Bulletin

9 May 2021

Sunday Bulletin - May 9, 2021

Second Week of Pascha - Antipascha, St. Thomas Sunday

Христос Воскресе! ~ Christ is Risen!

Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Archpriest Sergei (Lukianov), Archpriest Boris, Priest Anthony, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Reader Samuel, Matushka Luba, Matushka Bridget, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Rose (Staso), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick), Lorraine (Guglielmi), Michael (Champion), Roman (Ron Vroom)

Sunday, May 9^th Divine Liturgy offered:

For the health of

Michael (Champion) by his Family

Lorraine (Guglielmi), by Richard Elias Guglielmi

Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family

For the memory of

+newly departed servants +Dragan (Novakovic) +Doris (Patrick) +James (S. Patrick) +Eleanor (Zubko)

+ Mary (DeMeo) and + Olga (K. Shast) on their birthday by Sokoluk Family

+ Sydor (Hrynick) and + Helen (Hrynick) by Sunny Vera Lawrence

+ Deborah (Martin) on her birthday by Sunny Vera Lawrence

+ Valentina (Kunasz) on the 5^th anniversary of her passing into eternal life by Kunasz & Williams Families

Flowers on the altar offered in memory of the departed servant of God, + Valentina (Kunasz) on the 5^th anniversary of her passing into eternal life by Kunasz & Williams Families

Troparion When the tomb was sealed, Thou, the Life, O Christ our God, didst rise up from the grave; and when the doors were closed, Thou, the Resurrection of all, didst stand among the disciples, and through them renew a right spirit in us, according to Thy mercy.

Kontakion With his inquisitive right hand, Thomas probed Thy life-giving side, O Christ our God. For when Thou didst enter, the doors being shut, with the rest of the Apostles he cried to Thee: Thou art my Lord and my God.

Epistle Acts 5:12-20 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.

Gospel John 20:19-31 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

For those who did not receive the email bulletin last Sunday, please note, its abbreviated information is shared at the end of this email.

Spiritual

Dear Brothers and Sisters, the city officials announced an ease of restrictions, citing there is a decrease in community transmission. As we prioritize the health and safety of our parish and community, the church of St. Michael the Archangel is open for Divine Liturgy and other services by the schedule, to parishioners under certain measures, out of regard to federal, state, and local government guidelines and Hierarchal directives.

Divine Liturgy will be upstairs in the church proper at 10AM, with Reading of the Hours prior. Chapel downstairs remains in place. Measures and guidelines remain the same throughout the building.

We are following the Hierarchal directives as well as the CDC, state and local city government guidelines. The guidelines of the city are stricter than the state.

Attendance: Every Sunday and other days, until further notice, a reservation is called for to attend Divine Liturgy, or other services. Please email office@saintmichaelsroc.org to register your attendance. Please include each of your names(s) and contact information (email & phone number).

Those with health issues/high risk please use utmost caution; any concerns please contact your medical professional for guidance.

Live streaming of services from St. Michael the Archangel: Please visit our Facebook page (link at the bottom of this email) or navigate through our website to view streaming on Facebook. There is a small icon "f" on the upper right hand corner page of the homepage of our website. To view, Facebook membership is not required, to our understanding. In the event of technical difficulties, please note that services are also streamed by our dean, Fr. John Vass of Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church www.youtube.com/user/HolyTrinitySermons

How to participate in Divine Services at home? What do you need? To fully participate in the Divine Services, undivided attention is most important. Prepare yourself as if you are leaving to attend in person by dressing for church. In front of you, place an icon (if you are not in the presence of your icon corner); a candle (safely, in a glass votive holder or lampada & never leave unattended); incense (safely, in an approved home censer & never leave unattended); Stand, sit, make the sign of the cross, bow and respond reverently as if you are present inside the church; May God hear your prayers as well as ours, together, as we lift our hearts and voices to the Lord our God. If you have properly kept Holy Water in your home, a drink from the cup will help nourish the soul and body.

Veneration of Icons & Cross: Please do not kiss icons, the priest's hand and/or the cross at the end of Divine Liturgy. The cross will be placed upon the heads of the parishioners. Bowing and making the sign of the cross is preferred in place of veneration.

