Sunday of St. John Climacus Sunday of St

HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN ALEXIOS’ MESSAGE ON THE SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS

“Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρός ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honor your patience. While a τοῦ συγγραφέως wound is still fresh and warm, it is easy to heal; but old, neglected and festering ones are hard to cure, and require Fourth Sunday of Lent (Κυριακή Δʹ τῶν Νηστειών) for their care much treatment, cutting, plastering and cau- terization. Many from long neglect become incurable, but with God all things are possible.” St. John Climacus 14 April (14 Απριλίου) 2013

This Sunday is the Sunday of St. John Climacus, or St. John of the Ladder. On this day, the Church commemorates the righteous John of the Ladder, one of the greatest ascetics. He is reported to have received the grace of continual prayer. Fellow monks in large numbers began to seek him out for spiritual guidance and he was appointed Abbot of the Monastery at Mount Sinai (built at the site of the burning bush where God spoke to Moses).

We know about St. John from a book he wrote, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent”: thirty homilies about thirty “steps” in the spiritual life and the progress of our spiritual struggle. The book explains this by describing a ladder stretching from earth to heaven; thus, it is called "The Ladder of Divine Ascent.” Each homily deals with one particular virtue, indicating also problems and pitfalls along the way.

The icon of the Ladder of Divine Ascent shows us a vivid picture of this journey. It shows many people climbing a ladder; at the top is Jesus Christ, receiving them into Heaven. On every rung of the ladder, there are angels helping the climbers, and demons attempting to shoot the climbers with arrows or pull them down. We see people falling off, and we also see that, no matter how high up the ladder they climb, the demons do not give up trying to pull them off. The devil hates goodness and is always trying to push us away from God, and of course, the fur- ther away we get from God, the more disturbed and distorted our lives become.

What is the lesson that we can take from St John Climacus? First of all, our spiritual progress is both a journey and a destination, undertaken in a spirit of Saint John's Heavenly Ladder, 1603 fresco, Refectory of the Dionysiou Monastery, Mount Athos repentance and humility. Also we should not become discouraged when we fail – indeed St. John warns us not to push ourselves too hard, but to try our best and SAINT BARBARA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH continually pray for God’s help and His grace in our struggle. We are a Greek (Eastern) Orthodox parish, In last Sunday’s Gospel, we heard the words of our Lord, "He that would come part of the oldest Christian tradition, after Me, let him take up his cross, deny himself, and follow Me." St. John has given us an image of that journey in the form of a ladder that, as Christians, we dating to 33 A.D., the Day of Pentecost. strive to ascend. We trace our roots back to the Apostles and their teachings.

I remain, with paternal blessings and with much love in our Lord, We hold fast to the moral, theological and liturgical

+Metropolitan Alexios traditions of the Early Christian Church. Metropolitan of Atlanta We are pleased that you have chosen to experience the worship of Early Christianity in a modern setting. Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, Bulletin for April 9, 2013

WELCOME TO OUR CHURCH SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS

TO OUR SAINT BARBARA VISITORS Tone of the week: Tone Four (Ηχος δ') GUIDELINES FOR RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION First Eothinon Thank you for visiting Saint Barbara Church. We pray your time at worship is Divine Liturgy Hymnal Pages 84—85 (The Tidings) encouraging and uplifting. The Orthodox Church has always held the Eucharist as the culmination of our spiritual relationship with Christ. Because of this, if you are not a baptized Orthodox Christian or have not been received by the Church by A Note about the Hymns of the Day means of Holy Chrismation, we ask that you observe during communion this Because the beautiful hymns in today’s Divine Liturgy, the Apolytikion and morning. Kontakion of the day and Troparion of the Church, are frequently sung in Greek, we include them in English for your understanding. They are sung as Please feel free to come up at the end of the service and receive some blessed the priest returns to the Sanctuary at the Conclusion of the Small Entrance. bread from the priest. While this is not considered the Eucharist, it is our way of assuring no one leaves church 'hungry'. Should you desire to learn more about the Orthodox Church, please call the Church office to arrange an appointment with Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone Father Stavroforos. The women disciples of the Lord heard from the angel, the joyful news of the Resurrec-

