St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

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1 St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Diocese of Los Angeles and the West Mailing Address: 4718 Horsehaven, Post Falls, Idaho Church Phone: (208) Fr. Basil Caldaroni: (208) frbasil@caldaroni.net Church Website: Send announcements to bulletin@stjohnorthodox.org April 28, 2013 PALM SUNDAY: Entrance of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem KONTAKION AND OIKOS FOR PALM SUNDAY Seated in Heaven upon Thy throne and on earth upon a foal, O Christ our God, Thou hast accepted the praise of the angels and the songs of the children who cried out unto Thee: Blessed art Thou that comest to call back Adam. O immortal Lord, Thou hast bound Hell, slain Death, and raised the world: therefore the children, carrying palms, sing praise to Thee as Victor, O Christ, and they cry aloud to Thee this day: Hosanna to the Son of David! For no more, say they, shall the little children be slain because of Mary s Child; but Thou alone art crucified for all, both young and old. No more shall the sword be drawn against us, for Thy side is pierced by a spear. With great rejoicing, then, we cry: Blessed art Thou that comest to call back Adam. THE SYNAXARION On this day in the Holy Orthodox Church, the Sunday of Palms, we celebrate the radiant and glorious festival of the Entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. He Who stretcheth out the firmament and sat on the foal,seeketh to release mortals from un-reason. Jesus came to Bethany on the Sunday falling before the six days of the Mosaic Passover. On the following day He sent two of His Disciples, who brought Him a donkey on which He sat to enter the city. And when the great multitude heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they immediately took palm branches in their hands and went out to meet Him. All cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord, King of Israel! The branches of palm trees were a symbol of Christ s victory over Satan and Death. And the meaning of Hosanna is, We pray Thee, save. The donkey s colt, which was still an untamed animal, and impure according to the law, as well as Christ s sitting thereon, symbolize the former savagery and impurity of the Gentiles; and their subsequent taming and obedience to the holy law of the Gospel. By Thine ineffable compassion, O Christ our God, make us victors over the irrational passions, and make us worthy to see Thy tangible victory over death, Thy radiant and life-bearing Resurrection, and have mercy on us. Amen.

2 APOLYTIKION OF PALM SUNDAY IN TONE FOUR O Christ God, when we were buried with Thee in Baptism, we became deserving of Thy Resurrection to immortal life. Wherefore, we praise Thee, crying: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. KONTAKION OF PALM SUNDAY IN TONE SIX Upborne upon the heavenly throne, and seated upon the earthly foal, O Christ our God, receive the praises of angels and the hymns of men, exclaiming before Thee: Blessed is He that cometh to restore Adam. THE EPISTLE Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians. (4:4-9) Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, these do; and the God of peace will be with you. THE GOSPEL The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (12:1-18) Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus who had died was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with Him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, Simon s son, one of His Disciples (he who was to betray Jesus), said, Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? This he said, not because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the moneybox he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of My burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me. When the great crowd of the Jews learned that He was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, Hosanna! Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel! And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey s colt! His Disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of Him and had been done to Him. The crowd that had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet Jesus was that they heard He had done this sign.

3 PRAYERS FOR THE LIVING: Archbishop Paul of Aleppo, ChrisAnn Mead (Mark Weisman s Mother-In-Law), John Holmen's Uncle Gene, Ervin (LaVonne Ayoub's father), Young woman (friend of Craig and Mary Welsh); Nanette Sanman s mother and aunt, Mary Olinger (Sydny s grandmother), Bob (Jeane Wood's uncle), Jaxon (Karen Kare s niece s son), Heather (friend of the Peterson s), David and Suzanne Sanman (Ken s parents), Alana Gruss and her unborn child (friend of Kelly Peterson), Dale and his family (friend of the Nolan s) PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED: Stefan Kupcow, Brent and his son and friend (Bartimaeus uncle), Mary Anne Otto (Jeane Wood s aunt), Joanne (Michelle Fellegy s aunt), Maxwell Young (Steve Wood s Step dad), Stan Bellah, COMMUNION - Since we understand Communion to mean that we have all things in common, sharing an identical Faith, only those who are members of the Orthodox Church who have prepared themselves through prayer, fasting and recent confession may participate in Holy Communion. (We invite all, however, to partake of the blessed bread which is distributed at the dismissal.) Please see the pastor for inquiries on how to become a member. Paschal Baptisms on Great and Holy Saturday at 9am Please plan to join us for a Baptismal Liturgy when Robin and Esther Phillips, plus their three children, Matthew, Timothy and Susanna, will be baptized and chrismated into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Glory to God! This is an incredible service -- not to be missed! The Baptisms/Chrismations are done while the Baptismal Old Testament Lessons of Holy Saturday are being read. Brunch After Baptism - Holy Saturday Please join us for a simple brunch of fruits and veges to celebrate the Phillips' baptism on Holy Saturday. If you are able to stay, please notify Kelly Peterson or Barb Schaefer. If you can help by bringing some fruit or veges to share, please contact Kelly kellyw151@yahoo.com or Barb blmschaefer@gmail.com. Thank you!

