SS.

kosmas & Damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.holyanargyroi.org holyanargyroi@gmail.com Rev. Fr. Mark Muoz, Proistamenos
/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY

, , , . You descended from on high, O merciful Lord, and endured the three day burial to free us from our passions. O Lord, our life and our resurrection, glory to you. , ' , , , . , . Today is the fountainhead of our salvation and the manifestation of the mystery which was from eternity. The Son of God becometh the Virgin's Son, and Gabriel announceth the good tidings of grace; for this cause, let us cry to the Mother of God with him: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
/KONTAKION FOR TODAY

Ti ypermacho stratigo ta nikitiria, os lytrotheisa ton deinon efharistia, anagrafo si e polis sou Theotoke, allos ehousa to kratos aprosmahiton, ek pantinon me kyndinon eletheroson, ina krazo si, Here nymfi anymfefte. O Champion Leader, we your faithful inscribe to you the prize of victory as gratitude for being rescued from calamity, O Theotokos. But since you have invincible power, free us from all kinds of perils so that we may cry out to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.

Annunciation of the holy theotokos

FISH, WINE, & OIL ALLOWED March 25th, 2012

TODAYS SCRIPTURE READINGS

Epistle reading

St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 2:11-18

BRETHREN, he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, "I will proclaim thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee." And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Here am I, and the children God has given me. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. Gospel pericope

Luke 1:24-38
In those days, Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias conceived and for five months she hid herself, saying, "Thus the Lord had done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men." In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you! But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

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 mysteries to your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief 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 Gods 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 mysteries to your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
TODAY: Banquet in honor of Annunciation/Greek Independence Barlow Event Center, 5pm! Mon. March 26th: Great Compline, 6pm Wed. March 28th: Pre-sanctified Liturgy, 6pm (Lenten Potluck to follow) Fri. March 30th: AKATHIST HYMN, 6pm Sat. March 31st: Great Vespers, 5pm **note time change**
GOYA Icon Raffle: our GOYA is planning a fundraiser for Project Mexico 2013 and will be raffling an icon brought back from the Holy Lands beginning today thru Palm Sunday. Tickets are only $5 a piece and the winning ticket will be drawn on Palm Sunday. Please see a GOYAN (narthex) for more info! Chanters Stand (Psalteri): please be advised that the psalteri is an extension, of sorts, of the altar and is therefore not common space. Rather, it is reserved for those individuals who have expressed a desire to Father to be present at the psalteri and who have received his blessing to do so. During Holy Week we have a plethora of services some of which are quite long and we may be in need of readers. If you are interested in functioning as such please speak with Father before proceeding to the psalteri. Agapi Vespers: to avoid disorder and confusion if you would like to read the Gospel Section in a foreign language for the Agapi Vespers please see Father before Holy Friday indicating which language youll be reading so the proper preparations can be made; no last minute additions will be made the day of. Holy Week Liturgical Books: We have ordered several copies of the official Holy Week Book endorsed by our Metropolis. This comprehensive book, compiled by Fr. Pappadeas, will be used exclusively for all the liturgical celebrations from Palm Sunday evening through the Agapi Vespers on Pascha. Each book is $25, and are now available! Stewardship 2012: Have you and your family become Stewards of Holy Anargyroi for the new year?! If not, not to worrythere are complete Stewardship packets located in the Narthex of the Church, please return your completed forms to the Church office or place in Stewardship Box in the Narthex. Thank you for your commitment to our parish and her ministry!
HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNIONOrthodox 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.

Panagias Icon
One of the most beloved Lenten services is the Salutations to the Holy Theotokos which are chanted every Friday night during the Fast. It is customary to honor her by decorating her icon with flowers which is then placed on the solea. Five services will be chanted with a decorated icon at each service. The cost for each icon is approximately $75, any individuals/families who would like to donate to help defray the cost please see Fr. Mark. Thank you in advance!

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Pearls from the desert

Let us charge into the good fight with joy and love without being afraid of our enemies. Though unseen themselves, they can look at the face of our soul, and if they see it altered by fear, they take up arms against us all the more fiercely. For the cunning creatures have observed that we are scared. So let us take up arms against them courageously. No one will fight with a resolute fighter. -St. John Climacus

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LENTEN POTLUCK
Every Wednesday eve of great lent the liturgy of the presanctified gifts is celebrated. Afterwards we gather in the library for a simple Lenten meal. Please plan on attending these compunctionate services and bring a fasting meal to share!

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Every Sunday from March 4th to April 1st; Philoptochos members will be collecting monetary donations for the Pascha Flowers in the narthex. We will also collect the names of the Orthodox departed for Father Mark to commemorate on Holy Friday. Please be generous in your donations.

Paschal Flowers

Spring Cleanin Time!

Its time to get ready for Pascha, and were asking for volunteers to clean the nave of the Church, and help out on the following days:

Saturday of Lazarus, April 7th thorough cleaning after services Palm Sunday, April 8th after luncheon remove palms, decorate for Holy Week. Holy Saturday, April 14th- after Liturgy, light cleaning and decorate for Pascha.

