Българска Православна Мисия

Свети Свети Кирил и Методи,

Равноапостоли и Учители на Славяните

 

Saints Cyril & Methodius

Bulgarian Orthodox Mission

www.bocdc.org

The Prodigal Son

 

Sunday, February 15, 2009

 

Our services are held at:

St. Luke Orthodox Church

6801 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101

 

We are a parish of the

Orthodox Church in America

Diocese of Washington and New York

 

Sunday of the Prodigal Son


 The Sunday after the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. This parable of God's forgiveness calls us to come to ourselves" as did the prodigal son, to see ourselves as being "in a far country" far from the Father's house, and to make the journey of return to God. We are given every assurance by the Master that our heavenly Father will receive us with joy and gladness. We must only "arise and go," confessing our self-inflicted and sinful separation from that "home" where we truly belong (Luke 15:11-24).

 After the Polyeleion at Matins, we first hear the lenten hymn "By the Waters of Babylon." It will be sung for the next two Sundays before Lent begins, and it serves to reinforce the theme of exile in today's Gospel.

 

 

 

2009 Parish Council Elected

 His Beatitude Metropolitan JONAH has given his blessing for the installation of the newly elected Parish Council.  Members to be installed today are (in alphabetical order): Ms. Nadya Choparinoff, Mr. George Kochev, Ms. Elena Murphy, Ms. Elisabeth Sipkov Pineros, and Mr. Larry Woods.  The oath of office will be pronounced after the Divine Liturgy today and the members-elect will venerate the gospel and the cross before being blessed with holy water.

 

 At the next Parish Council meeting the Council will adopt the strategy for the year.  That meeting will be on Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 PM.  All are welcome to attend, discuss the topics at hand, and provide input.  Any formal voting, however, will be done by the elected and installed members only.

 

 

 

Saints Commemorated today

 

SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON — Tone 2. Apostle of the Seventy Onesimus (ca. 109). Ven. Paphnutii (Paphnutius), Recluse, of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—13th c.). Ven. Paphnutius and his daughter, Ven. Euphrosyne, of Alexandria (5th c.). Ven. Eusebius, Hermit, of Syria (5th c.).

 

 

 

Hymns of the Sunday of the Prodigal Son

(Hymn from the Lenten Triodion)

What great blessings have I forsaken, wretch that I am?  From what kingdom have I miserably fallen?  I have squandered the riches that were given me; I have transgressed the commandments.  Woe to me when I shall be condemned to eternal fire!  Cry out to Christ, O my soul, before the end draws nigh:  Receive me as the prodigal, O God, and have mercy on me!

(Another hymn from the Lenten Triodion)

I, a wretched man, hide my face in shame:  I have squandered the riches my Father gave to me; I went to live with senseless beasts; I sought their food and hungered, for I had not enough to eat.  I will arise, I will return to my compassionate Father; He will accept my tears, as I kneel before Him, crying:// ÒIn Your tender love for all men, receive me as one of Your servants and save me!Ó

 

 

Schedule of Services

 

Sun., Feb. 15  Prodigal Son ----------------- SS Cyril & Methodius

Sat., Feb. 21  Memorial Saturday ----------  St. George

Sun., Feb. 28 Forgiveness Sunday ---------  SS Cyril & Methodius

(NOTE: GREAT LENT begins on Monday, February 29)

Sun., Mar. 8  (1st Sunday) Orthodoxy ------ St. George

Sun., Mar. 15 (2nd Sunday) St. Gregory of Palamas --  SS Cyril & Methodius

Sun., Mar. 22  (3rd Sunday) Veneration of the Cross --- TBA

Sun., Mar. 29  (4th Sunday) St. John Climacus -------- SS Cyril & Methodius

Sun., Apr. 5  (5th Sunday) St. Mary of Egypt --- TBA

Sun., Apr. 12 Palm Sunday -------SS Cyril & Methodius

Sun., Apr. 19 PASCHA -------- TBA

 

 

OCA delegation takes part in Enthronement of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

 

MOSCOW, RUSSIA [OCA Communications] -- On Sunday, February 1, 2009, a delegation representing the Orthodox Church in America took part in the enthronement of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow.

  The OCA delegation consisted of His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania; His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West; Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate; and Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations.

  On Monday, February 2, 2009, His Grace, Bishop Tikhon and His Grace, Bishop Benjamin, joined primates and representatives of other autocephalous Orthodox churches at the Kremlin's Dormition Cathedral for Service of Thanksgiving celebrated by His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill.

  The following day, Tuesday, February 3, His Holiness received the OCA's delegation at his working residence. During their meeting, Bishop Tikhon presented Patriarch Kirill with a letter of greeting from His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah.

  "Your Holiness' election brings us great joy in knowing that the special relationship between the Russian Church and the Orthodox Church in America will continue," Metropolitan Jonah wrote. "The support and encouragement of the Mother Church to her American Daughter is of utmost value to us. As we move toward greater maturity as a Church and assume the full responsibilities of Autocephaly, which your predecessors endowed us with, we will look to Your Holiness as a collaborator in our common mission to establish the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

  Metropolitan Jonah's letter of greeting continued by stating that, "throughout the difficult years of Godless persecution and following the collapse of Soviet power, the Orthodox Church in America stood as a strong support and friend of the Russian Church. We remain that constant friend and look to working together in addressing the many troubling issues that affect our world. In particular, our friendship may indeed help to overcome the strained relationship between our two countries. The tremendous experience of Your Holiness in international and inter-church affairs will give tremendous insight into the inner workings of the events which we mutually face."

  At their Tuesday meeting Patriarch Kirill thanked the delegation for their participation in his Enthronement ceremonies and expressed his strong desire to work closely with Metropolitan Jonah in strengthening unity among the Orthodox Churches. His Holiness also shared his eagerness in welcoming Metropolitan Jonah to Moscow.

  In addition to the events associated with the Patriarchal Enthronement, Bishops Tikhon and Benjamin also took part in services for the Sunday of Zaccheus at the Church of St. Catherine, the OCA representation church in Moscow, and visited the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Moscow's Church of the Resurrection is home to the wonderworking "Rescuer of the Perishing" icon of the Theotokos. Bishop Benjamin's cathedral in Los Angeles, CA, is the only church in North America dedicated to this icon.

 

Българска Православна Мисия

Свети Свети Кирил и Методи,

Равноапостоли и Учители на Славяните

Православни Църкви в Америка

Diocez Washington i New York