Saints Cyril & Methodius
Equals to the Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs
Bulgarian Orthodox Mission
Third Sunday of Great
Lent:
Sunday of the
Veneration of the Cross
Sunday, March 27, 2011
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT — Tone 3. Veneration of the Cross. Martyr Matrona of Thessalonica (3rd-4th
c.). Martyrs Manuel and Theodosius (304). Ven. John the Clairvoyant, Anchorite,
of Egypt (394-395). The “GLYKOPHYLOUSA” and the “AKATHIST” Icons
of the Most-holy Theotokos on Mt. Athos.
We celebrate the Divine Liturgy today, as at all Lenten Sundays, using the text of St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.
The Mission’s services are being hosted through the
gracious support of:
Fr. John Vitko and the parishioners of St. Luke
Orthodox Church
6801 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101
A Parish of the
Orthodox Church in America
Archdiocese of
Washington
Special
thanks to the Reverend Deacon Chterion Zaprionov of St. George Bulgarian
Orthodox Church for his support of the divine services and parish activities.
†
May Their Memory Be Eternal
†
the
Bishops Nestor, Gregory and Job;
the
Priests Peter, Ishmael, Michael, Leo, Homer, Thomas, Victor, and Milorad;
the Matushki Mary,
Platonida, Sophronia, and Barbara;
the
Readers Philemon, John, John, and Robert Michael; and
the Servants of God, Ruby,
Timothy, Megan, Bojanka, Magdalena, Alexander, Sophia, Shafik, Julia, Rada,
Radka, Anna, Dale, Olivera, Marianthe & Panaigioti, and George.
Those
Who Are In Need of Prayer
His Beatitude,
Metropolitan JONAH;
the Priests Photius,
Anthony, Vadim, Thomas, Paul, and Joseph;
the Presbyteras, Artemis,
Marie, Miriam, Mica, Helen, Juliana, & Anne;
the servants of God, Annie,
Flora, Karen, Stella, Marios & Sophia, Alexandra & Joseph, Victor,
Erin, Catherine & Wayne, Kyriaki, Helen, John & Carmeta, Jane, Denny,
Ivan, Oliver, Marion, Ellen, Dimitrie & Rachael, Charlie & Karen, Chariessa
& Nicholas, and David & Patricia.
Schedule of Services
March 27 – Veneration of the Cross, @ Saints Cyril & Methodius
April 3 – St. John Climacus, @ St. George
April 10 – St. Mary of Egypt,@ Saints Cyril & Methodius
April 16 – Lazarus Saturday, @ St. Mark
Church, Bethesda, MD
April 17 – PALM SUNDAY,@ Saints
Cyril & Methodius
April 20 – Vespers and Anointing of Holy
Wednesday, @ St. Mark Church
April 21 – Holy Thursday, 12 Passion
Gospels, @ St. Mark Church
April 22 – Holy Friday, Vespers, @ St.
Mark Church
April 23 – Holy Saturday, Divine Liturgy,
@ St. Mark Church
April 23 – Holy Saturday, Nocturns, @ TBA
April 24 – VELIKDEN/ PASCHA / EASTER, @ TBA
April 31 – St. Thomas Sunday, @ TBA
Today is
the Third Sunday of Great Lent
The Third Sunday of Lent is
that of the Veneration of the Cross. The cross stands in the midst of the
church in the middle of the lenten season not merely to remind mankind of
Christ's redemption and to keep before them the goal of their efforts, but also
to be venerated as that reality by which man must live to be saved. "He
who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me"
(Mt.10:38). For in the Cross of Christ Crucified lies both "the power of
God and the wisdom of God" for those being saved (1 Cor.1:24).
Who Can Come to Communion in The Orthodox Church?
The preparation for receipt of any sacrament whether the receipt of the
Eucharist at the Divine Liturgy, marriage, baptism, or any other is preceded by
a period of preparation and sober contemplation. In the case of reception to adults into the Church, a period of
study, careful thought, and instruction is involved. In any case, only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians may
come to communion.
