Church Bulletin: April 21, 2013

[Fr. Ignatius Valentine]

April 21, 2013- Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (5th Sunday of Lent)

This Week's Services and Events

Apr 22, Monday

        + 3rd Hour Prayers, 9AM

        + Father's Office Hours, 9:15AM-11:30AM

        + Teen SOYO Dinner and Movie Night: 6:30PM

Apr 24, Wednesday

        + Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts followed by Soup Supper, 6PM

Apr 25, Thursday

        + OCF dinner, 7PM

Apr 26, Friday

        + Matins, 8:30AM

        + Little Compline with Canon of St. Lazarus, 7PM

Apr 27, Lazarus Saturday

        + Lazarus Saturday Matins, 8:45AM and Liturgy, 10AM

        + Church Building and grounds cleaning, 1PM-5PM

        + Catechumen Class, 4PM

        + 9th Hour and Great Vespers, 6PM

Apr 28, Palm Sunday

        + Matins, 8:45AM

        + Divine Liturgy, 10AM, followed by coffee hour and Sunday School

        + Bridegroom Matins, 7PM

Upcoming Events and Announcements

Have You Invited Anyone to Church Lately?-

        We are fast approaching the high point of our Church year with Holy Week and Pascha. This is an excellent time to invite a friend or two to come and experience a Divine Liturgy. We sing at each Liturgy, "We have seen the true light! We have received the Heavenly Spirit! We have found the True Faith!" If this is true, let us share it with others! Invite someone to come to Palm Sunday or Pascha. 

Church Clean-up Day, This Saturday April 27-

        Please mark your calendars and plan to come to church during the afternoon (1PM-5PM) of Saturday, April 27 (Lazarus Saturday) to help do some Spring cleaning so that our building and grounds are in order and ready for Holy Week and Pascha. We will sweep, polish, dust, vacuum and do whatever else is necessary to make our church as beautiful as possible for the remembrance of our Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Repentance and Confession-

        Lent is the perfect time to make a confession. If it has been awhile since your last one, don't let another Lent go by without making one. This is medicine for our souls. Take advantage of what God has to offer through His Church- the forgiveness of your sins. If you have never made a confession, or if you have any questions about how to prepare for one or what takes place during a confession, feel free to speak with Fr. Ignatius. He is available after Saturday vespers, at the end of Sunday matins (right before the beginning of Liturgy) or other times by appointment if you would like to schedule a time to receive this sacrament.

Catechumen Classes-

        Fr. Ignatius is leading a series of catechumen classes at 4PM on Saturdays. All are welcome to attend whether or not you are a catechumen.  This Saturday is the final session.

Lenten Retreat at St. George Church (Cedar Rapids) for Middle and High School Students-

        Marek Simon, assistant director of the Antiochian Village Camp programs, will be the retreat master. The retreat begins with dinner on Friday, April 26 and continues through the day on Saturday, April 27. Contact St. George Church (319-363-1559) for exact times and more information.

 

 

Upcoming Teen SOYO Events-

       The Teen SOYO group will meet for dinner and movie night this Monday, April 22 at 6:30PM.  On Friday May 3, Holy Friday, teens will be sleeping overnight in the church and participating in the all-night Psalm-reading vigil.  On Monday, May 13, they will have dinner and book club at 6:30PM.  On Saturday, May 18 from 10AM-2PM, the teens will be cleaning our stretch of highway on I-80.  Finally, on Monday, May 20, they will have dinner and a movie at 6:30PM.

Holy Week Schedule-

        If you haven't looked ahead to Holy Week and made arrangements in your schedule to attend some of the extra services for that week, it time to do so. This is the most sacred time of the year for us Orthodox Christians. Some people in the parish even take days of from work in order to be present at the services. Do yourself a favor. Try to get to as many as you can. We have 22 services in 10 days. Make attending some of them a priority! Your faith will grow! Here is the schedule:

Friday, April 26- Little Compline with Canon of St. Lazarus, 7PM

Saturday, April 27 (Lazarus Saturday)- Matins, 8:30AM; Divine Liturgy, 10AM followed by Spring Clean-up Work Party (1PM-5PM); Vespers, 6PM

Sunday, April 28 (Palm Sunday)- Matins, 8:30AM; Divine Liturgy, 10AM; Bridegroom Matins, 7PM

Monday, April 29 (Holy Monday)- Bridegroom Matins, 7PM

Tuesday, April 30 (Holy Tuesday)- Bridegroom Matins, 7PM

Wednesday, May 1 (Holy Wednesday)- Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, 9AM; Holy Unction Service, 7PM

