Saints Cyril & Methodius
Equals to the Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs
Bulgarian Orthodox Mission
Христос
воскресе из
мертвых,
смертию
смерть
поправ,
и сущим во
гробех живот
даровав!
Holy Myrrh-bearing
Women
May 8, 2011
3rd SUNDAY OF PASCHA — Tone 2. Holy Apostle and Evangelist
John the Theologian (98-117 A.D.). Ven.
Arsenius the Great (449-450). Ven. Arseny the Lover-of-Labor (14th
c.) and Pimen the Ascetic, of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—12th c.).
Today we celebrate the
Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
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
Parish Council 2011
Zora
Popova, President
Evgeniy
Anguelov, Vice President
Elena
Murphy, Treasurer
Tzanko
Stanchev, Secretary
Nadiya
Baltiska, Member
Lena
Lenkova, Member
Lazarina
Petrova, Member
Nadiya
Choparinoff (Alternate Member)
†
May Their Memory Be Eternal
†
the
Bishops Nestor, Gregory, Job, and
Nicholas;
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, Bistra,
Gerard, 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, Rose, Juliana, & Anne;
the servants of God, Annie,
Flora, Karen, Stella, Victor, Erin, Kyriaki, Helen, Therese, Jane, Denny, Ivan,
Oliver, Marion, Ellen, Marios & Sophia, Alexandra & Joseph, Catherine
& Wayne, John & Carmeta, John & Carol, Dimitrie & Rachael, Charlie
& Karen, Chariessa & Nicholas, and David & Patricia.
Schedule of Services
May 8 Holy Myrrh-bearers, at SS
Cyril & Methodius - 2:00
May 15 The Paralytic, at St.
Mark – 9:30
May 22 The Samaritan
Woman, at SS Cyril & Methodius – 2:00
May 29 The Blind Man, at St. George – 12:00
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, candle lighting is to be paused.
Especially at the time of the scripture readings and sermon, attention
should be focused on the words, not on individual candle-lighting.
St. Cyril and St. Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius,
Equals of the Apostles, and Enlighteners of the Slavs came from an illustrious
and pious family living in the Greek city of Thessalonica. St Methodius was the
oldest of seven brothers, St Constantine [Cyril was his monastic name] was the
youngest. At first St Methodius was in the military and was governor in one of
the Slavic principalities dependent on the Byzantine Empire, probably Bulgaria,
which made it possible for him to learn the Slavic language. After living there
for about ten years, St Methodius later received monastic tonsure at one of the
monasteries on Mount Olympus (Asia Minor).
St
Constantine distinguished himself by his great aptitude, and he studied with
the emperor Michael under the finest teachers in Constantinople, including St
Photius, the future Patriarch of Constantinople (February 6).
St
Constantine studied all the sciences of his time, and also knew several
languages. He also studied the works of St Gregory the Theologian. Because of
his keen mind and penetrating intellect, St Constantine was called
"Philosopher" (wise). Upon the completion of his education, St
Constantine was ordained to the holy priesthood and was appointed curator of
the patriarchal library at the church of Hagia Sophia. He soon left the capital
and went secretly to a monastery.
Discovered
there, he returned to Constantinople, where he was appointed as instructor in
philosophy. The young Constantine's wisdom and faith were so great that he won
a debate with Ananias, the leader of the heretical iconclasts . After this
victory Constantine was sent by the emperor to discuss the Holy Trinity with
the Saracens, and again he gained the victory. When he returned, St Constantine
went to his brother St Methodius on Olympus, spending his time in unceasing
prayer and reading the works of the holy Fathers.
The
emperor soon summoned both of the holy brothers from the monastery and sent
them to preach the Gospel to the Khazars. Along the way they stayed in the city
of Korsun, making preparations for their missionary activity. There the holy
brothers miraculously discovered the relics of the hieromartyr Clement, Pope of
Rome (November 25).
There
in Korsun St Constantine found a Gospel and Psalter written in Russian letters
[i.e. Slavonic], and a man speaking the Slavic tongue, and he learned from this
man how to read and speak this language. After this, the holy brothers went to
the Khazars, where they won a debate with Jews and Moslems by preaching the
Gospel. On the way home, the brothers again visited Korsun and, taking up the
relics of St Clement, they returned to Constantinople. St Constantine remained
in the capital, but St Methodius was made igumen of the small Polychronion
monastery near Mount Olympus, where he lived a life of asceticism as before.
