Saint George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church
1250 Oakdale Avenue
West Saint Paul, Minnesota 55118
Parish Website:
http://www.saintgeorge-church
Very Reverend Archpriest Thomas Begley, Pastor
Right Reverend Archimandrite Duane Pederson, attached
Reverend Deacon Russell Hodge, Assisting Deacon
Reader Leonard Soroka, Director of Music
Church Phone - 651-457-0854 Pastor’s Phone - 651-882-7809
SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2008
THE SUNDAY OF THE BLIND MAN
TONE:
5
On this day, we commemorate: Martyrs Justin the Philosopher, Pyrros the Virgin,
Chariton of Rome and Thespesios of Cappadocia;Venerable Dionysios of Glushetsk.
DIVINE LITURGY
TODAY
After the Little Entrance with
the Gospel Book, sing the Troparion of the Resurrection in Tone 5:
Let us believers praise and
worship the Word coeternal with the Father and the Spirit born of the
Virgin for our salvation. For He took pleasure in ascending the
cross in the flesh to suffer death and to raise the dead by His glorious
resurrection.
Then sing:
Though Thou
didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy
the power of Hades, and didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling
to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice; and giving peace unto Thine Apostles.
O Thou who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.
Prokeimenon: You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.
EPISTLE: The Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles
IW
(16:16-34)
n those days, as we Apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, “These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s fetters were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household
that he had believed in God.
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN
(91-38)
AW
t that time, when Jesus was passing, He saw a man blind from his birth. And His
Disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. I must work the works of Him Who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” As He said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” [which means Sent]. So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he”; others said, “No, but he is like him.” He said, “I am the man.” They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, “What do you say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age, ask him.”
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become His disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Jesus
heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, “Do
you believe in the Son of God?” He answered, “And Who is He, Sir,
that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him,
and it is He who speaks to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe”; and
he worshiped Him.
HOLY BREAD
Holy bread is given for the health
and welfare of George and Kim Dahmah and their children, Leila, Eli,
Andrew, and Aaron, Elias and Melissa Dahmah, Fairouz, Tony, Mariam and
Joseph Demello.Holy bread is given in memory of Naiem Ibrahim Dahma.
MEMORIAL
Trisagion is given for the repose
of the soul of Naiem Ibrahim Dahma. May his memory be eternal!
COFFEE HOUR
Coffee Hour will follow the Divine Liturgy. It will be served by George and Kim Dahma, Elias Dahmeh and Fairouz Demello. Everyone is invited for this period of fellowship.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
W
ELCOME to all our guests and visitors. We are delighted to have you visiting and worshipping with us this morning and hope that you return again soon. We invite you to participate in the Divine Liturgy, but due to the sad divisions in Christianity only baptized/chrismated members of the Orthodox Church who have made their Confession before an Orthodox priest and prepared themselves by fasting may receive Holy Communion. Please come forward after Liturgy to venerate the Cross and partake of the Antidoron - Holy Bread - at the end of the Service. Please join us in the Parish Hall for Coffee Hour after the Liturgy.
PRAY FOR THE SICK
Please pray for Lorraine DeFlorin, Wally Golden, Nicholas Marinkov, Don Droubie, Yasmin Kakish, Mary Saba, Erma Ziton, Peter Hafiz, John Etoll, Nicholas Bolt and John Feilmeier, Renee, Nick & Julie, Jackson & Hunter Golden, George Saba, Joni Meister, Julie Funari,
Denise, Christine,
Robert & Barbara Hafiz,
If you are ill and wish to be remembered in the Liturgy and daily prayers of the priest, please
contact Father
Tom.
MEMORY ETERNAL!
John Funari, a faithful parishioner of St. George Church for many years, passed away in the name of the Lord on Tuesday. We give our condolences to his family.
May his memory be eternal!
CHOIR
We will have choir practice
Wednesday, June 4 after Liturgy.
FEAST OF ASCENSION
We will celebrate the Evening
Divine Liturgy of the Ascension, Wednesday, June 4, at 6:30.
VESPERS
Vespers will be served at 5:00
P.M. Saturday, June 7.
KORLUKA PARTY - JUNE 1ST
We invite you today to celebrate
good cheer, good company and good food! Please bring a salad or desert to
share. Also, bring your lawn chair.
Directions to the Korluka place can be obtained in the church office
or the book store, or by map quest.
13921 127th Street North
Stillwater, MN 55082
Directions- Hwy 36 East to Manning Ave. (Jct. 15), take a left on Manning
and proceed to Hwy. 96, take a right onto Hwy 96 and proceed to Hwy.
5, take a left onto Hwy 5 (Stonebridge) and proceed to Jct. 11 (Otchipwe),
take a left onto Jct. 11 and proceed to 127th Street North, take a left
onto 127th Street North. We are the second drive to the left, park on
the street and you will be shuttled to the party. See you very soon!!!
SPRING DINNER TICKETS
Please turn in your tickets to either
Ellie Hafiz or Grace Holmes, so we can Close the Books.
Thank you.
SPIRIT FEST & BISHOP’S VISIT
We at St. George are privileged to host Spirit Fest this year June 15, 2:00-3:00 P.M. We will have many of the Orthodox Churches participate. This is a chance for people across the Twin Cites to find out more about Orthodoxy. Invite your friends to learn about our faith!
Bishop MARK will be with us
and preside over the Pentecost Vespers. The bishop arrives Friday
and will have a dinner with our clergy. On Saturday he will preside
over the Vespers service, 5:00 P.M. June 14. Following Vespers,
all the parishioners are invited to dinner and a time of discussion
with His Grace.
REGULATIONS FOR PASCHA
A brief reminder of the fasting
practice of the Antiochian Patriarchate during this time of celebration.
The Wednesday and Friday ascetical fasting is permitted but not required
during the time between Pascha and Ascension in remembering the presence
of the Bridegroom when the Risen Christ walked with His disciples.
CHURCH CLEANUP
Church Cleanup Day scheduled for June 7th - Fr. Tom and the Church Council have set aside Saturday, June 7th as a clean up day for the Church. We want our beautiful Church to look especially nice for Bishop MARK's visit and Spirit Fest on June 15th. Some of the identified clean up projects include:
- Clean up the brush in back; put in one location; pick up trash
- Pull weeds / spray weeds in sidewalks, parking lot area
- Clean out storage rooms (both are on either side of Church School Director's office)
- Clean up coat room area
- Clean windows of Church
- Hang cross that is in the back --by the teen room
- And possibly more projects!
If you can spare some time to help
out, clean up will start at 10:00 a.m. Any help is appreciated! Many
hands make light work! Thank you!
THE ORDER OF ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
Did you know...? The Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch provides financial support to approved Orthodox outreach and charitable organizations such as IOCC, Project Mexico, and the Orthodox Study Bible. The Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch...become a part of this ministry.
The Order is the
philanthropic arm of our Archdiocese. For more information
about becoming a member and being inducted by His Grace Bishop MARK
in June,
please contact Christina Andrews Worrall: 952-920-8020 or
rjwcaw@comcast.net; Cindy Karos: 952-929-6371 or ckaros@visi.com; or
any
member of the Order.
COFFEE HOUR
If you would
like to host the coffee hour on Sunday after liturgy, please call Sana
Jubran (651)-731-2988. We need people to host coffee hour.
Also, please consider hosting the coffee hour the same day that you
offer the holy bread. Thank you.
BOOKSTORE
Deb is getting ready for her next trip to Russia and Ukraine. Please let me know if there is anything special that you want me to find. Some of you have already given me your requests. Due to the airline quota of checking in one suitcase, I probably will concentrate on bringing back more gold and silver crosses and chains, and smaller unusual items.
The store is always there for
you as a spiritual resource. Please, I am always interested in your
creative ideas to help engage sharing what the store has to offer. I
am not bringing in very many new books anymore; new books are ordered
by special request. The store will stock what is regularly selling;
please feel free to place orders, or make a visit to Light and Life
when you are in the area. We do not receive a discount on all
books, therefore-do-not-hesitate to make a purchase in your most convenient
way. There are so many good books available for Christian and Orthodox
study, these books have the potential to become your best friend in
grief, in pain, in growth and in discovering the joy of your faith!
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
El Messieh kahm! Hakken Kahm! (Arabic)
Christos anesti! Alithos anesti! (Greek)
Khristos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese! (Russian)
Christos Tensiou! Bahake Tensiou! (Eritrean)
Kristos ainviat! Adevarat
inviat!
