SUNDAY OF ST. PHOTINI, THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John (4:5-42)
At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”  For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?”  Jesus said to her, “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”  The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshipped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”  The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things.”  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, “What do you wish?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”  So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”  They went out of the city and were coming to him.

Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”  But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”  So the disciples said to one another, “Has any one brought him food?”  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest.  He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.  For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’  I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of his word.  They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Sunday Bulletin - May 13, 2012

SUNDAY OF THE PARALYTIC
HOLY PROPHET JOB

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles (9:32-42)
In those days, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda.  There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed.  And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.  And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.  In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.  Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, “Please come to us without delay.”  So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.  But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, rise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.  And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive.  And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Alleluia Verses (Psalm 30:1) Tone 3: In you, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be ashamed. Be my God and protector.

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John (5:1-15)
At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethzatha, which has five porticoes.  In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water: for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and troubled the water: whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.
Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.” but he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your pallet and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your pallet, and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.  Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
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Sunday Bulletin - May 6, 2012

Pastor’s Column

Christ is Risen!

As we enjoy this most glorious Paschal season, we should reflect on the great joy that infuses our services during this time. We sing “Christ is Risen…” to open and close all services, and we continue to greet one another with the Paschal greeting for forty days. This is much more than a simple custom. Rather, this is the affirmation of the central belief of the Christian Faith. Christ is Risen and has defeated death by death, opening a way to the resurrection for all. The grave is no longer the final word for mankind. Instead, God, in his love, sends his only-begotten Son to die for our sins and to burst the bonds of Hades through his holy Resurrection.

This underscores a very important aspect of the Christian Faith: The Church is founded not on a set of principles, or even morals, but on the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the revelation of the Godhead. Jesus did not say “I know the way, the truth and the life.”, but rather “I am the Way the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:9). In Christ we have new and eternal life. In Christ we have reconciliation with the Heavenly Father, and have the perspective of the Kingdom of heaven. This is one of the things communicated in our worship. The importance of caring for the poor, loving the neighbor, storing up treasure in heaven: these are the values of the kingdom. The true Christian, because of the resurrection, loves the whole creation. He does not abuse the creation and equally he does not confuse the creation with the Creator. He recognizes that the world is good, but that its goodness is distorted by sin, and needs redemption. The Risen Christ is the Redeemer of Creation and upon his Coming in the final day, Creation will be renewed, without “natural” disasters or disease, and of course without death. We both live for that Day and are the witnesses of its coming. Our witness is to live out (and even sometimes to speak about) the Crucified and Risen Christ.

Let us therefore rejoice in the Resurrection, because in it we are freed from the frustration of life in this fallen world. We know that the world will be renewed and that all that is tragic, evil and wrong will be swept away. At the same time we can partake of the kingdom to come through our life with Christ.  As it says in one of the hymns from the Paschal Canon:

“Come, let us on this famous day of Resurrection participate in the kingdom of Christ, and the new fruit of the Vine which is for divine rejoicing. Praise him; for he God forevermore.”

Let us adore his third-day resurrection!
Fr. Michael

The Apostle, May 2012 Newsletter

SUNDAY OF THE MYRRH-BEARING WOMEN

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7)
In those days, the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.  And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.  But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”  And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.  These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.  And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Alleluia verses (Psalm 19:1, 9) May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble. O Lord, save the king, and hear us when we call upon you.

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark (15:43-47 16:1-8)
At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead.  And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph.  And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where he was laid.

And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.  And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?”  And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; — it was very large.

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed.  And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.”  And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.

Sunday Bulletin - April 29, 2012

APRIL 22ND, 2012
SUNDAY OF ST. THOMAS

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John (20:19-31)
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
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Sunday Bulletin - April 22, 2012

CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
AL-MASSIH QAM! HAKKAN QAM! (Arabic)
CHRISTOS ANESTI! ALITHOS ANESTE! (Greek)
CHRISTOS A INVIAT! ADEVERAT A INVIAT! (Romanian)
CHRISTOS VOSKRESE! VOISTINU VOSKRESE! (Slavonic)

“It is the day of the Resurrection, be illumined, people, Pascha, the Lord’s Pascha. From death unto life, from the earth to heaven has Christ Our God led us singing the song of victory.”

THE PASCHAL HOMILY
Of our father among the saints John Chrysostom

Let all those who are devout and lovers of God enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival. Let all loyal servants come in and rejoice in the joy of their Lord. Let all those who have wearied themselves in fasting enjoy now the recompense. Let all those who have labored from the first hour receive today their just wages. Let all those who have come after the third hour celebrate the feast with thankfulness. Let all those who have arrived after the sixth hour have no doubts, for they will suffer no loss. Let all those who have delayed until the ninth hour draw near without hesitation.

