THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT — Tone 2. Veneration of the Cross. Ven. Joseph the Hymnographer (883). Ven. George of Mt. Maleon in the Peloponnesus (6th c.). Ven. Joseph the Much-ailing, of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—14th c.). Ven. Theonas, Archbishop of Thessalonica (1545).
Tone 2 Troparion (Resurrection)
When You descended to death, O Life Immortal,
You slew hell with the splendor of Your Godhead.
And when from the depths You raised the dead,
all the powers of heaven cried out://
“O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to You!”
Tone 1 Troparion of the Cross
O Lord, save Your people,
and bless Your inheritance!
Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians
over their adversaries;
and by virtue of Your Cross,//
preserve Your habitation!
Tone 7 Kontakion (Cross)
Now the flaming sword no longer guards the gates of Eden;
it has been mysteriously quenched by the wood of the Cross.
The sting of death and the victory of hell have been vanquished;
for You, O my Savior, have come and cried to those in hell://
“Enter again into Paradise!”
Tone 6 Prokeimenon (Cross)
O Lord, save Your people, / and bless Your inheritance! (Ps. 27:9a)
V. To You, O Lord, will I call. O my God, be not silent to me! (Ps. 27:1a)
Hebrews 4:14-5:6 (Epistle)
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Tone 8
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
V. Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old! (Ps. 73:2)
V. God is our King before the ages; He has worked salvation in the midst of the earth! (Ps. 73:13)
Prayer Before the Gospel
Illumine our hearts, O Master and Lover of mankind, with the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of Your Gospel teachings. Implant also in us the fear of Your blessed commandments, that trampling down all carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well-pleasing to You. For You are the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto You do we send up glory, together with Your Father, Who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Mark 8:34-9:1 (Gospel)
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”
Happening this Month
See the calendar for more detailed info.
- Monday, April 5 — 7 p.m. youth Zoom meeting.
- Wednesday, April 7 — 6 p.m. Presanctified Liturgy
- Friday, April 9 — 6 p.m. Presanctified Liturgy
- Saturday, April 10 — Saturday 6 p.m. Great Vespers and Confessions
- Sunday, April 11 — Sunday 8:30 a.m. Matins, 9:30 a.m. Liturgy
- Wednesday, April 14 — Wednesday 6 p.m. Great Canon of St. Andrew w/ life of St. Mary of Egypt.
- Thursday, April 15 — 7 p.m. Choir practice
- Friday, April 16 — 6 p.m. Presanctified Liturgy
- Saturday, April 17 — Saturday 6 p.m. Great Vespers and Confessions
- Sunday, April 18 — Sunday 8:30 a.m. Matins, 9:30 a.m. Liturgy
- Monday, April 19 — 7 p.m. *Holy Unction* (New day/time), Youth Zoom mtg.
- Tuesday, April 20 — 7 p.m. Choir rehearsal
- Wednesday, April 21 — 6 p.m. Presanctified Liturgy
- Thursday, April 22 — 7 p.m. Choir rehearsal
- Friday, April 23 — 6 p.m. Presanctified liturgy
- Saturday, April 24 — Lazarus Saturday, 8:30 a.m. Matins, 9:30 a.m. Liturgy; 6 p.m. Vigil for Palm Sunday
- Sunday, April 25 — Palm Sunday 9:10 a.m. Hours, 9:30 a.m. Liturgy; 7 p.m. Bridegroom Matins
- Monday, April 26 — 7 p.m. Bridegroom Matins
- Tuesday, April 27 — 7 p.m. Bridegroom Matins
- Wednesday, April 28 — 6 p.m. Last confessions before Pascha; 7 p.m. Bridegroom Matins
- Thursday, April 29 — 11 a.m. Vesperal Liturgy; 7 p.m. Passion Vigil
- Friday, April 30 — Holy Friday 9 a.m. Royal Hours; 1 p.m. Vespers; 7 p.m. Lamentations Vigil
- Saturday, May 1 — Holy Saturday, 11 a.m. Vesperal Liturgy; 11 p.m. Paschal Resurrection Vigil
- Sunday, May 2 — Pascha Sunday! — 2nd Pascha Liturgy 10 a.m.; 1 p.m. Agape Vespers
- Monday, May 3 — Bright Monday 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy
Confessions
(Social distanced with masks) Before or after Vespers Saturday evenings. Before Presanctified Liturgies (5 p.m.), during the week by appointment, or by phone. Please email or call Fr. John to make arrangements for this.