Note: The Communion Hymn is on page 97 in the Divine Liturgy Hymnal. tion and the repeal of the sentence imposed upon our forefathers. With pride they said to the Apostles, "Death is vanquished, Christ our God is risen bestowing upon the world CHRISMATION NAMES & NAME DAYS His great mercy." - © Narthex Press

In Orthodox countries, at Baptism (or Chrismation, if an adult) you are given a Τὸ φαιδρὸν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως κήρυγμα, ἐκ τοῦ Ἀγγέλου μαθοῦσαι αἱ τοῦ Christian Saint’s name. This is the name you give to the priest when receiving Κυρίου Μαθήτριαι, καὶ τὴν προγονικὴν ἀπόφασιν ἀπορρίψασαι, τοῖς communion. The name is a Christian Saint’s name, because God recognizes their Ἀποστόλοις καυχώμεναι ἔλεγον· Ἐσκύλευται ὁ θάνατος, ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ὁ names. Each Saint is celebrated on a particular day, the Saint’s Name Day. When Θεός, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. ‐ © Greek Standard Text you receive your name, your Saint’s Name Day becomes your Name Day. In lieu of birthdays, especially after the age of twelve, Orthodox Christians celebrate their Name Day. Apolytikion for Sunday of St. John Climacus

For those celebrating a Name Day this week we wish you With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Chronia Polla “Many years” Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O John, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls. - © Narthex Press ON SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013, WE COMMEMORATE: Apolytikion for St. Barbara "Let us honor the Holy Martyr Barbara, for as a bird she escaped the St. Aristarchus (upper left), snares of the enemy, and destroyed them through the help and de-

fense of the Cross." - Antiochian Archdiocese & OCA St. Pudens (upper right), Βαρβάραν τὴν Ἁγίαν τιμήσωμεν, ἐχθροῦ γὰρ τὰς παγίδας St. Trophimus (lower right), συνέτριψε, καὶ ὡς στρουθίον ἐρρύσθη ἐξ αὐτῶν, βοηθεία καὶ Apostles of the 70 ὅπλω τοῦ Σταυροῦ ἡ Πάνσεμνος. ‐ © Greek Standard Text

St. Thomais, Martyr of Alexandria Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone (lower left) To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you, "Hail, unwedded bride!” - © Narthex Press

EPISTLE READING GOSPEL READING

The Reading is from Saint Paul's The Reading is from the Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20 Gospel of Mark 9:17-31

Abraham’s Covenant, 6th c., Vienna SUNDAY OF ST. JOHN CLIMACUS

Prokeimenon Grave Mode At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying, "Teacher, I brought Psalm 28:11, 1 my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes

The Lord will give strength to his people. him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory. your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multi- ply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command Melchizedek. you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 6:13‐20 out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a

Προκείμενον Ἦχος βαρύς 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 he had entered ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 28:11, 1 the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it Κύριος ἰσχὺν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ δώσει. out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." Ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν καὶ τιμήν. They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to Ἀδελφοί, τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγειλάμενος ὁ θεός, ἐπεὶ κατʼ οὐδενὸς εἶχεν them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and ʼ μείζονος ὀμόσαι, ὤμοσεν καθ ἑαυτοῦ, λέγων, Ἦ μὴν εὐλογῶν they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." εὐλογήσω σε, καὶ πληθύνων πληθυνῶ σε. Καὶ οὕτως μακροθυμήσας ἐπέτυχεν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν, καὶ πάσης αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογίας πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν ὁ ὅρκος. Ἐν ᾧ περισσότερον βουλόμενος ὁ θεὸς ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὸ ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ, ἐμεσίτευσεν ὅρκῳ, ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ καταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος∙ ἣν ὡς ἄγκυραν ἔχομεν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ βεβαίαν, καὶ Coptic Orthodox Cross, Carved on the Temple of Isis, Phila, Egypt εἰσερχομένην εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος∙ ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ ἀρχιερεὺς

