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St. Innocent Orthodox Z 1967-2018 Z Moscow Patriarchal Parishes Z 23300 W. Chicago _ Redford, MI 48239 _ 313-538-1142 _ Fax: 313-538-8126 Church Website: www.stinnocentchurch.com _ E-Mail: [email protected] St. Innocent Monastic Community: 9452 Hazelton, Redford, MI 48239 _ 313-535-9080 PASTOR: Mitered Archpriest FR. ROMAN STAR _ Cell: 313-319-0590 Dean, Central States , Patriarchal Parishes APRIL 29, 2018 ASSISTANT : FR. JOSHUA GENIG _ 630-936-6386 : Dn. Comerford EPISTLE: Acts of the Apostles 9:32 - 42 (#23) ATTACHED: Sister Ioanna GOSPEL: St. John 5:1 - 15 (#14) CHOIR DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Star Hatfield TONE: 3 READERS: George Hanoian, William Davis, Henry Hancock

Z SUNDAY of the PARALYTIC Z The 4th Sunday of Pascha Z

_ 9:15AM — HOURS & &/or FOR THE RESURRECTION; CONFESSIONS _ _ 10am — OF ST. _

COMMEMORATED TODAY: Paralytic. Nine Martyrs at Cyzicus: Theognes, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, , Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius, and Philemon (3rd c.). Ven. Memnon the Wonderworker. Martyrs Diodorus and Rhodopianus—Deacon, at Aphrodisia in Anatolia (3rd-4th c.). St. Basil, of Ostrog in Montenegro (16th c.). Lazian Martyrs slain in Dudikvati and Papati (Georgian, c. 1820).

FOR THE REPOSE OF: Estelle & Joseph Star; Anna & John Witkowski; Michael Sr. & Margaret Rusko; Mary, Andrew, Daniel, Michael & Lottie Yakuber; Ross & Margaret Falsetti; Helen, John & Carole Andrayko; Peter & Theresa Harvilla; Betty Martell; Frances, Todd , John & Theresa Smoly; Peter Glover; Irene Adams; Ethel Elizabeth & Wayne Joshua deVyver, David Horka; Michael Rusko; Anna Lichagina, Yelena & Zinaïda Korniyevskaya; Joseph Nossal; Michelle Tucker; Todd Comerford, John Manier, Jr. ! Alexandra Yupco, whose anniversary of her repose is on Saturday, 5 May, by Grandson, Fr. Roman

FOR THE HEALTH OF: Archimandrite Seraphim, Mat. Debra Shirak, Mat. Mary Ellen & Julius Comerford, Matushka Mary Donahue, Reader George & Betty Hanoian, Rose Nossal, Mary Glover, Nancy Cupp, Vasiliki Stamoulis, Gerald Martell, Azbehat, Carl deVyver, Jo Anne & Nick Nicholas, Joan Rusko, Daria, Joseph Nossal, Ed Manier, Fr. Dimitrie Vincent, Levi Troyer; Fr. Dcn. Michael; ALSO FOR: Fr. Roman, who celebrates the Anniversary of his Ordination as a Priest, Today, Sunday, 29 April Zachary Minnick, who celebrates his Birthday on Tomorrow, Monday, 30 April Shirley Davis, who celebrates her Birthday on Friday, 4 May Š MAY GOD GRANT THEM MANY YEARS! Š

SCHEDULE FOR THE COMING WEEK (Regular Wednesday and Friday fasting) TODAY: Sun 4/29 1pm GRAVE BLESSINGS (Continued from last week) After Coffee Hour, about 1pm Friday 5/4 10am DIVINE LITURGY Saturday 5/5 4pm GREAT & Confessions Sunday 5/6 Samaritan Woman Sunday (5th Sunday of Pascha) 9:15am Hours & Canon &/or Akathist for the Resurrection 10am DIVINE LITURGY, Followed by Coffee Hour

