St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church Sunday of The Samaritan Woman Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland

Transcription

1 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church Sunday of The Samaritan Woman Serving the Orthodox Christian Community of Greater Cleveland

2 St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church V. Rev Father John Ojaimi, Pastor Office: (216) Fax: (216) Cellular: (440) Archdeacon Yarid Sahley Subdeacon Sam Elias Pastor s frjojaimi@msn.com Parish office@stgeorgecleveland.com Sunday May 10, 2015 Tone 4 / Eothinon 7 Fifth Sunday of Pascha: Sunday of the Samaritan Woman & After-feast of Mid-Pentecost Apostle Simon the Zealot; Venerable Laurence of Egypt WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS We are glad you are worshiping with us today. There are Service Books in the pews. Orthodox Christians must be prepared for Holy Communion through Confession, Fasting, Prayer and by being at peace with others. Please seek and give forgiveness before receiving Holy Communion. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, please join us for coffee hour in the Parish Hall. WELCOME The mission of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church is to serve God and the community by commitment to the Gospel s command to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ through faith, hope, and love. It is a parish of the Self Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The Orthodox Church follows the faith and practice of the apostles and disciples of Christ handed down by the ancient Christian fathers and twenty centuries of Church tradition. Genuine Christian life nurtures and stimulates our spiritual and moral development. The liturgical life of the Orthodox Church has been developing over the last 2000 years. By taking part in the mysteries of Christ s life, death and resurrection at the liturgical services, the community members are drawn to repentance and the gradual change of their inner selves. To join the community of St. George or to find out more information, please fill out the Guest Book in the Narthex. We hope this day will be spiritually rewarding for you. Fr John will be happy to answer any questions. Join us in the hall after Liturgy for

3 Candles are offered for the Health, Safety & Spiritual Welfare of: V. Rev. Fr. Elias Ziton & Kh. Lorain & Family & Gregory Ziton by Ted & Karen Ziton Emily LaHood by Leo & Lila Koury Lucy Aboid (Happy Mother s Day) by Children & Grandchildren and Laverne Ameen (Happy Mother s Day) by Barbara Laverne Aboid Graduates of St. George by Barbara Aboid Family & Friends by Michele Lakis Michel Hayek by the Hayek Family Fida Abdelkarim by Her Children & Grandchildren Family & Friends by George & Joie Haddad Family & Friends by Hal & Louise Bouhasin Candles are offered in Beloved Memory of: My Parents Alice & George Lakis by Michele Lakis My Beloved, Mother Mary, Father Abraham, Brothers Emile and James, Sitteh Zaineh & Uncle Kaiser by Emilie L. Easa Wadia Ameen by his wife Mary & Family Edward Haddad by his wife Edward Fadel by his wife & family Prayers for the Health & Spiritual Welfare of our parishioners: Olivia Abdallah, Melissa Aboid, Evelyn Baldassari, Shirley Courey, Ann Deeb, Emilie Easa, James Eassey, Helena Elias, Dani Fadel, Minerva Gantose, Peter George, Odeh Hanna, Pauline Hanna, Samia Harb, Baby Alma Maria Issa, Corrine Khouri, Hanadi Khouri, Becky Magas, Joyce Nader, Kaukab Nader, Virginia Nader, Jennie Sadallah, Christopher Fadel-Samuel, Norma Shami, Alvera Shiekh, Christine Simon, Asma Zaboura. Rudy Zaboura. UPCOMING DIVINE SERVICES Sunday May 17, 2015 Matins 9:30 am, Divine am Confessions will be heard on Sundays Morning before Liturgy starts or by appointment. With fear of God, faith And love draw near. Come to Church, Jesus loves you, we love you we are waiting for you. Sign up and take your turn in offering a Coffee Hour. Pick a birthday, memorial, anniversary etc.. or just a day that no one has sponsored.

