sign in sign up
<<
Home , John Climacus

NEWSLETTER & DEVOTIONAL GUIDE Fourth Week of the : Adoration of Cross Monday, April 5 — Sunday, April 11, 2021

The Annunciation of Our Synaxis of the Archangel St John of the Ladder Most Holy Lady, the and Ever-Virgin Mary

1 ~ CONTENTS ~ A Note from Fr. John Ponder This Twitter Summary Look It Up! Thoughts for Every Day Prayer Corner

~ A NOTE FROM FATHER JOHN ~ John said, “The Cross, is wood which lifts us up and makes us great … The Cross uprooted us from the depths of evil and elevated us to the summit of virtue.” (St. ) During this time of Great Lent, we seek to be planted in the vineyard of the Lord. He gives us strength to overcome any and all adversity. May each of you be blessed with true repentance so that your roots may be deepened in Christ. Christ is amidst us!

~ TWITTER SUMMARY ~ The main points from Sunday’s sermon, in 280 characters or less! The Cross is the blessing from which shows us clearly that His Kingdom is not of this . We must keep the image of the cross at the forefront of our minds each and every day, realizing how unworthy we are of it. We make the sign of the cross because the enemy of mankind cannot stand against it.

2 ~ THOUGHTS FOR EVERY DAY ~ Scripture and liturgical readings to enrich your prayer life every day of the week

~ MONDAY~ ~ TUESDAY~ (4/5) (4/6) Holy Scripture: Holy Scripture: 14:24-32 (6th Hour) Genesis 28:10-17 Vespers, Theotokos Genesis 8:21-9:7 (Vespers, 1st Reading) 43:27-44:4 Vespers, Theotokos Proverbs 11:19-12:6 (Vespers, 2nd) Proverbs 9:1-11 Vespers, Theotokos Excerpt from the : Excerpt from the Menaion: — Tone 4 Troparion — Tone 4 By your ascetic way of life / you Today is the prelude of universal joy; / let conquered the crafty one, Holy Father Nikon. us keep the forefeast in gladness. / For, / By virtue of your holy life you became a rule behold, Gabriel comes to the Virgin, / and model to your disciples, / and with them bringing her the good tidings: / Hail, O full of you struggled for the Faith in the West. / You grace; the Lord is with thee. have all attained glory in . Commemoration of the Day: Commemoration of the Day: Forefeast of the Annunciation -martyr Nicon and 199 disciples, in Sicily (251) ~ WEDNESDAY~ ~ THURSDAY~ (4/7) (4/8) Holy Scripture: Holy Scripture: Hebrews 2:11-18 Theotokos Isaiah 28:14-22 (6th Hour) Luke 1:24-38 Theotokos Genesis 10:32-11:9 (Vespers, 1st Reading) Excerpt from the Menaion: Proverbs 13:19-14:6 (Vespers, 2nd) Annunciation, Troparion, Tone IV — Excerpt from the Menaion: Today is the crown of our salvation,/ and Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, the revelation of the mystery which is from Troparion, Tone IV — before the ages!/ The Son of God becometh Today is the crown of our salvation,/ and the Son of the Virgin,/ and Gabriel the revelation of the mystery which is from announceth the glad tidings of grace./ before the ages!/ The Son of God becometh Wherefore, with him let us cry out to the the Son of the Virgin,/ and Gabriel Theotokos:/ Rejoice, O thou who art full of announceth the glad tidings of grace./ grace!// The Lord is with thee! Wherefore, with him let us cry out to the Commemoration of the Day: Theotokos:/ Rejoice, O thou who art full of The Annunciation of Our Most Holy grace!// The Lord is with thee! Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary Commemoration of the Day: Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

