A Mission of the Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of New England 425 South Main Street, Brewer, ME 04412 Services held in St. Theresa’s Catholic Church website: orthodoxmaine.org

The Entry Into the Temple

23rd SUNDAY AFTER — Tone 6. Afterfeast of the Entry Into the Temple. Great Martyr . Great Martyr Mercurius of Cæsarea in Cappadocia (3rd c.). Martyr Merkúry of Smolensk (1238). Ven. Mercurius, Faster, of the Kiev Caves (14th c.). Empress Augusta, Porphyrius the General, the 50 philosophers and the 200 Soldiers martyred with the Great Martyr Catherine (305-313). Virgin Mastridia of Alexandria. Ven. Simon, Abbot of Soiga Monastery (Vologda). 1 Welcome to the . Herein are the changeable portions of the service; binders available at the front contain the framework of the service. You are welcome to join with us in song and prayer. Communion is only given to Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves by prayer, , and recent confession. All are welcome to venerate the cross at the end of the service. Please join us for luncheon in the church hall after the liturgy. Tone 6 (Resurrection) The Angelic Powers were at Thy tomb; the guards became as dead men. Mary stood by Thy grave, seeking Thy most pure body. Thou didst capture hell not being tempted by it. Thou didst come to the Virgin, granting life.// O Lord, Who didst rise from the dead, glory to Thee.

Troparion Tone 4 ( of the Most Holy ) Today is the prelude of the good will of God, of the preaching of the salvation of mankind. The Virgin appears in the Temple of God, in anticipation proclaiming Christ to all. Let us rejoice and sing to her: Rejoice, O Fulfillment // of the Creator’s dispensation!

Tone 4 Troparion (Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria) By thy virtues as by rays of the sun thou didst enlighten the unbelieving philosophers, and like the most bright moon thou didst drive away the darkness of disbelief from those walking in the night; thou didst convince the queen, and didst also chastise the tyrant, God-summoned bride, blessed Catherine. Thou didst hasten with desire to the heavenly bridal chamber of the fairest Bridegroom of Christ, and thou wast crowned by Him with a royal crown;//

2 Standing before Him with the Angels, pray for us who keep thy most sacred memory!

Tone 6 (Resurrection) When Christ God the Giver of Life, raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery with His mighty hand, He bestowed resurrection on the human race.// He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life, and the God of all.

Tone 2 Kontakion (Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria) Let all of us who love to honor the martyrs form a great choir in praise of the most wise Catherine, for she preached Christ and trampled the serpent,// despising the knowledge of the orators.

Tone 4 Kontakion (Entrance of the Most Holy Theotokos) The most pure Temple of the Savior; the precious Chamber and Virgin; the sacred Treasure of the glory of God, is presented today to the house of the Lord. She brings with her the grace of the Spirit, therefore, the angels of God praise her: “Truly this woman is the abode of Heaven!”

Tone 6 Prokeimenon O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance! (Ps 27/28:9)) v: To Thee, O Lord, will I call. O my God, be not silent to me! (Ps 27/28:1)

Tone 3 Prokeimenon (Song of the Theotokos) My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. (Lk 1:46-47)

3 Epistle Ephesians 2:4-10 [4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Tone 6 Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! v: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the heavenly God. (Ps 90/91:1) v: He will say to the Lord: “My Protector and my Refuge; my God, in Whom I trust.” (Ps 90/91:2) Tone 8 v: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear! (Ps44/45:10)

Gospel Luke 13:10-17 [10] And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. [11] And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. [12] And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. [13] And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 4 [14] And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. [15] The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? [16] And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? [17] And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

Instead of “It is truly meet …,” we sing: Tone 4 The angels beheld the entrance of the Pure One and were amazed. // How has the Virgin entered into the Holy of Holies? Since she is a living Ark of God let no profane hand touch the Theotokos. But let the lips of believers unceasingly sing to her, praising her in joy with the angel’s song: // “Truly, thou art more exalted than all, O pure Virgin!”

