S t . B a s i l t h e G r e a t A nt i o c h i a n O r t h o d o x C hu r c h
S t . B a s i l t h e G r e a t A nt i o c h i a n O r t h o d o x C hu r c h His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH, Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America.
His Grace Bishop THOMAS, Auxiliary Bishop of The Diocese of Oakland, Charleston, and the Mid-Atlantic.
REV. FATHER JAMES PURDIE, PASTOR 1520 Todds Lane Hampton, VA 23666 Phone: Office (757) 223-4159, Cell: (412) 327-4099 Email: OrthodoxHampton@gmail.com Web Site: www.OrthodoxHampton.com
Welcome visitors! If you are visiting with us for the first time, we greet you in the Holy Name of Christ, our Saviour, and hope you will join us in fellowship after worship. We are genuinely pleased to have you with us today. We must remind you that while the Orthodox Church prays for the unity of all, we do not practice “open Communion.� Only those Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves with prayer, fasting, and regular confession should approach the chalice.
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For questions, please contact Fr. James Purdie. Blessings.
The Daughter of Jairus
Today’s Gospel is not only about miracles and the mercy of God; to me, it is about hope beyond hope. In the story of the daughter of Jairus we see a child already dead; everyone knows about it; there is such certainty that when the Son of God, become the Son of Man, says, ‘No! This child has not died, it is fallen asleep’, everyone contradicts Him: ‘No, this child has died’ … And then Christ, with a word of power, but in an act of love calls the child to earthly life again. Isn’t this, — apart from being a true event of our human history, — isn’t this also a parable, and an image of so many human situations? How often we would say, ‘There is, no point in doing anything about this person, this person is lost anyhow; there is nothing to do about redeeming a given situation, this situation is beyond redemption’… And we must remember the words which were spoken by Christ to Peter when he said, ‘Who then can be saved?’ and the Lord said to him, ‘What is impossible to man, is possible unto God’. Hope beyond hope: not because we have got good reasons to hope, but because we can be possessed of a passionate certainty that not only love divine but human love can bring back to life what was lost. People who have fallen into the deepest dereliction, people who seem to us to be hopelessly evil, if they are met by the sacrificial love, — and the word ‘sacrificial’ is essential, — the sacrificial love of God and the same sacrificial love in us, can be redeemed. In the case of this child it happened immediately; in our relation to one another and to people it may take years, years of patient love, years during which we will give of ourselves, but also endure, endure endlessly the most unendurable things; and in the end there can be redemption. There can be redemption in this earth, in the form of a person who was thought to be hopeless, beyond help, and who begins to change, and then we see a miracle, and we are elated, and hope becomes complete and real, and joy fills our heart. Let us therefore give thought to it, and choose for hope beyond hope, for that love and that faith that conquer. Amen. + Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
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ANTIPHON tHE
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RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FIVE
TROPARION OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT IN TONE ONE
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.
In all the earth that receiveth thy sayings, thy melody did resound O righteous Father, through which Thou didst go about and proclaim as worthy of God the nature of creatures, cultivating the character of mankind, O Thou of kingly priesthood Basil, wherefore plead thou with ChristGod to save our souls.
APOLYTIKION OF THE ARCHANGELS IN TONE FOUR
KONTAKION OF ENTRANCE OF THE THEOTOKOS IN TONE FOUR
Supreme Commanders of the Hosts of the Heavens, * we, the unworthy, importune and beseech you * that by your supplications ye encircle us * in the shelter of the wings * of your immaterial glory; * guarding us who now fall down * and cry to you with fervor: * Deliver us from dangers of all kinds, * as the great marshals of the heavenly hosts on high.
The sacred treasury of God’s holy glory, * the greatly precious bridal chamber and Virgin, * the Savior’s most pure temple, free of stain and undefiled, * into the House of the Lord * on this day is brought forward * and bringeth with herself the grace * of the Most Divine Spirit; * her do God’s Angels hymn with songs of praise, * for she is truly the heavenly tabernacle.
EPISTLE tHE
He makes His angels spirits, and His ministers flames of f ire. Bless the Lord, O my soul. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews. (2:2-10) Brethren, if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard Him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His own Will. For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man, that Thou carest for Him? Thou didst make Him for a little while lower than the angels; Thou hast crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet.� Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.
