March 30th, SAINT MARY ORTHODOX CHURCH The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

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1 SAINT MARY ORTHODOX CHURCH The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26) 6330 W. 127th St., Palos Heights, IL Phone : (708) , Fax : (708) (office@stmaryoc.org) Church Office Hours : Monday - Friday 10:00am-3:00pm St. Mary Parish Clergy Rev. Fr. Mousa Haddad, Pastor Very Rev. Fr. Malek Rihani Subdeacon Matthew Sweis Subdeacon Ameer Tadros Parish Council Luai Sweiss - Chairman Constantin Kari - Vice Chairman Louis Sweiss - Treasurer Jason Haddad - Financial Secretary Lana Sweis - Secretary Nidal Al-Farah Feras Salman Faris Samawi Bassam Shaheen Feras Sweis March 30th, 2014 Fourth Sunday of Great Lent Commemoration of St. John of the Ladder Parish Ministries Sunday School - Hanada Sweis SOYO - Jasmine Sweis Fellowship - Rachel Kari Antiochian Women - Susan Sweis Handmaids - Mansoura Khouri and Lina Haddad Humanitarian - Shireen Salman OCLife - Nancy Cannon Fishers of Men - John Eannace Athletics - Melad Qodsi Choir - Michael Rascia Chanters - Khaled Salman and Faris Samawi Webmaster - Sana Sweis Office Administrator Katia Haddad administrator@stmaryoc.org Parish Administrator Rachel Kari rkari@stmaryoc.org Church Hall Rental Call the church office or our Office Administrator Weekly Schedule of Services Saturday: 5:30 p.m. -- Great Vespers Sunday: 8:45 a.m. Matins -- 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. Matins -- 10:30 a.m. Bible Study (Confessions by Appointment) Welcome to St. Mary Orthodox Church! We extend our warmest and heartfelt greetings to you and your family. If this is your first time with us, we pray that you feel at home. After all, we are gathered together in our Father's house. For more information, please see one of the ushers at the end of the service for a Welcome Packet. May God bless you and give you many healthy years in His service.

2 Hymns of the Day Entrance Hymn O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who art risen from the dead, who sing to Thee: Alleluia! Troparion of the Resurrection (Tone Seven) Thou didst shatter death by Thy cross; Thou didst open paradise to the thief; Thou didst turn the sadness of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid Thine apostles proclaim a warning that Thou hast risen, O Christ, granting to the world the great mercy. Troparion of St. John (Tone Eight) The barren wilderness thou didst make fertile with the streams of thy tears; and by thy deep sighing thou hast given fruit through thy struggles a hundred-fold. Accordingly, thou hast become a star for the universe, sparkling with miracles. Therefore, O righteous Father John, intercede with Christ God to save our souls. Troparion of the Dormition (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 into life, being the Mother of Life. Wherefore by thine intercessions, deliver our souls from death. Kontakion of the Theotokos for the Sundays of Lent (Tone Eight) To thee the champion leader, I thy city ascribe thank-offerings of victory. For thou hast delivered me from terrors O Theotokos. But as thou hast that power which is invincible, from all dangers set me free that I may cry out unto thee: Hail, O Bride without Bridegroom! 2

3 Epistle of the Fourth Sunday of Lent The Lord will give strength to his people! Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory! The Reading is from St. Paul s Letter to the Hebrews (6:13-20). Brethren, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, Surely I will bless you and multiply you. And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. Gospel of the Fourth Sunday of Lent The Reading is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark (9:16-30). At that time, a man came to Jesus, kneeling down and saying unto him, Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were not able. And Jesus answered him, O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me. And they brought the boy to him, and when the spirit saw Jesus, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, How long has he had this? And he said, From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us. And Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when Jesus had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out? And Jesus said to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting. They went out from there and passed through Galilee. And Jesus would not have any one know it; for He was teaching His Disciples, saying to them, The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and after He is killed, He will rise on the third day. 3

4 Changes in the Liturgy Megalynarion for the Theotokos from the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (Tone Eight) In thee all creation rejoices, O Full of Grace; the assembly of angels and the race of men; O sanctified temple and spiritual paradise; the glory of virgins, from whom God was incarnate and became a child; our God before the ages, He made thy womb a throne, and thy body He made more spacious than the heavens. In thee all creation rejoices, O Full of Grace, glory to thee. Honoring your loved ones: Please consider signing up for one or more Sundays to provide Holy Bread and Coffee hour. It s this gift of Holy Bread that we use to prepare communion and to share with our parishioners at the end of the service. What better way to honor your loved ones on their birthday, anniversary, graduation or memorial. It takes minimal effort, and it encourages fellowship among our community. Holy Bread and Coffee Hour 03/30: Rashid and Suzan Sweiss & Family Memory Eternal Issam Rafidi May his memory be eternal! Lenten Luncheon Today after Liturgy Prepared by our Antiochian Women 04/06: CJ and Rachel Kari 04/13: Feras and Jackie Salman & Family Epistle Reading 03/30: Asmahan Fakhouri & Abeer Khouri 04/06: Faris Samawi & Subdn. Matthew Bible Verse of the Week In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:7 4

