Holy Trinity Orthodox Church

Transcription

1 Holy Trinity Orthodox Church 1812 Watt St., Little Rock, AR V. Rev. Fr. Joseph Bittle, Pastor May 28, 2017 After-feast of the Ascension Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council

2 Preparing to Worship the Thrice-Holy God Upon Entering the Church I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy; and in thy fear I will worship toward thy holy temple. (Ps. 5:7) A Prayer before Holy Communion Come, O you people, let us sing a song to Christ our God, Who divided the sea, and made a way for the nation which He had brought up out of the bondage of Egypt; for He is glorious. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. May Thy holy Body be for me the bread of eternal life, O gracious Lord, and may Thy precious Blood be a remedy for my many forms of sickness. Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Defiled by misguided deeds, wretched as I am, I am unworthy, O Christ, to partake of Thy immaculate Body and divine Blood, but make me worthy of them. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. O blessed Bride of God, O good land which produced the unploughed Corn which saves the world, grant that I may be saved by eating it. (Canon of Preparation for Holy Communion, Ode 1) A Word for Newcomers A warm welcome to all those worshiping with us at Holy Trinity! If you are from a non- Orthodox background you may see many new and unfamiliar things. Rest assured that everything has a solid biblical foundation and a long history among Christian people. Please join us for coffee after the service, and feel free to ask Fr. Joseph any questions you may have. About receiving Holy Communion: The Orthodox Church understands the Eucharist, or Lord s Supper, to be among other things the paramount expression of Christian unity. Since participation in the Eucharist expresses a formal unity with all the dogma and practice and discipline of the Orthodox Church, non-orthodox guests do not receive Holy Communion. Orthodox communicants are reminded that we approach the Chalice with due preparation including recent Confession, keeping the appointed fasts of the Church, and appropriate prayers of preparation for the reception of Holy Communion and thanksgiving after.

3 DIVINE LITURGY of ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM Variable Hymns and Readings FIRST ANTIPHON (Verses for Ascension) Verse Clap your hands, all ye nations; shout unto God with a voice of rejoicing. Refrain: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. Verse For the Lord Most High is terrible, a great King over all the earth. Verse He hath subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. Verse God is gone up in jubilation, the Lord with the voice of the trumpet. Verse - Glory... Now and Ever... SECOND ANTIPHON (Verses for Ascension) Verse Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God. Refrain: O Son of God, who ascended into heaven, save us who sing to Thee. Alleluia. Verse The mountains of Sion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Verse God is known in her towers, when He cometh to help her. Verse For lo, the kings of the earth were assembled; they came together. Verse: Glory to the... Now and ever... Only begotten Son...

4 THIRD ANTIPHON (Ascension Troparion and Verses) Verse Hear this, all nations; give ear, all ye that inhabit the world. Refrain: Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened Thy Disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit, making them confident through the blessing: that Thou art the Son of God, and Deliverer of the world. Verse My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. Verse I will incline mine ear unto a parable, I will unfold my problem on the psaltry. Introit AT THE LITTLE ENTRANCE God has gone up in jubilation, the Lord with the voice of the trumpet. O Son of God who art risen from the dead, save us who sing unto Thee. Alleluia. Troparion for Resurrection (Tone 6) When Mary stood at Thy grave, looking for Thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above Thy revered tomb. And the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men. Thou led Hades captive and wast not tempted thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world, O Thou, Who art risen from the dead, O Lord, glory to Thee. Troparion for Ascension (Tone 4) Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened Thy Disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit, making them confident through the blessing: that Thou art the Son of God, and Deliverer of the world. Troparion for Fathers of First Ecumenical Council (Tone 8) Thou, O Christ, art our God of exceeding praise who didst establish our Holy Fathers as luminous stars upon earth, and through them didst guide us to the true faith. O most merciful One, glory to thee.

