St.THE Elizabeth Orthodox ST. Church ELIZABETHWoodstock, GA NEWSMay 2, 2021 The St. ElizabethChrist News is Risen!Christ is Risen! Indeed Indeed He is Risen! He is Risen! 1 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA May 2, 2021 Reverend Father Matthew Dutko Pastor/Administrator St. Elizabeth Orthodox Mission Church Father Deacon Steven Hanes 2265 E. Cherokee Drive Woodstock, GA 30188 A parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese Phone: 404-268-6359 Email: [email protected] Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Ruling Hierarch: His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Welcome to St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church! Thank you for being here to celebrate the Great Day of the Resurrection of our Lord, The Great Feast of the Resurrection of Our God, and Savior Jesus Christ on this most joyous Lord, God & Savior Jesus Christ morning! If you have never been to an Orthodox Church Epistle: Acts 1:1-8 Gospel: John 1:1-17 before, you are about to participate in the Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated every Sunday of the All of the special hymns for today’s Festal year. Liturgy means the work of the people. That means Divine Liturgy for the Resurrection of our Lord, that we all have special and holy work to do this God, and Saviour Jesus Christ can be found morning, and that all of your prayers are necessary! We starting on page 193 hope you will stay and join us as we continue the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection all throughout the St. Thomas Sunday - April 26th, 2020 day. Please feel free to ask Fr. Matthew any questions 2nd Paschal Sunday you might have! May the joy, hope, and salvation found Epistle: Acts 5: 12-20 Gospel: John 20:19-31 in Christ’s Resurrection be with you always and may St. Thomas Sunday Tropar and Kondak—Blue Book God grant you many happy and blessed years, pg 199. Everything else for the Paschal season can Christ is Risen!! be found on pages 193-196 The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! 2 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA May 2, 2021 Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him. Yesterday I died with Him; today I am made alive with Him. Yesterday I was buried with Him; today I am raised up with Him. Let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us … ourselves, the possession most precious to God and most proper. Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. Let us become Divine for His sake, since for us He became Man. St. Gregory the Theologian- “Easter Orations” "...Now since you are celebrating the holy Pascha, you should know, brethren, Two Week Schedule what the Pascha is. Pascha means the crossing-over, and so the Festival is called Sunday 5/2 10 am- Divine Liturgy: The Great Day of by this name. For it was on this day that the Resurrection of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ the Children of Israel crossed over out of 2 pm- Paschal Vespers Egypt, and the Son of God crossed over Monday 5/3 10 am- Divine Liturgy: Bright Monday & from this world to His Father. What gain The Feast of St. George is it to celebrate unless you imitate Him Whom you worship; that is, unless you Tuesday 5/4 9 am- Divine Liturgy: Bright Tuesday cross over from Egypt, that is, from Wednesday 5/5 6 pm- Paschal Vespers the darkness of evildoing to the light Friday 5/7 9 am- Resurrection Matins of virtue, from the love of this world Saturday 5/8- 4 pm- Great Vespers to the love of your heavenly home?" Sunday 5/9 10 am- Divine Liturgy St. Ambrose of Milan - "The Sunday Wednesday 5/12 6 pm- Moleben to the Mother of God of the Resurrection" Saturday 5/2 4 pm- Great Vespers Sunday 5/3 10 am- Divine Liturgy Wednesday 5/6 6 pm- Vespers & Adult Class Friday 5/8 9 am- Divine Liturgy Saturday 5/9 4 pm- Great Vespers Sunday 5/10 10 am- Divine Liturgy The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! 3 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA May 2, 2021 Icon of our Lord’s Resurrection “Search & Find!” Do you see Christ’s robes? Notice how they look like they are flowing upward in the wind? This symbolizes how Christ descends into Hades to free those held captive by the sting of death. Can you find these golden bars? Christ stands victoriously on top of these bard because they are the gates of death that He shatters and tears apart, opening the doors of paradise. Can you find the almond shape that’s surrounding Christ? It’s called a Mandorla. The Mandorla becomes progressively darker as it moves toward its center, which is Christ. Those who seek God find that the more they know Him, the less they comprehend Who He is. To know God, to experience Him, is Do you see these three figures to to walk in the darkness of His light, to the left of Christ? These people enter into the mystery of His presence. vary from icon to icon, but they are prominent Old Testament Can you find this figure bound in chains figures. Abel is the shepherd underneath the shattered gates of Hades? holding the staff & Moses is next This figure represents death or the devil to him. himself who has been bound in chains and conquered by Christ. This is why we sing Can you find any keys? The keys “Christ is risen from the dead trampling symbolize that Christ has unlocked down death by death.” The power of the the gates of Hades and conquered devil and death have been destroyed sin and death. through the life-giving death of our Savior. Do you see Christ reaching his hands out to Do you see these three figures to the these two figures? Christ is pulling Adam right of Christ? Here we find King and Eve, our first parents from their tombs. David & Solomon, Christ’s ancestors This shows us that Christ’s victory redeems in the flesh along with John the all mankind, even back to the beginning. It Baptist who announced Christ’s also foreshadows the general resurrection of coming to those on earth in his life, the body before the Final Judgment. and to those in Hades after his death. The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! 4 Easter Crossword St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA May 2, 2021 The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! 5 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA May 2, 2021 The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! 6 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA May 2, 2021 The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! 7 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA May 2, 2021 ST. ELIZABETH ORTHODOX CHURCH Paschal Greeting From Fr. Matthew, Pani Kathryn, Lazarus, Baby Isaiah Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Dear Parish Family & Friends, It is with abounding joy that Pani, Lazarus, baby Isaiah, and I greet you all once again with the triumphant proclamation of “Christ is Risen!”. Pascha is the passing over from death to life, from darkness to light. How good it is to bask in the life-giving warmth and light of our resurrected Lord. My ancestors called this day the Velik Den or the Great Day. How great it truly is to celebrate this Feast together again as brothers and sisters in Christ in God’s House. In the joys of the Resurrection, we send our prayers and love to our Hierarch and Shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory, to all the clergy and people of our God protected Diocese, to His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios, His Grace Bishop Sevastianos, and all the Orthodox clergy and people in the greater Atlanta area, to Deacon Steven, Michelle, & James Hanes, to our parish family members who are sick in their homes and in the hospitals, to those who are away visiting family and to those who are with us here visiting family, to the entire parish community, and to all those gathered here with us today on the Great Day of Christ’s Resurrection. We greet all of you in the hope, joy, and love given to us this day, saying, Christ is Risen! Last year the dark cloud of the coronavirus loomed over us. The Divine Services were closed to the public and we had just laid to rest one our beloved founders & builders, Boris Melnikoff+, with a funeral service that was not open to the public for our community to grieve together with Evelyn & her family. Fear, darkness, and death seemed to be the focus for the whole world. When we trust God and make Christ the focus, the focus becomes hope, joy, peace, light, and life; this is what the Resurrection of Christ is all about. This year for our parish family, the focus of life was thrust upon us in the midst of Holy Week. In 2021, as Christ went to His Cross, He blessed us with the gift of new life 6 weeks earlier than expected in baby Isaiah. Surely a baby being born prematurely and requiring surgery in the first day of his life can be overwhelming. Trusting God in all seasons and speaking to Him in prayer are such important elements of the Christian life. We all need to trust in the Lord more and we all need to speak to our loving God more.