Thursday, May 2 (Holy Thursday)- Vesperal Divine Liturgy, 9AM; Footwashing Service, 6PM; Service of the Twelve Passion Gospels, 7PM

Friday, May 3 (Holy Friday)- Royal Hours, 9AM; Great Vespers (Taking Down the Lord from the Cross), 3PM; Lamentations Service, 7PM, followed by reading of Psalms through the night

Saturday, May 4 (Holy Saturday)- Vesperal Divine Liturgy, 9AM; Rush Service, 11:40PM

Sunday, May 5 (Great and Holy Pascha)- Paschal Matins and Liturgy, 12AM, followed by Paschal feast; Agape Vespers, 1PM, followed by Paschal picnic at Coralville Rec. Center (1506 8th St., Coralville).

 

New Holy Week Service-

        New to our Holy Week schedule this year, is the Rite of Footwashing which will be held at 6PM on Holy Thursday, May 2. In imitation of the Lord washing the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17) and in obedience to His statement that in the footwashing, He has given His disciples an example of service to follow, Fr. Ignatius will wash the feet of all those present. Plan to come to this service and stay for the 12 Passion Gospels service at 7PM that evening.

 

Paschal Feast and Picnic Sign-ups-

        We must celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and so to do so properly, we will truly feast. On Sunday May 5, Holy Pascha, there are two opportunities to share a festive meal with others. First, we will gather at church following the Paschal Liturgy, at about 3AM or so, and break the Lenten fast. Later in the day, after some sleep (?!) and after Agape vespers at 1PM, we will go to the Coralville Rec. Center (1506 8th St., Coralville), for an outside picnic, if the weather cooperates, or an inside meal if it does not. Please check the bulletin boards for related food sign-up sheets.

Other Holy Week/Pascha Sign-up Sheets-

        With all of the activity in church during Holy Week and Pascha, there are plenty of opportunities to help out around church. Please check the bulletin boards for sign-up sheets that cover the decorating of the funeral bier on Holy Friday, the reading of Psalms through the night after the Holy Friday Lamentations service, bringing dyed red eggs to Pascha (we have dye for sale in the church bookstore), bringing and the reading of the Agape Vespers Gospel in various languages.

 

 

St. John of Damascus Society Launches Collaborative Music Composition Project-

       The St. John of Damascus Society is a sacred arts organization that seeks to promote excellence in the liturgical music of the Orthodox Christian Church, regardless of ethnic/national heritage of style, as well as support related outreach, educational, and academic efforts.  Their artistic director is Richard Barrett, a friend of our parish, and one of their advisory board members is our own Matthew Arndt.  To learn about an exciting project they are undertaking, which will include some compositional work from Matthew, and to learn about the fundraising necessary to complete it, go to: http://www.johnofdamascus.org/2013/04/with-wisdom-all/

 

Lent in Narnia-

        To read an article on what author C. S. Lewis had to say about feasting and fasting and how we as humans are to properly relate to the things and pleasures of this world, go to: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/03/lent-in-narnia.html

Informed Choices Medical Clinic Walk for Life Fundraiser-

        Informed Choices Medical Clinic specializes in helping pregnant women look beyond the life-ending option of abortion by providing support for them so that keeping the baby is a viable option for them.  On the Saturday of Mother's Day Weekend, May 11th, at Kent Park, all are invited to participate in a Walk for Life fundraiser for the clinic.  For more information and to register, go to: www.iowawalkforlife.org.  

Upcoming Bible Study: Highlights from the Resurrection Gospel Readings-

        On four consecutive Wednesday evenings during the Paschal season, and following 7PM Akathist, you are invited to join Fr. Ignatius to explore highlights from the 11 Resurrection Gospels that we hear at Sunday matins.The many post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples are full of wonderful teaching, but we only hear a small portion of them read at Liturgy. There are 11 readings that we cycle through during Sunday morning matins. Fr. Ignatius will choose highlights from these readings to discuss. An exact schedule will be posted soon.

Charitable projects-

       Great news! We will have a table at the Iowa City Farmer's Market every second Saturday morning of the month from May to October. If you're interested in cooking, packaging food, or volunteering at the market, please sign up to help. The signup sheet is on the bulletin board outside the church library/bookstore. Questions? Ask Tania Van Dinter, Karen Kuntz, Allison Rockwell, or Amy Spencer. All proceeds will be donated by our church to the Johnson County Crisis Center, which helps families and others in need.              