4 Divine Liturgy Variables on Sunday, May 10, 2015 Tone 4 / Eothinon 7; Fifth Sunday of Pascha Sunday of the Samaritan Woman& After-feast of Mid-Pentecost Apostle Simon the Zealot; Venerable Laurence of Egypt The Priest begins Divine Liturgy with Blessed is the Kingdom and the choir responds Amen. Bearing the Paschal Candle, the Priest then leads the singing of the Paschal Apolytikion and censes the west side of the Altar Table. Priest: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death; and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! The Choir then sings this twice, and the Liturgy continues with the Great Litany. THE FIRST ANTIPHON Shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing to His Name, give glory to His praises. Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. Say to God: How awesome are Thy works; let all the earth worship Thee, and sing to Thee. Let it sing a song to Thy Name, O Most High. (Refrain) Glory Both now (Refrain) THE SECOND ANTIPHON May God have mercy upon us, and bless us, and may He cause His face to shine upon us, and have mercy upon us. Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia. That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations; let the peoples give thanks to Thee, O God, let all the peoples give thanks to Thee. (Refrain) May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear Him. (Refrain) Glory Both now O, only begotten Son and Word of God THE THIRD ANTIPHON + Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those them that Him flee from before His face. Refrain: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life! + As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish; as wax melteth before the fire. (Refrain) + So let sinners perish at the presence of God, and let the righteous be glad. (Refrain) + This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad therein. (Refrain) THE EISODIKON (ENTRANCE HYMN) OF THE FEAST In the gathering places bless ye God the Lord, from the springs of Israel. Save us, O Son of God,

5 Who art risen from the dead, who sing to Thee: Alleluia. RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FOUR Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel, the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation. And proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying, Death hath been spoiled; Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy. APOLYTIKION OF MID-PENTECOST IN TONE EIGHT In the midst of this Feast, O Savior, give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of true worship; for Thou didst call out to all, saying: Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Wherefore, O Christ our God, Fountain of life, glory to Thee. TROPARION OF ST. GEORGE TONE 4 As deliver of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm, champion of kings, victorious Great martyr George, intercede with Christ our God, for our souls salvation.. KONTAKION OF PASCHA IN TONE EIGHT O Immortal One, when Thou didst descend into the tomb, Thou didst destroy the power of Hades; and Thou didst rise victorious, O Christ God. Thou hast said to the ointment bearing women: Rejoice! And Thou gavest peace to Thy Disciples, O Bestower of Resurrection to those Who had fallen. THE TRISAGION Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us. Dynamis! (With Strength) Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us THE EPISTLE How great are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all. Bless the Lord, O my soul! The Reading from the Acts of the Saintly and Pure Apostles. (11:19-30) In those days, the Disciples, who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the Word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, upon coming to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in

6 Antioch the Disciples were for the first time called Christians. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the Disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea; and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. THE GOSPEL The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (4:5-42) At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as He was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. For His Disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that Thou, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. The woman said to Him, Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle? Jesus said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst forever; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband, and come here. The woman answered Him, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You are right in saying, I have no husband ; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly. The woman said to Him, Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and Thou sayest that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming [He Who is called Christ]; when He comes, He will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I Who speak to you am He. Just then His Disciples came. They marveled that He was talking with a woman, but none said, What dost Thou wish? or, Why art Thou talking with her? So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, Come, see a man Who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? They went out of the city and were coming to Him. Meanwhile the Disciples besought Him, saying, Rabbi, eat. But He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. So the Disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him food? Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, There are yet