PROSPHORA FOR TODAY IS OFFERED BY: Marianna & Jason Wess In Memory Eternal of: Anna Verstakova, Maria Boikova, Lev Chernuhin, Ivan Malutin, Svetlana Chernuhina, & Josephine Wess; and For the Health of: Jason, Marianna, Amilia, Liliana & Andrew Wess; Galina Chernuhina, Oleg Chernuhin, Sophia Chernuhina, Elena Kuligina; & Patricia Wess, Eric Wess, Dena Livingston

Z CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! Z CHRIST ÕÐÈÑÒÎÑ ÂÎÑÊÐÅÑÅ! ÂÎÈÑÒÈÍÓ ÂÎÑÊÐÅÑÅ! Z Z KHRISTOS ANESTI! ALITHOS ANESTI! Z HRISTOS A ÎNVIAT! ADEVÃRAT A ÎNVIAT! Z CANDLES FOR LAST SUNDAY, 22 APRIL YEARLY CHURCH VIGIL LAMPS: Lamp: In Memory of Husband, Joseph; Son, Kenneth; parents, Michael & Margaret Rusko, & John & Martha Nossal, by Rose Nossal Candelabra: In Memory of my Parents, John & Anna Witkowski & Fr. Roman’s Parents, Joseph & Estelle Star, by Matushka Rose Marie Altar Candles (2): In Memory of Irene Adams, by Goddaughter, Rose Ann Everhardt Iconostasis Lamps: In Memory of departed family & friends; & Health of family & friends, by Fr. Protodeacon Daniel & Mat. Irene Sudol Candles on the Solea: In Memory of Peter & Theresa Harvilla, Norman & Monica Holst, & Ricky Ellis, by Jason & Debra Truskowski Table of Oblation Lamp: In Memory of Parents, Helen & John Andrayko, Sr. & sister, Carole Andrayko, by John Andrayko, Jr. Reliquary- Lamps: Sts. Innocent, Tikhon & Herman: Health of Joseph/Sue; Robert/Diane; Pat/John; Joseph B., Jared, Jay; Rachelle/, ; Tricia, Lindsey; & In Memory of sisters, Anna, Margaret, Theresa & Irene; & brothers, John, Edwin & Michael by Rose Nossal Reliquary-Icon Lamps: Sts. Elizabeth & Raphael: Health of the Genig and the Just Families, by Fr. Joshua & Matushka Abigail Genig Reliquary-Icon Lamps: St. Seraphim & St. Alexis: In Memory of Ross & Margaret Falsetti, by daughters, Rose Ann Everhardt & Margie Martell Reliquary-Icon Lamps: St. Nestor & St. Gerontius: In Memory of Rusko Family: Grandparents, Anna, Alexandra, Mike, Margaret, John, Mary, George, Pauline, Pete, Irene, Andrew, Anna, Grandparents Nicholas & Anna Schulik, by Rose Nossal Reliquary-Icon Lamps: St. Hilarion & Sts. Alexandra & Martha: In Memory of Parents, Ethel Elizabeth & Wayne Joshua; Robert David H; // IN MEMORY OF (MEMORY ETERNAL!) //& Health of brother, Carl, by Sister Ioanna Joseph & Estelle Star, by son Father Roman and family Paul & Alexandra Yupco, Basil & Ellen Starinshak, by grandson, Father Roman and family John & Anna Witkowski, by daughter, Matushka Rose Marie and family Samuel & Mary Kupec, by granddaughter, Matushka Rose Marie and family Parents, Helen & John Andrayko, and sister, Carole Andrayko, by John Andrayko + + + My husband, Michael Rusko, by Joan Rusko My husband, Joe; my sisters, Margaret & Ross Falsetti, Anna & Mike Elaschat, Theresa & Pete Harvilla, Irene, & brothers, Michael, John & Edwin Rusko; niece, Rose Mary & Dean Hough; Joe’s brothers, Raymond & Walter Nossal, & sisters, Theresa, Florence & Helen Nossal, by Rose Nossal ++ + Pete & Theresa Harvilla, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay Truskowski + + + Jaimie Truskowski, by daughter Kay T. Parents, Ethel Elizabeth & Wayne Joshua; David H; Nina I; Marion P; Fr. Photius; Archm. Roman; Mo. Benedicta, Molly, Olive, by Sr. Ioanna Shirley Troyer, Child Lana Wilson, Betty & Paul Stelmaszek, Keith Hansen, by Becky Jurczyszyn + + + Baby Ariana, by Hancock family Parents, Michael & Lottie Yakuber; Grandparents; Uncle Chet & Aunt Irene; Cousin Donald Yakuber; Daniel Yakuber, by Nancy Cupp FOR THE HEALTH OF: (MANY YEARS!) Elizabeth & Lawrence, Caitlin & Zachary, by parents & grandparents, Father Roman & Matushka Rose Marie Gregory & Tamiko Star, by parents, Father Roman & Matushka Rose Marie Children, Grandchildren & Great-grandchildren; Monk