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GOSPEL THE
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke. (8:41-56) At that time, there came to Jesus a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet he besought Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed round Him. And a woman, who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him, and touched the fringe of His garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the multitudes surround Thee and press upon Thee! And Thou sayest, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from Me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before Him declared
in the presence of all the people why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” While Jesus was still speaking, a man from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.” And when Jesus came to the house, He permitted no one to enter with Him, except Peter and James and John, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and bewailing her; but Jesus said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand Jesus called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and Jesus directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed; but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.
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KOINONIKON ( COMMUNION HYMN)
Praise the Lord from the Heavens; Praise Him in the highest; Alleluia.
Post Communion Prayer of St. Basil the Great (pray silently after receiving the Holy Gifts) O Master, Christ our God, King of all ages and Maker of all things, I thank Thee for all the good things which Thou hast given me and of partaking of Thine immaculate and life-giving Mysteries. Wherefore, I pray Thee, who art good and loves mankind, keep me under Thy protection and in the shadow of Thy wings, and grant me a pure conscience, even unto my last breath to partake of Thy Holy Gifts for unto Thee we ascribe glory and thanksgiving, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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OFFERINGS + Prayers of Health and Safety are offered for +
Dn. Christopher and family, Ross family, Celeste, Edens family, Jeffrey, Howell family, Nolan and family, Brown family, Bowman family, Fr. James and family, Fr. Elia and family, Fr. Paul and family, Fr. Earl and family, Fr. Alexis and family, Fr. Adam and family, Fr. Isaac and family, Fr. Antonio and family, Jake and family, Adam and family, Susan and family, Tilahun and family, Davis family, Lunsford family, Zambonini family, 8
McAddis family, Freedman family, Leary family, Hovarter family, Holden family, Klein family, Thieme family, Riske family, Mertens family, Gresham family, Crawford family, Joyner family, Maria, Joyner family, Cooper family, Hovan family, Fields family, Nixon family, Charlie, Anastasia, Justin, Taylor, Ben. Palomino family, Goodson family, Seraphim, Nadia, Rachel, Samantha, Crystal, Ray
OFFERINGS +++ Prayers of Loving Memory are offered for +++
Marvin, Erica, Jose, Esther, David, Patty, Raymond, Mary Jane, Leonard, Marcie, Lena, Mary, Roger, Kelly, Gerhard, Muna, Gabby, Patricia, Nick, Kh. Anastasia, Victor, Lydia, Tatyana, Fr. Neil, Alexander, Dan,
Alexandra, Yuri, Boris, Valentin, Valentina, Vladimir, Elena, Evdokia, Padovanka, William, Lazar, Steven, John, Connie, Dustin, Aysem, Jaime, Ann, Steve, Gabby, Patricia, Russell, Priscilla, Kh. Anastasia
Holy Bread is offered by Dasha Saur for the health, safety, and memory of her loved ones.
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Faith and the Woman with the Issue of Blood
Today’s Gospel is about faith. In the Gospel account as the Lord walked to heal the sick and dying daughter of the leader of the Synagogue, Jairus, many people thronged about Jesus and yet they received no great benefit. Even today as well, many might come into God’s house, into His very presence, venerate a miraculous icon, kiss the life-giving Cross, and even partake of the Sacred and Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ and receive no apparent benefit, like those who curiously crowded around the Lord. However, one woman in today’s Gospel sought to touch the hem of Christ’ garment and she did so with great faith, knowing, as the Gospel Matthew states, that if she could merely touch the very edge of the clothing of the Lord Jesus Christ she would become well. The sickness which the woman had possessed her for 12 terrible, shameful years. A continual flow of blood came from deep within her and since she was a Jew she was considered cursed and an outcast. This sickness, however, was to be for her salvation and for God’s glory because she possessed one thing: Faith. Let us trust that if we are really trying to follow Christ then whatever happens is somehow for our salvation and serves as an opportunity to increase our faith. Let us have hope and always recall the word “but” that exists within many of the Church’s prayers faith which say “Lord, I know that I have sinned or may be in sickness and trouble BUT I hope in you, O Lord, knowing that in due time you will help me....” “I may be receiving, O God, my just desert for sins and mistakes through sickness and affliction, BUT I know you will help me and I wait for you.” May we all approach Christ and touch the hem of His garments in the icons, in the relics of the Saints that surround us, in the Holy Cross...and even greater, and most importantly, in partaking and becoming one with Him in the Eucharist. We are all on a journey to the Kingdom. Let us never abandon our Physician Christ the Lord or let go of the hem of His garment. + St. Tikhon’s Monastery