7 four months, then comes the harvest? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman s testimony, He said to me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His words. They said to the woman, It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world. الر سال ة 19 أ ما ال ذ ین ت ش ت ت وا م ن ج راء ال ضیق ال ذ ي ح ص ل ب س ب ب اس ت ف ان وس ف اج ت از وا إ ل ى ف ین یق ی ة و ق بر س و أ ن ط اك ی ة 20 و ھ م لا ی ك ل م ون أ ح د ا ب ال ك ل م ة إ لا ال ی ھ ود ف ق ط. و لك ن ك ان م ن ھ م ق و م و ھ م ر ج ال ق ب ر س ی ون و ق ی ر و ان ی ون ال ذ ین ل ما 21 د خ ل وا أ ن ط اك ی ة ك ان وا ی خ اط ب ون ال ی ون ان ی ین م ب شر ین ب ال ر ب ی س وع. و ك ان ت ی د ال ر ب م ع ھ م ف ا م ن ع د د ك ث یر 22 و ر ج ع وا إ ل ى ال ر ب. ف س م ع ال خ ب ر ع ن ھ م ف ي آذ ان ال ك ن یس ة ال ت ي ف ي أ ور ش ل یم ف ا ر س ل وا ب ر ن اب ا ل ك ي ی ج ت از إ ل ى لا ن ھ ك ان ر ج لا أ ن ط اك ی ة. ال ذ ي ل ما أ ت ى و ر أ ى ن ع م ة الله ف ر ح و و ع ظ ال ج م یع أ ن ی ث ب ت وا ف ي ال ر ب ب ع ز م ال ق ل ب 25 ص ال ح ا و م م ت ل ي ا م ن ال روح ال ق د س و الا یم ان. ف ان ض م إ ل ى ال ر ب ج م ع غ ف یر. ث م خ ر ج ب ر ن اب ا إ ل ى ط ر س وس ل ی ط ل ب 26 ش او ل. و ل ما و ج د ه ج اء ب ھ إ ل ى أ ن ط اك ی ة. ف ح د ث أ ن ھ م ا اج ت م ع ا ف ي ال ك ن یس ة س ن ة ك ام ل ة و ع ل م ا ج م ع ا غ ف یر ا. و د ع ي الت لا م یذ «م س یح ی ین «ف ي أ ن ط اك ی ة أ ولا و ف ي ت ل ك الا ی ام ان ح د ر أ ن ب ی اء م ن أ ور ش ل یم إ ل ى أ ن ط اك ی ة. و ق ام و اح د م ن ھ م اس م ھ أ غ اب وس و أ ش ار ب ال روح أ ن 29 ج وع ا ع ظ یم ا ك ان ع ت ید ا أ ن ی ص یر ع ل ى ج م یع ال م س ك ون ة ال ذ ي ص ار أ ی ض ا ف ي أ ی ام ك ل ود ی وس ق ی ص ر. ف ح ت م 30 الت لا م یذ ح س ب م ا ت ی سر ل ك ل م ن ھ م أ ن ی ر س ل ك ل و اح د ش ی ي ا خ د م ة إ ل ى الا خ و ة ال ساك ن ین ف ي ال ی ھ ود ی ة. ف ف ع ل وا ذل ك م ر س ل ین إ ل ى ال م ش ای خ ب ی د ب ر ن اب ا و ش او ل. إ لان ج یل 6 5 ف ا ت ى إ ل ى م د ین ة م ن ال سام ر ة ی ق ال ل ھ ا س وخ ار ب ق ر ب ال ضی ع ة ال ت ي و ھ ب ھ ا ی ع ق وب ل ی وس ف ا بن ھ. و ك ان ت ھ ن اك ب ي ر ی ع ق وب. ف ا ذ ك ان ی س وع ق د ت ع ب م ن ال سف ر ج ل س ھك ذ ا ع ل ى ال ب ي ر و ك ان ن ح و ال ساع ة ال ساد س ة. 7 ف ج اء ت ام ر أ ة 8 م ن ال سام ر ة ل ت س ت ق ي م اء ف ق ال ل ھ ا ی س وع :«أ ع ط ین ي لا ش ر ب «لا ن ت لا م یذ ه ك ان وا ق د م ض و ا إ ل ى ال م د ین ة ل ی ب ت اع وا ط ع ام ا. 9 ف ق ال ت ل ھ ال م ر أ ة ال سام ر ی ة :«ك ی ف ت ط ل ب م ن ي ل ت ش ر ب و أ ن ت ی ھ ود ي و أ ن ا ام ر أ ة س ام ر ی ة» لا ن ال ی ھ ود لا ی ع ام ل ون ال سام ر ی ین. 10 أ ج اب ی س وع و ق ال ل ھا :«ل و ك ن ت ت ع ل م ین ع ط ی ة الله و م ن ھ و ال ذ ي ی ق ول ل ك أ ع ط ین ي لا ش ر ب ل ط ل ب ت أ ن ت م ن ھ ف ا ع ط اك م اء ح ی ا». 11 ق ال ت ل ھ ال م ر أ ة :«ی ا س ی د لا د ل و ل ك و ال ب ي ر ع م یق ة. ف م ن أ ی ن ل ك ال م اء ال ح ي أ ل ع ل ك أ ع ظ م م ن أ ب ین ا ی ع ق وب ال ذ ي أ ع ط ان ا ال ب ي ر و ش ر ب م ن ھ ا ھ و و ب ن وه و م و اش یھ» أ ج اب ی س وع و ق ال ل ھا :«ك ل م ن ی ش ر ب م ن ھذ ا ال م اء ی ع ط ش أ ی ض ا. 14 و لك ن م ن ی ش ر ب م ن ال م اء ال ذ ي أ ع ط یھ أ ن ا ف ل ن ی ع ط ش إ ل ى الا ب د ب ل ال م اء ال ذ ي أ ع ط یھ ی ص یر ف یھ ی ن ب وع م اء ی ن ب ع إ ل ى ح ی اة أ ب د ی ة». 15 ق ال ت ل ھ ال م ر أ ة :«ی ا س ی د 16 أ ع ط ن ي ھذ ا ال م اء ل ك ي لا أ ع ط ش و لا آت ي إ ل ى ھ ن ا لا س ت ق ي». ق ال ل ھ ا ی س وع :«اذ ھ ب ي و اد ع ي ز و ج ك و ت ع ال ي إ ل ى ھھ ن ا» 17 أ ج اب ت ال م ر أ ة و ق الت :«ل ی س ل ي ز و ج». ق ال ل ھ ا ی س وع :«ح س ن ا ق ل ت : ل ی س ل ي ز و ج 18 لا ن ھ ك ان ل ك خ م س ة 20 أ ز و اج و ال ذ ي ل ك الا ن ل ی س ھ و ز و ج ك. ھذ ا ق ل ت ب ال صد ق». 19 ق ال ت ل ھ ال م ر أ ة :«ی ا س ی د أ ر ى أ ن ك ن ب ي! آب اؤ ن ا 21 س ج د وا ف ي ھذ ا ال ج ب ل و أ ن ت م ت ق ول ون إ ن ف ي أ ور ش ل یم ال م و ض ع ال ذ ي ی ن ب غ ي أ ن ی س ج د ف یھ». ق ال ل ھ ا ی س وع

