SAINT GREEK ORTHODOX may 15, 2016

the sunday of the myrrh-bearers oday we commemorate the Holy Myrrh-bearing women Sts (July 22), Mary the Twife of , Joanna (June 27), , mother of the sons of (August 3), and Mary, sisters of Lazarus (June 4). Also St of Arimathea (July 31), and . St Pachomios the Great was both a model of desert dwelling, and with Sts (Janu- ary 17), Macarius the Great (January 19), and Euthymius the Great (January 20), a founder of the cenobitic monastic life in Egypt. St Pachomios was born in the third century in the Thebaid (Upper Egypt). His parents were pagans who gave him an excellent secular education. From his youth he had a good character, and he was pru- dent and sensible. When Pachomios reached the age of twenty, he was called up to serve in the army of the emperor Constantine (apparently, in the year 315). They put the new conscripts in a city prison guarded by soldiers. The local fed the soldiers and took care of them. When the young man learned that these people acted this way because of their love for God, fulfill- ing His commandment to love their neighbor, this made a deep impression upon his pure soul. Pacho- mios vowed to become a Christian. Pachomios returned from the army after the victory, received holy Baptism, moved to the lonely settlement of Shenesit, and began to lead a strict ascetic life. Realizing the need for spiritual guidance, he turned to the desert-dweller Palamon. He was accepted by the El- der, and he began to follow the example of his instructor in monastic struggles. Once, after ten years of asceticism, St Pachomios made his way through the desert, and halted at the ruins of the former village of Tabennisi. Here he heard a Voice ordering him to start a at this place. Pachomios told the Elder Palamon of this, and they both regarded the words as a command from God. They went to Tabennisi and built a small monastic cell. The holy Elder Palamon blessed the founda- tions of the monastery and predicted its future glory. But soon Palamon departed to the Lord. An of God then appeared to St Pachomios in the form of a schemamonk and gave him a Rule of monastic life. Soon his older brother John came and settled there with him.

1510 audubon drive • columbia, missouri, 65201 • tel. 573.817.0050 / fax 573.449.8452 email: [email protected] • web: www.saintlukecolumbia.org at the small entrance we chant

Ἀπολυτίκιον της εορτης. Ἦχος πλ. α. resurrectional of the feast. Mode pl. 1. ριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας, hrist is risen from the dead. By death He has trampled Χκαὶ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι, ζωὴν χαρισάμενος. Cupon death and on those in the tombs He is bestowing life. απολυτίκια. ηχος β. apolytikiα. Mode 2. τε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἡ Ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος, hen You descended unto death, O Lord who yourself Ὅτότε τὸν ᾅδην ἐνέκρωσας τῇ ἀστραπῇ τῆς Θεότητος· Ware immortal Life, then did You mortify Hades by ὅτε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων the lightning flash of Your Divinity. Also when You raised ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν ἐπουρανίων the dead from the netherworld, all the Powers of the heav- ἐκραύγαζον· Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν δόξα σοι. ens were crying out: O Giver of life, our God, glory be to You. εὐσχήμων Ἰωσήφ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καθελών, τὸ hen he took down Your immaculate Body from the Ὁ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶμα, σινδόνι καθαρᾷ εἰλήσας καὶ WCross, the honorable Joseph* wrapped it in a clean ἀρώμασιν, ἐν μνήματι καινῷ κηδεύσας ἀπέθετο· ἀλλὰ linen shroud with spices* and laid it for burial in a new τριήμερος ἀνέστης Κύριε, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα tomb.* But on the third day You arose, O Lord,* and grant- ἔλεος. ed the world Your great mercy. αῖς μυροφόροις Γυναιξί, παρὰ τὸ μνῆμα ἐπιστάς, he Angel standing at the sepulcher cried out and said to Tὁ Ἄγγελος ἐβόα· Τὰ μύρα τοῖς θνητοῖς ὑπάρχει Tthe ointment bearing women:* The ointments are ap- ἁρμόδια, Χριστὸς δὲ διαφθορᾶς ἐδείχθη ἀλλότριος· propriate for mortal men, but Christ has been shown to be ἀλλὰ κραυγάσατε· Ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ a stranger to decay.* So go and cry aloud, The Lord has τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. risen* and granted the world His great mercy. Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος πλ. δ´. Kontakion. Mode Pl. 4. ἰ καὶ ἐν τάφῳ κατῆλθες ἀθάνατε, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ᾍδου hough You went down into the tomb O Immortal One Εκαθεῖλες τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ἀνέστης ὡς νικητής, Tyet You brought down the dominion of Hades and You Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, γυναιξὶ μυροφόροις φθεγξάμενος, rose as the victor O Christ our God and You called out ‘Re- Χαίρετε, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις εἰρήνην δωρούμενος joice,’ to the Myrrh-bearing women and gave peace to Your ὁ τοῖς πεσοῦσι παρέχων ἀνάστασιν. Apostles O Lord who to the fallen grant resurrection. Instead of it is Ἄξιόν ἐστιν… Communion Hymn. Mode. 1. The angel cried to her who is full of grace: O pure eceive the Body of Christ, taste the immortal rejoice, and again, I say: Rejoice; for your Son Rfount. has risen from the dead on the third day. Instead of: hine, shine O New for the glory of ‘We have seen the true light…’ Sthe Lord has risen upon you; dance now and hrist is risen from the dead. By death He has tram- be glad Zion and do you exult O pure Cpled upon death and on those in the tombs He is in the arising of Him Whom you did bear. bestowing life. THE READINGS OF THE DAY

