Holy anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church

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

church@holyanargyroi.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muñoz, Proistamenos
ΑΠΟΛΤΣΙΚΙΑ ΣΗ΢ ΗΜΕΡΑ΢/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY
Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἡ ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος, τότε
τὸν Aδην ἐνέκρωσας, τῇ ἀστραπῇ τῆς θεότητος, ὅτε δὲ καὶ
τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ
Δυνάμεις τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἐκραύγαζον. Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ
Θεὸς ἡμῶν, δόξα σοι.
When You descended unto death, O Life Immortal, then You did
slay Hades with the lightening of Your Divinity. And when You
did also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, all the
powers in the heavens cried out: O Life-Giver, Christ our God,
glory be to You.
Ὁ εὐσχήμων Ἰωσήφ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καθελὼν τὸ ἄχραντόν
σου Σῶμα, σινδόνι καθαρᾷ, εἰλήσας καὶ ἀρώμασιν, ἐν
μνήματι καινῷ κηδεύσας ἀπέθετο, ἀλλὰ τριήμερος ἀνέστης
Κύριε, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.
The noble Joseph, taking Your immaculate Body down from the
Tree, and having wrapped It in pure linen and spices, laid It for
burial in a new tomb. But on the third day You did arise, O
Lord, granting great mercy to the world.
Ταῖς μυροφόροις γυναιξί, παρὰ τὸ μνῆμα ἐπιστάς, ὁ Ἄγγελος ἐβόα. Τὰ μύρα τοῖς θνητοῖς ὑπάρχει
ἁρμόδια, Χριστὸς δὲ διαφθορᾶς ἐδείχθη ἀλλότριος ἀλλὰ κραυγάσατε, ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος, παρέχων τῷ
κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.
Unto the myrrh-bearing women did the Angel cry out as he stood by the grave: Myrrh-oils are meet for
the dead, but Christ has proved to be a stranger to corruption. But cry out: The Lord is risen, granting
great mercy to the world.

ΚΟΝΤΑΚΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

Ει καί εν τάφω κατήλθες αθάνατε, αλλά τού Άδου καθείλες τήν δύναμιν, καί ανέστης ως νικητής,
Χριστέ ο Θεός, γυναιξί Μυροφόροις φθεγξάμενος, Χαίρετε, καί τοίς σοίς Αποστόλοις ειρήνην
δωρούμενος ο τοίς πεσούσι παρέχων ανάστασιν.
Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God,
saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Rejoice!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up
the fallen.
 Sunday of the myrrhbearers
St. John the disciple of St. Gregory of Decapolis, St. John the New-Martyr of Epiros
April 18th, 2010

Today’s scripture readings

Epistle reading
Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7
IN THOSE DAYS, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the
Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the
body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve
tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of
wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry
of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of
faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and
Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands
upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Gospel pericope
Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8
At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking
for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate
wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was
already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to
Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and
laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of
the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. And when the
sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so
that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the
tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone
for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it
was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a
white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of
Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go,
tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told
you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon
them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
 COMMUNION PRAYERS
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of
the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I
am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that
this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You. Have
mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and
involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me
worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for
the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen.

Behold, my Maker, I approach Holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for You are fire
which burns the unworthy, but cleanse me from every stain.

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your
mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to
You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.

Seeing the Divine Blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal that burns the unworthy. It is God’s
Body that deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind mystically.

You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with Your divine love You have changed me.
Burn away my sins with spiritual fire and make me worthy to be filled with Your joy, that
rejoicing in Your goodness, I may magnify Your two Comings.

How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I dare to enter the
bridal chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound
up, I shall be cast out by the angels. In Your love, Lord, cleanse the vileness of my soul and save
me.

Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these holy Gifts be to my condemnation
because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body and the
pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God and to place in Him the
hope of my salvation.

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your
mystery to Your enemies. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to
You: Lord remember me in Your kingdom.
 Announcements
Liturgical/Program Schedule:
Sun. April 18th: Special General Assembly following Liturgy (see notice below)/JOY outing.
Mon. April 19th: Philoxenia Meeting, 5pm
Mon. April 19th: Building Meeting, 6pm
Wed. April 21st: JOY Faith Night, 5pm in Church Hall
Wed. April 21st: Parish Council Meeting, 7pm
Fri. April 23rd: St. George the Great Martyr, Orthros/Liturgy 8:30am
Sat. April 24th: Great Vespers, 6pm
Sun. April 25th: GOYA Outing to Eagle Bluff in Lanesboro, 1-4pm.

HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION—Orthodox Christians in good standing are encouraged to

receive Holy Communion frequently, provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally and physically.
They must be on time for the Divine Liturgy, and be in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should be in a
confession relationship with their priest or spiritual father, have observed the fasts of the Church, and they should
have self-examined their conscience. On the day of receiving Holy Communion, it is not proper to eat or drink
anything before coming to church. When you approach to receive Holy Communion, state your Christian
(baptismal) name clearly, and hold the red communion cloth to your chin. After receiving, wipe your lips on the
cloth, step back carefully, hand the cloth to the next person and make the sign of the Cross as you step away.
Please do not be in a rush while communing! Please take special care not to bump the Holy Chalice.

ETIQUETTE REMINDER:
“For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of
God, let us pray to the Lord.”

