Great and Glorious Pascha

Transcription

1 OUR LADY OF THE CEDARS CHURCH A MELKITE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 140 MITCHELL STREET, MANCHESTER, NH TEL # (603) FAX # (603) oloc.church@comcast.net Website: olocnh.org REV. THOMAS P. STEINMETZ, PASTOR RT. REV. ANDRE ST. GERMAIN REV. ROGER BOUCHER - Weekend Ministry REV. DEACON PAUL LEONARCZYK Great and Glorious Pascha

2 HOLY MYSTERY OF CONFESSION: Before or after any service or by appointment; HOLY MYSTERY OF CHRISTIAN ILLUMINATION: Please contact the clergy in advance to arrange for the required baptismal instructions; HOLY MYSTERY OF CROWNING: At least six months prior to the proposed wedding, please contact the clergy to arrange for the required interview and instructions; HOLY MYSTERY OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK: Please contact the pastor at any time when this sacrament is needed; HOLY COMMUNION FOR THE SICK: Anyone too infirm to attend our services may receive Holy Communion in the home. Please advise the clergy whenever this sacrament is needed. March 27, 2016 "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth. He is risen! He is not here!" GREAT, GLORIOUS, AND HOLY PASCHA THE PROKIMENON: THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE: LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE IN IT! Give praise to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever! Today s Readings: Acts 1: 1-9 and John 1: 1-17 LITURGY INTENTIONS Saturday, 9:30 PM: For all of the members of the parish, and for our loved ones, living and departed Sunday, 11:00 AM: For all of the members of the parish, and for our loved ones, living and departed Next Saturday, (Apr. 2) 4:30 PM: For the repose of Nimnoon David (42 nd ), Lamia Solomon (31 st, Annie Attalla (33 rd ), Alice Page (31 st ), Peter Gula (18 th ), Salam Fawaz (21 st ), Souad Kessop (4 th ), Stephen Stephen (38 th ), Bedra Ashkar (40 th ), Anne Jadda (56 th ), Esther Essie (58 th ), David Wihbi (50 th ), Thomas Holt (26 th ), and Alice Ashooh (9 th ) Next Sunday, (Apr. 3) 11:00 AM For the repose of Louise Ashooh, who departed from this life on Sunday, March 13

3 Christ is Risen! He is truly risen! Christos anesti! Alithos anesti! Al-massehu qam! Haqqan qam! THE EASTER SEASON IS HERE! The week that follows Pascha is known as Bright Week. All the days of this coming week are considered to constitute one continuous celebration of Pascha. For the next forty days (until the Feast of the Ascension on May 5), the doors of the iconostasis remain open as a reminder that Christ has destroyed the barrier between God and humanity, and has opened the gates of Heaven for us. During this forty-day period, there is no fasting or abstinence, even on Wednesdays and Fridays. Bring the Easter Fire home with you! Candles are available in the back of the church for anyone who would like to bring home the blessed fire of Easter! The Feast of the Annunciation The Feast of the Annunciation is a celebration of the Incarnation of the Lord and commemorates the announcement of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary that she had been chosen to be the Mother of God. This feast will be observed with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM. Sunday School News: Classes will resume at 10 AM next Sunday. Many thanks to all who participated in the cleaning of the Church for Holy Week and Pascha: Jeanine Notter, Moe Pare, Alison Kalidish, Kathy Steinmetz, Vivian Beadle, Will Beadle, Bridget Proulx, Ally Proulx, Dustin Proulx, and Paul Proulx. Attendance: Last Saturday, 4:30 PM: 26 Sunday, 11:00 AM: 177 Last Weekend s Collection: $ 1, Flowers: $ The average envelope offering last week was The balance remaining on our mortgage is: $ 301, SERVICES FOR BRIGHT WEEK Mon., Mar. 28 7:00 PM Agape Vespers, with the Gospel proclaimed in many languages Tues., Mar. 29 7:00 PM Divine Liturgy of the Annunciation Wed., Mar. 30 7:00 PM Divine Liturgy of Bright Wednesday Sat. Apr. 2 4:30 PM Divine Liturgy: The Sunday of St. Thomas Sun., Apr. 3 10:15 AM Sunday Orthros Sun., Apr. 3 11:00 AM Divine Liturgy: The Sunday of St. Thomas