8 22 :«ی ا ام ر أ ة ص دق ین ي أ ن ھ ت ا ت ي س اع ة لا ف ي ھذ ا ال ج ب ل و لا ف ي أ ور ش ل یم ت س ج د ون ل لا ب. Ύѧ Ϥѧ ϟ ϥϭ Ϊѧ Πѧ δ Η Ϣѧ Θѧ ϧ 23 ل س ت م ت ع ل م ون أ ما ن ح ن ف ن س ج د ل م ا ن ع ل م. لا ن ال خ لا ص ھ و م ن ال ی ھ ود. Ϧѧϴѧ Σˬ ϥϵ ϲ ѧ ϫ ϭˬ Δѧ ϋύѧ γϲ Η Η Ϧ Ϝϟ ϭ 24. Ϫ ѧ ϟ Ϧѧϳ Ϊѧ ΟΎѧ δϟ ϻ Άѧϫ Ϟ Μ ϣ ΐ ϟύ ρ Ώϵ ϥ Ϸˬ ϖ Τ ϟ ϭ Ρϭ ήϟύ Α Ώ ϟ ϥϭ Ϊ Π δ ϳ ϥϯ ϴ Ϙϴ Ϙ Τ ϟ ϥϭ Ϊ ΟΎ δϟ الله ر وح. و ال ذ ین ی س ج د ون ل ھ ف ب ال روح و ال ح ق ی ن ب غ ي أ ن ی س ج د وا». 25 ق ال ت ل ھ ال م ر أ ة :«Ϫѧ ϟ ϝύѧ Ϙѧ ϳϱ άѧ ϟˬύѧ ϴѧ δ ϣ ϥ Ϣ Ϡ ϋ Ύ ϧ 26 ال م س یح ی ا ت ي. ف م ت ى ج اء ذ اك ی خ ب ر ن ا ب ك ل ش ي ء». ق ال ل ھ ا ی س وع :«أ ن ا ال ذ ي أ ك ل م ك ھ و». 27 و ع ن د ذل ك ج اء ت لا م یذ ه و ك ان وا ی ت ع جب ون أ ن ھ ی ت ك ل م م ع ام ر أ ة. «ˮ ΐ ѧ Ϡѧ τ ѧ Η ΫΎѧ ϣ» : Ϊѧ Σ Ϟ Ϙ ϳ Ϣ ϟ Ϧ Ϝϟ ϭ أ و» ΫΎѧ Ϥѧ ϟ ت ت ك ل م م ع ھ ا» ف ت ر ك ت ال م ر أ ة ج رت ھ ا و م ض ت إ ل ى ال م د ین ة و ق ال ت ل لن اس : ѧ ϟ ϝύѧ ϗύ ϧύ δ ϧ ϭ ή ψ ϧϯ Ϥ Ϡ ϫ» Ϟѧ ϛϲ 30 م ا ف ع ل ت. أ ل ع ل ھذ ا ھ و ال م س یح». ف خ ر ج وا م ن ال م د ین ة و أ ت و ا إ ل ی ھ. MEGALYNARION FOR SUNDAY OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN IN TONE ONE The angel spake to her that is full of grace, saying, O pure Virgin, rejoice; and I say also, Rejoice; for thy Son is risen from the tomb on the third day. Rejoice and be glad, O gate of the divine Light; for Jesus Who disappeared in the tomb hath risen with greater radiance than the sun, illuminating all believers, O Lady favored of God. KOINONIKON (COMMUNION HYMN) OF PASCHA IN TONE EIGHT Receive ye the body of Christ; taste ye the Fountain of immortality. Instead of We have seen the true light, sing Christ is Risen ONCE. Priest: Priest: People: Priest: People: Priest: People: THE GREAT DISMISSAL May He Who rose from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-immaculate and.. Christ is risen! (THRICE) Truly, He is risen! (THRICE) Glory to His holy, third-day Resurrection! We adore His holy, third-day Resurrection! Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life! After the Dismissal, the Priest, facing the people from the Royal Doors, sings the phimi in honor of His Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH on the occasion of his patronal feast day: PHIMI OF METROPOLITAN JOSEPH JOSEPH, the most devout, the most reverend, chosen by God as Archbishop of New York and the Metropolitan of all North America, our Father and Chief Shepherd, may God grant him many years! Then the choir sings: God grant him many years. (three times)

