Sunday of the Samaritan Woman The Samaritan Woman an Apostle and Evangelist

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1 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman The Samaritan Woman an Apostle and Evangelist Icon of Christ and the Samaritan Woman Eastern Christian Bulletin Service -- PO Box Fairfax, VA Ph: Fax:

2 St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church A Parish of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese (antiochian.org) and The Diocese of Charleston, Oakland & The Mid-Atlantic (antiochian.org/east) ( the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch! Acts 11:26) 111 Alberta Avenue Johnstown, PA stmaryaocc.org // office@stmaryaocc.org Most Rev. Metropolitan SILOUAN Patriarchal Vicar Right Rev. Bishop THOMAS Auxiliary Bishop (Diocese of Charleston / Oakland & The Mid-Atlantic) Very Rev. Fr. Donald E. Shadid, M.Div. & D.Min. Archpriest & Pastor Rev. Fr. Anthony G. Roeber, M.A. (Theology) & Ph.D. Attached Clergy Edward Makdad Parish Council Chairperson Go to Church Say Your Prayers Don t Forget God! Fr. Don Home: frdon@stmaryaocc.org Office: THE SUNDAY OF THE SAMARITAN WOMAN Sunday, May 18, Martyrs PETER, DIONYSIOS, ANDREW, PAUL, CHRISTINA, HERAKLIOS, PAULINO & BENEDIMOS and STEPHEN the New Patriarch of Constantinople. Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! We welcome all of you, our Faithful and our visitors, to St. Mary Orthodox Church! It is a pleasure to have you with us as we glorify and praise the Name of our God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Please sing along with our Choir during the Liturgy. Please note that the Sacrament of Holy Communion can only be given to Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves by prayer, fasting, regular Confession (at least twice per year 7 Yrs. old & up), who attend Liturgy regularly & on time and are at peace with all people. When receiving Holy Communion, please fold your arms over your chest, open your mouth wide, tip your head back slightly and allow the priest to place the elements in your mouth. For our non-orthodox brethren, we welcome you to sing and pray with us, venerate the Cross and receive the Holy Bread at the end of the Divine Liturgy. Please join us again soon. May God Bless You Always!

3 HOLY OBLATION: Offered by Maria Plakakis for the health of her son, Ilias. May God Grant Him Many, Many Years! PASCHAL CANDLES: Offered in beloved memory of Anthony Berrich, Jr. by Tony & Marianne Spada and Family. PROSKAMEDIA CANDLE: Offered: (1) for the health of Lottie & Larry Bertino by our St. Mary Liturgical Choir ( May God s Peace [John 14:27] & Love be with them always! ) and (2) for the health of Becky Azar & Family by Adele & Fred Azar. SEVEN-BRANCHED CANDLE: Offered: (1) in beloved memory of George Petimezas by May Petimezas & Family and (2) in beloved memory of parents, grand & great-grandparents, John & Elizabeth (Andrews) Spada, who are celebrating their 74 th Wedding Anniversary on May 5 by their Children (Barbara Skala and Family [husband, Buddy, son & wife, Andy & Jill, daughter & husband, Stephanie & Dennis and their children, Brendan & Erin] and Tony & Marianne Spada and Family). PRAYERS OF LITURGICAL REMEMBRANCE: Offered: (1) for the health of Joey D Ettorre, as he recovers from surgery by Fr. Don, Khouria Janet, Chris & Steve Shadid; (2) in beloved memory of William G. Joseph (+05/15/2004) by the Joseph Family and (3) for the health, safety & quick release of: Metropolitan PAUL Yazigi (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo brother of our Patriarch, His Beatitude, John X of the Great City of God, Antioch and all the East) & Archbishop YOHANNA Ibrahim (Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo); and in beloved memory of their Driver, Rev. Dn. Fatha Allah Kabboud, by Fr. Don and the Faithful of our St. Mary Parish Family. For The Living God Grant Them Many Years! and For The Departed May Their Memory Be Ever Eternal! VARIATIONS & NOTES ON THE LITURGY - FIRST ANTIPHON: (Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos ) Shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing to His Name; give glory to His praises. / Refrain. / Say to God: How awesome are Thy works; let all the earth worship Thee, and sing to Thee. / Refrain. / Glory & Now and... Refrain.