Scheduling for Sacraments
Fr. Timothy is to be contacted well in advance of planning for
any sacrament outside of the receipt of the Eucharist by Orthodox Christians.
Fr. Timothy’s email address:
revtperry@hotmail.com
The
Sacraments
First of all we must say that
traditionally the Orthodox never counted the sacraments. The number of seven
was adopted in Orthodoxy very recently under the influence of the Roman
Catholic Church. The Latin,
“sacramentum” is from the Greek, “mysterion” and identifies God’s work on
earth. To limit His work to only seven
specific “sacraments” or “mysteries” is inconceivable.
Traditionally
the Orthodox understand everything in the Church to be sacramental. All of life
becomes a sacrament in Christ who fills life itself with the Spirit of God.
The
Orthodox baptize infants as well as adults as the new birth into the new
life of Christ. Baptism is understood and celebrated as the person's
participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. It is the person's
Easter as he is born again into life eternal.
Chrismation
(or confirmation) is the "sealing" of the new life in Christ by the
life-creating Spirit. In Chrismation the person receives the "seal of the
gift of the Holy Spirit" in order to have the power to live the new life
in the new humanity of Christ. In this sense, chrismation is the person's
personal Pentecost just as baptism is his Easter.
Holy
Communion is the "sacrament of sacraments" in that it is the
banquet of the Kingdom of God, the fulfillment of every other sacrament. In
Holy Communion we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, the Eternal Passover
Lamb, Who makes us alive and holy with Himself. Through Holy Communion we
become sons of God the Father, together with Jesus, filled with the
"communion of the Holy Spirit."
Marriage
in Christ allows our human love to become divine and unending. There is no
"until death do us part". The point is just the opposite. Christ
comes to our human love, frees it from sin and grants it everlasting joy in His
Kingdom of love.
By
our anointing of the sick in Christ's name, we consecrate our sufferings
with the sufferings of Christ and we are healed by Him; if not for more time in
this world, certainly for an eternity in the Kingdom of God. Thus by anointing
with oil in Christ's name, our wounds become the way to Life and not to Death.
In
confession, the sacrament of repentance, we come to Christ and receive
His divine forgiveness. We are allowed once more to enter into Holy Communion
with Him in the Church. We are reinstated into that life which we received in
baptism and are renewed with that power which we were given in chrismation.
The
one sacrament within the Church which guarantees the identity and continuity of
the Church in all times and places is the sacrament of priesthood, the
"holy orders," as they are called. The priesthood exists within the
Church as the sign of the certain presence in the community of Christ Himself.
Christ is not absent from the Church. He is present as its head and is
manifested in the Body through the ministry of the priesthood. Thus the
mystical life of the Church is fulfilled.
Liturgical Music &
Translations
Orthodox
Church in America – internet address for liturgical music for services
thoughout the year:
http://www.oca.org/MDIndex.html?SID=13
Index of liturgical music for daily worship during the year.
The texts of the propers sung at Vespers (stichera on “Lord I call,”
Litya, Aposticha, Troparia and Kontakia that change daily according to either
the day of the week or particular day of the month). Texts are “pointed” to be
sung according to the tonal patterns of the Common Chant (L’vov-Bakhmetev
Obikhod, 1869 edition). Texts are formatted in MS Word.
Candle Lighting During the Liturgy
Lighting of candles during the services may be done at most any time
during the divine liturgy. However, at
the times of the processions (small entrance, great entrance) and at the time
of the sermon, candles lighting is to be paused.
At the time of the sermon, especially, attention should be focused on
the words of the sermon, not on individual candle-lighting.
Blessing
of Water: Alaska
Bishop Benjamin blesses water in the Diocese of Alaska
at
the Holy Feast of Theophany with the parish at
Nondalton, Alaska.