The summer months will soon be upon us and that means enjoying warm weather and “fun in the sun”.
While shorts (for males & females), capris, flip-flops, tank tops, ‘spaghetti’ straps, etc. are practical and
may be acceptable at the pool or the lake front they are not appropriate attire at church, and must not be
worn during the Divine Services of the Church. At every Eucharistic celebration we are spiritually and
physically brought in the awesome presence of Jesus Christ Himself, and when we commune He comes to
dwell within us in a miraculous way. Therefore the sanctity, solemnity, and dignity of the Divine Liturgy
must be preserved for the wellbeing of all.
******Parents, your assistance and guidance are most especially helpful and appreciated.******
 Today’s liturgical commemorations
1. Our Holy Father John.
He was a disciple of St Gregory of Decapolis. In the time of the iconoclast heresy, the
Emperor Leo the Armenian put John to torture, together with his teacher, Gregory, and
Joseph the Hymnographer. When Gregory finished his earthly course, John became abbot of
the Decapolite monastery in Constantinople. Becoming abbot, he intensified his asceticism for
the sake of the Kingdom of God. He died peacefully in about 820. After his death, St Joseph
buried him near the grave of St Gregory.

2. The Holy Martyr John the New of Ioannina.

He was born in Ioannina, the ancient capital of King Pyrrhus. When his poor parents died, the
young John went to Constantinople and there continued his trade, for he was a craftsman.
The Turks had occupied Constantinople not long before this, and many Christians had, out of
fear, denied Christ and accepted Islam. St John had his workshop right in the midst of these
men who had become Turks. The more inflamed St John became with love for Christ, the
more outwardly apparent this became to these apostates. He began to dispute with them
about the Faith, and to reprimand them for their betrayal of Christ. They dragged him before
the judge and falsely accused him of having earlier accepted Islam and having returned to
Christianity. For this he was tortured - beaten and flogged with iron flails - and then cast into
prison. On the second day, which was Easter Day, they brought him out for further torture,
and John emerged full of joy and singing: 'Christ is risen from the dead!' He spoke
courageously to his torturers, saying: 'Do what you will to me, and send me as quickly as
possible from this transient life into life eternal. I am Christ's servant; I follow Christ, and I die
for Christ that I may live with Him!' After that, John was bound in chains and taken to the place
of burning. Seeing the great flames prepared for him, John ran forward and leapt into them.
But his torturers, seeing how he sought death in the fire, pulled him out of it and sentenced
him to be beheaded. When they had cut off his head, they threw it and his body into the fire.
Later, Christians gathered the ashes and some of his precious and wonderworking relics and
buried them in the Great Church in Constantinople. Thus he died a martyr's death and
received the glorious wreath of martyrdom on April 18th, 1526.

3. The Holy Martyrs Victor, Zoticus, Zeno, Acyndius and Severian.

They were all martyred under the Emperor Diocletian. They were pagans until they witnessed
the martyrdom of St George the Great Martyr. Then, seeing the sufferings and courage of this
glorious martyr and the many miracles that were wrought at that time, they embraced the
Christian faith. For this Faith they soon suffered, and were crowned with glory.
 Special General Assembly
Announcement
After the Divine Liturgy today a special General Assembly will be called to discuss and approve
the Parish Council’s recommendation for the allocation of the funds received from the sale of
the parish home. All parishioners are welcome to attend and participate in the discussions.
However, only members in good spiritual and financial standing are permitted to participate
in the voting. (Article VI, Sections 1, 2 Uniform Parish Regulations)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gems From the Desert…
A monk of a large monastery, negligent in spiritual things, fell gravely ill and the hour of his
death arrived. The abbot and all of the brothers gathered around him, to give him courage in his
last moments. To their surprise, however, they observed that the brother was facing death with
great quietude and calmness of soul. So the abbot said, "My child, all here know that you were
not so diligent in your duties. How is it that you leave for the other life with such courage?" "It is
true, Abba," murmured the dying monk, "that I was not a good monk. I have, however, observed
one thing with exactness in my life: I never judged anyone. Because of this, I intend to say to the
Master Christ, when I present myself before him, 'You said, Lord, not to judge, in order not to be
judged,' and I hope that He will not judge me strictly." "Go in peace on your eternal journey, my
child," the abbot told him with wonderment. "You have succeeded, without toil, in saving
yourself."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

JOY Outing to Soldier’s Field Playground!

We will gather today after the Special Assembly at the Castle
Playground on George Gibbs Dr. for a Spring picnic and play date.
Sandwiches and drinks will be provided. Looking forward to seeing
everyone there!

Wednesday, April 21st @ 5pm will be our next Faith Night: On Prayer,
and we will be making prayer ropes!
 GOYA OUTING NEXT SUNDAY!

Where: Eagle Bluffs, Lanesboro, MN

When: Next Sunday, April 21st, 1-4pm
Cost: $10 per person
What: Treetops Ropes Course

Please see Halina for more info, and to sign medical release forms!

Save the Date:

Vacation Church School
Monday-Friday Aug. 2-6

________________________________________________
Unique Project Mexico Fundraiser:
Need an odd job completed around the house, farm, or business? Your deck need work? Some
spring cleaning projects you just can't find the time for. WELL... Get your project
done and HELP the GOYANS go on their Mexico Missions Trip with one
awesome deal.

Call Trevor Hamlen @ 507-358-4521 to set up appointments and see if your

project is right for us.
 The Myrrh Bearing Women
About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when
the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee,
preaching and working miracles, many women who
had received of His beneficence left their own
homeland and from then on followed after Him.
They ministered unto Him out of their own
possessions, even until His crucifixion and
entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in
Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the
Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing
the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His
body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-
loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they
are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names
are known are the following: first of all, the most
holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and
Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-
mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of
Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and
Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists
have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John
19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14). Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the
Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a
prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and
instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our
Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one
hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and
love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a
wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly
unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial.
Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own
tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).