my utter amazement, he quietly responded: Truly, He is Risen! It was for me the most assuring proof that I was never misled in this regard: the one who was torturing me (for my Faith in Christ) had actually Confessed the Resurrection of our Lord! I wept in silence with tears of Joy. Late, Cornel Prisacaru came to try to prove to me there, behind the bars, in cold and hunger, through Marxist arguments, that it was stupid to believe and affirm the Resurrection of Christ. When he entered my cell, I said: Christ is Risen! He gazed fixedly at me for a few seconds before sarcastically asking: Did you see Him? I responded: I did not see Him, Mr. Cornel, but I believe in the Resurrection through the authority of those who saw Him Risen and confessed it: His Apostles and Disciples, the Myrrh-bearing Women, the soldiers guarding His Tomb, who lay as dead men, penetrated by the Light of the Resurrection, millions of Holy Martyrs who, in the moment of their Martyric Deaths, have had the Vision of the Risen Christ. You have not seen the North Pole, but you dont doubt its existence, through the authority of those who informed you. You have not seem Marx or Engels or Lenin but you believe in their existence, and I assume, in their theories, through the authority of those who speak to you about them However, my efforts to explain the Divine Truth to such a closed mind and heart, was similar to that of the Holy Apostle, St Paul, when he had used philosophy when trying to explain the irrational and anti-rational Act of the Resurrection to the Athenian citizens. (CF. ACTS 17:1634).

During the Lamentations on Holy Friday we sing: As a Lion hast Thou fallen asleep in the Flesh, O Saviour, and as a young Lion hast Thou Risen from the dead, putting off the old age of the flesh. With His Flesh torn and ravaged by the unlawful scourging, and crucifixion, Christ arises as a Lion Cub, Renewed through the total Spiritualization of the Body. As a Lion Cub, He Resurrected from the myrrh-filled linen shroud, leaving it untouched yet retaining its form. As a Lion Cub He ascended, Illumined, through the rock walls of the sealed tomb, without leaving a trace the sealed stone still in place, which the Angel and the great earthquake would later remove in order to show the Holy Myrrh-bearing Woman, including His Beloved Mother, our Lady Theotokos, that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was no longer in the Tomb: Come, see the place where the Lord lay! (MATTHEW 28:6).

I was slaying little by little, the Spirit of Truth, which the previous guard had kindled in my cell through the simple confirmation of the Resurrection Greeting: Truly He is Risen! Dear Brethren: I can enumerate Biblical proof of the Resurrection; I can take you to the Tomb with St Peter and St John to see how our Lord Jesus Christ had left behind the linen burial cloths without changing their form, or His having departed from the rock hewn tomb without breaking out of it. I can relate all His Resurrection Appearances to His Apostles, Disciples and Saints, but these are all like smoke in my mouth, if the Holy Spirit does not speak through me. Christ has Risen in your heart - even before I or anyone else could tell you. And you knew this Truth and confirmed it, in the same manner as my cruel guard had done, when you responded to the Paschal Greeting from your deepest, inarguable conviction: Truly He is Risen!

Hristos a Inviat! Adevarat a Inviat!

Hristos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

Paradoxically, the Priest who told us that Christ had died upon His Cross, now joyously proclaims - in the Brilliant Light of the Truth - that He is Risen. Our Priests know and preach the Divine Truth of the Resurrection with conviction. Brethren: we are no longer empty tombs! Our Resurrected Christ dwells in us and His Eternal Joy remains wholly in us! During Pascha of 1981, I was imprisoned at Aiud, (Romania). Early Pascha morning, when the guards were changing shifts, I broke every diabolic rule of the prison by looking directly at and greeting one of our cruellest, most brutal guards with the Joyous Paschal Announcement: Christ is Risen!

Do not run after spectacles; do not run after false, deceptive miracles performed on stage like a cheap party trick! Do not run to the senseless babbling of sectarians, whose incomprehensible words are like deadly serpents slithering from of their mouths! Do not run to the theatrical preaching of any of them for these are all lies - all hidden weapons of Satan! Let us believe in and accept the simple, Divine Truth, which is most indisputable and even more undisputed:

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

A DA PT ED & EDIT ED BY MP: A P A S CHAL S ERMON OF F A T HER G EORGE C A LCIOU OF B LESS ED M EMORY . P UBLISHED IN T HE O RT HODOX W ORD N O . 255 - 2007.