3 ~ FRIDAY~ ~ SATURDAY ~ (4/9) (4/10) Holy Scripture: Holy Scripture: Isaiah 29:13-23 (6th Hour) Hebrews 6:9-12 Genesis 12:1-7 (Vespers, 1st Reading) 1 Corinthians 15:47-57 (Departed) Proverbs 14:15-26 (Vespers, 2nd) Mark 7:31-37 Excerpt from the Menaion: John 5:24-30 (Departed) Troparion — Tone 3 Excerpt from the Menaion: With undaunted spirit you preserved the Troparion — Tone 5 Faith, / and your soul, Matrona, was not Adorned with gladness of soul / as a pure enslaved by the cruelty of your torturers. / vessel of the wisdom of Christ, / you were a You excelled in contest, slaying the crafty refection of the life in God. / Therefore you one / and were mystically wedded to the are resplendent with the light of virtues, / O Lord of creation. / Fervently entreat him to Father , / and you guide us unerringly deliver us from all harm! to the salvation of our souls! Commemoration of the Day: Commemoration of the Day: St. Matrona of Thessalonica (4th c.) Venerable Hilarion the New, of Pelecete (754) ~ SUNDAY ~ (4/11) Holy Scripture: Ephesians 5:9-19 (Venerable John) “Their sound hath gone forth into all the Matthew 4:25-5:12 (Venerable John) earth, their words unto the ends of the Excerpt from the Menaion : world.” The Fourth Sunday of Great Lent: Venerable John Lestvichnik, Troparion, Tone I — [Prokeimenon of Pentecost, Tone 8, Thou didst prove to be a freeman of the Liturgy] desert, an angel in a body, and a To read more: wonder-worker, O our God - bearing Father https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/ John. By fasting, vigil and prayer thou didst obtain heavenly gifts, and thou healest the sick and the souls of those who have recourse to thee with faith. Glory to Him Who gave thee strength, glory to Him Who crowned thee, glory to Him Who works through thee healings for all. Commemoration of the Day: Venerable John of the Ladder

4 ~ PONDER THIS ~ A few thoughts to ponder in light of this week’s lessons and sermons. St. John Climacus: The Forgotten Saint https://www.pravmir.com/st-john-climacus-the-forgotten-saint/

St. John Climacus is one of the great of our . He so special that the Church remembers St. John, not once, as we do with most saints, but twice a year. His feast day is always celebrated on March 30th, but the Church also devotes the fourth Sunday of Great Lent to this majestic church father.

The early life of St. John is shrouded in mystery. While we know that he was born in Palestine in the year 579 A.D., not much is known of his parents or of the days of his youth. All we know is that St. John received a general education and that he entered into the monastic ranks at the age of sixteen. From that early age, St. John embraced the life of solitude and ascesis, as he progressed greatly in the spiritual life.

To really understand what St. John represents, one has to be familiar with the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible. Understanding Exodus is important, because the people of his day revered St. John so much that they saw in him another . Like Moses, St. John spent forty years in the desert. Not only that, but St. John even ascended the same mountain as Moses, Mt. Sinai. He was likened to Moses because, like the great prophet of old who brought down the tablets of the Law, he too brought down a gift to share with the people. That gift, a book called The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is still being read by Orthodox Christians today. The Ladder of Divine Ascent, a book that describes how man can ascend to God, like the Ten Commandments tells the faithful how they will fnd order and harmony in their lives...

5 ~LOOK IT UP ~ Did you know: The of The Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady shows the Archangel with a staf in his left hand, indicating his role as a messenger. Sometimes one wing is upraised, as if to show his swift descent from heaven. His right hand is stretched toward the holy Virgin as he delivers his message.

The Virgin is depicted either standing or sitting, usually holding yarn in her left hand. Sometimes she is shown holding a scroll. Her right hand may be raised to indicate her surprise at the message she is hearing. Her head is bowed, showing her consent and obedience. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon her is depicted by a ray of light issuing from a small sphere at the top of the icon, which symbolizes heaven. In a famous icon from Sinai, a white dove is shown in the ray of light.

Read more: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/03/25/100884-the-annunciation-of-our-most-holy-lady-t he-theotokos-and-ever-vi

~ PRAYER CORNER ~ ● Father John and Matushka ● Anna and her family Deborah. ● Healthcare workers and anyone at risk of contracting the COVID virus

To submit commemorations for the next , to make an appointment with Fr. John to give confession by telephone, to alert us to any pastoral needs, to submit an item for the Prayer Corner, or just to chat, please contact Fr. John or Mat. Deborah using the following contact information: Archpriest John Tomasi * (310) 749-0524 * [email protected] Matushka Deborah Tomasi * (310) 849-9451 * [email protected] Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!

6