Fr. Sdn. Tikhon (Dade); by Rose Nossal Father Roman & Matushka & family; Sister Ioanna; John Andrayko; Nancy; Mary G; Jo Anne N; Grandson Joey (in the Navy Reserves) & all people in the Armed Forces; & all St. Innocent Church parishioners, by Rose Nossal + + + Family & Friends, by Mary Ann Harvilla & Kay Brother, Greg & Donna; nephew, Gregory & Liz & new baby; & nephew, Alex, by Mary Ann & Kay + + + Ed Manier, by Mary Ann H. & Kay Archimandrites Nafanail, Gregory & Seraphim; Fr. Roman & Mat. Rose Marie; Fr. Daneil & fam; Fr. Lawrence B & fam; Fr. Laurence L & fam; Fr. Dcn. Michael & fam; Mat. Mary D; Carl; Monk Fr. Tikhon; Sdn Andrew; Rdr Robert; Robert M; David Samuel/Sky & Avi; JoAnne/Nick; Athanasius; John A; Ed/Tiffany; Kim/Mark & fam; Frances/Ken; Deborah H; Rose; Vasiliki; Levi; Elaine; Mark S; Fr. Dimitrie, by Sr. Ioanna Rose Nossal, by John Andrayko + + + John Andrayko (May God watch over him), by Rose Nossal Levi Troyer; Mike/Leia/ Reece/Wyatt Wilson; Bob & Joan Jurczyszyn; Rob/Sue/Rachel/Chris/Jack Jurczyszyn; Damon Trestain; Paul/Pete/ Krista/ /Claire/Matt Stelmaszek; Toni & Richard Bussen; Liz Tomachewski, Nathan/Andrea Faust; Gussie Salvaggio; Matt/Sue/Brandon/Haley Jurczyszyn; Debbie/Ed/Trevor/Emily/Amelia Maresh, by Becky Jurczyszyn + + + Elena Kuligina, by Marianna Wess Jason, Marianna, Amilia, Liliana, Andrew, by Wess Family + + + Galina, Oleg, & Sophia Chernukhin, by Marianna Wess Alice & Autumn & new-born-baby Juliet, by grandmother, Frances Roy + + + John (Jasiu), Anastasia (Ana) & Eric, by mother, Fran Roy Norman (cancer), by Hancock Family + + + Greg Star (safe travel), by parents, Fr. Roman & Mat. Rose Marie Karen, Kim, Keith, David, Lucas, Steven, Corey, Cali, Wasen, C.J., Rose Nossal, Mary Glover, Fr. Roman & Matushka Rose Marie, Fr. Joshua, Matushka Abigail & daughters; Sister Ioanna, & all St. Innocent parishioners, by Nancy Cupp ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) DIVINE LITURGY EVERY FRIDAY AT 10AM. Weekly Friday morning Liturgies began this past Friday, April 27th. This weekly Divine Liturgy is especially intended for those who must work on Sundays, as well as for others who miss Sunday Liturgy due to illness or other reasons. (2) MONTHLY CALENDARS AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE. The St. Innocent monthly calendars for April, May & June are available to view and print on our church’s website. View the calendars at: https://www.stinnocentchurch.com/calendar.html (3) PLEASE KEEP JO ANNE & NICK NICHOLAS IN YOUR PRAYERS. Jo Anne’s MS has taken a turn for the worse, but hopefully she will improve so that she will be able to walk better. (4) PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR FR. DEACON MICHAEL COMERFORD IN YOUR PRAYERS as he continues to recover from surgery on March 26th. It will probably be another 2-3 more weeks before he will be sufficiently recovered to make the long round-trip drive here from Columbus, Ohio, and to serve with us again. (5) SPRING DEANERY MEETING TO BE HELD HERE AT ST. INNOCENT, on May 29th and 30th, the Tuesday and Wednesday after Pentecost (Spirit Week). There will be Daily Vespers on Tuesday evening, and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday morning. We will be preparing and serving dinner on Tuesday and breakfast/brunch on Wednesday. Z CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! Z ÕÐÈÑÒÎÑ ÂÎÑÊÐÅÑÅ! ÂÎÈÑÒÈÍÓ ÂÎÑÊÐÅÑÅ! Z SUNDAY OF THE PARALYTIC By Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh A Sermon delivered on May 21, 2000 In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. How tragic today's story of the life of Christ is. A man had been paralyzed for years. He had lain at a short distance from healing, but he himself had no strength to merge