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Greek Or th od ox Patriar chate of A le xandria & All Afr ica

A L L G L OR Y , H ONOUR A N D W OR S H IP T O TH E F A T HE R , A ND T O T HE S ON , A ND T O T H E H OL Y S P IR IT , NOW A ND FORE VE R , A ND U NT O T HE A GE S OF A GES . A ME N . R E ME MB ER ING A L S O OU R M OS T H OL Y , M OS T P U R E , M OS T B L E SS E D A ND G L OR IOU S L A D Y , M A R IA , T HE OT OKOS , Y E T E V E R V IR GIN , T OGE T H ER WIT H A L L TH E S A INT S . A ND L E T U S C OMMIT OUR S E LV E S A N D ONE A N OT HE R A ND OU R WH OLE L IFE T O C H R IST OUR G OD . A ME N .

27 April 2014 2nd Sunday of Holy Pascha Tone 1 Sunday of the Incredulity of St Thomas

ALSO THE FE AST OF ST SYME O N, HIE R OMA RTYR & KINSMAN OF O UR LOR D JE SUS CHR IST ST STE PHE N, ABBOT OF KIE V FAR C AVE S & BISHOP O F VL ADI MI R, VOL HYN IA ST EVLOG IOS THE H OSPITABLE OF CONSTANT INOPLE
FESTAL APOLYTIKION OF HOLY PASCHA

>Hristos

Anesti ek nekron, Thanato Thanaton patistas, ke tis en tis mnimasi, Zoin harisamenos!

>

Christ has Risen from the dead, by Death trampling upon Death, and has bestowed Life to those in the tombs!
O Life, from the grave; and while the doors were shut, Thou, the Resurrection of all, came to Thy Disciples, through them renewing a right Spirit in us, according to Thy Great Mercy!

APOLYTIKION OF ST THOMAS SUNDAY - TONE (7) VARYS/GRAVE

Esfragismenou

tou Mnimatos, i Zoi ek Tafou anetilas Hriste O Theos: ke ton thiron keklismenon, tis Mathites epestis, i pantaon Anastasis: Pnevma evthes di afton egkenizon imin, kata to Mega Sou Eleos.

While the Tomb was sealed, Christ God, Thou Dawned,

KONTAKION FOR HOLY PASCHA UNTIL

ASCENSION DAY

ke en Tafo katilthes Athanate, alla tou Adou kathiles tin dinamin; ke Anestis os Nikitis, Hriste O Theos, Ginexi Myroforis fthengxamenos: Herete! Ke tis Sis Apostolis Irinin doroumenos, O tis pesousi parehon Anastasin.

Although

Thou descended in the Tomb, O Immortal One, yet Thou destroyed the power of Hades; and Thou arose as Victor, O Christ our God! To the Myrrh-bearing Women Thou said: Rejoice! And to Thine Apostles Thou granted Thy Peace: the One Who grants Resurrection to the fallen ones.

Resurrection Gospel 1 : Matthew 28 : 16 20

THE GREAT COMMISSION OF CHRIST

Praise the Lord, For He is Good and His Mercy endures forever!
The Acts of the Apostles According to St Luke 5 : 12 20
EVANGELISM IN THE SPIRIT

Great and Mighty is the Lord:

Prokeimenon
His Wisdom is infinite!