reading reading 6:1-7 Mark (15: 43–47, 16:1–8)

ow in those days, when the number of the t that time, (a promi- disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose nent council member who was also looking Nfrom the Hellenists against the Hebrews, be- Afor the Kingdom of God), came forward. cause their widows were neglected in the daily ser- He boldly went in to Pilate and asked for ’ vice [of food distribution]. The Twelve summoned body. Pilate wondered if Jesus was already dead. the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not Calling the centurion, he asked him whether Jesus appropriate for us to abandon the word of God in had been dead for a long time. Having been assured order to serve tables. Therefore, select from among of this by the centurion, he granted the body to Jo- you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full seph. Accordingly, Joseph bought fine linen, took of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint Jesus down and wrapped him in the linen cloth. them over this necessary task and devote ourselves Having placed him in a tomb which had been cut to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” These out of a rock, he rolled a stone against the door of words pleased the whole multitude, and they chose the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother Ste- phen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, of , saw where Jesus had been laid. When Philip, , Nicanor, Timon, , and the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Nicolaus, a of . They presented mother of James, and Salome, bought spices in or- these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid der to come and anoint him. Very early on the first their hands on them. Thus, the word of God spread day of the week, they arrived at the tomb when the and the number of disciples greatly multiplied in sun had risen. They were saying among themselves, Jerusalem, and a large number of Jews became obe- “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the dient to the faith. tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone was [already] rolled back, although it was extremely large. Entering into the tomb, they When people who are Christians in saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed name only ask us to solve their differ- in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to ences (when they’re at loggerheads) them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus the Naza- we should agree, but as long as they rene, who has been crucified. He has risen! He is “also accept a solution from the Gos- not here! Behold, the place where they laid him! pel, because any other solution is just But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before a constant headache with aspirins. you into . There you will see him, as he told —St. Paisios the Athonite you.’” They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come upon them. They said nothing to anyone because they were ” afraid. announcements Saturday, January 25, Great Vespers, 5pm

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! upcoming church services: Saturday, May 21, Sts. Constantine and Helen, Orthros / Divine Liturgy, 8:30am Great Vespers, 5pm