Soon
messengers came to the emperor from the Moravian prince Rostislav, who was
under pressure from German bishops, with a request to send teachers to Moravia
who would be able to preach in the Slavic tongue. The emperor summoned St
Constantine and said to him, "You must go there, but it would be better if
no one knows about this."
St
Constantine prepared for the new task with fasting and prayer. With the help of
his brother St Methodius and the disciples Gorazd, Clement, Sava, Naum and
Angelyar, he devised a Slavonic alphabet and translated the books which were
necessary for the celebration of the divine services: the Gospel, Epistles,
Psalter, and collected services, into the Slavic tongue. This occurred in the
year 863.
After
completing the translation, the holy brothers went to Moravia, where they were
received with great honor, and they began to teach the services in the Slavic
language. This aroused the malice of the German bishops, who celebrated divine
services in the Moravian churches in Latin. They rose up against the holy
brothers, convinced that divine services must be done in one of three
languages: Hebrew, Greek or Latin.
St
Constantine said, "You only recognize three languages in which God may be
glorified. But David sang, 'Praise the Lord, all nations, praise the Lord all
peoples (Ps 116/117:1).' And the Gospel of St Matthew (28:18) says, 'Go and
teach all nations....'" The German bishops were humiliated, but they
became bitter and complained to Rome.
The
holy brothers were summoned to Rome for a decision on this matter. Taking with
them the relics of St Clement, Sts Constantine and Methodius set off to Rome.
Knowing that the holy brothers were bringing these relics with them, Pope
Adrian met them along the way with his clergy. The holy brothers were greeted
with honor, the Pope gave permission to have divine services in the Slavonic
language, and he ordered the books translated by the brothers to be placed in
the Latin churches, and to serve the Liturgy in the Slavonic language.
At
Rome St Constantine fell ill, and the Lord revealed to him his approaching
death. He was tonsured into the monastic schema with the name of Cyril. On
February 14, 869, fifty days after receiving the schema, St Cyril died at the
age of forty-two.
St
Cyril commanded his brother St Methodius to continue with their task of
enlightening the Slavic peoples with the light of the true Faith. St Methodius
entreated the Pope to send the body of his brother for burial in their native
land, but the Pope ordered the relics of St Cyril to be placed in the church of
St Clement, where miracles began to occur from them.
After
the death of St Cyril, the Pope sent St Methodius to Pannonia, after
consecrating him as Archbishop of Moravia and Pannonia, on the ancient throne
of St Andronicus (July 30). In Pannonia St Methodius and his disciples
continued to distribute services books written in the Slavonic language. This
again aroused the wrath of the German bishops. They arrested and tried St
Methodius, who was sent in chains to Swabia, where he endured many sufferings
for two and a half years.
After
being set free by order of Pope John VIII of Rome, and restored to his
archdiocese, St Methodius continued to preach the Gospel among the Slavs. He
baptized the Czech prince Borivoi and his wife Ludmilla (September 16), and
also one of the Polish princes. The German bishops began to persecute the saint
for a third time, because he did not accept the erroneous teaching about the
procession of the Holy Spirit from both the Father and the Son. St Methodius
was summoned to Rome, but he justified himself before the Pope, and preserved the
Orthodox teaching in its purity, and was sent again to the capital of Moravia,
Velehrad.
Here
in the remaining years of his life St Methodius, assisted by two of his former
pupils, translated the entire Old Testament into Slavonic, except for the Book
of Maccabbees, and even the Nomocanon (Rule of the holy Fathers) and Paterikon
(book of the holy Fathers).
Sensing
the nearness of death, St Methodius designated one of his students, Gorazd, as
a worthy successor to himself. The holy bishop predicted the day of his death
and died on April 6, 885 when he was about sixty years old. The saint's burial
service was chanted in three languages, Slavonic, Greek, and Latin. He was
buried in the cathedral church of Velehrad.
Parish Council Meeting
The next regular Parish Council
meeting will take place after the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, May 22. St. Luke’s Church will be having a meeting
the same afternoon so the meeting may take place in the parish office.
The meeting is open to the
public and non-members may discuss the issues, but only members of the Parish
Council may cast a vote.