We are a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and all are welcome to worship with us! Our services are in English. Please join us at our coffee hour downstairs after the service.
ХристосВоскресe!
ВоистинуВоскресe!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
April 23/May 6, 2007
5th Sunday of Pascha
Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
Holy Glorious Great-Martyr George
Sunday Troparion, Tone 4: Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the angel, * and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, * the women disciples of the Lord * spake to the apostles exultantly: * Death is despoiled * and Christ God is risen, * granting to the world great mercy.
Troparion of St. George, Tone 4: As a liberator of captives, / a helper of the poor, and a physician of the infirm, / O champion of kings, / victorious great martyr George, entreat Christ God, // that our souls be saved.
Kontakion of St. George, Tone 4:Having been cultivated by God, / thou didst show thyself to be a most honorable husbandman of piety, / gathering to thyself the sheaves of the virtues; / for, having sown in tears, thou reapest in gladness, / and having suffered in the shedding of thy blood, / thou hast received Christ. And by thy supplications, O holy one, // thou grantest forgiveness of transgressions unto all.
Kontakion of the Samaritan Woman, Tone 8: Having come to the well in faith, the Samaritan woman saw Thee, the Water of Wisdom, whereof having drunk abundantly, she, the renowned one, inherited the kingdom on high forever.
Today’s Readings
Epistle: Acts -26, 29-30; Acts 12:1-11
Gospel: John 4:5-42; John 15:17-16:2
Instead of “It is truly meet…” we chant the Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Canon of the feast, first Tone:
Refrain: The angel cried unto her that is full of grace: Rejoice, O pure Virgin! And again I say, rejoice! For thy Son is risen from the grave on the third day, and hath raised the dead, O ye people, be joyful!
Irmos: Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee; dance now and be glad, O Zion, and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.
SAINT GEORGE, THE HOLY AND GREAT MARTYR
This glorious and victorious saint was born in Cappadocia, the son of wealthy and virtuous parents. His father suffered for Christ and his mother then moved to Palestine. When George grew up, he entered the military, where in his twentieth year, he attained the rank of tribune and as such was in the service of the Emperor Diocletian. When Diocletian began the terrible persecution against Christians, George came before him and courageously confessed that he is a Christian. The emperor had him thrown into prison and ordered that his feet be placed in a stockade of wooden hobbles and that a heavy stone be placed on his chest. After that, the emperor commanded that George be tied to a wheel under which was a board with large nails and he was to be rotated until his entire body became as one bloody wound. After that, they buried him in a pit with only his head showing above the ground and there they left him for three days and three nights. Then George was given a deadly poison to drink by some magician. But, through all of these sufferings, George continuously prayed to God and God healed him instantly and saved him from death to the great astonishment of the people. When he resurrected a dead man through his prayer, many then accepted the Faith of Christ. Among these also was Alexandra, the wife of the Emperor Athanasius, the chief pagan priest and the farmers: Glycerius, Valerius, Donatus and Therinus. Finally the emperor ordered George and his wife Alexandra beheaded. Blessed Alexandra died on the scaffold before being beheaded. St. George was beheaded in the year 303 A.D. The miracles which have occurred over the grave of St. George are without number. Numerous are his appearances, either in dreams or openly, to those who have invoked him and implored his help from that time until today. Enflamed with love for Christ the Lord, it was not difficult for this saintly George to leave all for the sake of this love: rank, wealth, imperial honor, his friends and the entire world. For this love, the Lord rewarded him with the wealth of unfading glory in heaven and on earth and eternal life in His kingdom. In addition, the Lord bestowed upon him the power and authority to assist all those in miseries and difficulties who honor him and call upon his name.
Parish News
vToday after coffee hour we will serve our monthly Moleben for the Conversion of the Non-Orthodox. Please bring your lists of family and friends to be prayed for.
vLast Friday was Theodore Tkaczevski’s name day and birthday. Many years!
vToday is the name day of Archimandrite George of Jordanville. Please sign the card for him.
vNext Sunday is Mother’s Day, so the akathist this Wednesday will be for the Theotokos “Nurturer of Children”. This is a beautiful way to intercede in prayer for our children.
vPlease remember in your prayers those who are or will be traveling: Miller Family, Hadzi-Antich Family, Galina Muchnik, Ron Cummings.