4 SECOND ANTIPHON: (Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, who rose from the dead, as we sing to Thee: Alleluia. ) May God have mercy upon us, and bless us, and may He cause His face to shine upon us, and have mercy on us. / Refrain. / 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 & Now and O Only-Begotten Son.... THIRD ANTIPHON: (Troparion During The Little Entrance - Tone One) Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered; and let them who hate Him flee from before His face. / Refrain - Christ Is Risen! / As smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away; as wax melteth before the fire. / Refrain. / So do sinners perish from before the face of God; and the righteous do rejoice. / Refrain. / This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice therein. / Refrain. THE ENTRANCE HYMN: In the gathering places bless ye God the Lord from the springs of Israel. O Son of God, who didst rise from the dead, save us, who sing unto Thee. Alleluia. AFTER THE LITTLE ENTRANCE: TROPARION OF THE RESURRECTION: (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. TROPARION OF MID-PENTECOST: (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 THE DORMITION OF THE HOLY THEOTOKOS: (Feast Day Tone One) In thy birth-giving, O Theotokos, thou didst keep and preserve virginity; and in thy falling-asleep thou hast not forsaken the world for thou wast translated in to life, being the Mother of Life. Wherefore, by thine intercessions, deliver our souls from death.

5 KONTAKION OF PASCHA: (Tone Eight) Though Thou, O deathless One, didst descend into the grave, Thou didst destroy the power of Hades and, as Victor, Thou didst rise again, O Christ our God. Thou didst greet the Ointment-Bearing Women, saying, Rejoice! Thou didst bestow peace upon Thy Disciples; and resurrection upon those that are fallen. EPISTLE: Acts 11:19-30 (Sunday of The Samaritan Woman) HOLY GOSPEL: John 4:5-42 (Sunday of The Samaritan Woman) Concerning the Kiss of Peace, prior to the Nicene Creed, we encourage you to greet those around you with a handshake, saying: Christ is Risen! the response being: Truly He is Risen! In this way, we express: (1) our Joy that God has acted to restore our Communion with Him and (2) our Hope in the Resurrection from the Dead that is offered to us by our Lord s own trampling down death by death! God is With Us ( Emmanuel )! MEGALYNARION FOR PASCHA (Instead Of It Is Truly Meet... 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 and Shine, shine O new Jerusalem; for the glory of the Lord hath risen upon thee. Rejoice and exult now, O Zion, and thou, O pure one, Theotokos, rejoice at the Resurrection of thy Son. MEGALYNARION FOR THE SAMARITAN WOMAN (Tone One): 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): (Tone Eight) (Refrain): Receive ye the Body of Christ; taste ye the Fountain of Immortality. Alleluia! Verse: Great is the mystery of Thy resurrection, O Christ. (Refrain) Verse: From the supper the Immortal One willingly cometh to the passion. (Refrain) Verse: Then was Hades, who accounted and demanded of souls, embittered at the encounter. (Refrain) Verse: Then was Mary, who anointed and worshipped God before the tomb, made glad. (Refrain) Verse: Tell Peter and the other apostles that the Immortal One hath risen from the dead. (Refrain)

6 POST COMMUNION (Instead of We have seen the True Light ): Christ is Risen! (Once) See Tropar of Pascha (Third Antiphon Above) THIS WEEK S EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS - (Church Office: Mon. Fri. 9 AM 1 PM) + Tuesday, May 20 NO PASCHAL DAILY MATINS. + Wednesday, May 21 PASCHAL DAILY VESPERS 6 PM Followed by Discussion Group Open to one and all! + Thursday, May 22 PASCHAL DAILY MATINS 8 AM. + Saturday, May 24 NO GREAT VESPERS. + Sunday, May 25 SUNDAY OF THE BLINDMAN 8:15 AM & DIVINE 9:30 AM Followed by Special Graduation Party for Stephen Shadid in Social Hall One & All are Invited Please come & Join Us! C O N F E S S I O N S C H E D U L E After All Weekday & Saturday Services and By Appointment Before Services. Due to Fr. s Commitment to Matins, Confession Will Not Be Offered On Sunday Mornings. THOSE IN SPECIAL NEED OF OUR PRAYERS: ST. MARGARET UPMC (Pittsburgh): Joseph D Ettorre (#607); CONEMAUGH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Main Campus: Dawn (Joseph) Hagins (ICU #R-634) & Good Samaritan Campus: David Abraham (#4432); ARBUTUS PARK MANOR: Mitchell Azar (#423) & Lottie Bertino (#330); CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN HOME: Bea Jaber (#251); LAURELVIEW VILLAGE: Very Rev. John (#104) & Matushka Olga Govrusik (#528), George Heider (#210) & Vivian Salem (#214); PRESBYTERIAN HOME: Becky Azar (#118) and IN TREATMENT, RECOVERING AND / OR SHUT-IN AT HOME : Vivian (Saleeba) Curry; Renee D Ettorre; Elaine (Shamas) Emeigh; Jill Jaber; Genevieve Milkie; Peter Povich and Greg & Mary Evelyn (Finley) Smith and infant son, Simeon Lee. May God Be With All of Them & All of Those Who are Ill and / or in Need! MEMORY ETERNAL!: It is with a bright sadness that we announce that a former parishioner, Barbara (Bell) Holland Fell-Asleep in the Lord just last Sunday, May 11, We pray that our Lord will grant her Rest in His