Do not let those who have arrived even at the eleventh hour fear their delay; for the Master is gracious and receives the last, even as the first; he gives rest to those that come at the eleventh hour, just as to those who have labored from the first. He has mercy on the last and cares for the first; he rewards the one, and is gracious to the other. He both honors the work and praises the intention.

Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, enjoy your reward. O rich and poor, dance together for joy! You that exercised self-control and you that were negligent celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have not fasted rejoice today! The table is full; all of you feast on it! The calf is fatted; let no one go forth hungry! Let all partake of the banquet of faith. Let all enjoy the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Savior’s death has set us free. He has annihilated death by submitting to it! He descended into Hades and took Hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted his flesh! When Isaiah foresaw this, he cried out:

Hades was embittered when it met you below.
It was embittered, for it was abolished!
It was embittered, for it was mocked!
It was embittered, for it was destroyed!
It was embittered, for it was stripped of its power!
It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!
It took a body and encountered God!
It took earth and met heaven!
It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen!
O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life has dominion!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First fruits of those who slept.

To Him belong glory and might unto ages of ages. Amen.

Holy Week Services begin Sunday evening with 7:00 p.m. Bridegroom Orthros and continue as follows:

• Monday April, 9th, 7:00 p.m. Bridegroom Orthros
• Tuesday April 10th, 7:00 p.m. Bridegroom Orthros
• Wednesday April 11th, 7:00 p.m. Holy Unction
• Thursday April 12th, 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy with Archbishop Joseph presiding, followed by light meal.
• Thursday April 12th, 7:00 p.m.  Passion Gospels
• Friday April 13th, 9:30 a.m. Royal Hours; 3:30 p.m. Vespers taking down the body of Christ from the Cross; 7:00 p.m. Lamentations
• Saturday April, 14th, 10:00 a.m. Holy Saturday Liturgy;
• 11:00p.m. Pascha Vigil followed by breakfast.
• Sunday April 15th, 1:00p.m. Pascha Day Agape service

We observe a strict fast all through Holy Week (except for Holy Thursday on which we are allowed wine and oil)

See you in church!

Fr Michael

Palm Sunday
On Sunday, five days before the Passover of the Law, the Lord came from Bethany to Jerusalem. Sending two of His disciples to bring Him a foal of an ass, He sat thereon and entered into the city. When the multitude there heard that Jesus was coming, they straightway took up the branches of palm trees in their hands, and went forth to meet Him. Others spread their garments on the ground, and yet others cut branches from the trees and strewed them in the way that Jesus was to pass; and all of them together, especially the children, went before and after Him, crying out: “Hosanna: Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel” (John 12:13). This is the radiant and glorious festival of our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem that we celebrate today. The branches of the palm trees symbolize Christ’s victory over the devil and death. The word Hosanna means “Save, I pray,” or “Save, now.” The foal of an ass, and Jesus’ sitting thereon, and the fact that this animal was untamed and considered unclean according to the Law, signified the former uncleanness and wildness of the nations, and their subjection thereafter to the holy Law of the Gospel.

We are in need of volunteers for a few events in the month of April.
I pray you are willing and able to help on any of the following days:

TEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Saturday, April 07
7:00 - 11:00am First Shift
11:00am - 3:00pm Second Shift
Registration and General Administration
Homeless Children Dental Clinic
West Anaheim Youth Center
320 S. Beach Blvd., Anaheim

THREE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Sunday, April 08
1:00 - 4:00
Cook Sunday Meal for the Valencia Inn
St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church
4949 Alton Pkwy, Irvine

TWENTY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Sunday, April 08
4:30 - 7:30
Set-up, serve and clean-up at the Valencia Inn for the Sunday Meal
The Valencia Inn
2630 W. Lincoln Avenue, Anaheim

FIVE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Saturday, April 14
11:45 - 1:00
Serve meal only (food will be prepared and delivered)
Saturday Meal in the Park
Maxwell Park
2655 W. Orange Avenue, Anaheim

TWENTY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Sunday, April 15 (Pascha)
4:30 - 7:30
Set-up, serve and clean-up at the Valencia Inn for the Sunday Meal
The Valencia Inn
2630 W. Lincoln Avenue, Anaheim
No cooking is necessary. The meal is generously provided by an anonymous donor.

Please Email me at Jacoblee@focusna.org if you are intrested in helping out.

In Christ,
Jacob Lee
FOCUS OC Director
949-682-5533 phone
jacoblee@focusna.org

FOCUS Orange County
7216 Garden Grove Blvd,
Westminster, CA 92870
Note: Our office is located off Garden Grove Blvd between Beach and Knott ave in the city of Westminster.