Tone 2 - Prokeimon Holy Ascension Orthodox Church The Lord is my strength and my song; / He has become my 209 S. Lehigh Ave. Frackville, PA 17931 salvation. HAOCA.org vs: The Lord has chastened me sorely, but He has not given me V Rev. James M. Jadick 570.874.3162 [email protected] over to death. John Malinchok 570-590-2669 [email protected] !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Epistle - Romans 5:1-10 Brethren: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with Sunday June 28, 2020 — 3rd Sunday After Pentecost God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have of the of the Holy and Wonderworking access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in Unmercenaries Cyrus and John hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh Tone 2 - Tropar (Resurrection) not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our When Thou didst descend to death, O Life immortal, / Thou hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead. / And when were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the from the depths Thou didst raise the dead, / all the powers of ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet heaven cried out: // “O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But Thee!” God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified Tone 5 - Tropar (Cyrus & John) by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, Thou hast given us the miracles of Thy , Cyrus and when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the John, / as an invincible rampart, O Christ God; / through their death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be prayers, frustrate the plans of the heathens, / and strengthen saved by his life. the faith of the Orthodox Christians, // for Thou alone art good and the lover of man. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia -May the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble! May the name of Tone 2 - Kondak (Resurrection) the God of protect thee! Hell became afraid, O almighty Savior, / seeing the miracle of -Save the King, O Lord, and hear us on the day we call! Thy Resurrection from the tomb! / The dead arose! Creation, with Adam, beheld this and rejoiced with Thee, // and the world, Gospel: Matthew 6:22–33 my Savior, praises Thee forever. Let us attend: The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine Tone 3 - Kondak (Cyrus & John) eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore Having received the gift of miracles through divine grace, O the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! , / ye work wonders in the world unceasingly. / Ye remove No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, all of our passions through your invisible surgery, / divinely-wise and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise Cyrus and glorious John, // for ye are truly divine physicians. the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. MASKS MUST BE WORN INSIDE THE CHURCH Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they AT ALL TIMES !! reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye Bulletin & Candle Listing - The contact person for the offerings thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they of weekly bulletins, candles and newsletters is Cheryl Ruschak. grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, You can contact Cheryl at 570-617-3559. That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which Web Page - Be sure and check the newly renovated web page to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much for our church at HAOCA.org This page also contains very more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, important information from the office of the Archbishop and the saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Diocese. Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do Live Streaming - Will continue for the foreseeable future! the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of FYI - Patience Please - Please use your common sense and God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added follow the guidelines listed in the letter for everyone’s safety! unto you. Weekly Bulletins & Vigil Candles Communion Hymn Any questions please call or text Cheryl Ruschak at Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! 570-617-3559. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! July 12 Bulletins, Altar Candles !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! August 2 Bulletins, Altar Candles, Center Table August 16 Bulletins, Altar Candles, Center Table Altar Vigil Candles: For the Health of Nicholas Wilson on his August 23 Bulletins, Altar Candles, Center Table Birthday by His Sons Frankie and Nicolai August 30 Bulletins, Altar Candles, Center Table September 6 Center Table Vigil Candles Center Table Vigil Candles and Eternal Candle: In Memory September 13 Center Table Vigil Candles of Charles Timko Jr by His Mom and Robert and Sharon Timko September 20 Bulletins, Altar Candles, Center Table September 27 Altar Candles, Center Table Bulletins: Congratulations and Best Wishes to Graduates: Sarah Fletcher and Andrew Rudenko for a successful future; Newsletter available for Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec - cost is $35 May God Bless you both! From Martha, Tom & Alexa Fletcher

Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.” “Counting time is not so important as making time count.” Later George secretly left the monastery and, clad in beggars’ Venerable George of Mount Athos rags, journeyed to . After enduring many deprivations and overcoming a great number of obstacles, he reached the George’s family had its roots in Black Mountains near Antioch and, after venerating the holy the region of Samtskhe in southern places and visiting several elders, began to search for a spiritual Georgia. George was born in Trialeti father and guide. He found the great Georgian elder Saint to the pious Jacob and Mariam. George the Recluse (the God-bearer) in an isolated cave and remained there with him for three years. When George reached the age of seven, the God-fearing and wise Then the Recluse tonsured his , “who had Abbess Sabiana of Tadzrisi reached perfection of age, wisdom and understanding,” into the Monastery in Samtskhe took him great schema and sent him to Jerusalem on a . under her care. George spent three According to his teacher’s counsel, George then moved from years at Tadzrisi, and when he was Jerusalem to the Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos to continue the ten his father sent him to Khakhuli work of Saint Ekvtime—the translation of theological texts from Monastery, to his own brothers Saints the Greek to the Georgian language. George considered himself George the Scribe and Saba. unworthy and unqualified to continue Saint Ekvtime’s great work, but Saint George the Recluse was insistent, so he set off Soon after, Prince Peris Jojikisdze of for the Holy Mountain in humble obedience. Trialeti invited George’s uncle, George the Scribe, to stay with him, The of the Iveron Monastery received Saint George with and George’s uncle took his young great joy. But instead of translating the patristic texts as his nephew with him. But the Byzantine spiritual father had advised him, George soon grew slothful and emperor Basil II subsequently for seven years performed only the work of a novice. When summoned Peris and his family to Saint George the Recluse heard this, he sent his disciple Constantinople, accused him of Tevdore to Mt. Athos to rebuke him and remind him of the conspiring against the throne, and reason he had been sent there. Finally George of the Holy had him beheaded. (At that time Mountain obeyed the will of his teacher, and soon he was Trialeti was under the jurisdiction of Byzantium.) Peris’ faithful enthroned as abbot of the monastery. wife remained in Constantinople for twelve years and sent the young George to study with the finest philosophers and From that time on Saint George of the Holy Mountain pursued rhetoricians of that time. his work with great earnestness. He gathered information on Saints Ekvtime and John, compiled their Lives, translated their Eventually Emperor Basil was moved with compassion for the holy relics to ornate burial vaults covered in precious jewels, prince’s family and permitted them to return to Georgia. The and enhanced the life of the monastery in many other ways. twenty-five-year-old George returned to Khakhuli Monastery and During a visit to the Byzantine emperor Constantine “bowed his neck to the sweet yoke of monastic life.” Monomachus, the Georgian king Bagrat IV Kuropalates offered George the opportunity to return to Georgia to be consecrated of Chqondidi and serve as his own spiritual adviser. But Holy Queen Dinar George declined, having already been drawn far from the vanity of the world. The Russian Church has preserved chronicles of the life of Queen Dinar, a woman who achieved much on behalf of the Leadership of the monastery was demanding, and George was Christian Faith. For years scholars have disputed about the forced to choose between his literary work and the life of the historical figure discussed in great depth in the Russian Church. monastery. Many believed that the sources described Holy Queen Tamar, but He resigned as abbot and returned to Saint George the Recluse the period of Tamar’s rule does for counsel. But his teacher blessed him to return to the Iveron not match that of the figure Monastery, so George set off again for Mt. Athos. described in the chronicles. The Georgian chronicle Life of Kartli, The God-fearing king Bagrat IV Kuropalates continued to ask however, has preserved Saint George to return to Georgia, and he finally consented to information about a certain Dinar, the will of the king and the catholicos. In accordance with their Queen of Hereti (southeastern request, the pious father instituted general guidelines for the Georgia), who, along with her son qualifications and conduct of the clergy and wisely administered Ishkhanik, converted Hereti to the the affairs of the Church. Five years later Saint George returned Orthodox Faith and delivered its to the Iveron Monastery. Before he departed, King Bagrat people from the Monophysite bestowed upon him much of his own wealth and saw him off heresy in the 10th century. with great respect. Queen Dinar’s story resembles that recounted in the Russian Departing for Mt. Athos, Blessed George took with him eighty Chronicles more closely than any orphans. En route he stopped in Constantinople, and sensing other. that the day of his repose was near, he arranged for the orphans According to the Armenian historian of Kalankaytuk, to be received in the emperor’s court. He personally requested Slavic tribes that carried out incursions in the southernmost that the emperor make provision for the orphaned children. Caucasus often journeyed through the Transcaucasus, and it Venerable George of the Holy Mountain reposed peacefully the was with these tribes that the story of Queen Dinar made its next day, the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. His way to Russia. The Georgian Church renders great honor to Athonite brothers buried him on the monastery grounds with Holy Queen Dinar. As a result of her zealous labors and great reverence. achievements, a large part of the eastern Transcaucasus was oca.org saved from the Monophysite heresy that dominated the region. Today, on the north wall of the Throne Hall in the Moscow Kremlin, there hangs an image of Holy Queen Dinar mounted “Happiness comes when we stop wailing about the on a white horse, victorious over the enemy. troubles we have, and offer thanks for all the troubles we don’t have.”