9 Fifth Sunday Of Pascha Sunday Of The Samaritan Woman Introduction The fifth Sunday of Holy Pascha is observed by the Orthodox Church as the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman. The day commemorates the encounter of Christ with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. The biblical story of this event and the dialog between Christ and the woman is found in the Gospel of Saint John 4:5-42. Background One of the most ancient cities of the Promised Land was Shechem, also called Sikima, located at the foot of Mount Gerazim. There the Israelites had heard the blessings in the days of Moses and Jesus of Navi. Near to this town, Jacob, who had come from Mesopotamia in the nineteenth century before Christ, bought a piece of land where there was a well. This well, preserved even until the time of Christ, was known as Jacob's Well. Later, before he died in Egypt, he left that piece of land as a special inheritance to his son Joseph (Gen. 49:22). This town, before it was taken into possession by Samaria, was also the leading city of the kingdom of the ten tribes. In the time of the Romans it was called Neapolis, and at present Nablus. It was the first city in Canaan visited by the Patriarch Abraham. Here also, Jesus of Navi (Joshua) addressed the tribes of Israel for the last time. Almost three hundred years later, all Israel assembled there to make Roboam (Rehoboam) king. When our Lord Jesus Christ, then, came at midday to this city, which is also called Sychar (John 4:5), He was wearied from the journey and the heat. He sat down at this well. After a little while the Samaritan woman mentioned in today's Gospel passage came to draw water. As she conversed at some length with the Lord and heard from Him secret things concerning herself, she believed in Him; through her many other Samaritans also believed. Concerning the Samaritans we know the following: In the year 721 before Christ, Salmanasar (Shalmaneser), King of the Assyrians, took the ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel into captivity, and relocated all these people to Babylon and the land of the Medes. From there he gathered various nations and sent them to Samaria. These nations had been idolaters from before. Although they were later instructed in the Jewish faith and believed in the one God, they worshipped the idols also. Furthermore, they accepted only the Pentateuch of Moses, and rejected the other books of Holy Scripture. Nonetheless, they thought themselves to be descendants of Abraham and Jacob. Therefore, the pious Jews named these Judaizing and idolatrous peoples Samaritans, since they lived in Samaria, the former leading city of the Israelites, as well as in the other towns thereabout. The Jews rejected them as heathen and foreigners, and had no communion with them at all, as the Samaritan woman observed, "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9). Therefore, the name Samaritan is used derisively many times in the Gospel narrations. After the Ascension of the Lord, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the woman of Samaria was baptized by the holy Apostles and became a great preacher and Martyr of Christ; she was called Photine, and her feast is kept on February 26.