7 Heavenly Kingdom where all of His Blessed Saints do Repose; and we ask Him to grant His Mercy & Peace (John 14:27) to the Bell & Holland Families and us as we all mourn her Passing with the Hope of Christ in our Hearts (1 Thessalonians 4:13). May Her Memory Be Ever Eternal! Please Note That As Is Our Tradition, The Royal Doors & The Deacon s Doors Were Closed During The Stichera on Psalm 140 During Last Evening s Great Vespers For St. Thomas Sunday. Also, Note That There Is To Be No Fasting During The Week Following Pascha (Bright Week), and Our Holy Synod of Antioch Has Decreed That the Remainder of the Paschal Season May be Kept as a Fast-Free Period as Well (Thomas Sunday, April 27 to the Leave-Taking of Pascha, Wednesday, May 28.) If You Would Like to Resume the Wed. & Fri. Fasting After Thomas Sunday, You May. Lastly, Note That From Pascha to The Sunday of Pentecost, The Troparion, O Heavenly King Is Not Sung and From Pascha to its Leave-Taking, Instead of: Holy God, O Come, Let Us Worship & Fall Down in Matins, The Hours and Vespers; and Glory to God in The Highest Before the Matins Psalms; and, We Have Seen The True Light CHOIR LIGHT DONATIONS: We have received donations for three more of the new Choir Lights for our St. Mary Liturgical Choir Offered by: (1) The Milkie Family in beloved memory of father, George N. Milkie; (2) Martha & Family in beloved memory of husband, father & grandfather, Fred J. McLoota and (3) Dad, Taita & Zach in beloved memory of son, grandson & brother, Timothy Jacob McLoota, Jr. May Their Memory Be Ever Eternal! St. Mary Parish Financial Snapshot As of March 31, 2014 March 2014 Year to Date (YTD) Parishioner Giving (Income) $ 11, $ 23, Expenses Paid $ 11, $ 37, Parishioner Giving vs. Expenses Paid $ $ -13, Please Do Not Forget 2014 PASCHAL ALMSGIVING PROJECT: IOCC HEALTH CARE KITS! We are collecting personal hygiene items and / or $$$ Donations to be used towards these Kits Please Help Us! See Insert in this Bulletin-you may also talk with Khouria Janet or Maria Plakakis. The International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is a world renowned & respected Humanitarian Organization which seeks to share God s Love with all those who are in need.

8 A Spiritual Gem (compiled by Fr. Noah Bushelli St. Philip Antiochian Orthodox Church Souderton, PA) Masters, Fathers, Mothers, Brothers & Sisters, Bless! Christo e risorto! Blessed Feast of Mid-Pentecost! This Sunday we are reading about Christ s meeting of the Samaritan Woman at the well. St. John Chrysostom (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Schaff 1 14:118) mentions her evangelic response. Let us grow by her simple example as practical evangelists. As the apostles left their nets on being called, so she leaves her water jar to do the work of an evangelist by calling not one or two people as Andrew and Philip did, but a whole city. In Christ! +Fr. Noah St. Sophia Orthodox Christian Academy Annual Benefit Dinner Sunday, May 18, 2014 Christ the Saviour Educational Center 307 Garfield St. 4:30 PM --- Hors D oeuvres 5:00 PM --- Dinner & Cookie Bar Come Celebrate another Fruitful Year with Family & Friends! Tickets: $25 Adults /// $12.50 Children & Students For Tickets & Info., call Romayne Program Book Be a Friend or Sponsor an Ad call Susan

9 The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman 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 (Genesis 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, and He sat down at this well. After a little while the Samaritan woman mentioned in today's Gospel passage

10 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. Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone The Samaritan Woman, having come to the well in faith, beheld You, the Water of Wisdom from which she drank plentifully and inherited the Heavenly Kingdom as one who is blessed forever.

