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Home , John Climacus

ST. GEORGE ORTHODOX Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America 211 E. Minnesota St., Spring Valley, IL 61362 815-664-4540 www.springvalleyorthodox.com

Sunday, April 7, 2019 Orthros, 9:00 am • , 10:00 am St. John of Mt. Sinai, author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent

Pastor: Father Andrew Kishler Parish council members: Andy Dudek, Chair Ronald Malooley Melanie Thompson, Treasurer Mark Kerasotes Christina Kapetaneas, Secretary and Anderson Ladies President Patrice Nimee Wayne Sanders, Building/maintenance Genie Sanders, choir

Today’s Holy Bread and Coffee Hour: Bob Today’s Epistle Reader: Mike Kasap Next week’s Holy Bread and Coffee Hour: Richard and Bette Malooley  The “Glory” hymns at the end of Matins (for the 4th Sunday of Lent): Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Come, let us labor in the mystical field, working therein fruits of repentance. Let us not spend ourselves in food and drink, but reap virtues with fasting and prayer; for these doth the Master of labor accept, and for them He giveth us the pence through which He redeems our souls from the death of sin; for He alone is most compassionate. Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Most blessed art thou, O Virgin ! For through Him that was incarnate of thee is Hades despoiled, Adam is recalled from the dead, the curse is made void, Eve is set free, death is slain, and we are endowed with life. Wherefore, in hymns of praise, we cry aloud: ‘Blessed art Thou, O Christ our , who is thus well pleased, glory to Thee!’  Hymns of the day, following the Small : of the Resurrection (Tone 4): Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying: ‘Death hath been spoiled! Christ God is risen, granting the great mercy!’ Troparion for St. John Climacus (Tone 8): The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundredfold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father John Climacus, intercede with Christ God to save our souls. Troparion to St. George (Tone 4): Since thou art a liberator and deliverer of captives, a help and support of the poor and needy, a healing physician of the sick, a contender and fighter for kings, O great among Martyrs, the victory-clad George; intercede with Christ God for the salvation of our souls. for the Sundays of Lent (Tone 8): To thee, the Champion Leader, do I offer thanks of victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror; but as thou that hast that

2 power invincible, O Theotokos, thou alone can set me free: from all forms of danger free me and deliver me, that I may cry unto thee: Hail, O Bride without Bridegroom!

THE EPISTLE The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews (6:13-20) Brethren, when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by whom to swear, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by one greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He interposed with an oath. So that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. THE GOSPEL The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark (9:17-31) At that time, a man came to Jesus, kneeling down and saying unto him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked Thy Disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And Jesus answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to Me.” And they brought the boy to Him; and when the spirit saw Jesus, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has he had this?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if Thou canst do anything, have pity on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when Jesus had entered the house, His Disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we 3 not cast it out?” And Jesus said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And Jesus would not have anyone know it; for He was teaching His Disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and after He is killed, He will rise on the third day.”  Hymn to the Theotokos for (sung in Arabic): All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace: the assembly of angels and the race of man. O Sanctified Temple and Spiritual Paradise, the Glory of Virgins, from whom God was incarnate and became a child, our God before the ages! He made thy body into a throne and thy womb he made more spacious than the . All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace; Glory to Thee! ______

4 Announcements and Upcoming Events For a full calendar of events and services at St. George, see our website, www.springvalleyorthodox.com. Today:  Children’s Sunday School, downstairs immediately after Holy Communion. This week:  Father’s office hours: Tuesday, 9-noon; Wednesday 9-10:30; Thursday, 9-noon, or by appointment.  Tuesday, April 9: Lenten Retreat: “Walking with Jesus through the Holy Land,” 7pm.  Wednesday, April 10: Presanctified Liturgy, 6pm. A simple potluck meal will follow.  Friday, April 12: to the Theotokos, 6pm.  Saturday, April 13: Vespers, 6pm.  Next Sunday, April 14: St. Mary of . Matins, 9am; Divine Liturgy, 10am.

