Sunday of the Myrrhbearering Women
† 3rd Sunday From PASCHA
“ On the same day, the third Sunday from Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the Myrrhbearers. We also remember Joseph of Arimatheia, who was a disciple in secret, as well as Nikodemos, the disciple by night.” Iakovos the brother of St. John the Theologian (†44). Righteous Clement. Donatus Bishop of Euroia. Neomartyr Argyre (†1725).
General Announcements
¨ Save the Date! Parish Assembly Meeting Sunday, April 30th. Please ensure your stewardship is current by Friday, April 28th to participate as a voting steward at the assembly.
¨ Please kindly make sure you have fulfilled your 2022 stewardship pledge and please complete the stewardship form for 2023. Forms are located in the Chopman center on the tables and online at https://www.stgeorgehollywood.org/ways-to-give/become-a-steward
https://www.stgeorgehollywood.org/ways-to-give/stewardship
Completed forms can be returned to the office or to the candle stand in the Narthex. Thank you!
THANK YOU!
¨ Thank you to all that helped with preparations for Holy Week and Pascha. From decorating the Kouvouklion and icons, to cleaning and cooking. It is appreciated! Special thank you to Mrs. Anna Karan and the Palanis family with the meals and for your help this week at church!
¨ Thank you to all who are attending service today! May our Patron Saint, Great-Martyr George, bless each and every one of you and your families!
HOLY WEEK & EPITAPHIOS FLOWERS
¨ We would like to thank all who donated the funds to buy the flowers during Great Lent, Holy Week and for the Epitaphion flowers.
¨ Thanks to the Parish Council Members who helped with assisting everyone during the Holy Week Services and to all the children and youth who participated in the many services, from making the Palm Crosses for Palm Sunday to reading the Great Hours on Holy Friday morning and Holy Saturday morning. Thank you to all who donated during Palm Sunday collection for Hellenic College Holy Cross and for all you that participated in the Philoptochos Palm Sunday Luncheon.
The Myrrh-Bearing Women approach the Lord with the logic of the heart
The Myrrh-bearing women, despite knowing they were unable to roll the stone from the tomb, they decided to. And as a result of this, they were first both to see and to learn of the Resurrection of the Lord. Moved by love (the logic of the heart, as Pascal says) they desired with great boldness to go again to the tomb, to anoint Christ’s lifeless body with myrrh. And just like that, they neither thought of what would happen next, nor whether they’d be able to enter or not. Along the way, they said only this: “Who will roll away the stone for us?” Despite all this, they did not stop, nor did they turn back, but instead kept going. This wealth of the emotional world, the all-consuming love belonging to the female nature, is a good characteristic. However, one must not rely on this alone.
It is not enough for the inside of an automobile to have only the steering wheel: what is needed is the driving force. It is necessary, therefore, for man to reach that point where the world of his heart, that sentimental treasure, becomes one with his nous. And this, as the Fathers say, is something achieved by the Jesus prayer. With the Jesus prayer, the nous descends into the heart and man’s powers are made one (just as sin has brought the division of his powers). For this reason, a saint moves simply, as he has only a conscious mind –not a subconscious nor an unconscious.
Therefore, the Myrrh-bearing Women were animated by a simple, humble method. Putting their nous in their hearts –burning with the love of God– they succeeded in approaching the Risen Christ, and naturally were made holy.
CHRIST IS RISEN
Throughout this month, every ecclesiastical ceremony and service will be imbued with a strong resurrection character. The Paschal paean "Christ is risen from the dead... " will be the frontispiece but also the conclusion of every ritual. This is the conscious effort of the Church to infuse us with the certain reality that "the ancient things have passed, behold all things have become new."
The victory of life over death, truth over lies, joy over sorrow, God over the devil, is both final and decisive for our lives. The sinful past, with all the pain it caused, must now be overcome. The gloom caused by death must give way to the optimism of life. "Christ is risen and life rules."