4 Come decorate the Tomb of our Lord! Friday, 5-3 at 12noon Calling kids of ALL AGES - everyone welcome to help decorate the Tomb of our Lord on Friday, May 3rd. There service of the Royal Hours begins at 9am. We will meet at 12noon - please bring your own lunch (or eat before you come). We will start in the Hall to talk about the Tomb and what we're dong - and eat lunches quickly. Then we'll decorate and clean-up - expecting to finish right around the service at 4pm for Taking Down of Christ from the Cross. If you'd like to bring flowers from home, you are welcome to! All Night Vigil at the Tomb of our Lord There is a sign-up sheet Narthex to take a turn standing watch at our Lord's Tomb between the Lamentation Service on Friday night and the Liturgy and Baptism on Great and Holy Saturday. Please see flyer in Narthex for more details. Please prayerfully consider signing up for a time slot, even if you never have in the past. This is open to ALL ages - and everyone is welcome! Encourage a friend to sign-up with you, or just take one slot and someone else will join you. Some people spend the night at the church, sleeping between taking their turn reading the Psalms and praying - keeping watch at our Lord's tomb. Others drive in for their portion of the night, then return home to sleep. Either way - what an amazing opportunity! Great and Holy Friday is one of the most solemn Holy Days within the life of the Orthodox Church. On this day, we witness our Lord s unchanging love for us as He willingly gives His life for our sake. On Holy Friday (w/ the Passion Gospel service on Thurs night/after sundown - the start of Friday), we watch our Lord s crucifixion by the hands of those He came to save. In Matins of Holy Friday, we hear: "Today he who suspended the earth upon the waters is suspended on a tree. A crownof thorns is placed on the head of the King of angels. He who wore a false purple robe covered the heavens with clouds. He is smitten who, in the Jordan, delivered Adam. The Groom of the Church is fastened with nails, and the son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ! Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ! Thy sufferings we adore, O Christ! Make us to behold thy glorious Resurrection."

5 ANNOUNCEMENTS Pascha Celebration at the Fellegys. Reader Mark and Michelle wish to invite everyone to a Pascha open house after Agape Vespers on Pascha. We will have grills going to cook on, fellowship, and live music, so bring something to share (your talent if you play music), and join in the celebration of His glorious Resurrection! For more information see Reader Mark, or call at St. John Parking Lot: Help Needed Now that Spring has arrived and after assessing the situation and obtaining quotes from contractors the Parish Council last Tuesday evening decided we need to seal-coat the parish parking lot and re-paint the stripes. Although a complete resurfacing is needed, it was determined that we simply do not have the resources to accomplish a complete resurfacing since that would cost probably about $10,000. The seal-coating can be done for $2,547 (the lowest bid) and the Council has voted to move ahead with this needed maintenance. To not do so would be to allow the parking lot to undergo further deterioration requiring even more expense down the road. Brethren, we need your help. Special gifts to cover this cost of $2,547 are being requested. If you can please help with this need, please make checks out to "St. John Orthodox Church" with "parking lot" in the memo. Thank you, good brothers and sisters for your help! Love in Christ, +Fr. Basil St. Herman of Alaska Scholarship Fund St. Herman's Scholarship Fund has been established to help students who wish to pursue, or are currently pursuing, full time study in an institution of learning (two or four year college or university) or a vocational institute. Each year one or more students, depending upon funding in the scholarship account, will be selected to receive a stipend. In order to be eligible for the stipend, a student should be a member in good standing at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Post Falls or at Christ the Savior Orthodox Church in Spokane or at Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Church in Bonners Ferry, and a full time student at a high school or college with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4 point scale. Academic excellence, financial need and church /community service will be taken into account in the awarding of the stipend. Please see Fr. Basil or Barbara Garbinski for an application. June 10, 2013 is the deadline. St. John Wish List The wish list is an ongoing list of items needed at St. John s for the life of our community, and opportunities for you to help provide for the ministry and needs of our parish. If you are able to help provide any of these items, please contact Fr. Basil or Deacon Mark. Espresso machine