Through the hands of the Apostles many Signs and Wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomons Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, and the people esteemed them highly. And Believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. Then the High Priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the Sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an Angel of our Lord opened the prison doors and took them out, and said: Go, stand in the Temple and speak to the people all the Words of this Life. Having received the Divine Power and Authority from our Lord also; and greater Works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. and Saviour, Jesus Christ, His Holy Apostles were Empowered and enabled by God to perform many ] These greater Works indicate that OUR L OR D J ESUS Signs and Wonders. C HRIST WO RKS THROUGH US MERE HUMAN B EIN GS AF TE R THE G LO RIOUS D AY OF P ENT ECOS T , WHEN TH E H OLY In other words: G OD ENABL ED THEM TO CO NTI NUE H IS D I VIN E M ISSION OF L OV E H EALIN G THE AFFLICT ED AN D S PIRIT CAM E TO ASSIS T US BY MEANS OF HIS D I VIN E G IFTS , AN D , AC CO RDI NG TO C HRI ST , TH ESE G OO D E NLIGH TENIN G THE MI NDS AN D SOULS WITH D IVINE T RUTH . ] THUS THE D IVINE P OWER OF G O D R ESTS IN H IS H OLY , W ORKS A ND M IRA CLES ARE EVEN GR EA TER THA T H IS OWN DI RECT S IG NS AN D W O NDERS , which He did while U NIV ERS AL C HURCH . W HILE MANY PEOPLE HAD G REAT F AITH , S T P ETE R WAS GRANTED still physically with us, since THEY AR E FOUN DE D O N GENUIN E A ND T RUE F AI TH IN C HR IST . A PAR TICULA R D IVI NE G R AC E T O H EAL people of all their physical and spiritual ailments in order to draw them These Great Works, which are attested to by St Luke in his close to the Holy Unity of Christs Church. Book of the Acts of the Apostles, include the spreading of Christs Holy Gospel Divine Truth throughout the world, J O H N 1 4 : 1 2 Christ said: Most assuredly, I say to you: he the Miraculous Healings, and the raising of the dead. who believes in Me - the Works that I do he will do

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Furthermore, this particular passage of Holy Scripture reveals to us how G OD WORK S TH ROUGH H IS PHYSI CAL C REATI ON , BECAUSE EVEN L IGHT AND S HA DOW ARE G RA NT ED D I VIN E P OWER ARE S A NC TIFI ED O R MA DE H OLY . The Miracles that were initially performed by His Holy Apostles followed those that were performed by our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore show us clearly that C HRIST L I VES AND W ORKS THROUGH H IS F AI THFUL D ISCIPLES Faithful Believers and Followers Faithful Christians. ] O F PARTICULA R SIGNIFI CA NC E IS THE MANNER WHEREB Y PHYSICAL OBJ EC TS - such as handkerchiefs, aprons or cloths, which are Sanctified through contact with Christ and with those of Great Faith - BECOME H OL Y OR S ANCTIFI ED I NS TRUMENTS OF D IV IN E G RA CE TO OTHERS WHO A RE B LESS ED WITH PROF OUND F AI TH THROUGH C ONT AC T WITH D IVINE P OW ER AN D W ILL . The fact that Almighty God works Wonders or Miracles through both His Saints and physical objects, shows us that C REATIO N ITS ELF IS CO NST ANTL Y BEI NG R ENEW ED .
FOR EXAMPLES OF OBJECTS BESTOWING SUCH DIVINE GRACE UPON THE FAITHFUL READ: NUMBERS 21:8-9; 4 KINGS 13:20-21; MARK 6:12-13; LUKE 8:41-48 & JOHN 9:6-7
A ND W ON DERS AR E G RAN TED BY G O D , not as ends in themselves, but T O E NCOUR AG E AN D T O S TRENG THEN TH E A P OSTL ES A ND D ISCIPL ES OF C HRIS T TO PR EACH A ND TO CONF IRM D IVI NE T RUTH THE H OL Y G OSPEL OF C H RIST J ESUS . A c t s 4 : 2 9 - 3 1 : (THE APOSTLES PRAYED:) ... Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Thy Servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word, by stretching out Thy Hand to heal, and that Signs and Wonders may be done through the Name of Thy Holy Servant Jesus.

] D IVINE S I GNS

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness. The Apostles prayed for Signs and Wonders , in order TO REC EIVE FR OM G OD TH E B OL DN ESS OR C OUR AG E AN D ABILITY TO P R EA CH AN D T O C ONFI RM THE D IVINE T RUTH OF THEIR T RUE T EACHI NGS THE H OLY G OSP EL OF C HR IST . ] W HILE TH E H OLY S PIRIT PERPETUALLY A BI DES IN THE H OL Y C HURCH , H IS D IVINE P R ESENC E IS EXPE RIENC ED AGAI N AND AGAIN IN OUR L ITUR GICAL A SSEMBLI ES COMMUNAL WORSHIP A ND IN R ECURRIN G P ENTECOST AL O UTPOURI NGS . It is of great significance how quickly the Petition of the Apostles and Disciples was answered by God. With utter confidence True Faith in God, we are able to achieve amazing Labours of Love for His Glory, Honour and Worship! The choice is ours whether T O SURR EN DE R OUR HE AR TS AN D SOULS TO OUR L OVIN G A ND BE NEVOL ENT G O D AN D ACCOMPLISH H IS G R EA T W ORK S - or not, and to continue our aimless struggles through our fruitless and futile days! While Almighty God commands our obedience to earthly governing authorities, OUR H UMBLE O BE DI ENC E T O G O D MUST ALWAYS COM E BEF OR E AN YTHI NG ELS E . ] BUT AN D WHEN TH E TW O A RE I N CONFLI CT , TH E F AITHFUL MUST RATH ER F OLLOW G O D AN D BE WILLI NG T O AC CEP T THE T EMPORAR Y CO NSEQU EN CES SUCH AS M ART YR DOM FO R THE E T ERN AL C ONS EQUENC ES OF E T ER NAL L IFE .

