The rich young ruler in today’s Gospel is confronted by Christ with the question of where his heart is: with God or with his wealth. Jesus is not challenging him just because he is rich, but because Christ knows that the hold that his riches has on him will keep him from loving God and following Him as he must if he is to build spiritual riches and become an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven. How much emphasis we can put on our material well-being to the neglect of the needs of our souls for God! Modern life shields us against the realization that our lives here are temporal. Material provision, whatever and however much it may be, passes away, but God’s provision of the new life and identity in Him, lasts for an eternity. St. Seraphim of Sarov says, that “the acquisition of God’s Spirit is also capital, but grace-given and eternal.” Christ’s admonition to go and sell all that he had was a “wake-up call” for the rich young man. Similarly, St. Paul in today’s Epistle warns us to “awake,” to “arise from the dead.” He critiques the culture of his day just as we critique aspects of our own culture that are unhealthy, godless, sin-sick. Christ God calls us out of reliance on man, reliance on lucre (money), and instead, beseeches us, as St. Paul says, to “redeem the time,” that is, to make use of the days we have, the life we have, to repent, to pray, to cleave unto Christ and the life that is only in Him, that we too may become inheritors of the Kingdom.
May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you this holy season of preparation!
In His love,
Fr. Robert+
This week at Holy Archangels:
- Sunday, Dec. 2, Practice for Colinde (Caroling) after Divine Liturgy and Trapeza
- Wednesday, Dec. 5, 4:30 p.m. St. Sabbas and Eve of St. Nicholas Day, Rectory House Blessing and Colinde, Fr. Robert’s 3rd anniversary to priesthood, 1353 Tydings Rd., Annapolis, MD 21409. Supper at 5:30, Colinde at 6:30
- Thursday, Dec. 6, 10 am Divine Liturgy for the Feast of St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Washington D.C.
- Saturday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m.,Great Vespers with the Matins Gospel. Confession following.
- Sunday, Dec. 9, 9:30 Hours and Divine Liturgy followed by Trapeza.
Looking Ahead: Save the Dates!
- Wednesday, Dec. 12, 4:30 p.m.., Potluck supper and Colinde in downtown Annapolis, Meet at St. John’s Boathouse. Bring a fast-friendly food or warm drink to share.
- Monday, Dec. 24, 10:30 a.m. , ROYAL HOURS for the Eve of Nativity
- Monday, Dec. 24, 10:30 p.m., NATIVITY of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, followed by festive Trapeza for the Feast.
- Saturday, January 12, 3 p.m., Baby Shower for Nini!
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for our Mission that we may find a full-time Choir Director.
- Please pray for Azariah (Brian) as he looks for a teaching position.
- Healing for Fr. George Johnson, Viorica, Benedict, Vera, Marina, Colette, Mary.
- For the repose of the soul of Laura, Metropolitan Jonah’s sister.
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 (Prophet Habakkuk) Tone 2
We celebrate the memory
of your Prophet Habakkuk, O Lord;
through him we beseech You://
“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 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 (Prophet Habakkuk) Tone 8
Divinely eloquent Habakkuk, you announced to the world the
coming forth of God from the south; from the Virgin.
Standing on the divine watch, you received a report from the radiant Angel:
“You proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ to the world!”
Therefore in gladness we cry out to you://
“Rejoice, splendid adornment of the Prophets!”
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.
