Church Bulletin: April 9, 2023
Fr. Ignatius Valentine
Newest Announcements .
Metropolitan Saba Is Arriving in America
Our new Metropolitan Saba is arriving in America today and will be starting to administer the archdiocese in person. He will be serving Holy Week services at various parishes in the greater New York City area. We are still awaiting word as to when his enthronement service will be and when we will begin to commemorate him in the services.
St. Raphael Theological Discussion Group Rescheduled
Everyone is invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the St. Raphael Theological Discussion Group, rescheduled to 3 PM, Saturday, April 8. It is our plan to meet on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, for a wide-ranging conversation on Orthodox theology and spirituality. Our first discussion will explore the mystery of death in the Orthodox tradition. Links to helpful materials will be emailed to participants before the session. We look forward to seeing you then! Email either John Michalski at jmic...@yahoo.com or Austin Collins at agcol...@gmail.com to let them know your interest and so that they can send you links to relevant material.
No Office Hours after Holy Monday This Week
Fr. Ignatius will not be holding formal office hours this week after Monday, April 10. However, he will be at the church frequently (of course!) If you need to make an appointment with him for confession or anything else, don't hesitate to contact him. He will make time for you!
Holy Week Sign-ups Are Posted
There are many ways to get involved during Holy Week, ways which will enrich your faith and build up our church community. There are various sign-ups posted in the narthex including for decorating the Funeral Bier Decoration midday on Holy Friday, the Psalm-reading Vigil on Holy Friday night through Holy Saturday morning, dyeing eggs for the midnight Paschal service, reading the Gospel in various languages at Agape Vespers on Pascha afternoon, and bringing food for both our middle-of-the-night Paschal Feast and our Paschal Picnic following Agape Vespers. Get involved!
Holy Friday Activities for Everyone
Holy Friday, this year, April 14, is the most solemn day of our liturgical year, the day when we most specifically meditate on the suffering, crucifixion, death and burial of our Savior. Our day begins with the quiet Royal Hours service at 9:00am. This service is filled with Scripture readings, including the Old Testament prophecies Christ fulfilled in His sacrificial death for us. When the service ends around 11am, all are invited to help decorate the funeral bier with greens and flowers. We use this bier during the services later in the day and again on Holy Saturday morning. Lori Branch will be hosting a holy bread making demonstration at church from 1pm-3pm. All are welcome to witness and participate. Lizzy Valentine will have an activity for the younger children from 2:30pm-3:00pm. Great Vespers is at 3pm. This is the service at which the Lord's body is removed from the cross which has stood in the center of the church since the previous evening, and wrapped in a sheet. Our Lamentations service, the funeral of the Lord, is at 7:00pm. Following that service, volunteers are signing up to read the Psalms before the tomb of Christ in one hour increments through the night. We conclude the Psalm-reading Vigil when Vesperal Liturgy for Holy Saturday starts the next morning at 9:00. Consider taking all or part of the day off from work or school, to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ as we contemplate and participate in the many Life-bestowing actions of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter Baskets!
It is customary to bring baskets of festal food and drink to be blessed at the midnight Paschal service. What are you going to bring in your basket this year?
Easter Lilies-
If you would like to donate Easter Lily plants to decorate the church, please bring them to the church on either Holy Friday, April 14, Holy Saturday, April 15, or on Pascha, April 16.
Food For Hungry People Collection Boxes
If you took a collection box to fill up, please bring them back during Holy Week, on Pascha or shortly thereafter so we can consolidate the funds and send them in. Thank you!
Book Group News
We finished up our last book and are now taking off a few weeks for Holy Week and Pascha. Our next title is "On Social Justice" by St. Basil the Great. We will announce when hard copies are available to purchase in the church bookstore. They will be $18. E-book versions are available to purchase online. Depending on how soon the copies come in, we will start on either April 27 or May 4 and spend six weeks discussing.
Update!- Feed Christ’s Sheep: Campaign to Build a Kitchen at St. Raphael
We now have $28,188.95 pledged to this project. We are so excited to be taking the next step in fulfilling our mission to serve those in need and connect in fellowship by building our kitchen so we can feed Christ’s sheep, and we invite you to be a part of it! Construction is slated to begin in summer 2023, and we need to raise $53,000 by April 30, 2023 to make this happen.
Please help us get the rest of the way! Learn more about our post-kitchen goals (including free cooking classes, more free hot meals, enhanced Sunday fellowship, and more) and donate online at raphaelchurch.org/kitchen. Clearly designated donations and pledge forms (available in the narthex) can be dropped in a donation box. You will have until March 4, 2024 to fulfill any pledges.
She at once cried out unto Him, “My most compassionate Lord! My Lord! At the great loss of my brother Lazarus my heart is broken. Help me! Help me! Help me! At the great loss of my brother Lazarus my heart is broken. Help me!”
Jesus said to her, “Cease thy weeping, cease thy grieving and sad lament, sad lament; for thy brother, My most beloved friend Lazarus, very soon will live again! He will live again! He will live again! For thy brother, My most beloved friend Lazarus, very soon will live again!”
Then He, the faithful Redeemer, made His way unto the tomb, unto the tomb, where he cried unto him who was buried four days, calling him forth, saying, “Lazarus arise! Lazarus arise! Lazarus arise!” Where He cried unto him who was buried four days, calling him forth saying “Lazarus arise!”
Come with haste, ye two sisters, and behold a wondrous thing, wondrous thing, for your brother from the tomb has returned to life. To the beloved Redeemer now give thanks! Now give thanks! Now give thanks! For your brother from the tomb has returned to life. To the beloved Redeemer now give thanks!
To Thee, O Lord of creation, we kneel in reverence profound, reverence profound; for all we who are dead in sin; in Thee, O Jesus, are made alive! We are made alive! We are made alive! For all we who are dead in sin; in Thee, O Jesus are made alive!
Recurring Announcements
Save the Dates! Bishop Anthony Visiting April 29-30
