Tone 7 - Prokeimenon Holy Ascension Orthodox Church The Lord shall give strength to His people. / The Lord shall bless 209 S. Lehigh Ave. Frackville, PA 17931 His people with peace. Web Page — HAOCA.org vs: Offer to the Lord, O you sons of God! Offer young rams to V Rev. James M. Jadick 570-874-3162 [email protected] the Lord! John Malinchok 570-590-2669 [email protected] - 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brethren: We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I Sunday September 27, 2020 - 16th Sunday of have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation Callistratus have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves Tone 7 - Tropar (Resurrection) as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in By Thy Cross Thou didst destroy death. / To the thief Thou didst necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in open Paradise. / For the Thou didst change tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by weeping into joy, / and Thou didst command Thy disciples, O knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, God, / to proclaim that Thou art risen, // granting the world by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by great mercy. the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as Tone 3 - Troparion (Martyr Callistratus) deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as In contest thou wast strengthened by the Holy Spirit, O Martyr dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As Callistratus, / and wast glorious in casting down the Enemy. / sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as Thou didst offer a noble army of athletes / as sweet-smelling having nothing, and yet possessing all things. incense to Christ. // With them pray for us who praise thee with hymns! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia - It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Thy Tone 7 - Kondak (Resurrection) Name, O Most High. The dominion of death can no longer hold men captive, / for -To declare Thy mercy in the morning, and Thy truth by night. Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers. / Hell is bound, while the Prophets rejoice and cry: / “The Savior has - Luke 5:1-11 come to those in faith; // enter, you faithful, into the Let us attend: And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed Resurrection!” upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the Tone 4 - Kontakion (Martyr Callistratus) Like stars you have shone upon the world, / shedding the light fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. of your contests and miracles upon all who cry to you: // And He entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and “Rejoice, Martyr Callistratus and fellow company of !” prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when He had left speaking, He said unto Simon, launch out into the Available Weekly Bulletins & Candles deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon Oct 11 Center Table answering said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, Oct 18 Altar, Center Table and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down Oct 25 Center Table the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great Nov 8 Bulletins multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned Nov 22 Bulletins, Altar, Center Table unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they Nov 29 Bulletins, Altar, Center Table should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the Dec 6 Altar, Center Table ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at ' knees, saying, depart from me; for I am a Something to Consider - If you cannot come to help with the sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were pierogies, please consider making a donation to offset the cost with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And of the ingredients. Just as everywhere else, our prices keep so was also James, and John, the sons of , which were rising; so much so, that we are raising the price of our product to partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, fear not; from $8 per dozen. First raise in more than 11 years! henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed Him. Financial Help - Please consider a “little extra” in your envelopes since we are unable to hold our regular fundraisers! Communion Hymn Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! Pierogie Sale - Just a reminder of our pierogis sale set for next Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Saturday. Some help would be appreciated. The sale opens to the public at 9 AM, but the cooking starts around 6 AM. Bulletins: In memory of Fr John Kuchta by Matushka Helen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Altar Vigil Candles: Thanks to God for his blessings on Holy Apostle Mark of the Seventy Ascension Church and it's parishioners through the Pandemic Offered by Elaine Kasmer The Holy Apostle Mark of the Seventy, also named John, is mentioned by the holy Center Table Vigils - Health of Jadick on his 94th Apostle and Evangelist Luke in the Acts of Birthday by Father & Matushka the Apostles (:25, 15:37-39) and also by the holy Apostle Paul in both the Bulletin & Candle Listing - The contact person for the offerings Epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:10) and the of weekly bulletins, candles and newsletters is Cheryl Ruschak. Epistle to Philemon (Philemon 1:23). You can contact Cheryl at 570-617-3559. The holy Apostle Mark preached the Word Live Streaming - Will continue for the foreseeable future! of God together with Paul and Please if you have any feedback about the viewing/listening, and was made bishop of the Phoenician city of Biblos. The holy please let us know and we will try to make it better! Apostle Mark attained great boldness before God, so that his very shadow healed the sick (also January 4 and April 15). Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist At the foot of the Cross he stood with the Mother of God and heard the words of the Crucified Lord addressed to Her from the John the Theologian Cross: “Woman, behold Thy son.” Then the Lord said to him, “Behold thy Mother” (John 19:26-27). From that moment the The Holy, Glorious All-laudable Apostle and Evangelist, Virgin, Apostle John, like a loving son, concerned himself over the Most and Beloved Friend of Christ, John the Theologian was the son Holy Virgin Mary, and he served Her until Her Dormition. of Zebedee and , a daughter of Joseph the After the Dormition of the Mother of God the Apostle John went Betrothed. He was called by our Lord Jesus Christ to be one of to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, His Apostles at the same time as his elder brother James. This taking with him his own Prochorus. They boarded a took place at Lake Gennesareth (i.e. the Sea of Galilee). ship, which floundered during a terrible tempest. All the Leaving behind their father, both brothers followed the Lord. travellers were cast up upon dry ground, and only the Apostle John remained in the depths of the sea. Prochorus wept bitterly, The Apostle John was bereft of his spiritual father and guide, and he went on towards especially loved by the Ephesus alone. Savior for his sacrificial love and his virginal purity. On the fourteenth day of his journey he stood at the shore of the After his calling, the sea and saw that the waves had cast a man ashore. Going up Apostle John did not part to him, he recognized the Apostle John, whom the Lord had from the Lord, and he was preserved alive for fourteen days in the sea. Teacher and one of the three apostles disciple went to Ephesus, where the Apostle John preached who were particularly incessantly to the pagans about Christ. His preaching was close to Him. Saint John accompanied by such numerous and great miracles, that the t h e T h e o l o g i a n w a s number of believers increased with each day. present when the Lord restored the daughter of During this time there had begun a persecution of Jairus to life, and he was a under the emperor Nero (56-68). They took the Apostle John for w i t n e s s t o t h e trial at Rome. Saint John was sentenced to death for his Transfiguration of the Lord confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Lord on Mount Tabor. preserved His chosen one. The apostle drank a cup of deadly During the Last Supper, he poison, but he remained alive. Later, he emerged unharmed reclined next to the Lord, and laid his head upon His breast. He from a cauldron of boiling oil into which he had been thrown on also asked the name of the Savior’s betrayer. The Apostle John orders from the torturer. followed after the Lord when they led Him bound from the Garden of Gethsemane to the court of the iniquitous High After this, they sent the Apostle John off to imprisonment to the Priests and Caiphas. He was there in the courtyard of the island of Patmos, where he spent many years. Proceeding High Priest during the interrogations of his Teacher and he along on his way to the place of exile, Saint John worked many resolutely followed after him on the way to Golgotha, grieving miracles. On the island of Patmos, his preaching and miracles with all his heart. attracted to him all the inhabitants of the island, and he enlightened them with the light of the Gospel. He cast out many devils from the pagan temples, and he healed a great multitude tried to hide himself, but the Apostle John ran after him and of the sick. besought him to stop. He promised to take the sins of the youth upon himself, if only he would repent and not bring ruin upon his Sorcerers with demonic powers showed great hostility to the soul. Shaken by the intense love of the holy Elder, the youth preaching of the holy apostle. He especially frightened the chief actually did repent and turn his life around. sorcerer of them all, named Kinops, who boasted that they would destroy the apostle. But the great John, by the grace of Saint John reposed when he was more than a hundred years God acting through him, destroyed all the demonic artifices to old. He far outlived the other eyewitnesses of the Lord, and for a which Kinops resorted, and the haughty sorcerer perished in the long time he remained the only remaining eyewitness of the depths of the sea. earthly life of the Savior.

The Apostle John withdrew with his disciple Prochorus to a When it was time for the departure of the Apostle John, he went desolate height, where he imposed upon himself a three-day out beyond the city limits of Ephesus with the families of his fast. As Saint John prayed the earth quaked and thunder disciples. He bade them prepare for him a cross-shaped grave, rumbled. Prochorus fell to the ground in fright. The Apostle John in which he lay, telling his disciples that they should cover him lifted him up and told him to write down what he was about to over with the soil. The disciples tearfully kissed their beloved say. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, teacher, but not wanting to be disobedient, they fulfilled his saith the Lord, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the bidding. They covered the face of the saint with a cloth and filled Almighty” (Rev 1:8), proclaimed the Spirit of God through the in the grave. Learning of this, other disciples of Saint John came Apostle John. Thus in about the year 67 the to the place of his burial. When they opened the grave, they was written, known also as the “Apocalypse,” of the holy Apostle found it empty. John the Theologian. In this Book were predictions of the tribulations of the Church and of the end of the world. Each year from the grave of the holy Apostle John on May 8 came forth a fine dust, which believers gathered up and were After his prolonged exile, the Apostle John received his freedom healed of sicknesses by it. Therefore, the Church also and returned to Ephesus, where he continued with his activity, celebrates the memory of the holy Apostle John the Theologian instructing Christians to guard against false teachers and their on May 8. erroneous teachings. In the year 95, the Apostle John wrote his Gospel at Ephesus. He called for all Christians to love the Lord The Lord bestowed on His beloved disciple John and John’s and one another, and by this to fulfill the commands of Christ. brother James the name “Sons of Thunder” an awesome The Church calls Saint John the “Apostle of Love”, since he messenger accompanied by the cleansing power of heavenly constantly taught that without love man cannot come near to fire. And precisely by this the Savior pointed out the flaming, God. fiery, sacrificial character of Christian love, the preacher of which was the Apostle John the Theologian. The eagle, symbol of the In his three , Saint John speaks of the significance of lofty heights of his theological thought, is the iconographic love for God and for neighbor. Already in his old age, he learned symbol of the Evangelist John the Theologian. The appellation of a youth who had strayed from the true path to follow the “Theologian” is bestown by Holy Church only to Saint John leader of a band of robbers, so Saint John went out into the among the immediate disciples and Apostles of Christ, as being wilderness to seek him. Seeing the holy Elder, the guilty one the seer of the mysterious Judgments of God.