OUR RESU RR ECT ED LO RD J ESUS CH RIS T APP EARS TO T EN OF HIS HOLY APOS TLES & GRAN TS TH EM DIV INE AUTHO R IT Y TO FO RGIV E SINS

The Holy Gospel According to St John 20 : 19 31

At that time, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the Disciples were assembled, for fear of the Hebrews, Jesus went and stood in their midst, and said to them: Peace be with you! When He had said this, He showed them His Wrists and His Side. Then the Disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again: Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you. And when He had said this, He breathed upon them, and said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came and the other Disciples therefore said to him: We have seen the Lord. And he said to them: Unless I see in His Wrists the print of the nails, and put my hand into His Side, I will not believe. And after eight days, His Disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came the doors being shut and stood in their midst, and said: Peace to you! Then He said to Thomas: Reach thy finger here, and look at My Wrists; and reach thy hand here, and put it into My Side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him: My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him: Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed! And truly Jesus did many other Signs in the presence of His Disciples, which are not written in this Book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing, you may have Life in His Name. die too quickly but to suffer the longest and worst type of T HE F IRS T DAY OF TH E WEEK IS S UNDAY . pain in retribution for their crimes. Sunday is known as The Lords Day because it is dedicated C RUCIFIXION VIC TIMS WOULD BE SUSPENDED F OR DAYS UNL ESS to the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, which is CEL EBRA TED AS H OLY P ASCH A O R THEIR LEGS W ER E BROKE N and they perished in agony from R ESURRECTION D A Y EVE RY S UNDAY THROUGH OUT THE YEAR . the dreadful effects of green-stick fractures of their legs. Because we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on Sundays, C HRIST , I N H IS D IVI NE N ATURE , CH OSE THE EXA CT H OUR OF H IS WE DO N OT KNE EL DOWN ON S UNDAYS BUT WE DO BOW D EATH , to the astonishment of the executioners who then DEEPLY although it is never wrong if one does kneel checked whether He was truly dead by piercing His Side down in genuine worship and reverence before God. between the fifth and sixth Ribs with a lance. During the week we kneel down at the appropriate moments So much Water and Blood poured from His Lungs due to of the Divine Liturgy or other Holy Services. soft tissue damage caused by His unlawful and merciless Peace be with you! is used throughout our Divine Liturgy scourging, as well as the drowning effects of crucifixion, and Holy Services by the Holy Priesthood to this day. (as lungs filled with unexhaled moisture due to not being The Hellenistic Greek word for hands and wrists is the able to breathe properly while suspended by the wrists, same. as well as internal bleeding caused by various other Pathologically, we know that CRUCIFIXIO N VI CTIMS W ERE means of torture, such as scourging and beating). NAILED TH ROUGH THE TINY GAP BETWEEN TH E BON ES OF TH E The reference to eight days is also an oblique reference to WRIST AN D FEE T TO SUPPORT TH E BODY , but which also T HE E I GHT D A Y T HE F I NAL D A Y /F I RST D A Y OF E T ER NITY caused indescribable pain and suffering. AND OUR G ENE RAL R ESURRE CTIO N AND J UDGEM EN T WHEN This fulfilled the prediction that NO T A BON E OF C HRIS T S ALL D IVINE T RUTH IS R EV EAL ED CLEA RLY T O ALL C R EA TIO N . P RECIOUS B O DY WOULD B E BROK EN . The words of Christ spoken directly to St Thomas, show us that G OD IS ALWAY S PRES EN T AN D THA T H E W ITN ESS ES The experienced Roman executioners had their grim torture EVERY THIN G THA T WE THI NK , SPEAK OR DO ! down to the finest detail, not wanting the condemned to

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St Thomas was known as the Twin, because he was always in two minds or double-minded about various matters i.e.
HE QUES TIO NED A ND STUDI ED ACCEPTI NG O R REJECTI NG IT . EVE RY THING BEF OR E

(THIS MAY EVEN HAVE BEEN A NICKNAME BESTOWED ON HIM BY OUR LORD, WHO KNOWS EVERY ASPECT OF EVERY SOUL WHOM HE HAS CREATED!)