General Confession will be prior to Holy Communion, at the time of the Prayers before Communion. Holy Communion, Individual spoon and paper tissue will be provided to wipe your mouth. A receptacle to place used tissues will also be provided. Please do not kiss the chalice.

We respectfully ask you to follow the health and safety measures while in the building:

Wear Masks. Please bring your own facial covering (masks, or cloth, scarf, etc. to cover your nose and mouth)
Social Distance (please keep 6ft separation throughout the building)
Hand washing & Hand Sanitizer is available

All social gatherings and activities are suspended until further notice. We are taking preventative measures to help stop the spread of the virus, by disinfecting high contact surfaces, and minimize contact touch points such as leaving doors open.

Thank you for your understanding and support during this challenging time. We continue to monitor this unchartered, fluid situation and will update you with new recommendations as they become available. We are looking forward to the new normalcy, which is yet to be defined.

We understand how difficult it is to adjust to the world around us at this time. We extend a kiss of peace to you, and ask everyone to join in their home, to pray for the end of the epidemic and for all who have/will be impacted as well as for peace.

Prayer in Time of Devastating & Death-bearing Pestilence

O Lord our God, look down from Thy Holy Heaven on the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, who have angered Thy graciousness by our transgressions, and have provoked Thy deep compassion, and enter not into judgement with Thy servants. But do Thou turn aside Thy fearsome anger that hath justly seized us, appease the destructive threatening, avert Thy terrible sword that, although invisible, cutteth us grievously, and spare Thy poor and needy servants. Enclose not with death the souls of us who have fallen down in repentance with broken hearts and tears before Thee, our kindhearted, condescending, and accommodating God.

For Thine it is to show mercy and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Link to Prayer in Time of Devastating & Death-bearing Pestilence

This situation has a heavy bearing on any soul. Please do not hesitate to contact Fr. Luka for spiritual guidance, with questions or concerns, for any reasons at (215) 627-6148. Please add church phone number to your contact list in case of emergencies and future reference, this will directly connect you to speak with Fr Luka at anytime or anyplace.

Liturgical Calendar

Schedule of Services:

Sunday, May 16^th Third Week of Pascha Myrrh-bearing Women, Divine Liturgy 10AM, Reading of Hours prior
Sunday, May 23^rd Fourth Sunday of Pascha The Paralyzed Man, Divine Liturgy 10AM, Reading of Hours prior
Sunday, May 30^th Fifth Sunday of Pascha The Samaritan Woman, Divine Liturgy 10AM, Reading of Hours prior
Sunday, June 6^th Sixth Sunday of Pascha The Blind Man, Divine Liturgy 10AM, Reading of Hours prior

Fasting Reminders: Wednesday May 12^th and Friday May 14^th, both Fast, Fish Allowed

Fasting Recipe of the Week

Our youth are cooking in the kitchen, learning the recipes from generations past, and creating their own versions in the present. It is with great joy in cooking that they are sharing their favorite recipes.

Try one this week:

Kulich (Cake-like Easter Bread)

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 pkg. active dry yeast

2 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup flour

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 Tablespoons sugar

4 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cup flour

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup sliced , blanched almonds

Heat the cream to lukewarm, then stir in the yeast, the 2 Tablespoons of sugar and the one cup of flour, mixing well. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to one hour. This is the sponge mixture. Cream the butter with the 6 Tablespoons of sugar. Then beat in the egg yolks, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the sponge mixture, then add enough flour to make a soft dough. Stir in the raisins and almonds. Place in a greased bowl, turning dough to grease the top, and let rise, covered, until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough. Prepare a 2 1/2 quart mold or 2 pound coffee can by greasing the mold or can and lining it with brown paper, turning down the edges of the paper out over the top of the can. Grease the paper so that the Kulich will not stick. Place the dough in the mold or can and let rise until it reaches the top of the mold or can. Preheat the oven to 370 degrees. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped. If necessary, cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. Yield: one large loaf.

