SA nt t .i oBc hai asni Ol rtt hho deo xGCrhuerac ht
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.
Saint Thomas, Patriarch of Constantinople (Commemorated on March 21) Saint Thomas, Patriarch of Constantinople, was at first a deacon, and later under the holy Patriarch John IV the Faster (582-595) he was made “sakellarios” [sacristan] in the Great Church (Hagia Sophia). After the death of holy Patriarch Cyriacus (595-606), Saint Thomas was elevated to the Patriarchal throne in 607. The saint concerned himself in every possible way about the spiritual needs of his flock. During the patriarchate of Saint Thomas, an ominous portent appeared in the land of Galatia (Asia Minor). The heavy crosses which were carried during church processions began to shake and to strike against each other. The clairvoyant Elder, Saint Theodore Sykeotes (April 22), explained the meaning of this portent. He said that discords and disasters awaited the Church, and the state was in danger of barbarian invasion. Hearing this, the saint became terrified and asked Saint Theodore to pray that God would take his soul before these predictions were fulfilled. After the death of the holy Patriarch Thomas in 610, disorders started in the Church. Saint Thomas’s successor, Patriarch Sergius (610-638), fell into the Monothelite heresy. Through God’s dispensation, war broke out with Persia, which proved grievous for Byzantium. The Greek regions of Asia Minor were completely devastated, Jerusalem fell, and the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord was captured and taken to Persia. Thus, all the misfortunes portended by the miracle during the church procession came to pass. *Bibliographyhttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives 3
ANTIPHON tHE
RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE EIGHT 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. APOLYTIKION OF FIRST SUNDAY OF GREAT LENT IN TONE TWO Thy pure image do we venerate, O good One, asking forgiveness of our sins, O Christ our God; for by Thine own will Thou didst ascend the Cross in Thy body, to save Thy creatures from the bondage of the enemy.
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Wherefore, with thankfulness we cry aloud to thee: Thou hast verily filled all with joy, since Thou didst come, O our Savior, to save the world.
TROPARION OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT IN TONE ONE In all the earth that received 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 Christ God to save our souls. KONTAKION FOR SUNDAYS IN GREAT LENT (AND AKATHIST SATURDAY) IN TONE EIGHT To thee, the Champion Leader, do I offer thanks of victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror; but as thou that hast that power invincible, O Theotokos, thou alone can set me free: from all forms of danger free me and deliver me, that I may cry unto thee: Hail, O Bride without Bridegroom.
EPISTLE tHE
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers. For Thou art just in all that Thou hast done for us. The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews. (11:24-26, 32-40) Brethren, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the recompense of reward. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and all the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped
the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, and turned to flight armies of the aliens. Women received their dead by resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, being destitute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a witness through their faith, did not receive the promise, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. 5
GOSPEL THE
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (1:43-51) At that time, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to Jesus, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, Thou art 6
the Son of God! Thou art the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”
OFFERINGS
+ PRAYERS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE OFFERED FOR + Brenda, Sherry, Ruth, Pricilla, Dn. Christopher + Fam, Ross Fam, SImerick Fam, Neal Fam, Butler Fam, Thompson Fam, Thadeus, Liz + child, Meron, Elias, Grace, Aigail, Emmanuel, Fr. James + Fam, Fr. Earl + Fam, Fr. Alexis + Fam, Fr. Adam + Fam, Fr. Isaac + Fam, Fr. Emil + Fam, Dn. Kirk + Fam, Dn. Steve + Fam, Dn. John + Fam,
Jake + Fam, Adam + Fam, Ellie + Fam, Susan + Fam, Sydney + Fam, Diana, Aiden, Sophia, Charlie, Anastasia, Nathan + Fam, Camron, Grant, Erik, Esra, Lisa, Aaron, Kathy, Seraphim, Michael, Alicia, Brigid, Robert, Margaret, Ethan, Scott, David, Paul, Ben, Jared, Basil, John, Cheryl, Bill, Victoria, Karl, Josiah, Matt, Nasi Fam
+ PRAYERS OF LOVING MEMORY ARE OFFERED FOR + Marcie, Lena, Gerhard, Mary, Roger, Kelly, Almaz, Asnaketch, Kh. Farha, Elder Ephraim, Fr. Isaac, Fr. John, Fr. Elias, Almira, Oksana, Fr. Michael, Fr. Joseph, Fr. Michael, SDn. Nicholas, Paul, Ralph, Fr. Ernesto. Fr. Eugene,
Lydia, Victor, Tatyana, Alexander, Eudoria, Ephimia, Ephim, Michael, Alexey, Alexander, Alexandra, Yuri, Boris, Valentin, Valentina, Vladimir, Lubomir, Fr. Neil, Fr. John, Fr. David, Fr. Joseph, Fr. Daniel, Victor, Brenda, Fr. John
Holy Bread is offered by Anna Mary Vogt and Rhonda Mertins for the health, safety and memory of their loved ones. 7
Sunday of Orthodoxy Upon the death of of the last Iconoclast emperor, Theophilos, his young son Michael III, with his mother the regent Theodora, and Patriarch Methodios, summoned the Synod of Constantinople in 842 to bring peace to the Church. The council affirmed the legitimacy of the Second Council of Nicea, which declared iconoclasm a heresy way back in 787, and declared: “We define that the holy icons, whether in colour, mosaic, or some other material, should be exhibited in the holy churches of God, on the sacred vessels and liturgical vestments, on the walls, furnishings, and in houses and along the roads, namely the icons of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, that of our Lady the Theotokos, those of the venerable angels and those of all saintly people. Whenever these representations are contemplated, they will cause those who look at them to commemorate and love their prototype. We define also that they should be kissed and that they are an object of veneration and honour, but not of real worship, which is reserved for Him Who is the subject of our faith and is proper for the divine nature. The veneration accorded to an icon is in effect transmitted to the prototype; he who venerates the icon, venerated in it the reality for which it stands”. *Bibliography Excerpt from https://iconreader.wordpress.com/