] A LTHOUGH S T T HOMAS

DID NOT ACTUALL Y TOUCH O R FEEL

C HRIST S W OUNDS , DESPI TE B EI NG I NVIT ED TO DO SO , HE MA DE THE M OST H EA RTF ELT C ONF ESSION OF F AITH : My Lord and my God! C HRIST THEN A FFIRMS TH AT EVERYO NE WHO BELI EV ES
WITHOUT HAVIN G TO PERS ON ALLY WITN ESS EV ERYTHING

H E DO ES , OR SA YS OR TEA CHES , IS EVEN MORE B L ESSE D WITH A DEEPE R F AITH THA T IS IMPRIN TE D ON O NE S V ER Y SOUL ! I T IS THE R ECOG NITI ON AN D A CK NOWLEDG EME NT OF D IVINE T RUTH BY OUR G O D - GIVEN I MMOR TAL S OUL ! ] C HRIST C OMMISSION ED H IS A POS TLES AN D F AITHFUL D ISCIPLES TO CONTINU E H IS D IV IN E M ISSI ON ON EA RTH , GRA NTIN G TH EM THE H OL Y S PIRI T W HO E NABLE S AND ACTI VAT ES U s so that we can accomplish His Divine Will even beyond our own expectations and abilities. ] C HRIST ALS O BES TOW ED H IS D I VIN E A UTHO RITY TO F OR GIV E THE SINS OF R EP EN TAN T SINNE RS . T HROUGH THIS DI RE CT C O NSECR ATIO N AN D TH ROUGH TH E H OLY A POSTOLI C S UCC ESSION OR CO NTI NUITY , OUR L O RD J ESUS Belief in the Great Miracle (and Truth/Reality) of the Resurrection did not come to our Lords Faithful Disciples right away. The first witnesses were the Myrrh-bearing Women. It was still dark when they went to our Lords Tomb in the garden of St Joseph of Arimathea. The huge stone that had sealed the Tomb had been rolled away, and the Roman Guards ...shook with fear... and became like dead men... and while they stood in utter astonishment, an Angel appeared before them and said: ...Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was crucified. He is not here, for He is Risen as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay... (MATTHEW 28:56) It was enough for them to see the Empty Tomb and to hear the words of the Angel in order for them to believe, for their sensitive and loving hearts were untouched by any doubt, and as they hastened to inform the Holy Apostles, our Lord Jesus Himself appeared before them and said: Rejoice! and they went and held Him by His Feet and worshipped Him... [MATTHEW 28:9] Our Lord told the Holy Myrrh-bearers to remind His Apostles that they were to go to Galilee where they would once again see Him. However, the Apostles refused to believe the Women.
(CF. MARK 16:11).

C HRIST S OWN H OL Y P RIES THOO D IS COMMUNI CA TED T O H IS B ISHOPS AN D P R ESBYT ER s (Priests) of His Holy Church. The doubt or rather the incredulity of St Thomas is described in the Holy Church as Blessed, for IT W AS NO T A DOUBT OF RESI STA NC E TO D I VIN E T RUTH , BUT ON E TH AT DESP ERA TEL Y DESI RE D A TRUTHFUL A NSWER a ... doubt which gave birth to Faith, when the answer was revealed to him. In the Hymns of the Holy Church of Christ, our Lord says to St Thomas: Thy doubt will teach My Passion and Resurrection to all. And we affirm that TH E DOUBT O R IN CREDULITY OF S T T H OMAS ... BROUGHT THE HEAR TS OF B ELI EVERS TO KNOWLEDG E OF G OD . The Conversion of St Thomas incredulity to Faith L ED HIM TO THE CL EAR EST AN D MOST CONCISE C ONF ESSION OF F AI TH in Christs Divinity, addressing our Lord Jesus Christ as My Lord and my God! Once again St John the Divine reminds us that WHA T IS WRITT EN A ND RECO RDED I N THE H OL Y S C RIPTURE OF TH E N EW T EST AME NT IS ONL Y A FEW OF TH E MOS T SIG NIFI CAN T W ORKS , D EEDS AN D T EACHI NGS O F OUR L O RD J ESUS C HRIST , WHICH ARE REC OR DED FOR OUR BENEFI T SO THA T WE ... may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and TH AT B ELI EVIN G (WE) MA Y H AVE L IFE IN H IS (DIVINE) N AME .

