sign in sign up
<<
Home , Artos, Bright Week

Saint Mary’s Orthodox April 19th, 2020 The Bells of St. Mary’s

[email protected] | Father Nathaniel Choma | 1(330) 402-0352

The Herald Scripture Readings While we cannot be together, we are not alone! Epistle: Acts 1: 1 - 8 While we not be in the Church, has come to Gospel: John 1: 1 - 17 our “little churches”. While Music the world still seems like a scary and dangerous place, Holy and Glorious Pascha! Christ is Risen and we know that we are blessed! Special Tone: Pages 215 - 219

Upcoming Services: 4/19: Paschal CHRIST IS RISEN! 10 AM Indeed He is Risen! Christos Voskresse! Voistinu Voskrese! 4/20: Bright Monday Divine Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! A blessed and fulfilling Pascha to Liturgy 10 AM all of you! May the Risen Lord bless all of you and keep you for the remainder of the Paschal season and beyond! May you see the 4/21: Bright Tuesday Divine Light of the Resurrection despite our current separation! Liturgy 10 AM 4/25: 4 PM Blessing of Paschal Baskets! 4/26: Divine Liturgy 10 AM Following the Divine Liturgy, the usual blessing of Paschal 4/29: Moleben to St. baskets will be performed! For those with the ability to watch the Nectarios 6 PM; Zoom services online, you are encouraged to join in with those prayers. meeting spiritual education 7 For those who cannot join virtually, prayers for the blessing of PM. Paschal foods are included with this bulletin and you are encouraged to say them to bless your own baskets! If you have 5/2: Vespers 4 PM , sprinkle your baskets with it! 5/3: Divine Liturgy 10 AM

5/ 6: Zoom meeting Spiritual The Resurrection Light education 7 PM. The Light of the Resurrection that is passed on

1 Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church April 19th, 2020 will be kept in the Church for all to receive this Light when the Church is reopened. Know that it is being kept burning for you and that you are being prayed for always!

COVID-19 Prayers Please find attached a prayer list of those affected by coronavirus in different ways. Consider adding them to your own prayer life that God may bless and remember them as we continue to struggle with this crisis. If you know of anyone to be added to Many Blessings! this list, let Fr. Nathaniel know immediately so that he can have their names added to the list! Best wishes are extended to John Ziller, Michelle Chou-Johnson, and Andrew Eggleston for their birthdays! And happy anniversary Saint of the Day to Skip & Eleni Ford! May God St Eutychius, patriarch of Constantinople (582): He was grant you all many more! Mnohija born to devout and noble parents in Phrygia. Though his father L’ita! Εις πολλά έτη! was a prominent officer, he entered monastic life when young, and became abbot of a monastery in Amasea at the age of thirty. Hearts of Love In 553 he was sent to the Fifth as the The Hearts are lit today not only representative of the Metropolitan of Amasea. At the Council, he for the Resurrection, but also by was one of those who argued, successfully, that heretics could be Father and Pani for all of you! anathematized after their deaths. The most prominent case in We miss you and love you all! point was Origen, the brilliant Christian philosopher who had written that all will eventually be saved. Eutychius' position thus SPF 50 Update earned him the enmity of the Origenists, who still made up an influential group in the Church. Saint Eutychius became a trusted Please find attached to the confidante of the Emperor Justinian, and when Menas, Patriarch Bulletin the newest material for of Constantinople, reposed, Eutychius was chosen to replace him. SPF 50! If you are already Eutychius ruled in peace for twelve years, but was then cast into participating, keep it up! If not, controversy when he boldly opposed one of the most hard-to- start now! It’s never too late! pronounce heresies in the history of the Church: Aphthartodocetism, the belief that Christ, before his resurrection, Music Symposium possessed an incorruptible body, not subject to hunger, thirst or If anyone is interested in pain (though the scriptures plainly speak of Christ being weary, growing their vocal talents or hungry, thirsty, weeping). The Emperor Justinian for a time fell learning a new skill to help our into this variant of the Monophysite heresy, and exiled Eutychius Church, please see the attached to his monastery for twelve years. During these years Eutychius information about the Pan- showed himself to be a wonder-worker, healing many of their Orthodox Music Symposium! diseases through his prayers. Justinian repented shortly before his Register as soon as possible for death, and his successor, Justin II, called Eutychius back to the this event now happening online! Patriarchal throne, where he served the Church in peace until his repose at the age of seventy.