Antiochian Women's Scholarship Available-

       Several $500 scholarships are available to women over 26 years of age who are active in an Antiochian Orthodox parish,and who are registered for or are enrolled in a program of study and who can demonstrate financial need.  Application deadline is June 1, 2013.  For a copy of the application, see Fr. Ignatius. 

      

Families and Healthcare Volunteers Needed for 2013 OCMC Mission Teams-

        Orthodox families and those interested in providing healthcare are needed for upcoming Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) mission teams. Families who would like to participate in parent workshops, children’s programs, family activities, and ministry outreach are encouraged to apply for the Albania family mission team that will serve from July 19 to August 1, 2013. Nurses, pharmacists, medical students, or those interested in providing much-needed health services as a witness to their Orthodox faith are asked to apply for the Uganda healthcare team serving from May 29 to June 12, 2013. For more information, or to apply for a team, visit http://www.ocmc.org, call Teams Director Andrew Lekos at 1-877-GO-FORTH, or e-mail the OCMC’s Teams Department at te...@ocmc.org.

Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage-

        Does your home keep you warm and dry? For thousands of Mexican families, “home” is a crude dwelling that leaves them susceptible to the elements. Babies and elderly die when it rains. Countless children roam the streets – orphaned, abandoned, or abused. With your help, we can make a difference. Since 1988, nearly 10,000 Orthodox volunteers have helped Project Mexico build over 250 homes for poor families.  Award-winning St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage provides a loving and caring home for orphan teenage boys. There's still so much to do! Your support this Lent can help. Please donate at www.projectmexico.org.

Parish Life Conference is June 19-23-

        PLC registration is now OPEN!  To register online, please visit www.antiochianevents.org/95.  Look for additional information and The Galt House Hotel reservation link on our church website www.stmichaelorthodoxchurch.org/plc.  If you would prefer to speak with someone, please call the church office at (502) 454-3378 Option 8, or you may send an email to stmich...@gmail.com.  If you would like a packet of forms mailed to you, please call the church office at the number listed above.  We also have a Facebook page titled St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church – 2013 Parish Life Conference and we encourage you to “like” it.

Fasting-

        During Lent, the Church asks us to abstain from meat (with the exception of fish on March 25 for the Annunciation and April 28 for Palm Sunday) until Great and Holy Pascha, May 5. Shellfish are OK. The full Lenten fast also includes abstention from dairy, eggs, oil and wine (oil and wine are permitted on the weekends). Fast as you are able with these standards being the goal. Exceptions can be made for those who are very young, very old, ill, pregnant, nursing, or infirm. If you have any questions about fasting, please ask Fr. Ignatius. May our fasting from certain foods help us to find some humility as we struggle to fast from sin.

The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim-

        O Lord and Master of my life,

Take from me the spirit of sloth, meddling, lust of power and idle talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my brother,

For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.

Almsgiving (Food For Hungry People Program)-

        Along with fasting, prayer and repentance, almsgiving is one of the pillars of the Lenten time. Look for ways to be generous with others and let your giving be as anonymous as possible. One easy way to give something to those in need is to participate in the Archdiocesan Food For Hungry People Program which collects money for all of the Antiochian parishes and gives it to various programs that serve the hungry. Look for collection boxes at church in the narthex.

Would You Like to Learn More About Lent?-

        Our Archdiocese has created an informative section on their website to help us better understand the season of Lent. Check out: http://www.antiochian.org/lent

Do You Have a Prayer Request?

        Please give it to Fr. Ignatius and he will distribute it by email to all those on the Prayer Chain. If you wish to join the Prayer Chain, please let Fr. Ignatius know.

 

Coffee Hour-

        On Sunday April 28, the food for coffee hour and the clean-up of the fellowship hall will be provided by the St. John the Baptist team.

 

Holy Bread-

        On Sunday April 28, the holy bread will be provided by the Van Dinter family. Thank you in advance. Anyone can sign up to provide holy bread for future liturgies. Look for the sign-up sheet in the narthex.

Church Cleaning-

During the week of April 21-27, the cleaning of the nave, narthex, bookstore, stairs, nursery and bathrooms will be accomplished by the St. Nicholas team.

Food for Thought-

O ye choirs of the righteous, rejoice like David in the Lord today, and all ye that are upright in heart, make your boast in Him, looking upon Mary who is worthy of our praise.  Completing her life in holiness, she has been glorified by God with miracles and many acts of power, which show to us and all the faithful what honor she enjoys in heaven, and what boldness she has gained in the presence of the Master.  At her prayers, O Christ our God, grant salvation to our souls.

From the Litia sung at vespers of the 5th Sunday of Lent (Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt)