The disciples faced many fears—fear of rejection by their own for following the Messiah, fear of arrest, persecution, of losing all their temporal attachments, forsaking their families, suffering prison, torture, martyrdom, and even wondering where their next meal would come from. To all of these fears, Jesus reminds them that He and HE ALONE is “the one thing needful.” He is life itself, and as such, as the Creator of the wind and the tempest, the waters, and all that teems therein (Ps. 103), He commands them in today’s Gospel to cease, to be calmed… and they obey. Peter tries to come to the Lord on the water, just as Christ God is walking on the water, at first he actually succeeds, but then, he is unsettled, his focus is taken off Christ and directed to the fearsome winds and waves, the temporal and material things he fears… and he sinks. Jesus, Christ God, saves him, and He can save us when we lose faith and begin to sink as well. We too have fears: the Lord teaches us today to entrust them to Him, the God who has power over that which we fear, over all that is temporal. “Put not you trust in princes and sons of men in whom there is no salvation,” (Ps. 145) as we sing in the Liturgy, but in Christ God, to whom even the fearsome winds and the waves we encounter on the sea of life are obedient. Nothing we fear, no sin, no passion, no past, is too great for God to overcome!
In Christ’s love, Fr. Robert+
This week at Holy Archangels:
- v Tuesday, August 27, 12:50-13:20, 6th Hour, U.S. Naval Academy
- v Thursday, August 29-Wednesday, Sept. 4, Fr. Robert in South Carolina Attending OCA Summit on Evangelism in the Church.
- v Saturday, August 24, 6 p.m. Great Vespers with Matins Gospel. Confession following, Archpriest Fr. George Johnson supplying.
- v Sunday, August 25, 9:30 a.m. Hours, 10 am Divine Liturgy, Archpriest Fr. George Johnson supplying.
Looking Ahead: Important Dates!
- v Sunday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy, Nativity of the Most-Holy Theotokos
- v Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m., Feast of the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross at Holy Cross Orthodox Church, Linthicum, MD (BWI).
- v Sunday, Sept. 15, During Special Trapeza, Iacob’s 1st Birthday Party.
- v Sunday, Sept. 22, Following Trapeza, Sunday School planning meeting.
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 financial provision for our Mission and ACM (Annapolis College Ministry);
- 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 8
You descended from on high, O Merciful One!
You accepted the three day burial to free us from our sufferings!//
O Lord, our Life and Resurrection, glory to You!
Troparion (Holy Apostles Bartholomew and Titus) Tone 3
Holy Apostles, Bartholomew and Titus,
entreat the merciful God,
to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions!
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 8
By rising from the tomb, You raised the dead and resurrected Adam.
Eve exults in Your Resurrection,
and the world celebrates Your rising from the dead, O greatly Merciful One!
Kontakion (Holy Apostle Bartholomew) Tone 4
You appeared as a great sun to the world with miracles and rays of teaching.
You guide to the Light all who venerate you,
O Apostle of the Lord, Bartholomew.
Kontakion (Holy Apostle Titus) Tone 2
Titus, worthy of all praise and preacher of Christ’s mysteries,
you were Paul’s companion, and with him taught us the doctrine of God.
Therefore we cry out to you:
“Never cease to intercede for the sake of us all!”
Kontakion (Holy Archangels) Tone 2
Commanders of God’s armies // and ministers of the divine glory,
princes of the bodiless Angels // and guides of mankind;
ask for what is good for us, and for great mercy,// Supreme Commanders of the Bodiless Hosts.