By Melanie Ervin (St. Michael Church Cookbook 2004)

Loula's Shrimp Dish

12 Tablespoons butter, melted (or vegan substitute/magarine)

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika, optional

dash cayenne, optional

2/3 cup cooking sherry

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

4 cups soft bread crumbs and small cubes*

2 to 3 pounds shrimp, boiled

Melt butter, add celery, onion, paprika, cayenne, and sherry. Cook until celery is soft; add garlic and parsley. Cook about 2 more minutes. Add bread crumbs. * (Use Italian bread: remove crust and cut into slices. Dry in oven until dry; crush by hand) Toss. If the mixture is dry add a little butter. Sprinkle a little of the crumb mixture on the bottom of a baking pan. Place shrimp in rows and sprinkle a little more of crumbs and add more shrimp. Layer the remaining shrimp and crumbs. Spoon at least 2 1/2 cups of the butter mixture on top of the shrimp. You may at this point freeze and then defrost and bake when you are ready to serve. Bake in a slow oven, 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until crumbs brown.

By Loula A. Passes (St. Michael Church Cookbook 2004)

Please feel free to send your favorite Lenten/Fasting Recipe to office@saintmichaelsroc.org or through the mail to the church address. Label the Subject: "RECIPE OF THE WEEK." Please contact Julianna Sokoluk with any questions.

Thank you

Christ Is Risen! Indeed, He Is Risen! Thank you to everyone for making the meeting of the Feast of Feasts very special. Heartfelt efforts throughout preparations, Holy Week, Bright Week and on Pascha, made all the difference in experiencing the great joy of the Feast. May God bless those working hands, gleeful voices and dedicated hearts for many years!

Thank you for supporting the Luminaries Project. On Pascha, the glimmering lights "in memory of" and "for health of" your loved ones, shone brightly throughout the night into the early morning hours, bringing the joy of Pascha to all. Thank you!

Thanks goes to the three families who each sponsor the yearly 7-day vigil candles used for the Large Lampada hanging above Royal Doors, Lamps on the Tetrapod (two), and Lamps on the Confession Table (two).

Prayers & Offerings

Departed Servants of God Remembered

Throughout the church year, especially during Great Lent, there are special times to remember your loved ones who have fallen asleep in the Lord. On Soul Saturday April 17th, Liturgy was served with a special memorial service for those souls, now departed from this life. They were read at the Litany for the Departed. These submitted names will be read at services automatically, throughout the year, including the standard monthly commemoration of the dead, Panikhida/Parastas. Memory Eternal! Vechnaya Pamyat!

Commemoration, Prayer and Service requests are being accepted through the mail. Please clearly state the preferred date(s) for service(s) and name(s) of person(s) to be prayed for and specify for health or departed, Health: Proskomedia - during the litany of mercy, life, peace, health, and visitation. For those that have passed: (specify newly departed, or in memory of) Proskomedia Litany for the departed Panikhida. Thank you.

Candles, light of light that never fades. We are honoring your requests for lighting candles in absence. Please submit by mailing your requests to the church address. Donations gladly accepted by check. Please earmark on memo line: "candles." All requests will be honored at Divine Liturgy on Sundays.

Please indicate quantity and type of candle(s) requested. Include your name, email and/or phone number. Thank you.

A. 7-day vigils $4.00

B. Beeswax $2.00

C. Thin Taper $1.00

D. Tea Lights .50 cents

Praying for the departed souls of our loved ones throughout the year: There are special Soul Saturdays designated on the church calendar, to pray for departed souls. In addition, our parish has a tradition to offer a monthly panikhida (or parastas). There is a standard monthly list, however, baptismal names may be added on or request for a single name to be included in a particular month. Please refer to Request for Services envelope. Panikhida (or parastas) services may be requested, other than the third Sunday. Please contact Fr. Luka for details.

Monthly Panikhida Dates for 2021

May 16th
June 20th
July 18th
August 15th
September 19th
September 19th
October 17th
November 28th
December 26th

Fresh Flowers on the Tetrapod and Altar: Welcome, sponsors for the fresh flowers on the Tetrapod and altar, weekly. Donations to help defray the costs are graciously accepted. Remember loved ones, by flowers "in memory of departed" and/or "in honor of" individual/families, or anonymously. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.

Weekly Bulletin: Sponsors are welcome to help defray the costs of printing the weekly bulletin. We share the bulletin digitally, however, the paper version is appreciated by many. A hardcopy is important for those who are not tech-savvy, which is why we print and mail to those parishioners to keep them informed and connected. Donations are graciously accepted "in memory of/ in honor of" individuals/families. Please contact Ken Koscinski with any questions about the process. Thank you.