Second Sunday of Holy Pascha The Incredulity of St Thomas the Apostle

Our Saviour had passed through the closed doors, (as easily as He must have passed through the rock walls of His Tomb) which revealed a unique quality of His Resurrected Body that was transformed and no longer subject to the laws of our physical world. Our Lord Jesus Christ was able to pass through material obstacles, which completely perplexed His Faithful Disciples who thought they were seeing a Ghost or Phantom. In order to reassure them of the Reality of His Presence and Resurrected Body, ...He showed them His Hands (I.E. HIS WRISTS) and His Side. (JOHN 20:20). This was important for His Faithful Disciples - not only in order to convince them that He had Bodily appeared to them, but in order to vanquish their unbelief or any lingering doubts. Our Lord allowed them to examine His crucifixion Wounds, as well as the Wound caused by the Centurion when he pierced His Side with his spear, which proved to them that this was truly the same Body that had been crucified on the Cross. The Events to which Antipascha is dedicated occurred on the eighth day after His Resurrection. St Thomas had not been present at our Resurrected Saviours First Appearance to His Disciples. On his return to Jerusalem, St Thomas was joyfully informed of the Reality of their Beloved Teachers Resurrection and, in order to convince him of the Truth, they must have related how they had been able to examine His Wounds, which confirmed everything He had told them. St Thomas was always cautious about everything so it is understandable that he needed to examine the Wounds for himself: Unless I see in His Hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His Side, I will not believe! (JOHN. 20:25) St Thomass unbelief (or incredulity) had nothing to do with the stubborn rejection of the Hebrew leaders of the Great Miracle of the Resurrection. St Thomas had a perfectly natural wish to confirm his Faith through a visible and obvious Testimony. Our Resurrected Lord Jesus Renewed His Appearance to the Apostles on the eighth day, standing before them in the chamber where the doors where locked. He answered St Thomas scepticism with the same words that St Thomas had used to express it, which must have amazed His Apostle: ...Reach your finger here, and look at My Hands (Wrists); and reach your hand here, and pit it into My Side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. (JOHN 20:27).

On the evening of that same day, our Lord Jesus Christ revealed the Great Mystery of His Resurrection to two more of His Faithful Disciples St Luke and St Cleopas who were two of His Seventy Apostles, who were walking to Emmaus, ...which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs (11.5 KM. OR 7.15
MILES) (LUKE 24:13).

To

24:27).

make them understand the Reality of the Resurrection of their Divine Teacher, Christ recited the Messianic Prophecies of Holy Scripture. (CF. LUKE

Nevertheless, after having invited Him to spend the night with them, they only fully believed ... as He sat at the table with them... (AND) ....took bread, and Blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. (LUKE 24:3031). When St Luke and St Cleopas hastily returned to Jerusalem to tell the other Holy Apostles what had happened, they refused to believe them as well. Later that evening, our Lord Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of His Apostles, who had gathered behind locked doors, out of fear of the persecution of the Hebrews.

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This is probably the reason why St Thomas did not accept his Teachers invitation to touch His Wounds, but instead St Thomas believed immediately and confessed Jesus Christ: My LORD and my God!
(JOHN 20:28)

People who stubbornly reject the Divinity of the Saviour of the world, pass over ignore - this passage in the Gospels. The first week after Pascha is called Renewal Week, or the week of Antipascha (the Greek prefix, anti, means in place of )that is, the Renewal of Pascha. On this Sunday, our Lord Jesus Christ repeated and Renewed for all Eleven of His Holy Apostles and Faithful Disciples, His Appearance on the first day after the Resurrection. But because the Renewal of our Saviours Appearance was especially for the sake of St Thomas, the eighth day after Holy Pascha Sunday is called St Thomas Sunday.