10 ON THE SUNDAY OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In today's Gospel, we see clearly how Our Lord combines within His Person two natures, the human and the divine. On the one hand, we see that as a human-being, like all of us, He is wearied, thirsty and hungry. The Gospel tells us, for example, that when midday, the sixth hour, had come, His disciples left him to obtain food in the city and that Christ, thirsty, asked the Samaritan Woman for drink. On the other hand, we see that He is also divine. Living as God in eternity, He knows the present, past and future of all. Thus as God He knows that the Samaritan Woman has already been married five times and that at present she is living in sin with yet another man. Also He tells her that He can give her 'living water' from an Eternal Well, and He tells the disciples that His 'food is to do the will of Him that sent Me'. As a man, Christ was a Jew, and His disciples are therefore astonished to find Him conversing not only with a woman, but with a Samaritan Woman. A Jew would never even have talked to a Samaritan, let alone a Samaritan Woman, for as the Apostle John says in his Gospel, 'the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans'. As God, however, Christ does not hesitate to talk to one who is able to accept Him as the Messiah, for the vocation of Christ is universal. 'Salvation comes forth from the Jews', but salvation is only for those who accept Christ and few were the Jews who did accept Him. True, from the Jewish viewpoint, the Samaritans, Jews who had intermarried with pagans, were heretics; they had rejected the importance of Jerusalem and much of the Old Testament, including the Prophets; they had confused pagan idolatry with the Old Testament. On the other hand, the Jews had rejected Christ. The Jews had turned the truths and revelations of the Old Testament into legalism and territorial racism, an arrogant, nationalistic and racist ideology; they had denied that Christ, as a man a Jew, could, as God, come for the salvation of all peoples. It is that ideology which still to this day insists on the ownership of Jerusalem and has brought even the contemporary world to the brink of war on several occasions. For the Jews had kept the letter of the Law but had rejected the spirit of the Law. And without the Spirit they were unable to recognise Christ. The Samaritans had rejected the letter of the Law, but some of them, at least, did not stubbornly insist on their errors but were open to its spirit, for they were open to Christ, the Word of God, the Inspirer of the Law. Whereas the Jews had rejected Christ, the Samaritans kept Him with them for two days and many believed in Him. As Our Lord said on His return from Samaria to Judea, 'a prophet has no honour in his own country'. Why does the Church commemorate the Samaritan Woman today? Because this is the first Sunday after Mid-Pentecost, the feast that stands half-way between Easter and Pentecost. At Easter the great truths of the Church are revealed - that Christ is both God and man, that He is crucified and risen from the dead. However, these truths, may remain rather abstract until at Pentecost we understand their inner meaning, their implications for our daily life. By the Coming of the Holy Spirit, these

