T h e S t. E l i z a b e t h s p a r i s h n e w s Epistle : Acts 1:1-8 Paschal Edition Gospel: John 1:1-17 Sunday April 12th, 2015 Fr. Matthew Dutko, Pastor Phone : 607-206-0384 Christ is Risen!!! Christos voskrese!!! Indeed he is risen!!! Voistinu voskrese!!! All of the special hymns for today s Festal Divine Liturgy for the Great Feast, of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can be found starting on page 193 in the Blue Book and page 215 in the Red Book.
Archpastoral Paschal Greeting
Paschal Greetings from your Priest and Pani Dear Parish Family, Christ is Risen! Christos Voskrese! Christos Anesti! As a parish family we wish Paschal greetings to: our God loving Bishop Gregory, all of our family members who serve in the Armed Forces, all those who are sick, at home and in the hospitals, and to all who are away and unable to be with us Christ is Risen!!! It has truly been the pleasure of a lifetime to serve all of you at St. Elizabeth s throughout this, our first Great Lent, Holy Week, and now today, our first Pascha as a Parish Family. As we celebrated Resurrection Matins last night, the joy I felt is hard to explain. That joy comes from the source of all joy, our Resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I don t need to explain it any further because that same joy was present in everyone's eyes last night as we beheld the Empty Tomb, knowing that Christ has conquered death by His death on the Cross. To those who have traveled from near and far, we as a Parish Family thank all of you who join us today on The Great Day, the Feast of Feasts, The Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Everyone here today take a moment to remember the joy within your soul this morning. Save this memory. Take it with you and know that the joy of Christ s Resurrection is always with you. Know that the Risen Christ is always with you. And know that you always have a family and a home...here at St. Elizabeth s. Thank you, to every single of you. Thank you to those who sing in the choir, to those who serve at the Altar and those who read the Epistle. Thank you to all those who continuously work to make our Church more beautiful; whether it be through the building of a new tomb, the cutting of the grass, the new candle holders, the weekly cleaning, or by your presence and through your prayers. Thank you to all the children, who bring joy to us all; and to all the parents who continuously bring their children to Church a priority for their family. Thank you to all those who have helped Pani and I in a time of need and to those who provided the Paschal flowers. Thank you to all those who serve or have served on the Parish Council, for the glory of God and His Church. Thank you to all those who recently worked so hard on our parish nut roll project. This list could go on and on, and please forgive me if you feel left out, but most of all, thank you all so much for your presence, love and prayers for our community. I pray that we may all carry with us the love and joy of the Risen Christ throughout the year. That we might share that love and joy with the community around us; and that the Risen Lord may Bless us all!!! With much love in the Risen Christ, Fr. Matthew and Pani Kathryn
Easter Insights... Resurrection Icon...Explained The Harrowing of Hades, Resurrection Icon appeared around the 6th century. Christ is depicted descending into the land of the dead to fill it with his life and thus conquer death. The icon commemorates Holy Saturday, when Christ was working for our salvation and life in death. He tramples over the destroyed gates of Hades (death), signified by the shape of the Cross over the deep abyss of the dead below with all the broken keys, locks and chains of death. As St. Peter says, He went and preached unto the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:19). Because this is the moment immediately preceding the resurrection of Christ in the flesh, he is depicted within a mandorla (Latin for almond), denoting that this is a mystery accessible only to the eyes of the faithful. Full of light and wearing bright robes, Christ announces the dawning of a new kind of day the eighth day of the Kingdom that never ends. He pulls Adam and Eve who represent all of humanity (you and me!) out of the land of the dead. On his right are his ancestors in the flesh, Kings David and Solomon, wearing crowns, and his cousin St. John the Baptist, who prepared the way for him in everything even in death. On his left are people and prophets who prefigured him. Abel the shepherd, the first person innocently slaughtered, prefigures the Good Shepherd. Moses and Isaiah represent the old law and the prophecies about Christ respectively, all fulfilled and transfigured in Christ. May the truth revealed by this icon that our ultimate enemy, death, has been defeated by Christ s resurrection bless you this Pascha and all throughout your life! -Fr. Philip Zymaris
Paschal Insights... "Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died." St. Gregory the Theologian - Homily on Pascha From Resurrection Matins This is the Resurrection Day. Let us be enlightened by this feast, and let us embrace one another. Let us call brothers even those who hate us, and in the Resurrection, forgive everything and let us sing. Christ is risen form the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs, bestowing life. -Paschal Verses -Let us remember that because of today, through our risen Lord, all sorrow is turned to joy-
Christ is Risen Memorial Flowers Flowers for the tomb, and the Paschal season were donated in memory of George and Mary Magur, Michal, Mary, Magdaline, Joseph, Veronica, Cleaston, Charles Salome, Anna Blanar, Loraine, Stephen, Mary, Robert Stirk; all the loved ones of our parish family who have fallen asleep and all our friends and loved ones who have fallen asleep in the Lord. Prayer List Evelyn Melnikoff, Pani Betty Jean Baranik, Fr. James Gleason, The Paccio Family, Johanna, James, Herbert and Mary Schleining, Patricia James, Anna, Basil, David, Dianna, Denise, Alex, Jason, Athanasia, Ethel, Kathy, Lester, Sally, Jack, Angela, Bezerra Family, Phillip, Page Family, Stephen (Blessed Repose), The Blanar Family, Anna (Blessed Repose) Through the prayers of our Patron, St. Elizabeth. The Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, may our risen Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ have mercy on us and save us!