'CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, TRAMPLING DOWN DEATH BY DEATH
AND UPON THOSE IN THE TOMBS BESTOWING LIFE!"

 

"Unique and holy day, King and lord of days, feast of feasts, solemnity of solemnities. . . "  Thus we celebrate the Great Feast because of the resurrection of our Lord and begin the season of celebration which lasts through Pentecost.  The paschal solemnities (of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) are joined to the feast of the resurrection to endow the mystery of Christmas and the Incarnation with the fullness of its meaning and are the prerequisite condition for Pentecost.  Easter, therefore, is the center, the heart of the Christian Year.

 

"Come, take light from the Light that has no evening, and glorify Christ, risen from the dead."  The Church again represents the Christian mystery in terms of light; this Light, whose birth was marked by the star of Bethlehem, is shining among us with growing intensity; the darkness of Golgotha could not extinguish it.  The physical Resurrection of Jesus would be without value to us if the divine light did not shine at the same time among us, within us.  But the good news of the Resurrection is that the light brought by the Saviour now completely overcomes the darkness of our sins!

 

Acts 1:1-8:  From our reading in Acts we are reminded that following the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord, the Church would receive the Holy Spirit to empower Her in spreading the eternal gospel to all parts of the Earth.

 

John 1:1-17:  Reading in the Gospel of John we see Jesus Christ as the eternally Begotten Son of The Father with Whom He has always existed.  We also see John the Baptist coming to prepare the way for our Lord's ministry.

 

Paschal Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead; by Death has he trodden death, and upon those in the tombs, hath he bestowed life.

 

Hypakoe of Easter:  They who were with Mary came before the dawn, found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre, and heard the angels say unto them,  Why seek ye him as man with the dead, who dwelleth in light eternal?  Behold the grave wrappings; make haste and declare to the world that the Lord is risen, and hath caused death to die; for he is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind.

 

Kontakion of Pascha: When Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal, Thou didst destroy the power of hades.  In victory didst Thou arise, O Christ God, proclaiming "Rejoice" to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to Thine apostles and bestowing resurrection on the fallen.

 

 

Sunday, April 27    (Great and Holy Pascha)
 3:00 p.m. – Agape Vespers at St. Peter, following by Picnic and Easter Egg Hunt

 

Monday, April 28
 CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED – FATHER JOHN'S DAY OFF

 

Tuesday, April 29
 6:00 a.m. – Paschal Orthros Service of Bright Week
  
Wednesday, April 30
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Paschal Vespers of Bright Week

 

Thursday, May 1
 6:00 a.m. – Paschal Orthros of Bright Week
  
Friday, May 2
 6:00 a.m. – Paschal Orthros of Bright Week 
        
Saturday, May 3
 5:00 p.m. – Catechism Class
 6:30 p.m. – Great Vespers

 

Sunday, May 4   (Thomas Sunday)
 8:50 a.m. – Orthros
 9:00 a.m. – Sunday School
 10:00 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
 5:30 p.m. – Youth Group

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

The Eucharist Bread was offered by Joanna Meadows for the Divine Liturgy of Pascha, by Rebecca Root for the Liturgy on Holy Saturday and by the Meadows for the Liturgy of Holy Thursday.

 

Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
     Eucharist Bread  Coffee Hour
May 4     D. Roots   Pigotts
May 11    Freundts   Rebecca Root
May 18    Fahmys   D. Roots
May 25    Bakers    Morrises

 

Welcome and Many Years to Rod Parker, Jenna Skirtech and Lou Turner who were chrismated during the vesperal liturgy this morning!! 

 

Agape Vespers: We will host Agape Vespers tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m.  The church will be providing the meat and drinks.  We are asked to bring appetizers.  Also, adults are asked to bring 6 filled plastic eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt for the children.

 

Please be careful not to spill food or drink on our new chairs.  Also, please supervise your children to avoid spills or ink stains or marks from their writing and drawing.  These chairs cost over $200 each, so we need to take care of them.  Thank you for your help with this.

 

 * The teens are hoping to hold two fund-raisers in May to raise money for the Parish Life Conference.  One will be a carwash and the other a meal (dates yet to be finalized).

 * The Ladies of St. Peter are planning a garage sale for the first week-end in June.

 * This year we will celebrate the feast of Ascension with Orthros and Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, June 4th and the feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 15th.  The feast of Sts. Peter and Paul falls on a Sunday this year (June 29th).

 * Mark your calendars now for the Parish Life Conference, June 18-22, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The conference is a wonderful opportunity to meet and build relationships with members of other parishes in our diocese.

 

 * We are scheduled to serve at the Stewpot on July 5th.  More information will be available as the time approaches.

 

Fasting Discipline for May
The traditional fasting resumes after Bright Week, which follows Great Pascha (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil)  being observed on Wednesdays and Fridays.

 

Major Commemorations During April/May
 April 27 PASCHA
 April 28-May 3 Bright Week
 April 30 Holy Apostle James the Brother of John
 May 4  Thomas Sunday
 May 5  Great Martyr Irene
 May 8  Repose of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
 May 11 Sunday of the Myrrhbearers
 May 18 Sunday of the Paralytic
 May 21 God-crowned Emperor Constantine and His Mother Helen
 May 25 Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

 

 

Quotable: "Let none fear death, for the death of the Savior has set us free. Christ is risen and the demons have fallen, Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!"
     St. John Chrysostom

 

WORSHIP: Sunday, May 4 (Thomas Sunday)

 

  Scripture:  Acts 5:12-20; John 20:19-31
 Celebrant:  Father John
 Homily:  Father James
 Deacon:  Deacon Terry
 Acolytes:  Max Baker
 Prosphora:  D. Roots
 Coffee Hour:  Pigotts
 Teen Hosts:  TBA