4 In grateful acknowledgement of those who donated for Pascha flowers O Lord sanctify those who love the beauty of your house Given by: Robert & Robin Anderson Family Almaz Ashooh & Family Richard & Lori Ashooh Carol Bednarowski Terri Cullen Charbel & Samia Dagher Joseph Dagher Salam & Martha Dagher Patricia Dano Peter & Marilyn Detone Tim & Alma Ermatinger Grace Freije The Fregeau Family Wissam & Jeanne Haidar Dr. & Mrs. Robert Kaladish Paul & Barbara Kearney Ibrahim & Leila Khoury Joseph & Marie Khoury Ken Kmoisarek Marylou Lazos Rev. Dcn. Paul & Terri Leonarczyk Matthew and Jessica Lomanno Paul Mansur William & Rachel Minsinger Kenneth Monty Kamal & Najwa Moussoba Joseph & Sherry Nehme Stefan & Jeanine Notter In memory of: Louise Ashooh, Ernest Ashooh, and Nassim Sleiman Ernest Ashooh Emile J. Ashooh Sr. and Louise Ashooh Deceased members of the Kfoury and Bednarowski Families Mitch & Millie Ashooh Haidar Family and Assaly Family Deceased family members Deceased family members Family For the health of Joe, Marie, Johnny and Molly Khoury Louise Ashooh Deceased members of the Jabaley and Leonarczyk Families Deceased family and friends Nassim Sleiman Youseff Nehme Deceased relatives and friends

5 Given by: RJ & Elizabeth Palazzolo Rt. Rev. Andre & Claire St. Germain Paul St. Germain Ray & Denise Sherburne Family Ted & Dolly Shiepe Rev. Thomas & Kathleen Steinmetz In memory of: Deceased members of our Families Gerry Ouellette Walter & Peggy Hunt, Edward, Hannah Hikel, Ted & Helen Bogannam Shiepe All of the deceased of the parish Why Red Eggs on Pascha? It is an ancient Orthodox Christian tradition to have red eggs at Pascha. The tradition is for eggs to be dyed red on Holy Thursday in commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal which Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The custom of presenting each other with a red egg at Pascha reflects an interchange between Mary Magdalene and Tiberius Caesar. According to tradition, Mary Magdalene traveled to Rome, where she was able to obtain an audience with the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar. Her purpose was to protest to him that his governor in Judea, Pontius Pilate, and the two high priests, Annas and Caiaphas, had conspired and executed an innocent man, namely our Lord Jesus Christ. According to custom, everyone visiting the Emperor was supposed to bring him a gift. Rich and influential people, of course, brought expensive gifts whereas the poor offered whatever they could afford. Mary Magdalene took an egg to the Emperor's palace and handed it to Tiberius Caesar with the greeting: "Christ is risen!" Tiberius Caesar, naturally, could not believe what he heard and responded to her: "How could anyone ever rise from the dead? It is as impossible as that white egg to turn red." While Tiberius was speaking these words, the egg in the hand of Mary Magdalene began changing color until it finally became bright red. Mary Magdalene then went on to explain to Tiberius Caesar that the now-red egg symbolized life rising from a sealed chamber, a symbol that would have been understandable to a pagan Roman. Thus the Paschal greeting -- in universal Christendom, both East and West -- has ever since remained "Christ is risen!" and it became traditional for Christians throughout the world to color eggs in red. Mary Magdalene is often shown in iconography to be holding the red egg once presented to Tiberius Caesar, which she used to explain the mystery of Christ rising from a sealed tomb.

6 Proclaiming the Resurrection CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! This greeting, exchanged throughout this season by Eastern Christians, is one of the hall-marks of our paschal feast. Although it is not used in the West, the faith it expresses is at the heart of every Christian community s belief in every historic tradition. Even before our written Gospels were compiled, faith in the resurrection was at the heart of the Christian message. As St Paul says, this teaching had been passed on to him by the first believers: For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time (1 Cor 15:3-8). Christ s resurrection was not merely accepted by the first Christians; it was recognized as the cornerstone of their faith. St Paul continues: But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith also is empty (vv. 13, 14). The Christian faith would be empty if Christ were not risen. He might be an inspiring religious leader, but He would still be a failed one. His teachings might be accepted by some people but that in itself would not change our world. As Pope Benedict XVI of Rome noted, In other words, we would be alone. Only if Jesus is risen has anything really new occurred that changes the world. What is new in Christ s resurrection is that His humanity is fully transformed be the power of God. On one hand the risen Christ is not an incorporeal being; He was not reborn as a spirit without a body. Nor is He depicted as a heavenly being, radiant with glory. On the other hand, He was not simply returned to the life which He had before the crucifixion. The Gospels show us a risen Christ with a true human body, but one which has in some way been transformed. To quote Pope Benedict once more, the risen Christ is shown to have an entirely new form of life, a life that is no longer subject to the law of dying and becoming, but lies beyond it a life that opens up a new dimension of human existence This life is open to those who live in Him since He is merely the first-fruits of a crop which includes us: But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, afterward those who are Christ s at His coming (v.20-23).