Passing the Sunday collection basket is not happening as it once did prior the pandemic, therefore, Parishioner Envelopes, Gifts & Special Donations, are being accepted in safe and healthy ways including online PayPal and traditional mail sent to the church address. Visit our website for details. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support of our parish, now and always.

Fundraisers

Amazonsmile is another way to help support the church, now and all through the year. When you shop online, remember to choose our church [St. Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia], to benefit from the charitable donation program at Amazon. Every purchase through smile.amazon.com helps the church, by receiving a percentage of your purchase in donation made by Amazon. To sign up or participate go to smile.amazon.com.

Shopping at GIANT & Shop Rite? Gift Cards Fundraising Program is available year-round.

All of us are shopping for groceries to feed your families and yourselves. We have an existing fundraising program that for the amount you spend shopping at grocery-market chains (like Shop Rite & GIANT) in return a portion of your total sales benefits the church directly. This program has existed for decades, but not everyone takes advantage of it. It's as easy as getting the gift cards at face value from the church and then using them to purchase your groceries from your local Shop Rite & GIANT stores. Details upon request, email the office@saintmichaelsroc.org

Administration

Update Contact Information, Please send an email to office@saintmichaelsroc.org with any updates to your address, phone number(s), email address(es) and/or preferred methods of communication for you and/or your family.

Friendly Reminder, Add address, FROM <saintmichaelroc@gmail.com> to your contacts list in order for you to help these parish emails arrive directly to your inbox. Without notice, emails may be delivered into your Spam folder, so please check. Adjustments to your settings and/or filters may also be helpful.

Church Calendars, a few available; if you would like a 2021 Orthodox church calendar please send an email to office@saintmichaelsroc.org include your name and address. Thanks to The Fletcher-Nasevich Funeral Home for sponsoring the church calendar for our parish, annually.

Sunday Parking, please remember these helpful tips for parking in church lots, while attending services:

Respect the available parking spaces for others; please do not leave open space between vehicles.
Front Small Lot is "bumper to bumper" parking. Pull completely forward when using this small lot; it is necessary to maximize its capacity.
Handicap Parking is available on the street "from driveway to driveway" in front of the Church on Fairmount Avenue by the city, on Sunday Only from 8AM to 4PM (limit of four hours); must have Department of Transportation/Medical Placard displayed properly.
On-street parking for 300 block of Fairmount Avenue is Residential Parking Permit, which means there is a 2-hour time limit for non residents. Please be advised to read all signs when parking on the streets.
If you plan to leave early, please consider parking on the street; or expect to ask others to move their vehicle.
Church Placard, please use & make it visible on dashboard; this helps identify cars easily by office staff.
Overall, please be considerate. If you have to ask someone to move or you have to move your vehicle for others to exit, please be kind and helpful.

Thank you

Community & Caring

FYI, our parish youth have been creating cards and sending to our parish family who are in nursing facilities or at home, long term. We have expanded to include more elderly parishioners as well. Missing all of you and praying for your good health and safety. If you know of someone who would like to receive cards please let us know by sending an email with their contact information, to office@saintmichaelsroc.org

Charity Collections, support from our parish has benefitted Philabundance (PA), Holy Myrhhbearers (NY), Holy Trinity Seminary (NY), in the not too distant past. New focuses are being considered, and will be shared in the coming weeks.

Charitable Deductions, please consult your tax advisor/preparer before acting. The following is for information purposes only. There is a new charitable deduction option for this year only – Take advantage of the new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provision that allows individuals to take a $300 charitable deduction for 2020 filers who claim the standard deduction.

Important Reminders

ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME; FURTHER UPDATES WILL BE SHARED

URGENT UPDATES: In the event of important news, information will be shared via parish Facebook page, email and parish website. Please remember to keep those who may not have email or internet service, up-to-date on advisories. If you have any doubts, call the church. Thank you.

