Parish Bulletin – July 22nd, 2012

7TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

TONE 6

HOLY MYRRHBEARER AND EQUAL-TO-THE-APOSTLES MARY MAGDALENE

Romans 15:1-7
Matthew 9:27-35

Choir Director: Veronika

Welcome

We welcome you to the Orthodox Church. Please feel at ease and free to participate in the singing. As a visitor you are welcome to come forward at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy and venerate the Cross offered by the priest. Additionally you may receive the blessed bread (Antidoron) that is offered at that time. If you have questions or would like further information, the priest or one of the members of the parish will be pleased to help.

A word to our visitors on Holy Communion

The Orthodox Church does not practice open Communion. Therefore, only members of Canonical Orthodox Churches exercising jurisdiction in America may approach the Chalice for Holy Communion. The Orthodox do not regard Holy Communion solely as an act of personal piety, but also as an expression of union with the Orthodox Church’s faith, doctrine, and discipline. Orthodox visitors wishing to receive Holy Communion should make their intention known to the priest in advance — ask any member of the parish for help in relaying your intention to the priest. Orthodox Christians should prepare themselves to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion through recent Confession, prayers of preparation for Holy Communion, and fasting (at minimum, from midnight before receiving).

“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” – I Corinthians 11:27

TROPARIA AND KONTAKIA

Troparion of Saint Mary Magdalene, Tone 1: The honorable Mary Magdalen followed after Christ, Who for our sake was born of the Virgin, keeping His precepts and laws. Wherefore, celebrating your most holy memory today, through your supplications we receive remission of sins.

Troparion of Saint Phocas, Tone 4: By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, you became a successor to their throne. Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to Divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; By teaching the Word of Truth without error, you defended the faith, even to the shedding of your blood. Hieromartyr Phocas, entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion of Saint Mary Magdalene, Tone 3: Standing before the Cross of the Savior / suffering with the Mother of the Lord, / the most glorious Mary Magdalene offered praise with tears. / She cried out: What is this strange wonder? He who holds the whole creation in His hand chooses to suffer: // Glory to your power, O Lord!

Kontakion of Saint Phocas, Tone 2: The Master established you as a brilliant sun shining on all the faithful, glorious hieromartyr Phocas. He has accepted your life, faith and contest as myrrh, for He is rich in mercy.

Opportunities to give:

➢ Food donations to the Ashland Food Project

➢ This is the last week that the parish will be accepting donations to give to the Magdalene Home (a resource for homeless pregnant and parenting teens). We are hoping to be able to send them $300.

Announcements:

• Now that we are back to a regular schedule of Liturgy, please sign up for coffee fellowship/kitchen cleanup.
• New time for Wednesday Vespers – 6.00 PM.
• Adult education classes will start on Wednesday, following Vespers.

Our Regular Scheduled Services:

• Great Vespers – 5:30 pm, Saturday
• Divine Liturgy – 9:00 am, Sunday
• Vespers – 6:00 pm, Wednesday
• Divine Liturgy – 7:00 am, Thursday

Confession after Vespers or by appointment!

Other Activities Next Week:

• Wednesday, following Vespers – Adult Education Class
• Saturday, 4.30 PM – Choir practice

Bulletin Insert (OCA Department of Education):

On July 23 and 24 we read Matthew 16: 1-12. In these verses Jesus Christ talks about signs with some Jewish challengers, and then with His disciples.

The Pharisees and Sadducees throw down their challenge by asking that He show them a sign from heaven. They want a spectacle—one amazing enough to prove that He is what He claims to be.

Jesus reminds them that they are competent at interpreting the signs the sky gives. They anticipate good weather if the evening sky is red, and look for stormy weather if the morning sky is threatening. Yet, He says, they fail to interpret the “signs of the times.” They don’t acknowledge the clear signs He has shown them–the great crowds who have brought “the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb and many others” to Him and have seen all these people miraculously healed. Nor are the healings the only signs, for Jesus has also inspired faith in those who witnessed them; we read that these witnesses “glorified the God of Israel.”

The challengers are an “adulterous” generation, He tells them, because they have broken the covenant with God that is like the marriage bond. He says that such a generation, seeking signs, will not receive any other than the sign of Jonah—a reference to His three days in the tomb, like Jonah in the belly of the whale. It’s also a reference to the greatest sign: the Resurrection.

The apostles, though of course not hostile to Jesus like the Pharisees and Sadducees, seem equally poor at remembering the signs He has shown them. He says, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” He means that they must avoid the wrong teachings of those men. But the disciples, who have forgotten to bring bread, relate it to their oversight. Jesus must remind them: “Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to perceive that I did not speak about bread?”

On this same day we remember Saint Apollonarius, a follower of the Apostle Peter, who consecrated him to be the bishop of Ravenna, Italy. He lived there for many years, preaching and baptizing. The years were not easy, because the pagan leaders in the area hated and harassed him. They finally succeeded in having him exiled, and he was put on a ship heading for the Balkans. The pagan soldiers assigned as his guards treated him as a dangerous criminal.

But God sent a sign. The ship capsized, and only Apollonarius, his accompanying priests, and two soldiers were saved. This miraculous sign and their survival convinced the soldiers to be baptized.

We can willfully ignore signs, as the Pharisees and Sadducees did. We can forget them, remembering only our own actions like neglecting to bring bread. Or we can respond with faith, as the pagan soldiers did.

Our God sends signs. He just won’t force us to see them.