Virtual Coffee Hour
Every Sunday at 1 p.m.
Zoom link
Meeting ID: 890 2782 2896
Passcode: coffee
Our Free Choice
Abbot Tryphon
We are not compelled to love God
We are not compelled to love God, having been created with free will. God does not, nor can He, compel His creatures to love Him. Mutual love requires, by its very nature, freedom to either respond in love, or not. Yet when we respond to God’s love with love His mercy leads us into holiness, for entering into this relationship with our Creator transforms us, changes us. When we respond to God’s offer to commune with Him, He changes us into His likeness. We were meant from the beginning to be in His image and likeness and our positive response to the invitation to enter into divine communion leads to holiness. Like Saint Paul we can say that whatever good we do is Christ in us. We can do nothing good without God’s grace, which is why Saint John Chrysostom tells us, “faith’s workings themselves are a gift of God, lest anyone should boast”. No man can call Jesus the Christ but by the power of the Holy Spirit and the gift of faith implants in us the grace to do good works. Can good works save us? No! God’s mercy and grace saves us.
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works (James 1:17).”
Our Christian vocation is to acquire holiness (become whole), something that can only take place by the power of the Holy Spirit. Faith by itself, without good works, is indeed dead. Yet good works can only be done with God’s grace (Christ in us).
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-17).”
If we claim Christ to be our Savior yet have no love in us, and do no good works, we delude ourselves, thinking we have Christ when in reality we simply have religion. Religion is dead, but Christ in us is alive! Works don’t save us, Christ saves us. Good works are a sign that we are being transformed, made holy, because Christ dwells in our hearts. Anything good we do is because Christ is in us, and His grace abounds.
The Precious Cross as Herald of the Lord’s Resurrection
Hierodeacon Rafael Misiaoulis, Theologian
What is the Precious Cross for Orthodox Christians?
The Cross is the symbol of sacrifice, the ransom for the salvation of our soul, the guarantee of eternal life. However, apart from being a symbol of sacrifice, triumph and victory, it’s also a symbol of pain and anguish for each of us. Our life is interwoven with suffering and the Cross. Christ’s Cross is a sacrificial altar. On it, the Lamb of God was slain. It’s the means by which the devil was defeated, sin destroyed, and our spiritual freedom pledged.
The Cross is the strength and glory of all the saints throughout the ages. The Cross is the cure of the passions, the exterminator of the demons. The Cross is deadly for those who don’t transform their own cross into that of Christ, who bewail their lot under their cross, not trusting in God’s Providence. It’s a cross for those who condemn it and blaspheme it and who surrender themselves to hopelessness and despair.
Saint Theofan the Recluse gives us his own answer to this question, saying that the Cross: ‘Is all the trials, stumbling-blocks and sorrows- the great weight of which bears down on our shoulders externally and internally- as we tread the path of consciously observing the Lord’s commandments. Such a cross is self-evident for Christians, to the extent that, wherever there are Christians, you’ll find one; and where there isn’t one, you won’t find Christians’.
The faithful believe that when they make the sign of the Cross in all their actions and on all the paths of their life, in every contact they make with other people and with nature, the Holy Spirit is also defending them. There’s a special relationship between the Cross and the Holy Spirit, because the Cross is the human effort at cleansing, while the Holy Spirit is the purifying divine power. They go together.
Saint Theofan the Recluse gives us his own answer to this question, saying that the Cross: ‘Is all the trials, stumbling-blocks and sorrows- the great weight of which bears down on our shoulders externally and internally- as we tread the path of consciously observing the Lord’s commandments.
Such a cross is self-evident for Christians, to the extent that, wherever there are Christians, you’ll find one; and where there isn’t one, you won’t find Christians’.
The faithful believe that when they make the sign of the Cross in all their actions and on all the paths of their life, in every contact they make with other people and with nature, the Holy Spirit is also defending them. There’s a special relationship between the Cross and the Holy Spirit, because the Cross is the human effort at cleansing, while the Holy Spirit is the purifying divine power. They go together.