γενόμενος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Icon above: Ladder of St. John Climacus, Early 15th c., Russian State Library, Moscow, Russia As a means of preparation for communion, please read the “Communion Prayer of ANONYMOUS St. John Chrysostom” prior to approaching the chalice. After returning to your seat, I thank You, Lord, my God, that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have it is appropriate to read the “Thanksgiving Prayers Following Holy Communion.” made me worthy to partake of Your holy Mysteries. I thank You that You

have permitted me, although I am unworthy, to receive Your pure and heav- COMMUNION PRAYER OF SAINT enly gifts. O loving Master, who died and rose for our sake, and granted to us JOHN CHRYSOSTOM these awesome and life-giving Mysteries for the wellbeing and sanctification of our souls and bodies, let these gifts be for healing of my own soul and body, I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, the averting of every evil, the illumination of the eyes of my heart, the peace of who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this my spiritual powers, a faith unashamed, a love unfeigned, the fulfilling of wis- is truly Your pure Body, and that this is truly Your Precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to dom, the observing of Your commandments, the receiving of Your divine You, have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in grace, and the inheritance of Your kingdom. Preserved by them in Your Holi- word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to ness, may I always be mindful of Your grace and no longer live for myself, but partake of Your Pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen. for You, our Master and Benefactor. May I pass from this life in the hope of

How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your Saints? If I dare to eternal life, and attain to the everlasting rest, where the voices of Your saints enter into the Bridal Chamber, my clothing will accuse me, since it is not a wedding who feast are unceasing, and their joy, beholding the ineffable beauty of Your garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the Angels. In Your love, Lord, countenance, is unending. For You, Christ our God, are the true joy and the cleanse my soul and save me. inexpressible gladness of those who love You, and all creation praises You

Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these Holy Gifts be to my condem- forever. Amen. nation because of my unworthiness, but for the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body, and the pledge of the future life and kingdom. It is good for me to cling to God, PRAYER OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM and to place in Him the hope of my salvation. I thank You, loving Master, benefactor of my soul, that on this day You have

Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of Your Mystical Supper. I will not reveal made me worthy once again of Your heavenly and immortal mysteries. Direct Your Mystery to Your adversaries. Nor will I give You a kiss, as did Judas. But as the my ways on the right path, establish me firmly in Your fear, guard my life, and thief I confess to You, “Lord, remember me in Your Kingdom.” make my endeavors safe, through the prayers and supplications of the glorious Theotokos and ever virgin Mary and of all Your Saints. Amen.

THANKSGIVING PRAYERS FOLLOWING HOLY COMMUNION St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church ANONYMOUS Glory to you, O God Glory to you, O God The Very Reverend Archimandrite Glory to you, O God Father D. Stavroforos Mamaies

Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let Your Sacred Body be unto me for eternal life and Your Precious Blood for forgiveness of sins. Let this Eucharist be unto me for joy, health, Mobile Phone: 919-491-2565 and gladness. And in Your awesome Second Coming make me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the right hand of Your Glory; through the intercession of Your Pure Mother, 8306 NC Highway 751 and of all Your Saints. Amen. Durham, NC 27713

PRAYER OF SAINT BASIL (919) 484-1600 I thank You, Christ and Master our God, King of the ages and Creator of all things, for all the good gifts You have given me, and especially for the participation in Your pure www.stbarbarachurchnc.org/ and life-giving mysteries. I pray You, therefore, good and loving Lord, keep me under Your protection and under the shadow of Your wings. Grant that to my last breath I Father Stavroforos is available by appointment: may with a pure conscience partake worthily of Your gifts for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life. For You are the Bread of Life, the Source of Holiness, the Giver of Please e-mail Father at [email protected] All Good Things, and to You we give glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now to schedule your appointment. and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.