pascha flowers We are still accepting donations for Pascha flow- ers. Please place your donation in the designated vil has no natural exis- box in the Narthex. To those who have already tence and no-one is evil by given, please accept our sincere thanks for your E generosity! nature. Because God did not pascha bread “make anything evil. If people If you have not picked up the Pascha bread that you desire evil, then what’s not ordered, please be sure to see Georgia Pardalos as actually there is called into soon as possible. existence, because that’s what garage sale they want. So, by the remem- Philoptochos will be having its biennial Garage brance of God, we have to Sale on Saturday, June 4. Please bring all donations disregard the habit of evil. to the church beginning on Sunday, May 29. If you require a pick up from your home, please speak to Because the nature of good is Karen Sade to make arrangements. more powerful than the habit give a month towards our future of evil. That’s because good Help offset our additional mortgage payment with exists, whereas evil doesn’t, a donation of $640. If you would like to sponsor except when we do it. one month for 2016, please contact Fr. . —st. Diadochus of PHOTIKI” St Pachomios endured many temptations and and administered them. At the same time St Pa- assaults from the Enemy of the race of man, but chomios remained a deeply humble , who he resisted all temptations by his prayer and en- was always ready to comply with and accept the durance. words of each brother. Gradually, followers began to gather around Severe and strict towards himself, St Pacho- St Pachomios. Their teacher impressed every- mios had great kindness and condescension one by his love for work, which enabled him to toward the deficiencies of spiritually immature accomplish all kinds of monastic tasks. He culti- . One of the monks was eager for mar- vated a garden, he conversed with those seeking tyrdom, but St Pachomios turned him from this guidance, and he tended to the sick. desire and instructed him to fulfill his monastic St Pachomios introduced a monastic Rule of obedience, taming his pride, and training him in cenobitic life, giving everyone the same food and humility. attire. The monks of the monastery fulfilled the Once, a monk did not heed his advice and obediences assigned them for the common good left the monastery. He was set upon by brigands, of the monastery. Among the various obedienc- who threatened him with death and forced him es was copying books. The monks were not al- to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. Filled with lowed to possess their own money nor to accept despair, the monk returned to the monastery. St anything from their relatives. St Pachomios con- Pachomios ordered him to pray intensely night sidered that an obedience fulfilled with zeal was and day, keep a strict fast and live in complete greater than fasting or prayer. He also demanded solitude. The monk followed his advice, and this from the monks an exact observance of the mo- saved his soul from despair. nastic Rule, and he chastized slackers. The taught his spiritual children to avoid His sister Maria came to see St Pachomios, but judging others, and he himself feared to judge the strict ascetic refused to see her. Through the anyone even in thought. gate keeper, he blessed her to enter upon the path St Pachomios cared for the sick monks with of monastic life, promising his help with this. special love. He visited them, he cheered the dis- Maria wept, but did as her brother had ordered. heartened, he urged them to be thankful to God, The Tabennisi monks built her a hut on the op- and put their hope in His holy will. He relaxed posite side of the River Nile. also began to the fasting rule for the sick, if this would help gather around Maria. Soon a women’s monastery them recover their health. Once, in the saint’s ab- was formed with a strict monastic Rule provided sence, the cook did not prepare any cooked food by St Pachomios. for the monks, assuming that the brethren loved The number of monks at the monastery grew to fast. Instead of fulfilling his obedience, the quickly, and it became necessary to build seven cook plaited 500 mats, something which St Pa- more in the vicinity. The number chomios had not told him to do. In punishment of monks reached 7,000, all under the guidance for his disobedience, all the mats prepared by the of St Pachomios, who visited all the monasteries cook were burned. St Pachomios always taught the monks to rely not far from Pskov. But concern for the salvation only upon God’s help and mercy. It happened of his neighbor impelled the saint to abandon his that there was a shortage of grain at the monas- wilderness dwelling, and he began to receive ev- tery. The saint spent the whole night in prayer, eryone who was in need of an experienced Elder and in the morning a large quantity of bread was and guide. St Euphrosynus blessed those coming sent to the monastery from the city, at no charge. to him to live according to a skete rule, compiled The Lord granted St Pachomios the gift of won- by himself. derworking and healing the sick. The Rule of St Euphrosynus presents a rather The Lord revealed to him the future of mo- generalized advice for monks about proceeding nasticism. The saint learned that future monks on the monastic path, “how it befits monks to would not have such zeal in their struggles as the dwell.” He does not address the strict regulation first generation had, and they would not have ex- of all aspects of monastic life, as did, for example, perienced guides. Prostrating himself upon the the Rule of St Joseph of Volokolamsk; there is ground, St Pachomios wept bitterly, calling out nothing at all in it concerning the order of divine to the Lord and imploring mercy for them. He services. heard a Voice answer, “Pachomios, be mindful of In 1447 at the request of the brethren, St Eu- the mercy of God. The monks of the future shall phrosynus built a church in honor of the Three receive a reward, since they too shall have occa- Holy Hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the sion to suffer the life burdensome for the monk.” Theologian and , who ap- Toward the end of his life St Pachomios fell peared to him, and also in honor of St ill from a pestilence that afflicted the region. His the Great (June 12). The monastery later re- closest , St Theodore (May 17), tended ceived the name Spaso-Eleazarov. Out of humil- to him with filial love. St Pachomios died around ity and his love for the solitary life, the saint did the year 348 at the age of fifty-three, and was bur- not wish to be igumen, but instead nominated ied on a hill near the monastery. his disciple Ignatius