11 truths become living, and we worship Christ in spirit and in truth. Thus the Church reads to us the words that, 'the hour is coming when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth'. And this is why this world still continues today, why the world has not yet ended. Until the Gospel of Christ has been preached in spirit and in truth, that is, in Orthodox manner, in all lands, throughout the world, the world cannot end. For as long as there are new Samaritans, new peoples, new tribes to hear the Truth, as long as there are people who can still potentially become Orthodox, the world must continue, for there is harvest still to be reaped. Let us this day pray that we too like the Samaritan Woman may bring others to the Church, testifying like Her to the Divinity of Christ, becoming reapers of that which we have not sown. Holy Mother Photini, pray to God for us! Amen. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48) Thank you to previous years wish list contributors: Two Cases of Orthodox Liturgical Wine for Holy Communion $240 by William Tegreen 800 Plastic Holy Water Bottles for Epiphany (2 years supplies) $675 Paid by Emilie Easa Nine Large Refiliable Oil Candles $1008 paid by Nuha Karsheh Copying and Binding 150 Holy Friday Service Books $600 by James Hussney. Six cases of Taper Candles $385 Paid by an Anonymous Donor & $145 by William Tegreen Eleven large Refillable Oil Candles $112 each Twenty Four Altar Pure Liquid Paraffin Quarts $ 13 each Replace the Aluminum Entry Door, back entrance to the Sunday school $4690 Sell the rest of the memorial tiles at the entrance of the office area. $150 each Replace The Metropolitan Hall Light Bulbs to LED Replace the Yared Light Hall Bulbs to LED Move the Church Power Switch Box from the Cry Room to inside the Altar St. Mary Orthodox Church In Cambridge, MA Is proud to present The 52nd Convention Of the Antiochian Archdiocese In Boston MA From July 19-26, 2015.

12 What is Orthodoxy? First of all, Orthodoxy is right faith in God; it is that mighty power which makes each truly believing Orthodox Christian unwavering on the righteous and pious path of his life. To be Orthodox means to know correctly with the mind, to believe correctly with the heart, and to confess correctly with the lips all that God Himself has revealed to us about Himself, about the world and man, and about the tasks and aims of our life in the teaching on the attaining of our spiritual union with Him and our eternal salvation. Without such right faith, according to the word of the Apostle Paul, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a right confession of the fundamental truths and dogmas of the Church of Christ, but also a right and virtuous life, founded on an unshakable law: the fulfilling of God s commandments, the permeating of the heart with humility, meekness and love for one s neighbor, the rendering of help to the needy and unfortunate, and the serving of one s church. The Apostle James teaches: Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the future Judge of the whole world, promises to reward every man according to his works (Matt. 16:27). The Apostle Paul testifies that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor (1Cor. 3:8). Here is the Orthodox point of view. Right faith must be expressed in deeds, and deeds must serve as a manifestation of faith. One must be closely united with the other indissolubly, like soul and body. This only, then, is the Orthodox, the correct way leading us to God. Orthodoxy is not only right faith and a life according to faith, but also correct service to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ expressed the essence of the right worship of God in these brief but profound words: God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Only the inspired divine service of the Holy Orthodox Church, which is permeated by prayer, has realized this sacred worship of God in truth. Moreover, Orthodoxy is strict proportionality and correctness in the manifestations of all the powers of soul and body. In Orthodoxy, a proper place is allotted to everything: to the intellect, to the wants and needs of the heart, to the manifestations of man s free will, to labor and prayer, to abstinence and watchfulness, in a word, to everything of which man s life consists.