11 + How to Prepare for the Holy Eucharist + To all those who partake of the Body & Blood of Christ when they participate in the Divine Liturgy: As Orthodox Christians, we are called to the Chalice each and every time that we celebrate the Divine Liturgy; however, it is most essential that we prepare ourselves to receive the Lord, so that we will not approach unworthily and risk experiencing the consuming, rather than the purifying fire of the Eucharist. With this in mind, the following guidelines will help us in our preparation: +++ No excessive partying or socializing on Saturday evening we should keep ourselves in a quiet & prayerful atmosphere, reading the gospels and epistles of the New Testament and praying the Prayers of Preparation before Communion (these latter prayers can also be done on Sunday Morning if there is time); +++ Maintain a prayerful atmosphere on Sunday morning (difficult with children, yes, but not impossible try it!); +++ No consumption of food or drink past a reasonable bedtime the night before (preferably no later than Midnight) this includes no coffee, no smoking and no chewing gum on Sunday morning as well; +++ If you need your medicine in the morning, please take it if you are supposed to eat or drink something with it, then do so as moderately as possible; +++ As always, we should partake of the Sacrament of Confession at least 2-4 times a year if we are taking Communion frequently (hint: use the 4 fasting periods of the liturgical year Advent, Great Lent, Apostles Fast & Dormition Fast) if we are not frequent communicants (3-4 times per month), then Confession before Communion is necessary each time we partake; +++ At the very least, attend the Sunday cycle of prayer Saturday Evening Vespers, Sunday Morning Matins (Morning Prayers) and Sunday Divine Liturgy if we attend Sunday Liturgy irregularly (e.g. missing more than once a month), then we should not be taking Communion each time we attend, unless we have had Confession in the recent days prior; +++ Be on time to the Divine Services and be at Peace with all people if we arrive at Church after the Little Entrance with the Gospel, we should not receive Communion on that day it is truly a sign of disrespect when we enter the services late and / or when we leave the Liturgy early (before the Dismissal) and our Lord tells us that we cannot love God and hate our brother for whoever is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; (Matthew 5:22) and +++ Fellowship Hour is not to be started until after the Divine Liturgy is completed! Please strive to practice these Spiritual Disciplines.

12 +++ LENTEN & PASCHAL OFFERINGS +++ We are now nearing of our 2014 Lenten Journey! There are many items that the Church needs for all of our special services, and we ask for your participation and support. If you would like to offer a donation to our St. Mary Parish Family for the health of or in memory of a loved one, please fill out the form below and leave it in the Prayer Request Box in the Hallway, marked for Fr. Don s attention. We thank you and pray that your Lenten Journey and Pascha will be a most Fruitful, Joyous & Peaceful one (John 14:27)! Cut Here Dear Fr. Don: It would be a great joy for me (us) to offer a donation of $ towards the following: Wine Agape Meal Incense Candles for Processions Donations towards Holy Week Service Books for Parishioners Pastor s Discretionary Fund (Help for Needy & Misc.) For the Health of: - and / or In Beloved Memory of: Given by:

13 Priest: Let us attend. Epistle Reader: How great are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all. Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul! Priest: Wisdom. Reader: The Reading is taken from The Acts of The Apostles (11:19-30) Priest: Let us attend. 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 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. Holy Gospel The reading is taken 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.

14 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 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.

15 The Saints Of The Day May 18, 2014* SAINT CONSTANTINE AND EMPRESS HELENA Constantine's parents were Emperor Constantius Chlorus and the Empress Helena. Chlorus had other children by another wife, but from Helena he had only Constantine. After his coronation Constantine fought three great battles: one, against Maxentius, a Roman tyrant; the second, against the Scythians on the Danube and the third, against the Byzantines. Before the battle with Maxentius, while Constantine was greatly concerned and in doubt about his success, a brilliant Cross appeared to him in the sky during the day, completely adorned with stars and written on the Cross were these words: "By this Sign Conquer." Astonished, the emperor ordered a large cross to be forged similar to the one that appeared to him and that it be carried before the army. By the power of the Cross he achieved a glorious victory over the enemy who was superior in members. Maxentius was drowned in the Tiber River. Immediately after that, Constantine issued the famous Edict of Milan in the year 313 A.D. to halt the persecution of Christians. Defeating the Byzantines, Constantine built a beautiful capital on the Bosphorus which from that time on was called Constantinople. Before that, however, Constantine succumbed to the dreaded disease of leprosy. As a cure, the pagan priests and physicians counseled him to bathe in the blood of slaughtered children. However, he rejected that. Then the Apostles Peter and Paul appeared to him and told him to seek out Bishop Sylvester who will cure him of this dreaded disease. The bishop instructed him in the Christian Faith, baptized him and the disease of leprosy vanished from the emperor's body. When a discord began in the Church because of the mutinous heretic Arius, the emperor convened the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, 325. A.D., where the heresy was condemned and Orthodoxy confirmed. St. Helena, the pious mother of the emperor, was very zealous for the Faith of Christ. She visited Jerusalem, discovered the Honorable Cross of the Lord, built the Church of the Resurrection on Golgotha and many other churches throughout the Holy Land. This holy woman presented herself to the Lord in her eightieth year in 327 A.D. Emperor Constantine outlived his mother by ten years. He died in Nicomedia in his sixty-fifth year in 337 A.D. His body was interred in the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Constantinople. REFLECTION We see that vice is something shameful and sinful in that it always hides and always takes upon itself the appearance of good works. St. John Chrysostom beautifully says: "Vice does not have its own particular face, but borrows the face of good works." This is why the Savior said: "they come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). Call a liar, a liar; a thief, a thief; a murderer, a murderer; an adulterer, an adulterer; a slanderer, a slanderer and you will infuriate them. However, call a man whatever you want: honest, honorable, unselfish, truthful, just, conscientious and you will make him light up with joy and please him. Again, according to Chrysostom, I quote: "good works are something natural in man while vice is something unnatural and false." If a man is even caught in a vice, he quickly justifies his vice by some good works; he clothes it in the garments of good works. Indeed, vice does not posses its own particular face. The same is true of the devil, the father of vices! To God Be Glory and Praise Always! Amen. *Taken from The Prologue from Ochrid by Saint Nicholas (Velimirovich)