Communion Hymn Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! (Ps 148:1) I will receive the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. (Ps 115/116:13)

According to Holy Tradition, the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple took place in the following manner. The parents of the Virgin Mary, Saints and Anna, praying for an end to 5 their childlessness, vowed that if a child were born to them, they would dedicate it to the service of God. When the Most Holy Virgin reached the age of three, the holy parents decided to fulfill their vow. They gathered together their relatives and acquaintances, and dressed the All-Pure Virgin in Her finest clothes. Singing sacred songs and with lighted candles in their hands, virgins escorted Her to the Temple (Ps. 44/45:14-15). There the High Priest and several priests met the handmaiden of God. In the Temple, fifteen high steps led to the sanctuary, which only the priests and High Priest could enter. (Because they recited a Psalm on each step, Psalms 119/120-133/134 are called “Psalms of Ascent.”) The child Mary, so it seemed, could not make it up this stairway. But just as they placed Her on the first step, strengthened by the power of God, She quickly went up the remaining steps and ascended to the highest one. Then the High Priest, through inspiration from above, led the Most Holy Virgin into the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest entered once a year to offer a purifying sacrifice of blood. Therefore, all those present in the Temple were astonished at this most unusual occurrence.

From the DISCOURSE ON THE FEAST OF THE ENTRY OF OUR MOST PURE LADY THEOTOKOS INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES by Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica:

If a tree is known by its fruit, and a good tree bears good fruit (Mt. 7:17; Luke 6:44), then is not the Mother of Goodness Itself, She who bore the Eternal Beauty, incomparably more excellent than every good, whether in this world or the world above? Therefore, the coeternal and identical Image of goodness, Preeternal, transcending all being, He Who is the preexisting and good Word of the Father, moved by His unutterable love for mankind and compassion for us, put on our image, that He might reclaim for Himself our nature which had been dragged down to uttermost Hades, so as to renew this corrupted nature and raise it to the heights of Heaven. For this purpose, He had to assume a flesh that was both new and ours, that He might refashion us from out of

6 ourselves. Now He finds a Handmaiden perfectly suited to these needs, the supplier of Her own unsullied nature, the Ever-Virgin now hymned by us, and Whose miraculous Entrance into the Temple, into the Holy of Holies, we now celebrate. God predestined Her before the ages for the salvation and reclaiming of our kind. She was chosen, not just from the crowd, but from the ranks of the chosen of all ages, renowned for piety and understanding, and for their God-pleasing words and deeds.

Saint Catherine, who was from Alexandria, was the daughter of Constas (or Cestus). She was an exceedingly beautiful maiden, most chaste, and illustrious in wealth, lineage, and learning. By her steadfast understanding, she utterly vanquished the passionate and unbridled soul of Maximinus, the tyrant of Alexandria; and by her eloquence, she stopped the mouths of the so-called philosophers who had been gathered to dispute with her.

Announcements  There will be no vespers this coming Wednesday. Have a happy Thanksgiving.  The has begun, in preparation for the celebration of Christmas. We abstain from animal products, oil, and wine. Fish, oil and wine are allowed on the weekends. Oil and wine are allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  There are two openings in the Parish Council. If you would like to minister in this way, please see Chris Maas.  We will be filming and recording some of the liturgies for a film project. For questions contact Kathryn Oliver. 7  Visit our website orthodoxmaine.org for information, bulletins, photos, resources, links, and recordings of the sermons and bible studies.  Please pray for: Lynn, Jack, Jim, Aiden, and the repose of Shelly.

Service Schedule: Sundays starting at 9:30 am - 3rd Hour, 6th Hour, Divine Liturgy, followed by pot luck meal Wednesdays at 6:00 pm - 9th Hour, Vespers, followed by pot luck meal and Bible study Confessions are available during Hours on Sunday or after Vespers. Contact Information: Rector: Father Scott Ceraphim, 207-478-3088, [email protected] Parish Council President: Chris Maas, 207-924-4553, [email protected] Website: orthodoxmaine.org

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