5 Beginning Next Sunday, April 6th, the ladies will begin selling decorated Palm Sunday Candles! $5 each To reserve or purchase your candle or if you have any questions please see Maggie Abudayyeh or any of the ladies. 5

6 Thu Mar 27 7:00pm Antiochian Churches Lenten Lecture Fri Mar 28 5:00pm Antiochian Women Meeting 7:00pm 4th Akathist (Madayeh) w/ Potluck Sat Mar 29 11:00am SOYO World Vision Volunteering Event 11:00am Arabic School 1:30pm Youth Sports League 2:00pm SOYO "October Baby" Movie & Lenten Potluck 5:30pm Great Vespers Sun Mar 30 8:45am Matins 10:00am Divine Liturgy / Sunday School 11:30am Lenten Luncheon Antiochian Women 3:00pm Open Gym - Men's Basketball League Mon Mar 31 7:00pm Great Compline Wed Apr 2 10:00am Morning Prayers 10:30am Parish Bible Study 7:00pm Presanctified Liturgy Thu Apr 3 7:00pm Antiochian Churches Lenten Lecture Fri Apr 4 7:00pm 5th Akathist (Madayeh) w/ Potluck Sat Apr 5 11:00am Arabic School 1:30pm Youth Sports League 5:30pm Great Vespers Sun Apr 6 All day Fifth Sunday of Lent - St. Mary of Egypt 8:45am Matins 10:00am Divine Liturgy / Sunday School 11:30am Falafel Sale - Antiochian Women 1:00pm Dodge ball Tournament 6

7 St. Mary Orthodox Church - Palos Heights Lenten Retreat Saturday April 12 Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy at 10:00am Potluck Fasting Lunch at 11:15am Retreat to start promptly at 12:00 noon The Mystery of One Flesh: Why There Is No Such Thing as "Gay Marriage" 12:00-12:45: Session One 12:45-1:15: Small Group discussions 1:15-2:00: Session Two 2:00-2:30: Small Group discussions with a break 2:30-3:15: Session Three and wrap up Retreat Master: James M. Kushiner Jim is the Executive Director of The Fellowship of St. James. The Fellowship was established in 1976 to encourage greater Christian unity, and fidelity to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith and its moral teachings. He is the Executive Editor of Salvo and Touchstone magazines. St. Mary Church W. 127th St., Palos Heights, IL 7

8 Chicago-area Antiochian Churches present 2014 Lenten Lecture Series Uniting our faithful; and together sharing in the Passion of our Lord, and celebrating His Glorious Resurrection All lectures will begin promptly at 7:00pm and will last for 45 minutes, followed by a 15 minute Q&A. Fellowship and light refreshments will follow. Please join us for these discussions and let s travel together on a meaningful journey through this Holy Season of Lent Date / Time Presenter Topic Name and Location of Host Parish Thursday March 6 Fr. Musil Shihadeh St. Michael Melkite Church Into the Desert: Exploring the Temptation of Jesus St John Melkite Church 200 East North Ave. Northlake, IL Thursday March 13 Dr. Hassan Al-Aswad (representing Fr. Samer Youhanoun) St John Syriac Church "Exodus: The journey and the lessons learned" Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church 950 N Grace St., Lombard, IL Thursday March 20th Fr. Ezzat Bathouche St John Melkite Church Prayer in Christianity (In Arabic) St John Syriac Church 250 S. Villa Ave. Villa Park, IL Thursday March 27th Fr. Mousa Haddad St Mary Orthodox Church There s no place like home - Return from Exile St Michael Melkite Church st St. Hammond, IN Thursday April 3rd Fr. Pierre AlBalaa Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church The hour of Jesus in the Gospel of John St Mary Orthodox Church 6330 W. 127th St. Palos Heights, IL Thursday April 10th Fr. Sharbel Bcheiry St. Afrem Syriac Church Holy Lent: Between Mystical Tradition & Parochial Life St John Melkite Church 200 East North Ave. Northlake, IL For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers and sisters? St. John Chrysostom 8

9 Dodge Ball Tournament Presented by St. Mary s Athletic Department Sunday, April 6 th, 2014 at 1:00 PM Ages 14 and up, 5 players per team; 1must be female Entry Fee: $20 per person/$100 per team St. Mary Orthodox Church - Gymnasium 6330 W 127th St., Palos Heights, IL FOR REGISTRATION, FORMS AND MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT athletics@stmaryoc.org 9