16 Equal of the Apostles and Emperor Constantine with his Mother Helen May 21, 2014 On the Name of Jesus Elder Sophrony Sakharov, a true Father in Christ for our times, having immersed himself in the practice of pure prayer from the heart, explains that: the Name Jesus as His proper Name is ontologically connected with Him. For us it is the bridge between ourselves and Him (Jn. 20:29). It is the channel through which divine strength comes to us. Proceeding from the All-Holy, it [His Name] is holy and we are sanctified by invoking it. With this Name and through this Name our prayer acquires a certain objective form or significance: It unites us with God. Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov, His Life is Mine, trans. Rosemary Edmonds (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir s Seminary Press, 1977), pp Troparion Tone 8 Having seen the figure of the Cross in the heavens, / and like Paul not having received his call from men, O Lord, / Your apostle among rulers, the Emperor Constantine, / has been set by Your hand as ruler over the Imperial City / that he preserved in peace for many years, / through the prayers of the Theotokos, O only lover of mankind. Kontakion Tone 3 Today Constantine and his mother Helen / reveal the precious Cross, / the weapon of the faithful / against their enemies. / For our sakes, it has been shown to be a great sign, and fearsome in battle

17 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman 09 May 2004 Saint Mary s, Johnstown AGR (Acts: 11:19-30; John 4:5-42) The readings from last week the Sunday of the Paralytic called our attention to the centrality of faith in the Resurrected Lord and his continued offer of faith that we must respond to in order that we might truly become the Sons of God by adoption. But the readings also started pointing us toward Pentecost. This Sunday s lessons move us even further toward the Descent of the Holy Spirit by reminding us that true knowledge and worship of God springs from the transformation of the whole person. It is not to be confused with any particular place, or human tradition, or observation of customs, or conveniences not in the Temple of Jerusalem, or Mount Gerazim or any other made by human hands. In a word we re being warned against the primal sin of idolatry the making of God in our own image, and likeness, and convenience, and comfort and human traditions. Instead, we are encouraged to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit is He who reveals the Father to us through the work of the Son in this life on earth. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. And who starts to get this message? Not the Jews who were privileged to have the Law and the Prophets and the Wisdom writings but the Samaritans who accepted only the first five books of Holy Scripture, had built their alternative temple on Mount Gerazim, were a mixed race of Jews and pagans and were despised as a result. The first reading today taken from the Acts of the Apostles prepares us to hear this call to worship in spirit and in truth and to look to our own lives. The reading continues where the reading for last week ended with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gentiles in Joppa. We re tempted by today s lessons to be a bit smug, I m afraid. After all, who can resist the human temptation to hear that great verse 26: And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch and not say you bet that s us! The real message of the reading, however, is more sobering. Most of the persecuted continued to preach the Risen Lord only to Jews, and only a few had the vision that had been extended to Peter. The believers from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and also spoke to the Greeks to the Gentiles. So the message for us is clear we re not being invited to live our lives as comfortable witnesses only to fellow Antiochians anymore than the Jews were invited to continue being comfortable in their delusions about being the children of Abraham who had Moses and the Prophets.. Instead, we should hear the witness of the prophet Agabus who prophesied the great famine and whose listeners sent relief to the brethren and it doesn t say just the Jewish Brethren, or the Greek Brethren, or the Antiochian Brethren. We re to be doers of the word, and not hearers only as Saint Paul reminds us elsewhere repeatedly in his Epistles and to witness to all mankind, not just to those we like or who we think are like us.

