SAINT LUKE the EVANGELIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH May 15, 2016
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SAINT LUKE THE EVANGELIST GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH may 15, 2016 the sunday of the myrrh-bearers oday we commemorate the Holy Myrrh-bearing women Sts Mary Magdalene (July 22), Mary the Twife of Clopas, Joanna (June 27), Salome, mother of the sons of Zebedee (August 3), Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus (June 4). Also St Joseph of Arimathea (July 31), and Nicodemus. St Pachomios the Great was both a model of desert dwelling, and with Sts Anthony the Great (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 Christians 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 monastery 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 angel 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, Christ our God, glory be to You. εὐσχήμων Ἰωσήφ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καθελών, τὸ hen he took down Your immaculate Body from the Ὁἄχραντόν 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 Virgin 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 Jerusalem 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 Theotokos 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 epistle reading gospel reading Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 Mark (15: 43–47, 16:1–8) ow in those days, when the number of the t that time, Joseph of Arimathea (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 Jesus’ 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 Joses, saw where Jesus had been laid. When Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 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 Galilee. 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 Etence and no-one is evil by given, please accept our sincere thanks for your generosity! nature.