10 SOYO World Vision Volunteering Event Sat, March 29, 11am 1pm 5001 W. Harrison St., Chicago, IL Followed by SOYO "October Baby" Movie & Lenten Potluck Sat, March 29 2pm 5pm St. Mary's Nadi You are invited to our Annual Teen SOYO Holy Friday Vigil Friday April 18, 10:00pm All Teens are invited Participants must have a signed permission slip Parents are welcome to stay We will be watching the passion of the Christ Movie Hope to see you all there! *This is a potluck event so please remember only Lenten food* 10

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12 Sunday, April 20th (Easter Day) at 1:30pm we will have the Agape Vespers service at St. Mary Orthodox Church. This is the service in which the Gospel is read in as many languages as possible. If you know a language other than English and Arabic, and would like to read the Gospel in that language, please let Fr. Mousa know. Mark your calendars! 12

13 Food Drive Sunday School is hosting a Food Drive! Each class will compete to raise the most food. Winning class will have a Pizza Party!!! Food Drive Grocery List: Beans, Chili, Cereal, Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Jelly, Peanut Butter, Rice, Shelf Stable Milk, Soup, Tuna, Stew, Canned Vegetables Canned Fruit, Mac & Cheese. Sunday School Student should drop their food items in the cart in their classroom. Any questions please see Hanada Sweis. St. Thomas Sunday School Celebration Ice Cream and a Movie "Prince of Egypt" Sunday April 27th, :30am - 1:30pm 13

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16 Annual Antiochian Women's Retreat Friday May 16th Retreat at Cedar Lake Ministries, Indiana Retreat Master: Fr. Danial Doss Saturday May 17th Visit to The Shrine of Christ's Passion & Our Lady of The Millennium Cost is $125 which includes: Transportation, stay and food at Cedar Lake Ministries, Indiana 16

17 Come and learn from the best July 21- August 1 Monday through Friday 9AM- 3PM Robert Morris University Orland Park Campus 43 Orland Square Orland Park, IL Sign up for: Member Non-member Week 1: 7/21-7/25 $300 $400 Week 2: 7/28-8/1 $300 $400 2 Weeks: 7/21-8/1 $500 $750 ** A non-refundable deposit of $100 is due at the time of registration. ** Make Checks Payable to: St. Mary Orthodox Church Take the IT challenge and make the most out of this summer! Seats are limited to 24 first come, first served 17

18 Lent & Holy Week Services 2014 March 28 Friday: Akathist w/ Potluck Dinner : March 31 Monday: Great Compline : April 2 Wednesday: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy : April 4 Friday: Akathist w/ Potluck Dinner : April 7 Monday: Great Compline : April 9 Wednesday: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy : April 11 Friday: Pre-Sanctified Liturgy : April 12 Saturday: Lazarus Saturday Liturgy : 10:00am April 13 Sunday: Palm Sunday Liturgy : 10:00am Sunday: 1st Bridegroom Service : April 14 Monday: 2nd Bridegroom Service : April 15 Tuesday: 3rd Bridegroom Service : April 16 Wednesday: Holy Unction Service : April 17 Thursday: Divine Liturgy of St. Basil : 10:00am Thursday: 12 Passion Gospels 12 : April 18 Friday: Royal Hours : 10:00am Friday: Taking Down From the Cross : 3:00pm Friday: Lamentations : (GOOD FRIDAY All-Night VIGIL to follow ) April 19 Saturday: Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil : 10:00am April 20 Saturday: Rush Procession & Matins followed by Paschal Liturgy : Sunday: AGAPE VESPERS : Followed by our Easter Egg Hunt 10:00pm 1:30pm 18

19 Weekly Synaxarion On March 30 in the Holy Orthodox Church, we commemorate the New Hieromartyr Zachariah, metropolitan of Corinth; and Sophronios, bishop of Irkutsk. On this same day, the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent, we make remembrance of our godly father, John, the author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent (or Climacus). The celebration of his feast on this day arose from the custom prevalent in the honorable monasteries of starting Great Lent with the reading of his lessons. John describes the method of elevating the soul to God as ascending a ladder. He teaches those who seek salvation how to lay a firm foundation for struggles, how to detect and fight every passion, how to avoid demonic snares, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. John of the Ladder came to Mount Sinai at age 16 and remained there, first as a novice under obedience, then as a recluse, and finally as abbot until his eightieth year. One time, his disciple, Moses, fell asleep under the shade of a large stone. John, in prayer in his cell, saw that his disciple was in danger and prayed to God for him. Later, when Moses returned, he fell on his knees and gave thanks to his spiritual father for saving him from certain death. He related how, in a dream, he heard John calling him and he jumped up and, at that moment, the stone tumbled. Had he not jumped, the stone would have crushed him. John Climacus died on March 30, 606. Through his intercessions, O Christ God, have mercy upon us. Amen. 19