18 The Gospel lesson today develops this same theme. By ancient tradition, the Church has identified the Samaritan woman as Photini bright and shining is the meaning of her name. After a lifetime of preaching and witnessing to Christ, she was martyred in Smyrna, in what is today Turkey a long way from her home in Samaria. Jesus actually has less trouble getting her to hear his message than he does his own disciples who can t get over the fact that he s talking to a woman and a Samaritan woman, at that. Saint John Chrsystom warns us, however, that it s not just the Jews who are missing the point. He asks, that if a woman of Samaria is so eager to learn something profitable; if she stays with Christ though not yet knowing Him, what pardon shall we obtain? We know Him...yet are unable to endure anything that is said, but are jaded in our knowledge. (Homily 31 on John 3:4-5, p 110) And what is it we have such a hard time hearing? Jesus own food, he tells us, is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. The will of the Father is nothing less than the salvation of all humankind. The Samaritan villagers could tell Photini finally that they did not have to depend on her words alone, because they and heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. But we, fellow Christians, live in the post-pentecost Church. Shortly we ll observe the Feast of the Ascension, and like the disciples, we must live in a world without appearances of the Risen Lord. Instead, we live in the world where the invisible Spirit of God, the fountain of water springing up into everlasting life continually urges us to be about the work of Father announcing the Gospel. Because the Gospel of John we read during the Paschal season is very clear about eternal life as Jesus told his Apostles at the Last Supper: this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3). To be Orthodox right believing, and right worshipping is to live the life of the Spirit, and in so doing, to proclaim to others the desire of the Father for the salvation of all mankind. It requires us to put aside convenience and comfort and to reach out to others who are not like us; it requires us to be alert lest we also fall into the worship of a false god of our own making. It requires us to become transparent bright and shining as Saint Photini so that our Lord will be able to say of us that our light will shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. May we be true worshippers of God, in Spirit and in Truth. And through the prayers of our Holy Fathers and especially our Holy Mother Photini, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us, and save us. Amen.

19 + + + LET US GIVE ALMS! This year s Project for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Women of North America is Help the Orphans of War in Syria. The Antiochian Women have been asked to raise $200, towards this worthwhile project. Stay tuned for further information Fr. Don would like our Parish to participate. Remember, every Woman in our Parish is an Antiochian Woman! OUR ADULT DISCUSSION / STUDY GROUP HAS BEGUN COME & JOIN US! Fr. Don is pleased to announce that our Adult Discussion / Study Group will start up again on Wednesday, April 30, after Daily 6 PM i.e. Group meets at approximately 7:00 PM. Thus far, we have listened to & discussed a number of Podcasts on such subjects as An Introduction to God: Encountering the Divine in Orthodox Christianity by Fr. Andrew Damick, Angels & Demons by Fr. Tom Hopko and The Contours of Christian Love by Fr. Dn. Matthew Steenberg. All those present are encouraged to provide input as to what our Group discusses & studies. It is our Prayer that through this time together, we will grow in our Faith & Fellowship! Please pray about this, so that we might accomplish God s Will in all that we do! Take Care and God Bless! A Prayer for Peace Almighty God and Creator, You are the Father of all people on the earth. Guide, I pray, all the nations and their leaders in the ways of justice and peace. Protect us from the evils of injustice, prejudice, exploitation, conflict and war. Help us to put away mistrust, bitterness and hatred. Teach us to cease the storing and using of implements of war. Lead us to find peace, respect and freedom. Unite us in the making and sharing of tools of peace against ignorance, poverty, disease and oppression. Grant that we may grow in harmony and friendship as brothers and sisters created in Your image, to Your honor and praise. Amen. MONTHLY CANDLES: The 2014 Monthly Candle Prayer Sheets are now on the Brochure Table in the Hallway. The three candles available are the Paschal Candles (2 large candles in front of the Iconostasis and on each side of the Holy Doors), the Proskamedia Candle (candle on the Holy Altar) and the Seven-Branched Candle (7 branched candle at the back of the Holy Altar). Please note that the requested Donation for each Candle is $20.00 per month. Also, please note that there can be more than one sponsor per candle per month, and unless a candle is being sponsored for more than one month, the sponsorship will expire at the end of the month, no matter when it is started in that month.

20 *** Parish Scrip Earnings Exceed $30,000.00!!! *** Our Scrip Coordinator, Olga Hodge, is pleased to report that since the inception of our Scrip Program in December of 2005, we have raised over $30, for our Parish! Remember, our Parish Family benefits each and every time that you shop with Scrip, because instead of paying with Cash or Credit, you use pre-paid Gift Cards from your favorite and most trusted local & national retailers. Please remember to use Scrip for all of your Holiday, Household & Family Shopping Food, Gas, Gifts, Dining Out, Appliances, etc. Scrip is Fundraising while you shop! Please See Olga Hodge, Martha McLoota or Becky Azar after Church to get your Scrip. As always, Becky Azar has Scrip at her Home during the Week Thank You & God Bless! FAMILY KITCHEN WISH / NEEDS LIST: The Family Kitchen (Clinton Street Downtown) has issued a new Wish & Needs List Coffee, Flour, Brown Sugar, Sugar & Creamer Packets, Sweet & Low / Equal Packets, Salt & Pepper, Parsley Flakes, Garlic Salt, Paprika, Poultry Seasoning, Onion Salt, Allspice, Lemon Pepper, Rosemary, Italian Seasoning, Chili Powder, Pepper Flakes & Meat Tenderizer. If you can help by donating any of these, or perhaps a SCRIP Card for Giant Eagle, etc., that would be greatly appreciated! Thank You and God Bless! WE HAVE A WEBSITE CAN WE HAVE YOUR ADDRESS? Did you know that our Parish has a Website and our Parish Office is connected to the Internet?!? Yes, we are catching up with Technology and we have some interesting things on our Site (e.g. a video of the 1960s Groundbreaking and Consecration of our Church). Jay McClatchey is our Web Master. If you will give us your address, we can keep in touch with you as well. Lastly, if there is any news that you would like posted on our Site and / or if you have any ideas, please contact Fr. Don and Jay.