7 The Resurrection Gospels The four canonical Gospels contain a number of narratives on the resurrection. They are roughly divided into two groups. In the first we are told of the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalen, the other women and by the apostles Peter and John. The stone is rolled back from the entrance, the tomb is empty apart from the cloths in which Jesus body had been wrapped. The women are told by an angel (angels) that Jesus is not here He is risen. In the second group the risen Christ appears to His disciples in a variety of settings. Some of these appearances are in or around Jerusalem (the upper room, the road to Emmaus). Others are in Galilee where some disciples encounter Jesus by the lake as they are fishing, and finally on the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them (Mt 28:16). Commentators have noted that the stories describing Christ s appearances in Jerusalem center on the inner life of the Church: the explanation of the Scriptures, the breaking of bread, the forgiving of sins, and table fellowship. The Galilee appearances are focused on the mission of the apostles to the world: proclaiming the Gospel, baptizing and teaching all nations. In both cases Christ s disciples are offered hope and encouragement: by the promises that Christ is ever with them (Mt 28:19) and that they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49). In the Byzantine Churches one of these eleven resurrection narratives is read every Sunday at orthros/matins. On Pascha itself the second resurrection Gospel (Mk 16:1-8) is read at orthros before the closed door of the church, in the practice of the southern churches. Curiously there is no Gospel read at the Resurrection Matins in the Slavic Churches. The Third Resurrection Gospel One of the resurrection narratives merits some attention here. The third, Mk 16:9-20, is not found in many Greek manuscripts before the fifth century. It is also missing in some Syriac, Coptic, Armenian and Georgian translations. However early Christian writers of the second century such as St Justin the Philosopher, Tatian and St Hippolytus of Rome cited elements of this passage as Scripture in their works, indicating that it was known in at least some places as integral to the Gospel. The passage has been part of the Byzantine lectionary since its formation. Paschal or Agape Vespers (al-baouth) The Ninth Resurrection Gospel or at least part of it - is read in a unique way at vespers on the evening of Pascha. The passage, Jn 20:19-25, tells of Christ s appearance to His disciples the same day at evening, being the first day of the week (v. 19). And so this selection is read at the same time as the events it describes. Thomas, who was not present when Christ appeared, did not believe the others and uttered rashly, Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe (v. 25). The reading stops here to be picked up next Sunday when the end of the story (vv ) took place. In the southern Byzantine Churches this passage is read in several languages, sometimes in as many languages as there are people able to read them. In some parishes the readers are stationed all around the church turning the nave into a world being evangelized by the apostles. The reading is followed by a procession which, whenever possible, goes outside the church through the neighborhood and into the cemetery while the Paschalia (stichera of Pascha) are chanted. Both the reading and the procession represent how the Church has carried out the apostolic commission to preach the Gospel to all nations.

8 Please remember to pray for the health and protection of Genevieve Allen, Elizabeth Ashooh, Elsie Ashooh, Louise Ashooh, Al Auclair, Alice Auclair, Erin Baroody, Michael Baroody, Anthony Blando, Helena Burkush, Fr. Michael Carl, Danielle Caron, Michael Cavanaugh, Meghan Connors, Theresa Cullen, Jamileh Dagher, Sher Farrow, Declan Finn, Janet Drake, Julie Fregeau, Mary Fregeau, Peter Fregeau, Christine Freitas, John Gallagher, Loretto Gauvin, Bonnie Gomez, Nick Haddad, Jean Hannoush, Lucille Harper, Howard Jabaley, Laura Jorba, Virginia Kearney, Shirley Lanoue, Susan Latvis, Roger Lawrence, Peggy Leclear, Sadie Grace McCallum, Miriam McCallum, Susan Merrill, Margaret Mitchell, Alfred Nasr, Afef Nasr, Blaise Notter, Steven O Leary, Denis O Keefe, Ellen Osgood, Josephine Paquette, Russell Pond, Sheila Quinn, Deborah Roberts, Adam Rubin, Fr. Andre St. Germain, Salwa Sleiman, Tarrant Smith, Mary Stephen, Catherine Waldron, Laura Weingast, and Iris Angelina Velasquez. If you are visiting our church, our parish family is delighted to welcome you here! Please give us the chance to get to know you by joining us for some coffee, pastry, and conversation in the church hall following the Divine Liturgy. If you would like to know more about the Melkite Catholic Church, check out the brochure entitled Welcome to this Holy House, located on the table in the back of the church. NORTH HILLS REALTY GROUP, LLC Residential Real Estate Brokers Abraham Dagher, Realtor 814 Elm St., Suite # 302 Manchester, NH (603) Your Ad Here $300 per Year Check out the Mahrajan Website: Your Ad Here: $300/year!! Check out -new educational material is posted regularly!