5 Patronal Troparion for Holy Trinity (Tone 8) Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, who hast revealed the fisherman as most wise, by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit; through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net. O Lover of Man, glory to Thee! Kontakion for Ascension (Tone 6) When Thou didst fulfill Thy dispensation for our sakes, uniting the terrestrials with the celestials, Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, inseparable in space, but constant without separation, and crying unto Thy beloved, I am with you, and no one shall be against you. EPISTLE: Acts of Apostles 20:16-18, (Sunday of Holy Fathers) In those days, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: 'Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

6 GOSPEL: St. John 17:1-13 (Sunday of Holy Fathers) At that time: When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made. I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word. Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee; for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Instead of We have seen the true light : Troparion for Ascension (Tone 4) Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened Thy Disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit, making them confident through the blessing: that Thou art the Son of God, and Deliverer of the world.

7 Regarding the Eucharistic Fast Fr. Alkiviadis Calivas The Eucharist is Christ himself. It is his sacrificed, risen, and glorified body, which is given to the faithful for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. As such, it is the most precious of gifts, through which the life of God continually becomes the life of those who believe in him, receive him in faith, and abide in him. That is why the Eucharistic fast has become a fixed prerequisite for Holy Communion. It is meant to place the faithful in a state of readiness, vigilance, expectation, and anticipation for an encounter with the living God who calls his people to communion and holiness. Participation in the Divine Liturgy, therefore, requires prayerful preparation, for we stand on holy ground in the presence of the Triune God (Ex. 3:4-7). Hence, in preparation for this profound experience, we are called to quietness, abstinence, and forebearance, to a quickening of body and soul that we may receive the King of all. Fasted from the night before, as a sign of spiritual vigilance and awareness, we approach the Holy Table with the fear of God, with faith, and with love, to receive the Holy Gifts as the first meal of the day and as the essential food of life. ( Essays in Theology and Liturgy, pp ) Litia & Arktoklasia During Great Vespers for Pentecost, we will celebrate a Litia & Artoklasia. It is a procession followed by intercessions (Greek: Λιτή (Liti), from litomai, "a fervent prayer"). Whenever there is Litia, there is also Artoklasia ("breaking of bread") honoring the feast day. Before the service begins, a table is prepared with a tray with five leavened loaves of bread. Also placed on the table is a dish containing wheat kernels, a vessel of pure olive oil, and a vessel of red wine. The hymn sung at the breaking of the bread is: Rich men have turned poor and gone hungry, but they that seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good thing. Desiring to make provision for the poor in our feasting, everyone is invited to bring dry or canned goods for distribution to those in need. These (or a representative portion of them) will be placed next to the table holding the offered loaves, the donated goods being symbolically offered up for blessing with the loaves and the wheat, wine, and oil.

8 THIS WEEK Fast: Wednesday and Friday Monday, May 29 Tuesday, May 30 Hieromartyr Olvian, bishop of Aneos; Venerable-martyr Theodosia of Tyre; New-martyrs Andrew and John (Nannos) of Smyrna; John of Ustug, fool-for- Christ Isaac, founder of the Dalmaton monastery in Constantinople; Martyrs Natalios and Barlaam of Caesarea in Cappadocia; Martyrs Eusebios and Christina 7:00 pm Men s Fellowship (Farley s The Christian Old Testament Ch. 2) Wednesday, May 31 6:00 pm Vespers Thursday, June 1 Friday, June 2 Saturday, June 3 Martyrs Hermias and Eusebios Martyrs Justin the Philosopher, Pyrros the virgin, Chariton of Rome, and Thespesios of Cappadocia; Dionysios of Glushetsk Nikephoros the Confessor, patriarch of Constantinople; Newmartyrs Demetrios of Philadelphia, John of Trebizond, and Constantine of Athos; Hieromartyr Pothinos bishop of Lyons and his companion Martyr Blandina; Erasmos of Ochrid SOUL SATURDAY - Martyr Lukyllian of Byzantium; Virgin-martyr Paula; Athanasios the wonder-worker of Cilicia; Clotilde, queen of the Franks 9:00 am Divine Liturgy w/ Trisagion for Departed 11:00 am Crowning of Marriage (Julia & Dale) 6:00 pm Great Vespers w/ Litia & Artoklasia 6:45 pm Confessions Sunday, May 28 PENTECOST - Metrophanes, first patriarch of Constantinople; Mary and Martha, the sisters of Righteous Lazarus 9:00 am Orthros 10:00 am Divine Liturgy 11:30 am Potluck 12:30 pm Kneeling Vespers of Pentecost