As we are reminded this day in our Epistle that the Apostles and their successors, and indeed all faithful Orthodox Christians, will suffer living out our faith in this world. The life of a faithful Christian by necessity, involves our denial of self and our coming outside ourselves to love and to serve. This is part of our ‘cross.’ We give of ourselves not out of a sense of duty, but in a desire to love and grow in the love of Christ, to become more and more like Him through deification, our participation in the life of the Church. Our Gospel today prompts us to see that prayer and faith go hand in hand in enabling us to be these fellow partakers with Christ and victors over the hold that the world and its priorities often exercise on us. This day, we remember God’s gifts to us and we see our own need to return to God the glory and worship that is our thanksgiving, which is our spiritual service to God for all His bounty and blessings to us. This worship extends to our striving to bring our faith to bear on our everyday lives, our prayers, our fasting, our worship, our service, how we treat each other in the Church and the extent to which we exercise our faith in obedience and humility in our daily lives. If we seek Christ first, all other things find their place. So, we’re called to examine and recommit ourselves to prioritizing our life in Christ above all things. God is at work in us and through us to continue to make us into the men and women of God that He’s called us to be, if we are willing to cooperate. May the Holy Theotokos, whose Dormition we celebrate, intercede for us before our merciful God that we may have the faith to move whatever ‘mountains’, whatever impediments, may stand between us and the fullness of the life in Him.
In Christ’s love, Fr. Robert+
THIS WEEK AT HOLY ARCHANGELS:
- v Saturday, August 23, 6 p.m., Great Vespers, 1120 Spa Rd. (St. Martin’s)
- v Sunday, August 24, 9:30 a.m., Hours, 10 am Divine Liturgy, Trapeza
- v Sunday, Aug. 24, Blessing of new Vehicles immediately following Liturgy !
Save the Date!
- Sunday, Aug 31, Iacob Miclean’s 2nd Birthday party during Trapeza, Sunday School
6-Month Financial Report: Holy Archangels has received a total of $14,529 in offerings from January thru July 2014. The budgeted amount based on pledges is $17,500. This leaves us a gap of nearly $3000 to make up between now and Dec. to meet our expenses! Please stay current with your pledges/offerings, and consider increasing your offering or making a special one-time offering to help meet this deficit. Thank God for His provision for this Mission and thank you for your faithful contributions! The Holy Archangels Mission Council
Prayer Requests:
- That God may grow our Mission “in spirit and in numbers…”
- For God’s financial provision for our Mission and ACM (Annapolis College Ministry);
- For our Mission that we may find a Choir Director;
- Departed handmaiden of God, Ana (grandmother of Mihaela Bedia-Ulmer)
- Archpriest George, Priest John, Dcn. Basil, Rdr. John, Benedict, James, Daniel, Seraphim, Ed, Johnson and Family, Bede, Kent and Nancy, the Church in Georgia and Romania as they address the relativism of the West, speaking the truth in love, our suffering, persecuted Orthodox brethren in Iraq and Syria, a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 1
When the stone had been sealed by the Jews,
while the soldiers were guarding Your most pure ^body,
You rose on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world.
The powers of heaven therefore cried to You, O Giver of Life:
Glory to Your Resurrection, O Christ! // Glory to Your ^Kingdom!//
Glory to Your dispensation, O Lover of mankind!”
Troparion (Feast of the Dormition) Tone 1
In giving birth you preserved your virginity.
In falling asleep you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos.
You were translated to life O Mother of Life,//
and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.
Troparion (Martyr Myron) Tone 4
Your holy martyr Myron, O Lord,
through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown 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!
Kontakion (Resurrection) Tone 1
As God, You rose from the tomb in glory, // raising the world with Yourself.
Human nature praises You as God, for death has vanished. // Adam exults, O Master!
Eve rejoices, for she is freed from bondage and cries to You://
“You are the Giver of Resurrection to all, O Christ!”
Kontakion (Martyr Myron) Tone 4
From childhood you longed for Christ, all glorious one,
keeping His divine commandments and running to Him with all your being, all-honored Myron.
Now you zealously pray with the Angels, // asking remission of sins
for those who celebrate your memory.
Kontakion (Feast of the Dormition) Tone 2
Neither the tomb, nor death, could hold the Theotokos,
who is constant in prayer and our firm hope in her intercessions.
For being the Mother of Life,//
she was translated to life by the One Who dwelt in her virginal womb.