OCMC COIN BOX DRIVE

Please support the Sunday School children and GOYAns in their efforts to raise money for the Orthodox Christian Mission Centers long term missionaries in Albania, Kenya, Moldova, Romania and Tanzania. The children and teens have coin boxes to collect money in exchange for doing chores. In addition, the GOYAns will stand in the Narthex after Liturgy every Sunday during Lent from March 4th until April 8th. We hope to exceed last years donation from Holy Anargyroi . Please be generous and most importantly please pray for the 14 brave men and women who are the OCMC long term Orthodox missionaries. Please see the website www.ocmc.org for more information. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

AHEPA Sponsored March 25th Feast Day Dinner Barlow Event Center Sunday, March 25th @ 5pm
A Lenten Meal prepared by Chef Mangouras will be served

$20 per person, children $10 Please rsvp Ari Kolas 507-361-1222 or apolloari@smig.net or George Margellos 289-3692

Holy Week Wish List

1 - 10 lb bag flour 1 - twin sheet 3 - bottles rose water (Cortas brand) 5 - 3 liter bottles olive oil 1 - box charcoal ($35 donation is requested) 2 lb livani/incense ($80 donation is requested)

Bay Leaves for Holy Saturday morning ($100 donation requested) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Todays commemorations
1. THE ANNUNCIATION When the All-Holy Virgin completed the fourteenth year after her birth and was entering her fifteenth year, after having spent eleven years of living and serving in the Temple of Jerusalem, the priests informed her that, according to the Law, she could not remain in the Temple but was required to be betrothed and enter into marriage. What a great surprise to the priests was the answer of the All-Holy Virgin that she had dedicated her life to God and that she desired to remain a Virgin until death, not wanting to enter into marriage with anyone! Then, according to Divine Providence, Zacharias, the high priest and father of the Forerunner, under the inspiration of God, and in agreement with the other priests, gathered twelve unwed men from the Tribe of David to betroth the Virgin Mary to one of them to preserve her virginity and to care for her. She was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth who was her kinsman. In the house of Joseph, the All-Holy Virgin continued to live as she did in the Temple of Solomon, occupying her time in the reading of Sacred Scripture, in prayer, in Godly-thoughts, in fasting and in handiwork. She rarely went anywhere outside the house nor was she interested in worldly things and events. She spoke very little to anyone, if at all, and never without special need. More frequently she communicated with both of Joseph's daughters. When the fullness of time had come, as prophesied by Daniel the Prophet, and when God was pleased to fulfill His promise to the banished Adam and to the Prophets, the great Archangel Gabriel appeared in the chamber of the AllHoly Virgin and, as some priestly writers wrote, precisely at that same moment when she held open the book of the Prophet Isaiah and was contemplating his great prophecy: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son!" (Isaiah 7:13). Gabriel appeared in all of his angelic brightness and saluted her: "Rejoice, highly favored one! The Lord is with you" (St. Luke 1:28), and the rest in order as it is written in the Gospel of the saintly Luke. With this angelic annunciation and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Virgin, the salvation of mankind and restoration of all creation began. The history of the New Testament was opened by the words of the Archangel Gabriel: "Rejoice, highly favored one" This is to imply that the New Testament was to signify joy to mankind and to all created things. It is from this that the Annunciation is considered not only a great feast, but a joyful feast as well.

A Guide to Church Etiquette

by Fr. Jon Magoulias (Part I)
The Church is the Body of Christ on earth, the fellowship of the faithful. It is the Ecclesia, the gathering of the people of God who assemble to worship together the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As a consequence of their belief in Christ, as Son of the living God, they have been baptized, chrismated and receive His precious Body and Blood regularly. They have chosen to help and love one another as Christ Himself commanded. They repent for their shortcomings which offend Gods law and receive forgiveness. They seek Gods help and the help of their fellow Christians to do better. If our faith needs practical expression, then we need the Church. A vague belief in God, a few occasional moments of something like devotional feeling, and a good deed once in a while, are hardly a real expression of the Orthodox Christian Faith. To do a good job in anything requires organization. Every good idea and goal must be planned well in order to be successful. The Church, a living organism, is a treasury, a storehouse of centuries of accumulated wisdom in humanitys efforts to relate to God and all people. Truly, what we know of our Faith we have ultimately received from the Church, as well as, the church in the home. Those of us who have received and cherished this heritage have an obligation a duty to pass it on to future generations. It takes this organization we call Church to give Christianity to those who will follow. This is why we need to be active and concerned members of Christs Body His Church! Please note that in the Holy Gospels, God offers us a new life. The Church and only the Church brings that Gospel to the people. No other group or organization shares Gods gift of life in Christ. It is a blessing to present this booklet regarding Church Etiquette. May of the things in this text have been taught to us by our grandparents and parents, while others may not have had this opportunity. In either case, it is time to clarify several practical expressions of our Christian Orthodox Faith.
1. Church Conduct When attending Divine Services we all have the responsibility of maintaining proper decorum and atmosphere in the church. The very first thing to keep in mind is that we are to be at Divine Services on time. Remember! The church is the House of God. Reverence and good manners are required at all times. No irreverent or irrelevant conversations should go on in the Narthex or in the church proper. There are certain times during the Divine Services when no one should be moving about or entering the church or being seated at a pew. Wherever a person happens to be at these moments, he or she should stop and stand reverently until the proper moment to be seated. These times are:

1. During the Doxology, while the priest is censing. 2. During the Small Entrance - The procession of the priest and altar boys with the Holy Gospel. 3. When the priest censes the Altar, icons, and congregation throughout the Divine Liturgy. 4. During the reading of the Epistle and Gospel. 5. During the sermon. 6. During the Great Entrance - the procession of the priest and altar boys with the Holy Gifts. 7. During the recitation of the Creed and Lord's Prayer. 8. During the Consecration of the Holy Gifts. (Se Imnoumen) 9. During Holy Communion. 10. When receiving any sacrament of the church, use your baptismal/chrismation name. 11. During any special services such as Memorials or Artoclasia, special doxologies, etc.