03/21/21

Saint George The Great Martyr Eastern, Orthodox Church 17323 Main Street Hesperia CA.92345 TEL:760-244-9223 Dn.George: 760-792-8604 Website:WWW.STgeorgeoca.org SUNDAY, MARCH 21, First Sunday of . Sunday of Orthodoxy Christ is in our midst, he is and forever shall be. The Prayer of Saint is a very well- known prayer in the orthodox life, one that we should practice every day, and especially during Great lent. O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen. Dear brothers and sisters, if we want to ascend spiritually, we must dive first that is descend to the bottom of our heart and using this prayer as a model build a strong foundation, one that is grounded in love of God and neighbor. Blessed Lenten season everyone. In Christ always. Tone 8 Troparion (Resurrection) Thou didst descend from on high, O Merciful One! Thou didst accept the three day burial to free us from our sufferings!//O Lord, our Life and Resurrection, glory to Thee! Tone 2 Troparion (Sunday of Orthodoxy) We venerate Thy most pure image, O Good One; and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ our God. Of Thine own will Thou wast pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh and deliver Thy creatures from bondage to the Enemy. Therefore with thankfulness we cry aloud to Thee: “Thou hast filled all with joy, O our Savior,//by coming to save the world.” Troparion Saint George You were Bound for Good Deed…… Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit Tone 8 Kontakion (Sunday of Orthodoxy) No one could describe the Word of the Father; but when He took flesh from thee, O Theotokos, He accepted to be described, and restored the fallen image to its former state by uniting it to divine beauty.// We confess and proclaim our salvation in words and images. Kontakion Saint George: God Raised …….Now and ever…Steadfast protectors Tone 4 Prokeimenon (Song of the Fathers) Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers, / and praised and glorified is Thy Name forever! (Song of the three Holy Children, v. 3) V. For Thou art just in all that Thou hast done for us! (v. 4) Epistle (329-ctr) Hebrews 11:24-26; 32-12:2 Tone 4 Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!V. Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel also was among those who called on His Name. (Ps. 98:6)V. They called to the Lord and He answered them. (Ps. 98:7a Gospel (5) John 1:43-51 Communion Hymn Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! (Instead of “It is truly meet…,” we sing the following)Hymn to the Theotokos All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace: the assembly of angels and the race of men. 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 heavens. All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace.// Glory to thee! 03/21/21

Quotes from the Saints “These eight passions should be destroyed as follows: gluttony by self-control; unchastity by desire for God and longing for the blessings held in store; avarice by compassion for the poor; anger by goodwill and love for all men; worldly dejection by spiritual joy; listlessness by patience, perseverance and offering thanks to God; self-esteem by doing good in secret and by praying constantly with a contrite heart; and pride by not judging or despising anyone in the manner of the boastful Pharisee (cf. Luke 18 : 11–12), and by considering oneself the least of all men. When the intellect has been freed in this way from the passions we have described and been raised up to God, it will henceforth live the life of blessedness, receiving the pledge of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 1 : 22). And when it departs this life, dispassionate and full of true knowledge, it will stand before the light of the Holy Trinity and with the divine angels will shine in glory through all eternity.” + St. John Damascene, ***Now the Church consists of both her earthly and heavenly parts, for the Son of God came to earth and became man that He might lead man into heaven and make him once again a citizen of Paradise, returning to him his original state of sinlessness and wholeness and uniting him unto Himself.This is accomplished by the action of Divine grace grated through the Church, but man’s effort is also required. God saves His fallen creature by His own love for him, but man’s love for his Creator is also necessary; without it he cannot by saved. Striving towards God and cleaving unto the Lord by its humble love, the human soul obtains power to cleanse itself from sin and to strengthen itself for the struggle to complete victory over sin.+ St. John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco prayers for the livings: Luca Nicholas, Grace and her parents, Daniel,Abbot Tryphon, the child of God Monika, Nick, Sam, Marleen and thier Family, Anne, Ruth, Debrutu, Alex Janice and their family Janice, Elizabeth, Daniel and their children, Vaso, Angela,Sonya and Dragosh, Timothy, Eric & Betsy and their Children, Zayden,Michael, Eva, Sandra & Al, Fr. Paul, Sharalyn,Salwa& Steven, Adrian and his family,Mihali and Sophia. Prayers for the Departed: all the orthodox that lies here and there sleep in the Lord. Especially the Newly departed handmaiden Souraya REMINDER *** Fr. Boris will be serving the Divine Liturgy this weekend *** it’s with great joy, I announce to you that our beloved hierarch and father in Christ Arch Bishop Benjamin has decided to resume his traveling and visiting his flocks in Christ. And he informed me that he will be visiting our parish in April 17th and 18th. I’m already looking forward to his visit and blessing. *** Every Friday during Great lent, up until , at 6:00 PM. we will have Akathist to the most Holy Theotokos. As well I’m working with our supply priest to hold presanctified liturgy. I’ll be sure to announce to all when we can have it. ***to all Council Member, I appreciate your input in putting a safe gathering plan together, to decorate the Epitaphios on Great Friday Morning. If anyone like to donate toward the flours please see me. ***Beautiful Decorated Kid’s Candles for Palm Sunday on sale. Available for his and hers. $15.00 each. *** Our regular choir practice for Sunday divine liturgy will still be @ 5:00 Pm Before reader every Saturday. On Friday after Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos and ever Virgin Mary, we will start practicing for Pascha. The Choir is Open to everyone if you can’t make it to any of the Choir practice, and you are still moved to participate I encourage you to do so. But one thing I ask please to remember you have two ears and one mouth. Try to listen twice as much as you speech! In order to keep good harmony.

In Christ Always!