21 THE WELCOMING OF OUR GUESTS!: Fr. Don would like to ask all within our St. Mary Parish Family to help him with the Welcoming of Guests to our Liturgical Services. If you have a Family Member or Friend who is visiting that you would like publically welcomed, or if you see someone new and you get their name, please inform Fr. Don of this before, or if need be, during the Service via a note. Remember, Fr. Don is leading us in our Liturgical Prayer and his concentration and attention are directed towards the proper celebration of the Divine Services. Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank You and God Bless! *** Parish Scrip Earnings Exceed $30, in 7 ½ Yrs.!!! *** Please remember to use Scrip for all of your Household, Family & Holiday Shopping especially gas & groceries! Scrip is Fundraising while you shop! See Olga Hodge, Martha McLoota or Becky Azar for details C O N F E S S I O N S C H E D U L E After All Weekday & Saturday Services and By Appointment. Due to Fr. s Commitment to Matins, Confession Will Not Be Offered On Sunday Mornings. WEEKDAY LITURGICAL SERVICES AT ST. MARY PARISH: One of the purposes of our precious Church, as given to us by our Lord Himself, is to serve as the Meeting Place of Heaven & Earth and this is beautifully fulfilled via our Liturgical Services. Indeed, it is when we are in our Congregational / Corporate Liturgical Prayer that we are participating in the Eternal Worship of God s Heavenly Kingdom! Complementing this, the Holy Mothers & Fathers of our Church have always attested to the belief that our Life in Eternity will simply be the Utmost Fulfillment of our Life here on Earth i.e. ifthe priority of our Earthly Life is seeking Communion with God, then our Eternity will be a Fulfillment of that Communion and conversely, if the priority of our Earthly Life is spent in the pursuit of earthly things, thus separating us from God, our Eternity will be one of separation from God i.e. Hell! In light of this, Fr. Don is pleased to announce that our Daily Services will resume again on Tuesday, September 3. Our Schedule is as follows: Tuesday & Thursday Mornings Daily Matins (Morning 8 AM and Wednesday Evening Daily Vespers (Evening 6 PM. Please join us as we begin & end our days with Prayer let us gather together as the Family that God has called us to be!

22 OUR BULLETIN IS ONLINE!: Did you know that thanks to the wonder of the Internet and our Webmaster, Jay McClatchey, our Weekly Bulletin is now Online! All you have to do is go to: stmaryaocc.org and then click on Weekly Bulletin (on the left menu). Please check out the Bulletin before you come to Church that way you will be prepared to fully participate in the Liturgical Worship & Praise of our Lord! A special Thanks! to Jay for his ministry! WE NEED YOU AT THE FAMILY KITCHEN C MON & HELP US!: Our Lord tells us that when we serve those in need, we serve Him! Our Parish Family has been asked to help serve Weekend Meals at The Family Kitchen downtown at 231 Bedford Street. This year, we have been asked to help on 3 Weekends Saturday, June 28, Sunday, November 16 & Saturday, December 6. We meet at the Kitchen at 11 AM and are done by about 1 PM. We have also been asked to make a Donation of $ each time to help defer the expenses of each meal. If you can help us down at The Kitchen and/or with a Donation, please contact Fr. Don or our Parish Office ( ). We have always taken away from our experience more than we have given please help us out if you can! Thank You & God Bless! "Find out how much God has given you. From it, take what you need. The remainder which you do not require is needed by others. The excesses of the rich are the necessities of the poor." Blessed Augustine

23 The Most Reverend Metropolitan SILOUAN of Buenos Aires and all Argentina Patriarchal Vicar of New York and of All North America The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese OF NORTH AMERICA 358 Mountain Road, P.O. Box 5238, Englewood, NJ Telephone (201) * Fax (201) Website: * archdiocese@antiochian.org Candidates for the Office of Metropolitan June, 2014 (Current Hierarchs in alphabetical order by name) 1. Bishop Alexander 2. Bishop Anthony 3. Bishop Basil 4. Bishop John 5. Archbishop Joseph 6. Bishop Nicholas 7. Bishop Thomas (Priests in alphabetical order by last name) 8. Hieromonk Jeremy Davis 9. Archimandrite Daniel Griffith 10. Archimandrite Daniel Keller