into the waters of ablution. And no one — no one in the course of all these years — had had compassion on him. The ones rushed to be the first in order to be healed. Others who were attached to them by love, by friendship, helped them to be healed. But no one cast a glance at this man, who for years had longed for healing and was not in himself able to find strength to become whole. If only one person had been there, if only one heart had responded with compassion, this man might have been whole years and years earlier. As no one, not one person, had compassion on him, all that was left to him — and I say all that was left to him with a sense of horror — was the direct intervention of God. We are surrounded by people who are in need. It is not only people who are physically paralyzed who need help. There are so many people who are paralyzed in themselves, and need to meet someone who would help them. Paralyzed in themselves are those who are terrified of life, because life has been an object of terror for them since they were born: insensitive parents, heartless, brutal surroundings. How many are those who hoped, when they were still small, that there would be something for them in life. But no. There wasn't. There was no compassion. There was no friendliness. There was nothing. And when they tried to receive comfort and support, they did not receive it. Whenever they thought they could do something they were told, 'Don't try. Don't you understand that you are incapable of this?' And they felt lower and lower. How many were unable to fulfill their lives because they were physically ill, and not sufficiently strong… But did they find someone to give them a supporting hand? Did they find anyone who felt so deeply for them and about them that they went out of their way to help? And how many of those who are terrified of life, lived in circumstances of fear, of violence, of brutality… But all this could not have taken them if there had been someone who would have stood by them and not abandoned them. So we are surrounded, all of us, by people who are in the situation of this paralytic man. If we think of ourselves we will see that many of us are paralyzed, incapable of fulfilling all their aspirations; incapable of being what they longed for, incapable of serving others the way their heart speaks; incapable of doing anything they longed for because fear, brokenness has come into them. And all of us, all of us were responsible for each of them. We are responsible, mutually, for one another; because when we look right and left at the people who stand by us, what do we know about them? Do we know how broken they are? How much pain there is in their hearts? How much agony there has been in their lives? How many broken hopes, how much fear and rejection and contempt that has made them contemptuous of themselves and unable even to respect themselves — not to speak of having the courage of making a move towards wholeness, that wholeness of which the Gospel speaks in this passage and in so many other places? Let us reflect on this. Let us look at each other and ask ourselves, 'How much frailty is there in him or her? How much pain has accumulated in his or her heart? How much fear of life — but life expressed by my neighbor, the people whom I should be able to count for life — has come into my existence? Let us look at one another with understanding, with attention. Christ is there. He can heal; yes. But we will be answerable for each other, because there are so many ways in which we should be the eyes of Christ who sees the needs, the ears of Christ who hears the cry, the hands of Christ who supports and heals or makes it possible for the person to be healed. Let us look at this parable of the paralytic with new