2 Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church April 19th, 2020

Interesting Facts! The Bread Here is a collection of things Fr. Nathaniel has Near the end of the Paschal Liturgy, after the realized since his placement in Endicott. Prayer Before the Amvon, a single large loaf of bread, the Artos, is brought by the priest. 1. Fr. Nathaniel was born the same year Fr. Michael was placed in Endicott (1991). Depicted on the top of the Artos are either the symbol of Christ's victory over death—the Cross, 2. Fr. Nathaniel was ordained the same hour Fr. surmounted by a crown of thorns—or the Michael celebrated retirement Liturgy. Resurrection of Christ. The Artos symbolizes the 3. Fr. Nathaniel has never met another “Choma” physical presence of the resurrected Christ among before coming to Endicott. the disciples. The priest blesses the Artos with a special prayer and sprinkles it with Holy Water. 4. Fr. Michael was seminary classmates with Fr. The Artos is then placed on a small table before Ken, who is Fr. Nathaniel’s spiritual father. the where it remains throughout 5. Fr. Nathaniel was friends with Will Sedlacek . It is customary, whenever the from Camp before ever being ordained. faithful enter the , for them to kiss the Artos as a way of greeting the Risen Christ. The 6. At the time Joe Loposky passed away, Fr. significance of the artos is that it serves to remind Nathaniel was at Camp, praying for the Loposky family’s safe travels to Endicott. all Christians of the events connected with the Resurrection of Our Lord Christ. While still 7. 3 or 4 weeks prior to his ordination, a Pani in living on earth, the Lord called Himself the Bread Johnstown predicted Fr. Nate’s placement. of Life, saying: I am the bread of life; he who comes to 8. Fr. Andrew Hutnyan is brother to Fr. George Me shal not hunger, and He who believes in Me shal Hutnyan who Fr. Nathaniel grew up knowing never thirst (John 6:35). After His Resurrection, in Youngstown. more than once Jesus appeared to His disciples, ate before them and blessed their own food. For 9. Fr. Nathaniel once said in Seminary “I pray example, as evening fell on the first day of His God send me to a Church with a choir, Resurrection, He was recognized in Emmaus by because I don’t know music well enough.” two of His disciples as He blessed and broke bread 10. Fr. Nathaniel once stated at Seminary that he (Luke 24:13-35). On the 40th day after His couldn’t be placed in a Church that made Resurrection, the Lord ascended into heaven, and perohy because he would have to lie to them His disciples and followers found comfort in their and say they were better than his home memories of the Lord: they recalled His every Church of St. Nicholas. word, His every step and His every action. When 11. Pre-ordination, Fr. Nathaniel stayed at the they met for common prayer, they would partake Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood of the Body and Blood of Christ, remembering the City. He paid respects to Fr. Thomas Hopko . When they sat down to an ordinary who is buried there and prayed that Fr. Tom meal, they would leave a place at the head of the help his priesthood. Fr. Tom came from St. table empty for the (continued on next page) Mary’s in Endicott.

3 Saint Mary’s Orthodox Church April 19th, 2020 The Artos (cont.) Happy ! Blessed invisibly present Lord and would lay bread on that Pascha! place. Remembering this custom of the Apostles, Pani Nicole and I want to wish everyone a the Fathers of the Church made it their custom to Happy Easter and a Blessed Pascha! We know put out the Artos at the Paschal Feast in memory that times are hard and that it doesn’t make it of the appearances of the Risen Lord to His any easier to not be at Church and to see our disciples, and also in memory of the fact that the loved ones. However, know that we are praying Lord Who suffered and was resurrected for our for you all daily and that we miss you all. justification has made Himself the true Bread of Life and is invisibly present in His church always, Two monks once planned to meet together and to the close of the age (Matthew 28:20). were prevented from meeting due to weather. So one monk contacted the other and said, “Sit Whereas special Paschal breads, called kulichi are down to pray with me at this time on this date, broken and eaten on the first day of Pascha, the and I will pray also, and so we will meet together Artos is kept whole throughout the whole of Bright in the Holy Spirit.” Week as a reminder of the presence of the Risen Savior in the midst of those who believe in Him In the same way, Pani and I know that you are and is only divided and distributed on Saturday or with us in the Holy Spirit through your prayers Sunday. In this way Bright Week begins and ends with us, and it fills our hearts. May God bless you with the eating of especially baked and blessed and keep you until we can all safely meet again. bread. Christ is Risen!

4