April 24, 2022
Sunday of Great and All-Holy PASCHA
“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 of the Apostles 1:1-8: In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom He had chosen. To them He presented Himself alive after His passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, “You heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”
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 was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through Great & Holy Pascha Liturgy Variables 4 Great & Holy Pascha him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not. He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not. But to all who received Him, who believed in His Name, He gave power to become children of God; 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, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John bore witness to Him, and cried, “This was He of Whom I said, ‘He Who comes after me ranks before me, for He was before me.’”) And from His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
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.
CALENDAR
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: All services listed on the calendar will be available through streaming and webcast.
Please continue to follow the CDC Guidelines to limit contagion and the spread of the COVID virus.
Sunday, April 24 (PASCHA)
NO Morning Services
4:00 p.m. — Agape Vespers at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton
Followed by Barbeque Meal
Monday, April 25 (Bright Monday)
Father Herman off
NO Services
Tuesday, April 26 (Bright Tuesday)
NO Services
11:30 a.m. — Ladies Lunch
Wednesday, April 27 (Bright Wednesday)
6:30 p.m. — Vespers of Bright Week
7:30 p.m. — Parish Council Meeting
Thursday, April 28 (Bright Thursday)
NO Services
Friday, April 29 (Bright Friday)
NO Services
Saturday, April 30 (Bright Saturday)
Sunday, May 1 (Thomas Sunday)
9:00 a.m. — Orthros (webcast)
9:00 a.m. — Christian Education
10:00 a.m. — Divine Liturgy (webcast)
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Daniel Roots for the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Great and Holy Thursday, by the Karams for the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Great and Holy Saturday and by the Brocks for the Paschal Divine Liturgy this morning.
Eucharist Bread Schedule:
Eucharist Bread Coffee Hour
April 21 (Thurs. a.m.) D. Root Meadows
April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Karam Dansereau/Alaeetawi
April 23 (Sat. p.m.) Brock Everyone brings a Pascha basket
May 1 R. Root Ellis/Waites/Zouboukos
May 7 (Sat. p.m.) Pacurari (Artos Bread for Litia and Artoklasia)
May 8 Baker Lasseter/Pacurari/Miller
May 15 Henderson POT LUCK MEAL
Algood/Schelver
May 22 Algood Meadows/Pigott
May 29 Schelver D. Root/Baker/Cooper
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the Chanters’ stand at the front of the nave. Please be sure to use this book when you read.
Reader Reading Page#
April 21 (Thurs. a.m.) Ian Jones I Cor. 11:23-32 295
April 23 (Sat. a.m.) Reader Basil Baker Rom. 6:3-11 300
April 23 (Sat. p.m.) Walt Wood Acts 1:1-8 25
May 1 Sh. Charlotte Algood Acts 5:12-20 32
May 8 Brenda Baker I John 1:1-7 382
May 15 Ian Jones Acts 9:32-42 45
May 22 Kh. Sharon Meadows Acts 11:33-12:2 52
May 29 Sam Habeeb Acts 16:16-34 58
Also, please remember that we still need your tithes and offerings which may be placed in the tithe box at the back of the nave or be mailed to: St. Peter Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 2084, Madison, MS 39130-2084.
Continue to pray for Metropolitan Paul (who is also the brother of our Patriarch) and the Syriac Archbishop John of Aleppo who were abducted while on a humanitarian mission in Syria.
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle, and their daughter Abigail, in your prayers.
Please remember the following in your prayers: Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Lamia Dabit and her family; Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister); Jay and Joanna Davis; Fr. Leo and Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver and their family; Kathy Willingham; Marilyn (Kyriake) Snell; Jack and Jill Weatherly; Lottie Dabbs (Sh. Charlotte Algood’s mother), Sh. Charlotte and their family; Maria Costas (currently at St. Catherine’s Village); Reader Basil and Brenda Baker and their family; Buddy Cooper.
If you are not feeling well, PLEASE do not attempt to come to the services. This also includes anyone who may have been exposed to you during this time. Also, please let Fr. Herman know if you are not feeling well and have COVID like symptoms.
Welcome and Many Years! to Anthony Johnson (son of Joshua and Taylor Johnson) who was baptized this morning during the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Great and Holy Saturday!
Calendar Items:
* The Ladies will meet at the church at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God, Nurturer of Children on behalf of our children.
* The Ladies will meet for lunch on the last Tuesday of the month.
* We will continue our celebration of PASCHA with Agape Vespers this afternoon at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
* The dates for Stewpot for 2022 are Saturday, May 7th and Saturday, September 3rd.
Diocese of Miami and the Southeast Parish Life Conference: Registration is now open for the Parish Life Conference to be hosted June 15-18 by St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis. More information may be found on the Diocesan website at DOMSE.org.
Camp St. Thekla dates: The dates for Camp St. Thekla are: Session 1 is June 26 – July 2 and Session 2 is July 3 – 9. If you have a child registered for Camp, please see Daniel for information on scholarships available from the Order of St. Ignatius. If there is still a financial need, some additional funds may be available.
Fasting Discipline for April
Beginning with Clean Monday on March 7th, the traditional fasting discipline (no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, wine or oil) is observed on all days of the week until Pascha (except for the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25th and Palm Sunday on April 17th, when fish, wine and oil are permitted). There is no fasting of any kind during Bright Week following Pascha (April 25-May1).
Major Commemorations for April
April 24 PASCHA
April 25 Holy Apostle Mark
April 29 Apostle James, Son of Zebedee
Instructions for streaming our services can be found on the parish website.
Quotable “God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold which comes from the devil – for the devil is cold – let us call on the Lord. He will come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good will flee before the heat of His countenance.”
St. Seraphim of Sarov
Worship: Sunday, May 1, 2022 (Thomas Sunday)
Scripture: Acts 5:12-20; John 20:19-31
Celebrant: Father Herman
Epistle Reader: Sh. Charlotte Algood
Prosphora: R. Root
Coffee Hour: Ellis/Waites/Zouboukos
Saint Peter Antiochian Orthodox Church 