eyes; not thinking of this poor man two thousand years ago who was so lucky that Christ happened to be near him and in the end did what every neighbor should have done. Let us look at each other and have compassion, active compassion; insight; love if we can. And then this parable will not have been spoken or this event will not have been related to us in vain. Amen. CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! PASCHAL GREETINGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD English: Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! Aleut: Khristus anahgrecum! Alhecum anahgrecum! Aleut: Khris-tusax agla-gikux! Agangu-lakan agla-gikux! Albanian: Krishti U Ngjall! Vertet U Ngjall! Alutuq: Khris-tusaq ung-uixtuq! Pijii-nuq ung-uixtuq! Amharic: Kristos tenestwal! Bergit tenestwal! Anglo-Saxon: Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras! Arabic: El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm! Armenian: Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee! Athabascan: Xristosi banuytashtch'ey! Gheli banuytashtch'ey! Bulgarian: Hristos voskrese! Vo istina voskrese! Byelorussian: Khrystos uvaskros! Saprawdy uvaskros! Chinese: Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole! Coptic: Pchristos aftooun! Alethos aftooun! Czech: Kristus vstal a mrtvych! Opravdi vstoupil! Danish: Kristus er opstanden! Ja, sandelig opstanden! Dutch: Christus is opgestaan! Ja, hij is waarlijk opgestaan! Eritrean-Tigre: Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou! Esperanto: Kristo levigis! Vere levigis! Estonian: Kristus on oolestoosunt! Toayestee on oolestoosunt! Ethiopian: Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Exai' ab-her eokala! Finnish: Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totisesti nousi! French: Le Christ est réssuscité! En verite il est réssuscité! Gaelic: Taw creest ereen! Taw shay ereen guhdyne! Georgian: Kriste aghsdga! Cheshmaritad aghsdga! German: Krist ist auferstanden! Wahrlich Er ist auferstanden! Greek: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti! Hawaiian: Ua ala hou 'o Kristo! Ua ala 'I 'o no 'oia! Hebrew: Ha Masheeha houh quam! Be emet quam! Hungarian: Krisztus feltamadt! Valoban feltamadt! Ibo ( Nigeria): Jesu Kristi ebiliwo! Ezia o' biliwo! Indonesian: Kristus telah bangkit! Benar dia telah bangkit! Italian: Cristo e' risorto! Veramente e' risorto! Japanese: Harisutos Fukkatsu! Jitsu ni Fukkatsu! Javanese: Kristus sampun wungu! Tuhu sampun wungu! Korean: Kristo gesso! Buhar ha sho nay! Latin: Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit! Latvian: Kristus ir augsham sales! Teyasham ir augsham sales vinsch! Norwegian: Christus er oppstanden! Sandelig han er oppstanden! Polish: Khristus zmartwyckwstal! Zaprawde zmartwyckwstal! Portuguese: Cristo ressuscitou! Em verdade ressuscitou! Romanian: Hristos a inviat! Adevãrat a înviat! Russian: Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese! Sanskrit: Kristo'pastitaha! Satvam upastitaha! Serbian: Cristos vaskres! Vaistinu vaskres! Slovak: Kristus vstal zmr'tvych! Skutoc ne vstal! Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado! Swahili: Kristo amefufukka! Kweli amefufukka! Swedish: Christus ar upstanden! Han ar verkligen upstanden! Syriac: M'shee ho dkom! Ha koo qam! Tlingit: Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot! Turkish: Hristos diril - di! Hakikaten diril - di! Ugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Kweli ajukkide! Ukrainian: Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres! Welsh: Atgyfododd Crist! Atgyfododd yn wir! Yupik: Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! Iluumun Ung-uixtuq! Zulu: Ukristu uvukile! Uvukile kuphela! “POST-PASCHA SWOON” OR “REVIVED BY JOY”? By Fr. Steven Kostoff