6 SCHEDULE OF HOLY WEEK SERVICES & EVENTS Lazarus Saturday Lazarus Saturday - Orthros and Divine Liturgy of Lazarus Saturday 9:00am; April 27 Vespers of Palm Sunday with Litia/Artoklasia 6:00pm Sunday, April 28 PALM SUNDAY - Orthros 9:00am; Divine Liturgy 10:00am; Sunday School and Lunch following; Bridegroom Orthros for Holy Monday 7:00pm Monday, April 29 Holy Monday - 7:00 PM: Bridegroom Orthros for Holy Tuesday Tuesday, April 30 Holy Tuesday - 7:00 PM: Bridegroom Orthros for Holy Wednesday Wednesday, May 1 Holy Wednesday - 7:00 PM: Pan-Orthodox Service of Holy Unction (at Holy Trinity Parish, Spokane) Thursday, May 2 Friday, May 3 Saturday, May 4 Sunday, May 5 EPISTLE READERS April 28 - Sbdcn. Barnabas Schaefer May 5/PASCHA - Owen Rush May 12 - Tabitha Townsend LUNCHEON & CLEANUP Holy Thursday - 9:00 AM: Vesperal Divine Liturgy for the Anniversary of the Mystical Supper of Christ 7:00 PM: Orthros with the Twelve Passion Gospels for Holy Friday Holy Friday - 9:00 AM: The Royal Hours on Holy Friday 4:00 PM: Great Vespers for Holy Saturday (Taking Down of Christ from the Cross) 7:00 PM: Orthros of Holy Saturday with the Engomia (Lamentations) Holy Saturday - 9:00 AM: Vesperal Divine Liturgy, the First Liturgy (Baptismal Liturgy) of Pascha, Reception of the Phillips Family into the Holy Church 11:30 PM: Midnight Office, the Resurrection (Rush) Service, Paschal Orthros and Paschal Divine Liturgy followed by Great Breaking of the Fast in the parish hall. HOLY PASCHA - 11:00 AM: Agape Vespers; Paschal Celebration at the Fellegy s following ALTAR SERVERS April 28 Cherubim May 5/PASCHA - All Mar 24 - Seraphim April 28/Palm Potluck: Cleanup Only: Team 2: Joy Corey, Morey Ranson, John & Piama Sunday Holmen, Adam & Mary Claire Roth, Jeff & Jenny Tecca May 5/PASCHA Potluck: Cleanup Only: Team 3: Barbara Garbinski, Norman O'Daniel, Joey Molloy, Shirley, Helen Weddle May 12 Team 4: Team Townsend, Owen & Bryne Rush, Fr Basil & Matushka Caldaroni, Tim & Kelly Peterson

7 An Enlightening Experience GREAT FRIDAY VIGIL In order to fully appreciate the wonder of Christ s Resurrection from the dead, it is important that we understand the significance of his sufferings that we may behold His glorious Resurrection. An ancient tradition in the Orthodox Church, which NAC Teen SOYO has committed itself to honor, is the Vigil at the Tomb of Christ. After our Lord died on the Cross, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus, bound it in linen cloths with spices and buried it in a new tomb. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sat opposite the tomb watching as their Lord was buried. The Church over the centuries has joined with these two women in keeping watch over Jesus tomb. The Holy Friday Vigil at Christ s tomb is our opportunity to keep vigil at the tomb of Christ as He descends in to Hell to loosen the bonds of death. What better way to understand the death and resurrection of Jesus than to participate in the Vigil by His tob. The Church has given us this opportunity to watch and wait with the countless saints and myriads of angels as our Lord conquers death. Common Questions What do I do at the Vigil? Your time at the vigil is spent in meditation and prayer while one or more people read sections from the Psalms and the Gospels before the Tomb of Christ in the church. Do I have to spend the whole night at the Church? Not unless you want to. After spending some time by Christ's tomb, you may find yourself wanting to stay. Where can I get more information about the Great Friday Vigil? You can visit the NAC Teen SOYO website at for more information as well as a helpful planning guide. How can Teen SOYO organize a Great Friday Vigil? First, contact your parish priest and discuss your ideas with him. With his permission and oversight, he will guide you in organizing this enlightening time at your parish.