Food for Hungry People coin boxes are available on the table in the stairwell. Please take a box home and consider donating a little something each day or each week during Lent, or write a check to St. George Church with “Food for Hungry People” on the memo line. All donations will be collected after and sent to the Archdiocese. The Ladies of St. George are collecting for Lent: Please consider donating baby diapers and wipes for the Spring Valley food pantry. There is a box downstairs. All gifts and contributions are greatly appreciated! 2019 St. George Lenten Retreat: Join us each Tuesday evening beginning this week for a series of presentations “Walking with Jesus through the Holy Land,” led by Baum. This will be each Tuesday at 7pm, from March 5 to April 16. Special thanks to Ron and Dottie Malooley, and John and Melanie Thompson for generously donating the furniture and other items for our Sunday school corner downstairs. This is a great benefit to the education of our children in the Holy Orthodox faith! Holy Week schedules are available on the bulletin stand in the stairwell. Orthodox Palm Sunday this year is April 21, and Pascha is April 28. Fr. Andrew will serve the Saturday morning Liturgies of Holy Week (St. Lazarus Day on April 20 and Holy Saturday on the 27th) at St. Elias Orthodox Church in Peoria. All other Holy Week services will take place here in Spring Valley.

5 Sunday Volunteer Schedule

Holy Bread/Coffee Hour Epistle Reader

TODAY Bob Abraham Mike Kasap

Sunday, April 14 Rich/Bette Malooley Mark Kerasotes

Sunday, April 21 The Medawar and Sanders Nick Medawar Palm Sunday families

Sunday, April 28 Kim/Jeannie Leonard Kim Leonard Pascha Sunday Potluck meal

Sunday, May 5 Matt/Olly Rowan Matt Rowan St. Thomas Sunday

Sunday, May 12 Malooley family Mother’s Day Memorial for Amelia

Regarding HOLY BREAD, you are welcome to bake your own, or use the bread provided by the church. A donation of $10-$20 is appreciated to cover the cost of the wine and bread. On your Sunday, please also provide to Father Andrew a list of names (living and departed) for prayers during the Liturgy. COFFEE HOUR may be as simple or elaborate as you want. While CLEAN UP is primarily the responsibility of those who provide coffee hour, all of us should help by bussing our own tables and cleaning up as we are able. * SHADED DATES indicate fasting. No meat should be served on these dates.

6 April Birthdays & Anniversaries Please let Father know if we are missing anyone! April 6 – Bette Malooley, Sydney Thompson April 12 – Christina Kapetaneas April 12 – Matt and Olly Rowan (anniversary) April 14 – Rebecca Harshman April 21 – Sarah Sanders April 22 – Jeannie Leonard April 23 – Victoria Rowan, Andrew Rowan April 25 – Jake Malooley ______Church Finances March 2019 Total Income (all funds): $6,205.75 Total Expenses: $10,336.91 Net March Income: -$4,131.16

January-March 2019 Total Income (all funds): $31,568.06* Total Expenses: $21,306.58 Net Income YTD: $10,261.48

Thank you for your faithful contributions! St. George Church is dependent upon your generosity. * This number is higher than usual because it includes proceeds from last December’s bake sale, and a generous memorial contribution. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

7 Daily Bible Readings April 7-13, 2019 Sunday, April 7 – St. John of Mt. Sinai Matthew 28:16-20 / Hebrews 6:13-20 / Mark 9:17-31

Monday, April 8 – Apostles of the 70 Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncritus 37:33-38:6 / Genesis 13:12-18 / Proverbs 14:27-15:4

Tuesday, April 9 –Martyr Eupsychius of Caesarea Isaiah 40:18-31 / Genesis 15:1-15 / Proverbs 15:7-19

Wednesday, April 10 – Gregory V, the Holy Martyr and of Constantinople Isaiah 41:4-14 / Genesis 17:1-9 / Proverbs 15:20-16:9

Thursday, April 11 – St. Andrew of Crete (the Great of Repentance) Isaiah 42:5-16 / Genesis 18:20-33 / Proverbs 16:17-17:17

Friday, April 12 – Basil the Confessor, of Parium Isaiah 45:11-17 / Genesis 22:1-18 / Proverbs 17:17-18:5

Saturday, April 13 – Hieromartyr Artemon Hebrews 9:24-28 / Mark 8:27-31

Live-streaming of church services is available on our website, www.springvalleyorthodox.com. Follow “St. George Orthodox Church of Spring Valley” on Facebook for daily Bible readings and lives of the . Please be aware that photographs and videos from our church appear on our website and Facebook page. Feel free to let us know if you would prefer not to have your pictures online.

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