(Romanian)
UNITED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY’S SUMMER INSTITUTE IN
SPIRITUALITY AND THE ARTS
June 9-13, 2008
Spirituality of Icons, Deborah Korluka and Richard Sheerer
For a complete description
and information on early registration discounts go to www.unitedseminary.edu/summerin
and
"Seeking the Face
of Christ in Russia: An Experiential Pilgrimage"- January J-term,
2009 (12 day pilgrimage). A pilgimage designed to build bridges
of cultural and deeper spiritual understanding between American Christianity
and the Orthodox faith in Holy Russia. The pilgrimage will introduce
participants to the theology, spirituality and philosophy of the Orthodox
Church in Russia. Brochures are available at www.icon-art-studios.com and at http://www.unitedseminary-mn
UPCOMING ICON CLASSES, LECTURES AND OPEN STUDIO ACTIVITIES!!
A monthly newsletter is released
from my website at www.icon-art-studios.com . Please subscribe to receive all
upcoming information about exhibits, teaching and travel related to
the study of iconography and Orthodox spirituality facilitated by Icon
Art Studios and participating colleagues.
Upcoming Tours and Pilgrimages to Russia and Ukraine
"The Art of Ballet
St. Petersburg, Russia" June 17-29, 2008. Saint Paul City Ballet,
Icon Art Studios and Book It! Travel have collaborated to create a very
personalized and unique tour which will focus on the life of ballet,
the arts and all general cultural tour sites in St. Petersburg. A day
trip to Novgorod is scheduled which will include visits to art museums
and monasteries. The tour ids designed to offer dancers master classes
conducted by Gabriela Komleva, coach and prime ballerina of the Maryinsky
Theatre (Kirov) in St. Petersburg. During the time of dance instruction,
Deb and those not involved in the instruction will visit studios and
other planned activities. Reservation space is still available for this
tour. Brochure and registration is posted on the website.
Thou hast raised up
in Bethany Lazarus that was four days dead; for as soon as Thou camest
to the tomb, Thy voice became life to the dead man. Groaning aloud,
Hades released him in fear. O mighty miracle! O Lord of many mercies,
glory to Thee.
Tone 1:
While the stone was sealed by the Jews, and the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure body,
Thou didst arise on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world. For which cause the
heavenly powers cried aloud unto Thee, O giver of life. Glory to Thy Resurrection O Christ,
glory to Thy kingdom, glory
to Thy providence, O Thou Who alone art the lover of mankind.
Tone 2:
When Thou didst submit Thyself unto death, O Thou deathless and immortal One, then Thou
didst destroy hell with Thy
Godly power. And when Thou didst raise the dead from beneath the earth,
all the powers of heaven did cry aloud unto Thee: O Christ, Thou giver
of life, glory to Thee.
Tone 3:
Let the heavens rejoice and
the earth be glad for the Lord hath done a mighty act with His own arm,
He hath trampled down death by death and become the first born from
the dead. He hath delivered us from the depths of Hades granting
the world the great mercy.
Tone 4:
Having learned the joyful message
of the resurrection from the angel the women disciples of the Lord cast
from them their parental condemnation and proudly broke the news to
the disciples saying death hath been spoiled Christ God is risen granting
the world great mercy.
Tone 5:
Let us believers praise and
worship the Word coeternal with the Father and the Spirit born of the
Virgin for our salvation. For He took pleasure in ascending the
cross in the flesh to suffer death and to raise the dead by His glorious
resurrection.
Tone 6:
When Mary stood at thy grave
looking for thy sacred body, angelic powers shone above they revered
tomb and the soldiers who were to keep guard became as dead men.
Thou led Hades captive and wast not tempted there-by. Thou didst
meet the Virgin and didst give life to the world, O thou who art risen
from the dead, O Lord, Glory to thee.
Tone 7:
Thou dist shatter death by Thy cross,
Thou didst open paradise to the thief, Thou turn sadness of the ointment
bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine apostles proclaim a warning
that Thou hast risen O Christ, granting to the world the great mercy.
Tone 8:
From the heights Thou didst
descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day
burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and
our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.
To the people of St. George
Orthodox Church,
The church council has approved the use of GoodSearch. Good Search is
a search engine on the internet just like Google and Yahoo! In fact
GoodSearch is powered by Yahoo! The difference is, with every search
on GoodSearch, St. George will receive a donation. The people at GoodSearch
receive sponsor/advertisement money and in turn give a portion of that
money back to churches and other non-profit organizations listed with
them. Here is how it works. Have GoodSearch as a bookmark and when you
need to do a search, list the subject to be searched in the box provided
and then click on St. George Orthodox Church in the dropdown right below
the search box (The first time using the search you will have to type
in St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church. Click on our church and for
future searches the name will appear). Simple and easy, plus you are
providing needed funds to the church. St. George is approved and on the
GoodSearch list ready to use today!