The Witness (March 25th – April 2nd)
SERVICES AND EVENTS
Saturday, March 25, 10am Divine Liturgy for Feast of Annunciation 6:30pm Vespers Sunday, March 26, 9am Matins 10am Divine Liturgy
Wednesday, March 29, 6:15pm Presanctified Liturgy followed by Lenten Meal Thursday, March 30, 6:00pm Great Canon of St. Andrew
Friday, March 31, 7am Presanctified Liturgy
Saturday, April 1, 6:30pm Vespers
Sunday, April 2, 9am Matins 10am Divine Liturgy
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Handmaids Prosphora Baking Workshop Girls 7 and over are invited to take part in this workshop, 1-4pm Saturday March 25.
Parish Council Meets Sunday April 2
Updated Parish Directory
CONFESSION SIGN UP Jan-Mar
LENTEN MEAL SIGN UP
Birthdays: Bonnie Kallis (3/31)
Name’s Days: Sdn. Joseph Goshorn-Maroney (Joseph the All-Comely 3/31)Pres. Maria (St. Mary of Egypt 4/1)
Anniversaries: Bill and Dianne Combs (3/31)
Tone 8 Troparion (Resurrection)
You descended from on high, O Merciful One!
You accepted the three day burial to free us from our sufferings!// O Lord, our Life and Resurrection, glory to You!
Tone 4 Troparion (Feast)
Today is the beginning of our salvation,
the revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: “Rejoice, O Full of Grace,// the Lord is with you!”
Tone 4 Troparion (Archangel)
Gabriel, Commander of the heavenly hosts,
we who are unworthy beseech you:
by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory, and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry out to you://
“Deliver us from all harm, for you are the Commander of the Powers on high!”
Tone 8 Kontakion (Resurrection)
By rising from the tomb, You raised the dead and resurrected Adam.
Eve exults in Your Resurrection,//
and the world celebrates Your rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!
Tone 8 Kontakion (Archangel)
Supreme Commander Gabriel, you are the glorious intercessor and servant before the all-radiant, worthy, all-powerful, infinite and awesome Trinity.
Ever pray now that we may be delivered from all tribulations and torments,// so that we may cry out to you: “Rejoice, protection of your servants!”
Tone 8 Kontakion (Feast)
O victorious leader of triumphant hosts!
We, your servants delivered from evil
sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos.
As you possess invincible might set us free from every calamity// so that we may sing: “Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!”
Prokeimenon Pray and make your vows / before the Lord, our God! (Ps. 75:10a) V. In Judah God is known; His Name is great in Israel. (Ps. 75:1)
From day to day / proclaim the salvation of our God! (Ps. 95:2a)
Hebrews 6:13-20 (Epistle)
For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 2:11-18 (Epistle, Theotokos)
For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.” Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! V. Come, let us rejoice in the Lord! Let us make a joyful noise to God our Savior! V. Let us come before His face with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! V. He descends like rain upon the fleece, like raindrops that water the earth.
Mark 9:17-31 (Gospel)
Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more! Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”
Luke 1:24-38 (Gospel, Theotokos)
Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
(Instead of “It is truly meet…,” we sing:)
The Hymn to the Theotokos
O earth, announce good tidings of great joy: O heavens, praise the glory of God! Since she is a living Ark of God
let no profane hand touch the Theotokos.
But let the lips of believers unceasingly sing to her,
praising her in joy with the angel’s song:
“Rejoice, O Lady, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”
Communion Hymn
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! (Ps. 148:1) The Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. (Ps. 131:14) Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!