Saint Germanos, Patriarch of Constantinople, lauded the Honourable Cross, which was presented for veneration by devout Christians, as the ‘royal couch’ [1]. A couch on which the Son and Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, lay during His terrible sacrifice on Golgotha. My beloved friends, we should know that, behind the Precious Cross is concealed the Resurrection of Christ, and, behind our own cross there’s our own resurrection, which is why the third Sunday in Lent is an invitation to the feast of the Cross and to the crucifixion of our own passions. Therefore, with our veneration of the Precious Cross, may we remember that the first to die on the Cross offered His life for the salvation of the world. This is the deeper meaning of the veneration of the Precious Cross. It’s the most wonderful struggle, which brings us the salvation of our soul and the eternal glory of the Kingdom of Heaven [2]. We need the support and the blessing of the Precious Cross in the whole of our life. Each of us needs a prop, a crutch which will sustain us and keep us upright. And this support is the Cross of our Lord. A Byzantine orator of the 10th century, Nikitas from Paflagonia, urges us never to cease elevating and venerating the Cross on a daily basis, until we manage to get through the wicked years of this life and its difficulties. Just as it’s not possible for us to survive without the light of the sun, so our soul can’t live in accordance with the will of God without the spiritual rays of the Cross of Christ [3].
May we have the power of the Cross as a weapon and support in our efforts to overcome the difficulties and hindrances, the sorrows and trials which torment us, and may we seek God’s mercy. Let us take up our own cross and follow Christ.
Venerable Joseph the Hymnographer — Troparion and Kontakion
Commemorated on April 4
Troparion — Tone 2
Come, let us acclaim the divinely inspired Joseph,
the twelve-stringed instrument of the Word,
the harmonious harp of grace and lute of heavenly virtues,
who lauded and praised the assembly of the saints.
And now he is glorified with them.
Kontakion — Tone 3
Your divinely inspired tongue was the pen of a ready scribe,
according to the words of David.
You sang of the contests of the saints / and described the grace they received through their labors.
Therefore, we cry to you: “Rejoice, O blessed harp of holy melody!”
God forgives everything with confession. We mustn’t turn back and enmesh ourselves in despair. We need to be humble servants before God and have a sense of gratitude for the forgiveness of our sins. ~ From Wounded by Love The Life and the Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios, (1906-1991)
On the Mystery of Repentance
True repentance will bring sanctification
God forgives everything with confession
(from pages 175-176)
Don’t let’s turn back to sins we have confessed. The recollection of sins is harmful. Have we asked for forgiveness? Then the matter is closed. God forgives everything with confession. We mustn’t turn back and enmesh ourselves in despair. We need to be humble servants before God and have a sense of gratitude for the forgiveness of our sins.
It is not healthy to be excessively downcast on account of your sins and to turn with such revulsion against your evil self that you end up in despair. Despondency is the worst thing. It is a snare set by Satan to make a person lose his appetite for spiritual things and to bring him into a state of despair, inactivity and negligence. In this state a person is unable to do anything and rendered useless. The person says, ‘I am sinful and wretched, I am this, I am that, I didn’t do this, I didn’t do that . . . I should have done that then, now it’s too late, nothing can be done . . . I’ve wasted my life, I am unworthy . . .’ He is brought into a sense of inferiority and consumed by fruitless self-reproach. Do you know what a destructive thing that is? It is pseudo-humility.
All these things are symptoms of a person in despair whom Satan has brought under his sway. Such a person reaches the point where he doesn’t even want to receive Communion because he regards himself as unworthy of everything. He attempts to negate everything about himself and is rendered useless. This is a snare set by Satan so that a person will lose his hope in God’s love. All this is quite terrible and contrary to the Spirit of God.
I, too, think that I am sinful and that I am not living as I should. Nevertheless, I make whatever distresses me into prayer. I do not shut it up inside myself. I go to my spiritual father and confess it and it is finished and done with.Don’t let’s go back and recriminate and say what we didn’t do. What is important is what we will do now, from this moment onwards — as Saint Paul says, forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forward to the things that are before us.1
The spirit of cowardice attempted to sever Paul’s zeal for Christ, but he took courage and said, but he took courage and said, It is no longer I who live; Christ lives in me.2 And also, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? As it is written, for Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.3 And David the prophet and king said, I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.4 Read the Scriptures. Remember the fine words, I love those who love me, and those who seek me shall find grace.5
1Philippians 3:14
2Galatians 2:20
3Romans 8:35-36
4Psalms 117:17 [118:17]
5Proverbs 8:17
Sunday Bulletin, March 28, 2021