Our Website Provides Links to spiritual resources and information regarding Coronavirus/ COVID-19 including:

Word of Consolation for the Pandemic by Archimandrite Zacharias of Essex, England https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT8iQQ0
Daily Readings and Commemoration of Saints, Online Resources on the home page of our site:https://saintmichaelsroc.org
Moscow Patriarchal Parishes in the USA: https://mospatusa.com/churchcalendar
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church: http://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar
Resources for Orthodoxy: orthodoxchristian.com

For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:

www.saintmichaelsroc.org

Reprint: Sunday Bulletin - May 2, 2021

The Bright Resurrection of Christ, Pascha

Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Archpriest Sergei (Lukianov), Archpriest Boris, Priest Anthony, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Reader Samuel, Matushka Luba, Matushka Bridget, Nadine (Schmidt),Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Frank (Krewda), Alex (Kobasa), Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), Olga and John (Candelori), Rose (Staso), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Helen (Yurkow), Daria (Champion), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick), Lorraine (Guglielmi), Michael (Champion),Roman (Ron Vroom)

Sunday, May 2^nd Divine Liturgy offered:

For the health of

Michael (Champion) by his Family

Lorraine (Guglielmi), by Richard Elias Guglielmi

Amelia (Sokoluk), by Sokoluk Family

For the memory of

+ newly departed servants, + James (S. Patrick) 40^th Day, +Dragan (Novakovic), and + Eleanor (Zubko) 40^th Day

+ Peter (Compo) on the 21^st anniversary of his passing into eternal life by The Compo Family

Troparion O great and holiest Passover, Christ! O Wisdom, Word and Power of God! Grant that we may more perfectly partake of Thee in the unending Day of Thy Kingdom.

Kontakion Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of hell, and didst rise again as Conqueror, O Christ our God, saying to the myrrbearing women, Rejoice! And giving peace to Thine Apostles, and offering to the fallen resurrection.

Epistle Acts 1:1-8 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Gospel John 1:1-17 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

For services and events, please look at the detailed parish calendar at:

www.saintmichaelsroc.org

25 April 2021

Prayer List: Metropolitan Hilarion, Archpriest Sergei (Lukianov), Archpriest Boris, Priest Anthony, Hieromonk Savvaty, Hieromonk Sylvester, Abbot Tikhon, Mother Raphaela, Reader Samuel, Matushka Luba, Matushka Bridget, Nadine (Schmidt), Shirley (Blessing), Madeleine (Popelak), Joel and Johanna (Patrick), Jeffrey (Poedubicky), Frank (Krewda), Alex, and Anne (Kobasa), Arleen (Pauluch), James (Chafin), Elaine (Walsh), Joan (Sarchese), Sunny Vera (Lawrence), Lyubov (Pavuk), Jerry and Janet (Grzybowski), Lisa (Schiede), Olga and John (Candelori), Rose (Staso), Steve (Collinelli), Paul (Kauriga), Karen (Zukowsky), Elynore (Whelan), Daria (Champion), Helen (Yurkow), Amelia (Sokoluk), Christopher (Patrick), Lorraine (Guglielmi), Michael (Champion), Roman (Ron Vroom)

Sunday, April 25^th Divine Liturgy offered:

For the health of

Michael (Champion) by his Family

Lorraine (Guglielmi) by Richard Elias Guglielmi

Amelia (Sokoluk) by Sokoluk Family

For the memory of

+ newly departed servants, +James (S. Patrick) 40th day, +Dragan (Novakovic) and +Eleanor (Zubko) 40th day,

+ Peter (Compo) on the 21^st anniversary of his passing into eternal life by The Compo Family

+ Josephine (Yankovoy) on the 1^st anniversary of her passing into eternal life by Sokoluk & Winsky Families

Flowers on the tetrapod and on the altar offered in memory of the departed servant of God, +Josephine (Yankovoy) on the 1^st anniversary of her passing into eternal life, by Alexei, Anna, Lucia Luke, Marguerite & Amelia

Troparion Thou didst give a pledge of the general resurrection before Thy Passion, O Christ our God, by raising Lazarus from the dead. Therefore, we too, like the children, carry the symbols of victory and cry to Thee, the Vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the Heights! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord.

Kontakion On the throne in heaven and riding a colt on earth, O Christ our God, Thou didst receive the praise of Angels and the chorus of the children who cried to Thee: Blessed art Thou Who comest to recall Adam.

Epistle Phillipians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel John 12:1-18 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always. Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!" Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt." His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.