Christ God’s healing of the paralytic last week and of the two blind men today give us two vivid encounters with Christ’s power to heal as God and also a great lesson in faith for us. The paralytic consented to be carried a long distance by his friends who, together with him, demonstrated their faith in Christ as God, the One who alone could heal him. Likewise, in today’s Gospel, the blind men get themselves to Christ, beseeching Him to have mercy on them and acclaiming Him as the long-awaited Messiah by their words, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” It is both their acknowledgement of their need for healing and their coming to Christ, which so loudly demonstrates their great faith. They know Who is the One who has mercy to give, the One who alone can heal them—Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who knows us even in our mother’s womb, just as King David says, “Your eyes saw me when I was unformed” (Psalm 138). Christ God sees each one of us through His eyes of love and purpose for our lives. He desires the healing from sin-sickness and salvation of each one of us. We see in the paralytic and the blind men the faith to present themselves to Christ for healing. God never turns away those who come to Him in faith, but as with our relationship and communion with Him, our healing and salvation demand something from us: our dying to our own will and our submission to His will. As Christ said to the blind men, “According to your faith, let it be to you.” Our participation in the divine services, our daily prayers, our struggle to repent and live to God’s glory, our participation in the Sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist, are all demonstrations of faith on our part. There’s no sickness of soul, no passions, that are too great for God to heal—if we are willing to struggle and present ourselves to Him.
In Christ’s love, Fr. Robert+
We welcome today some of the plebes and their parents whom we as a parish have been ministering to and praying for this summer. WELCOME!
This week at Holy Archangels:
- v Thursday, Aug. 15, 11:30 a.m., Holy Dormition of Mary the Most-Holy Theotokos, ST. ANDREW’S CHAPEL (beneath main chapel), USNA. RSVP to Fr. Robert by Aug. 11 by email so we can arrange transport to and from the USNA—OR—Enter by foot via Gate 3 on Maryland Ave. You won’t be able to drive onto the Yard! Bring i.d.
- MEET AT St. John’s Gym Lot by tennis courts for a ride at 11:15 sharp.
- v Saturday, August 17, 6 p.m. Great Vespers with Matins Gospel. Confession following.
- v Sunday, August 18, 9:30 a.m. Hours, 10 am Divine Liturgy,
Prayer Requests:
- That God may grow our Mission in spirit and in numbers as a living witness of God’s love, healing, power, and glory;”
- For God’s ongoing financial provision for our Mission and ACM;
- For our Mission that we may find a Choir Director;
- Healing for Archpriest George, Priest John, Rdr. Michael, Rdr. John, Rdr. Andrew, Alethia, Benedict, Marina, Colette, Mary, Carol, Katherine, James, Charlene, Daniel, Michael Anthony, Sarah, the Church in Georgia and Romania as they address the relativism of the West, speaking the truth in love, for our suffering Orthodox brethren in Syria and Egypt.
- For the faithfully departed: Archimandrite Iustin, Matushka Tatiana, Kh. Jackie
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 6
The angelic powers were at Your tomb; // the guards became as dead men.
Mary stood by Your grave, // seeking Your most pure body.
You took captive hell,// not being tempted by it.
You came to the Virgin, granting life.// O Lord, Who rose from the dead, glory to You.
Troparion (Transfiguration of Christ) Tone 7
You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God,
revealing Your glory to Your Disciples as far as they could bear it.
Let Your everlasting Light also shine upon us sinners,
through the prayers of the Theotokos!// O Giver of Light, glory to You!
Troparion (Martyr Euplus) Tone 4
Your holy martyr, Euplus O Lord,
through his sufferings has received an incorruptible from You, our God.
For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.// Through his intercessions, save our souls!
Troparion (Holy Archangels) Tone 4
Commanders of the heavenly hosts, // we who are unworthy beseech you:
by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,
and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you://
“Deliver us from all harm, for you are the Commanders of the Powers on high!”
Kontakion (Resurrection) Tone 6
When Christ God the Giver of Life,
raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery with His mighty hand,
He bestowed resurrection on the human race.//
He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life, and the God of all.
Kontakion (Martyr Euplus) Tone 1
With the love of Christ as your only defense, // you stood in the midst ↑of your fight and said:
“I endure this struggle willingly and with confidence.”
You rejoiced, O Eúplus, to offer your head to the sword // and so you completed your course.
Kontakion (Feast of Transfiguration) Tone 7
On the mountain You were transfigured, O Christ God,
and Your Disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could see it;
so that when they would behold You crucified,
they would understand that Your suffering was voluntary,
and would proclaim to the world// that You are truly the Radiance of the Father.