I began this morning with a question on my mind: Is there life after Pascha? This, in turn, led to a series of further related questions: Is there meaningful ecclesial/Church life following the Paschal celebration of only little more than a few days ago? Is it possible to retain any of the vibrancy and joy of commemorating, participating, and experiencing the Resurrection of Christ? Can we continue to maintain our ecclesial lives beyond the level of perfunctory attendance once we have passed through , Holy Week and Pascha?

Humanly speaking, these may be unrealistic expectations for the following reasons: ! Most everyone is still overcoming a certain level of exhaustion, that is not merely physical. I think at times that may have to be downgraded to Recovery Week!

! Clearly everyone is back to normal time and routines – work, school, etc. – that may have been temporarily interrupted during Holy Week and Pascha. “Life goes on,” according to a limp cliché, and we may still be catching up with some unfinished business.

! Does our surrounding culture influence us by treating Pascha as a “one and done” affair—meaning that when we wake up on Bright Monday, are we already “moving on?”

However, that does not mean that our parishes have to empty out and become tomb-like immediately after Pascha, apart from Sunday’s Liturgy. The inevitable “summer slowdown” need not begin before we have even completed Bright Week. The Resurrection of Christ is meant to be enlivening, not deadening! The “swoon theory” is a hopelessly absurd idea meant to explain away the Resurrection of Christ. Yet, how many of the faithful experience a “post-Paschal swoon” from which they need to awaken before the entire Season comes to a close. If such is the case, then what does this say of the over-all impact of the Paschal Season?

Perhaps we need to probe just what each and every one of us means by the term “Pascha.” It is the Greek form of the Hebrew word for Passover. Pascha, therefore, is:

! the Christian Passover/passage from death to life in and through the Death and Resurrection of Christ.

! the commemoration and actualization of these saving events, realized through the Church’s liturgical services, and succinctly expressed as “Christ is Risen!”

! the transformation of suffering into joy, revealing the true meaning of the Cross as salvific.

! the supreme gift of the renewal of life and the restoration of communion with God.

! the “death of death.”

! the foretaste of our own resurrection from the dead into the eternal light of God’s Kingdom. ! the event that established the Church in the world until the end of time. ! the “Feast of Feasts” and focal point of our community’s shared life together.

The exuberance of our Paschal celebration during the “night brighter than the day” is the festal expression of the Church’s deepest truth. The light, color, music and movement are all manifestations of the Paschal joy that sweeps through the Church as we proclaim that Christ is Risen! Hopefully, it is also the expression of our own faith in the Risen Lord. However, for some Pascha may be reduced to something other than what it truly is, or it takes on a life of its own, detached and independent from what was outlined above. This is probably true for once-a-year visitors to the church – “” Orthodox Christians – but this can also tempt us. Such reductions may include:

! approaching Pascha primarily in ethnic, cultural or social terms.

! over-emphasis on the externals—dress, Pascha basket, roasted lamb, family traditions, etc.

! nostalgic or sentimental evocation of one’s past.

! a “fun experience”—I have actually heard this before—thus using a term better suited to a trip to the amusement park than for the “Feast of Feasts.”

Perhaps we could say that the above is more a description of Pascha popularly understood, rather than Pascha as revealed in the Church. Again, when these approaches are detached from the deeper meaning of Pascha, then the inevitable occurs quite naturally—Pascha is reduced to a once-a-year special event that is over and done with the moment one’s exhausted head hits the pillow some time early in the morning. It is forgotten before all of the Easter eggs – real and chocolate – are consumed. And then the search for the next potentially exciting event begins.

The Risen Christ appeared to His disciples for forty days following His Resurrection. He did not depart from them into Heaven immediately. We can assume that the disciples remained “excited” (to use an inadequate word) for that entire period – and beyond. We have a forty-day Paschal Season in the Church for this reason. As the disciples rejoiced in the Lord’s presence, the same possibility is before us as we too rejoice in the Lord’s presence, since it is the Lord who promised to be with us “until the end of the world.” The Risen Lord is as present among us today as He was when He appeared to the eleven disciples behind “closed doors” for the first time and, then again, eight days later, as recounted by Saint John in his Gospel [20:19-29]. Everyone, beginning with the , probably suffers from the “post-Paschal blues” to some extent. We must rely on our faith and trust that our Lord Jesus Christ has been bodily raised from the dead, the “first- fruits of those who have fallen asleep” [1 Corinthians 15:20], in order to revive us to the joy of this unique season in which we continuously affirm that “If Christ has not been raised, [our] faith is futile and [we] are still in [our] sins .. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” [1 Corinthians 15:17, 20].

About the author of the “Reflections in Christ” series on www.oca.org : Father Steven Kostoff is rector of Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a member of the adjunct faculty of the theology department at Xavier University in Cincinnati, where he has taught various courses on Orthodox theology.