Man has to make up his mind that he has to move forward. To turn one's back on the past and of the past: Passions, hatreds, weaknesses, defects, sins, all the symptoms of the old man, to be rejected. With repentance to overcome once and for all the formation with the decay of the old world and to be transformed into new people, with renewed thinking and attitude.
Let Pascha – which semantically signifies crossing, passage to a new life – be for us truly Pascha. May it be for us the beginning of a new life, the eternal, a life of coexistence with the Risen Christ, redeemed from every method of the devil.
The primary importance attached to the event of the Resurrection is not accidental. Nor can it be considered as a simple emotional charge, which will slowly discolor with everyday life. The Resurrection is first and foremost liberation from the opposite spiritual forces of darkness, liberation from sin and its symptoms, corruption and death. A new path characterized by two idioms: Repentance and Optimism.
Repentance for the misdeeds of everyday life, optimism that stems from God's love for man. These two make up our faith in the blessed Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
MEMORIAL
† One year from falling asleep of the servant of God Despina Papantoni, mother of Vasiliki Kefalas.
May her memory be eternal!
Weekly Readings
Mon: Acts 6:8-15; 7:1-5, 47-60; John 4:46-54
Tues: Hebrews 13:7-16 ; Matthew 5:14-19
Wed: Acts 8:18-25; John 6:35-39
Thurs: Acts 8:26-39; John 6:40-44
Fri: Acts 8:40; 9:1-19; John 6:48-54
Sat: Acts 9:19-31; John 15:17-27; 16:1-2
Sun: Acts 5:12-20;Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8
Resurrectional Hymn (2nd tone)
Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἡ ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος, τότε τὸν ᾅδην ἐνέκρωσας τῇ ἀστραπῇ τῆς θεότητος, ὅτε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἐκραύγαζον, Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν δόξα σοι.
When you went down to death, O immortal Life, then you slew Hell with the lightning flash of your Godhead; but when from the depths below the earth you raised the dead, all the Powers in the heavens cried out, ‘Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to you!’
Ὁ εὐσχήμων Ἰωσήφ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καθελῶν, τὸ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶμα, σινδόνι καθαρὰ εἰλήσας καὶ ἀρώμασιν, ἐν μνήματι καινῶ κηδεύσας ἀπέθετο, ἀλλὰ τριήμερος ἀνέστης Κύριε, παρέχων τῶ κόσμω τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.
The noble Joseph, taking Thine immaculate Body down from the Tree, and having wrapped It in pure linen and spices, laid It for burial in a new tomb. But on the third day Thou didst arise, O Lord, granting great mercy to the world.
Ταὶς μυροφόροις Γυναιξί, παρὰ τὸ μνῆμα ἐπιστάς, ὁ Ἄγγελος ἐβόα, Τὰ μύρα τοὶς θνητοὶς ὑπάρχει ἁρμόδια, Χριστὸς δὲ διαφθορὰς ἐδείχθη ἀλλότριος, ἀλλὰ κραυγάσατε, Ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος, παρέχων τῶ κόσμω τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.
Unto the myrrh-bearing women did the Angel cry out as he stood by the grave: Myrrh oils are meet for the dead, but Christ hath proved to be a stranger to corruption. But cry out: The Lord is risen, granting great mercy to the world.
Apolytikion of St. George
Ὡς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐλευθερωτὴς καὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ὑπερασπιστής, ἀσθενούντων ἰατρός, βασιλέων ὑπέρμαχος, Τροπαιοφόρε Μεγαλομάρτυς Γεώργιε, πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.
Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, O trophy-bearer Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Kontakion of Pascha
Εἰ καὶ ἐν τάφῳ κατῆλθες ἀθάνατε, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ᾍδου καθεῖλες τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ἀνέστης ὡς νικητής, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, γυναιξὶ μυροφόροις φθεγξάμενος, Χαίρετε, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις εἰρήνην δωρούμενος ὁ τοῖς πεσοῦσι παρέχων ἀνάστασιν.
Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.