for this office. He then went St Euphrosynus of Pskov, in the world Eleazar, to live in the forest near a lake. was born in about the year 1386 in the village of St Euphrosynus died at the advanced age of Videlebo, near Pskov, the same village where St ninety-five, on May 15, 1481. At his crypt, by or- Nicander of Pskov (September 24) had also been der of Archbishop Gennadius of Novgorod, was born. His parents wanted Eleazar to marry, but placed an painted by his disciple Ignatius secretly he withdrew to the Snetogorsk monas- while the saint was still alive. Also included was tery (on the Snyatni hill, now in Pskov itself) and the last testament of the saint to the brethren on there accepted tonsure. a piece of parchment, stamped with the lead seal Around the year 1425, searching for a place of Archbishop of Novgorod. This is where he might devote himself to more intense one of very few surviving wills written by an as- prayer, St Euphrosynus with the blessing of the cetic in his own hand. moved to a solitary cell at the River Tolva, St Euphrosynus, the originator of Pskov wil- There’s no ‘spiritual derness life, taught many famed disciples, who life’, only life in Christ also established monasteries, and planted the seeds of throughout the lands of and in the Church Pskov. Among the disciples of St Euphrosynus by Archimandrite Theodosios Martzoukhos were the skete Elders Sava of Krypetsk (August 28; St Dositheus of Verkhneostrov (October 8); The Church is Christ’s way of life. But we St Onuphrius of Malsk (June 12); St Joachim of think of the Church as the , the Arch- Opochsk (September 9); St of Gdovsk bishop, the Bishop and each priest. And at the (October 21); St Chariton of Kudinsk, founder same time we think of ourselves as being outside and igumen of a monastery at Lake Kudina near the Church, with the ability to judge everyone. Toroptsa; and the locally venerated brothers It’s a lot easier this way. With this outlook, we from Pskov Ignatius, Charalampos and Pam- don’t feel that we’re members of the body of the philius, buried at the Spaso-Eleazar monastery. Church. This is a fundamental mistake. This is Saint Achilles, Bishop of Larissa, lived during what it all starts from. the fourth century, during the reign of St Con- The teaching of the Church is that it is one stantine the Great. Glorified for his holiness of body, the head of which is Christ and everyone life and erudition, he was made Bishop of Larissa else is a member and part of the same flock of in Thessaly. Christ. Saint John Chrysostom says that the dis- St Achilles participated in the First Ecumeni- tinction between shepherds and sheep is one for cal Council, where he boldly denounced the her- people. For God, ‘all people are sheep’. Both the etic Arius. In his city he strove to promote Chris- Patriarch and the little child who was baptized tianity, destroyed idolatrous pagan temples, and today, every grandfather and grandmother, and he built and adorned churches. every young or old person. Everybody. The dis- St Achilles had the gift of healing sickness, tinction between shepherds/sheep is only for us. especially demonic possession, and he worked So the body has Christ as its head and all the rest many miracles. The saint died peacefully in of us as its members. about the year 330. His are in Prespa, in to- We were baptized at a time when we didn’t day’s Republic of Macedonia, since 978. understand things. We became members of the Church unconsciously. At this moment in time, and let’s not be afraid to face up to things as they really are, the Church is going through a certain amount of confusion as to who its members real- ly are. Why? In baptizing infants, it doesn’t know which direction they’re going to take thereafter. When did infant baptism start? From the time when the whole of society became Christian. But note this: it was a society of adults which Now it’s a private matter. Parents decide to became Christian. And when this society of have their child baptized and the Church knows adults became Christian, obviously their chil- little about it. This is why we said earlier that the dren also became Christian. But is today’s adult Church is experiencing the tragedy of not know- society Christian? Do adults know clearly who ing who its members are and what their path in Christ is and what their relationship with the life has been since they were baptized. It may be Church is? Let’s not fool ourselves. We baptize that the kid grows up and doesn’t believe in any- little children because of the hopes of the par- thing. Not Christ, not the devil, to put it simply. ents. Because the role of the godparent is now But we’ve got it written down on our books that no more than a purely formal one, even if older it’s been baptized, so it’s a Christian. And that’s generations respected them (I remember my when all the mix-ups and confusions begin. late father, who was a priest, making me kiss the ‘I get baptized’ means I die to one way of life. hand of my godmother). Does this mean that, in That’s what we meant earlier. There’s no spiritual the old days, the Church was on the right path? or unspiritual life. There’s only life with Christ I became a Christian and my neighbour saw that and the Church and life without Christ and the something had changed in my life. And because Church. this change interested him, he said: ‘Something’s going on in his life. What’s happened?’ Then I would ask: ‘Are you a Christian?’ And he’d reply: ‘I’d like to be’. Then what happened? I’d take him he strong faith of the hu- by the hand to the Bishop and say: ‘I accept the Tman heart demands responsibility of bringing this person into the prayer and, at the same time, Church’. I’d guarantee, in a manner of speaking, “produces it, and a life of that someone would become a Christian [In lan- guages other than English, the term for godpar- prayer over many years pro- ent is ‘sponsor’]. I accepted the responsibility for duces love. The aim of our life his or her future path. And by extension, I also is nothing other than the pu- undertook to instruct them in the faith, to some rification of the heart to the extent. Apart from the official catechism offered point where it’s able to sing by the Church. Can you imagine? Patriarch Ky- rillos of Jerusalem wrote massive catechisms. for joy. Consequently, prayer History relates that the church of the Resurrec- of the heart leads to joy of the tion, which could hold 3,000 people, was full of heart. Nothing’s difficult for catechumens all year long, until the time came joyful people, because they’ve for them to be baptized. And for somebody to become a member of the Church, was a matter got love. for the whole Church. —Elder Tadej Vitovnički”