24 Class Of 2014 We cordially invite you to join us for a Special Graduation Party in honor of our own Stephen Shadid, as he receives his Pharmaceutical Degree... When: After Church Sunday, May 25 Where: Our St. Mary Fellowship Hall. Hosted by his Aunt Margie & Umoo Larry Class Of 2014

25 Heath Care Kits *Each Kit Needs To Include: 1 hand towel, 1 washcloth, 1 comb, 1 metal nail file or nail clipper, 1 bath size bar of soap (new and wrapped in original packaging), 1 toothbrush (individually wrapped) and 6 band aids. Monetary donations are greatly appreciated; please make checks payable to St. Mary Church. If you have any questions please see Janet Shadid or Maria Plakakis Cut Here Name Donation Check list: Please mark the items to complete a full kit or mark the amount you would like to donate toward purchasing these items. + Hand Towel + Wash Cloth + Comb + Bars of Soap + Nail file + Nail Clipper + Tooth Brush + Band aids Total Donation

26 + + + ORDER OF ST. IGNATIUS Today, we express our appreciation for the various ministries of The Order of St. Ignatius. Thus, we say Thank You! to the Members of this Service Order. May God Bless Them All & Grant Them Many Years! In light of this, please also consider the following! OUR CALLING, ORTHODOX PHILANTHROPIST? Philanthropist a beautiful sounding word. Philanthropist a word even more beautiful in meaning. Philanthropist lover of mankind! We are all called to be philanthropists to love each other to take care of each other but how? In our Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, a vehicle of Orthodox Philanthropy was called into existence by our Father & Metropolitan PHILIP when he created The Order of St. Ignatius. As you have heard for many years, the Order serves our Archdiocese as her philanthropic arm through its support of the Antiochian Village, our educational programs, our missions, our retired clergy, and many, many other worthy ministries. For the past thirty-six years this has been accomplished through a body of people, now over four thousand in number, who have been willing to serve God through committed giving. If you have considered the Order before and didn t join, there are always opportunities to learn more just ask any one of our parishioners who are members of the Order Tony Abraham, Larry Bertino, Lisa Catanese, Albert Ghantous, George & Elaine Heider, Norman Joseph, Ed Makdad, Jr., John Ritter, Christine Salem, Fr. Don Shadid, Loretta Shahade & William Shahade. You are invited to discover how God s abundance toward you may be thankfully returned to Him through generosity toward His People. Come and See! God may be calling you to serve Him in this way OVER PLEASE + + +

27 Some Thoughts on the Order of St. Ignatius (His Grace, Bishop THOMAS & Fr. Don ask that you please consider learning about and joining this worthy ministry of our Archdiocese His Grace would be very happy to induct you into The Order for more information, please see Fr. Don, Tony Abraham or any of our other parishioners who have joined). Why you should join the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch? Service and commitment to the Church Teach the Orthodox way by utilizing your talents. Involvement in the life of the Church, willingly and joyfully, being instruments of peace. Grateful to Almighty God for His many blessings. Never say No when the Lord and the Church call for a job to get done. Acknowledgement of our sinfulness and weakness; realizing the need for growth through the Sacraments of the Church. Totally committed and dedicated to the growth of the Archdiocese and the realization of its programs and goals. Inner satisfaction and fulfillment by being part of a dynamic, dedicated and visionary group of faithful, where love and friendship grow. Unselfish giving and living for the glory of God not only on the parish and regional level but on the Archdiocese level as well. Donate to the Order through Electronic Fund Transfer QUICK, EASY, SIMPLE AND NO CHARGE FOR THE SERVICE. For the rank of Knight or Dame, which is a $500 donation per year, $41.67 is deducted around the 5th of each month. For the rank of Commander, which is a $1,000 donation per year, $83.34 is deducted around the 5th of each month. Life Members ($15,000 either in one donation or spread over three years) can also have a monthly deduction. Please contact the Administrator at the Archdiocese for more info. Complete an Order application and include a signed authorization form (available for print at or from the Administrator) which authorizes The Order to begin deductions the following month. Include the required $60 induction fee with the application and the banking information will be taken from the check. Members can upgrade at any time. Members on the EFT system never receive a dues reminder or have to be concerned about writing a check and finding a stamp. Now The Order can be more accessible to members of the Archdiocese through the Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFT). Many people pay their utility bills, rent, mortgages, car payments and gym dues through automatic deductions. It is far more time efficient and cost effective to eliminate checks, stamps, and having to remember to pay invoices.

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