"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 fulness 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!

 

"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and to those in the tomb He has given life!"

 

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.

 

3:00 p.m.– Agape Vespers at Holy Trinity/St. John the TheologianGreek Orthodox Church

 

Office Closed – Father John's Day Off

 

6:00 a.m.– Bright Week Orthros

 

5:00 p.m.– Catechism Class

6:30 p.m.–Paschal Vespers for Bright Wednesday

 

6:00 a.m.– Bright Orthros

 

6:00 a.m.– Bright Week Orthros

 

4:45 p.m.– Bright Week Ice Cream Social

5:45 p.m.– Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers

 

8:50 a.m.– Thomas Sunday

9:00 a.m.– Christian Education

10:00 a.m.– Divine Liturgy

5:30 p.m.– Youth Group

 

 

Eucharist Bread: ...was offered by the Meadows for the Vesperal Liturgy on Thursday, by the Katools for the Vesperal Liturgy this morning and by the Schelvers for the Paschal service tonight.

 

Please be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take after communion or at the end of the liturgy. Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor. Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.

 

April 3(Sat. p.m. - Pascha)      Schelvers                                          Christina/Anastasia/Charlotte Wood

April 11                                      Morrises                                                                       Pigotts

April 18                                      Joneses                                                                       Morrises

April 25                                      Milnors                                                                         Dansereaus

 

Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew. Please be sure to use this book when you read.

April 3 (Sat. p.m.)                     Tom Skirtech                        Acts 1:1-8                                   25

April 11                                      Walt Wood                           Acts 5:12-20                               32

April 18                                      Warren Strain                       Acts 6:1-7                                   38

April 25                                      Kh. Sharon Meadows          I Pet. 5:6-14                              379

 

Please remember the following in your prayers: Esther (Elliott) Longa, her husband Luis, baby Elliott and their family from St. John's in Memphis; Fr. Donald Lloyd; Sh. Charlotte Algood, Deacon Terry and their family; Fr. James and Kh. Linda Ellison; Bobby and Sue Webb (Deborah Finley's parents); Tom Skirtech, Amy and Brantley Oliver; Reader Basil's family; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Jared and Stacy Autrey and their daughter Olivia Kate (St. Ignatius in Franklin).

 

Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.

　

Camp St. Thekla will soon be here! Applications for scholarships have already been submitted, but it is still necessary to send in the applications for camp, itself. Parents, please be sure that you have done this while space is still available!!

If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is set to the optimum temperature for the building when unoccupied.

 

Pledge Letters for 2010 have been mailed. Please return yours as soon as possible, either by mail in the enclosed envelope, or by placing you pledge slip in the Tithes box at the back of the nave.

 

*Sunday, April 4^th – Agape Vespers (we are bringing desserts – see Christina)

*Saturday, April 10^th – Bright Week Ice Cream Social at the church at 4:45 p.m. prior to vespers.

*Our next time to serve a meal at the Stewpot will be May 1^st (and again later on October 30^th ).

 

Calling everyone (especially Men): We need more help in cleaning up following Coffee Hour and meals at the Church (especially the monthly Pot Luck meals). Since the cooking and set up are usually done by the women, this is a terrific time for the men in our parish to also serve. Please remember that those hosting coffee would always appreciate a little help in setting things back right afterwards. The more hands, the quicker the work.

 

Sunday Pot Luck Meal was not held this month and will not be held in April due to other meals which are being held in conjunction with the various feasts. We will probably resume our monthly Pot Luck meals in May.

 

There is no fasting during Bright Week following Pascha. Starting on April 12^th , traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish eggs, dairy, wine and oil) will resume on Wednesdays and Fridays.

 

April 04  Holy PASCHA

April 11  Thomas Sunday

April 23  Great-martyr George

April 24  Apostle and Evangelist Mark

 

Quotable: "Keep the feast of the Resurrection. Be a Peter or a John; hasten to the Sepulchre, running together, running against one another, vying in the noble race (John 20:3-4). And even if you be beaten in speed, win the victory of zeal; not looking into the tomb, but going in."

    - St. Gregory the Theologian

 

Weekly Quote:  "The Savior becomes all thing to all, according to the need of each: to those who ask for joy, He becomes the Vine; to those who wish to enter, He becomes the door; to those who are under the weight of sin, He becomes a lamb, a lamb slain for them. He becomes all things to all, but He remains nonetheless what He is. He is called by a twofold name: Jesus because He gives salvation, and Christ because He is a priest."

    - St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Scriptures: Acts 5:12-20; John 20: 19-31

Celebrant: Father John

Epistle Reader: Walt Wood

Prosphora: Morrises

Coffee Hour :Pigotts