Following directly after Paschal Week i.e. Bright Week Sunday of St Thomas completes the most solemn part of this Great Feast. Therefore, St Thomas Sunday is sometimes called ...the Eighth Day after Pascha. St Gregory the Theologian wrote: ...The law of honouring the Day of Renewal is ancient and of good intent; or it would be better to say, to honour with the Day of Renewal a New Act of Goodness. But was not the first day of Resurrection, the Sunday which followed the Holy and Light-bearing Night, the Day of Renewal? Why is that name given to the present day? That day was the Day of Salvation, and this day is the Day of Remembrance of Salvation. (HOMILY 44, ON THE
SUNDAY OF RENEWAL). SERMON ON SUNDAY OF ST THOMAS DELIVERED BY HIEROMONK JOB (GUMEROV) TRANSLATION BY ORTHOCHRISTIAN.COM 11 / 05 / 2013

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/46216.htm

The Eternal, Inspired Wisdom of our Holy Church Fathers Abbot Tryphon
Saint Seraphim of Sarov said that if we "...acquire Peace, a thousand around us will be Saved," for having been created in the Image of God, we are part of the Divine Thought that was made material in time and space. We not only influence those around us with our thoughts, but we even influence the cosmos. If we focus on the negative, those negative thoughts impact everyone around us, and even the whole world. The Elder Thaddeus tells us we can be either very good, or very bad, depending on the thoughts and desires we breed. St John Klimakos was asked if there are reliable signs by which it is possible to know whether a soul is drawing near to God or moving away from Him..... to this question the Holy Father replied: A sure sign There is a lot that is wrong with the world, but it begins with us. If there is to be Peace in our world, it must begin with me. If hatred, anger, envy, lust, and spite, are to end, it must end with me. When we allow destructive thoughts to destroy our Peace, the Peace around us is destroyed. We cannot blame the world, or even those around us, for that which happens around us, radiates from us. Blame for all that is wrong with the world, cannot be placed beyond our own hearts.

St Barsanuphios of Optina
of the deadening of the soul is the avoidance of Church Services. Those who are growing cold towards God begin first of all to flee attending Church. At first they arrive late for the Holy Services and then they cease altogether to visit Gods Temple.

St Symeon the New Theologian

...this is achieved, not by acting according to the law, but by carefully guarding the Divine Image in us and our supernal dignity. When we thus live in our natural state, wearing the Resplendent Robe of the Spirit, we dwell in God and God dwells in us. Then we are called gods by adoption and sons of God, Sealed by the Light of the Knowledge of God. (CF. PS. 4:6. LXX). [ONE
HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE PRACTICAL AND THEOLOGICAL TEXTS

Archimandrite Nektarios (Serfes)

Being filled with Love and Compassion is always the answer. Let us strive to always Love our God and one another with the Virtues. Peace to your soul! A Pilgrim who prays for you!

Love of God and Love for one another helps us to become a Child of God. Being Meek is also a Blessing for us as well as being humble before our God and in our dealings with one another. Being rude in actions and in speech towards one another only drives us away from our God.

St John of Kronstadt
O, Almighty Power, able to accomplish everything in one single moment, do not leave us on account of our sins, and above all on account of our incredulity and despair, to be tormented by our own infirmities, lest we be destroyed like earthen vessels. Grant that we may believe with all our hearts in Thine Almighty Power; that we may not doubt in the fulfilment of our every right request. Aware of the cause of all this and why it has happened to us, we must resolutely enter our normal place of Prayer and, falling down before the God of Love, ask with a compunctive and aching heart, full of tears, to be freed from the weight of listlessness and from our pernicious thoughts. If we knock hard and insistently, this release will soon be granted to us.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE PRACTICAL AND THEOLOGICAL TEXTS

If a single word of an earthly King causes great deeds to come to pass in his Kingdomhe speaks and the work begins and is accomplished. Therefore, will not the Word of the Lord of all material and spiritual, visible and invisible creatures, accomplish everything He desires? Shall He speak and it not be created? Shall he speak and it not be done? Bodily listlessness and torpor, which affect the soul as a result of our laziness and negligence, not only make us abandon our normal Rule of Prayer, but also darkens the mind and fills it with despondency. Then blasphemous and cowardly thoughts arise in the heart. Indeed, the person tempted by the demon of listlessness cannot enter his usual place of Prayer - he grows sluggish, and absurd thoughts directed against the Creator of all things arise in his mind.

St Symeon the New Theologian

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