Listen to this weeks homily
We have lived Christ’s Holy Incarnation and Nativity, Christ has entered into human nature as man and redeemed it as God, creating a new race of Adam—one capable of triumphing with Christ over sin and death and inheriting eternal life with God in His Kingdom. We have experienced Christ’s baptism by John in the Jordan. We’ve seen the waters that provided the means of Israel’s temporal salvation become the waters of our eternal salvation. Water can wash our bodies but cannot cleanse or heal our souls of its sin-sickness. But Christ, through His baptism, has entered the waters He Himself created, and made them the water of regeneration. He has transformed them into the waters of our healing. That which Christ God has assumed is healed. He has given us the living water. He has given us baptism as the means to get ourselves into His life, the life of the new Adam, that through water and the Spirit, we too may become co-heirs with God and inherit His Kingdom.
Now our cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit continues, as we live out our baptism, growing in the knowledge and love of God through our participation in His divine life, through our prayer, worship, fasting, and worship, receiving the Sacraments that He has entrusted to us through His Church, for our healing, growth, and salvation Let us resolve in this new year to take what we have seen and experienced and apply it afresh to our lives, to commit ourselves afresh to experiencing more of God in 2013, that we too grow to the “full stature of Christ.” Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
In His love, Fr. Robert+
This week at Holy Archangels:
- Saturday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m.,Great Vespers with the Matins Gospel. Confession following.
- Sunday, Jan. 20, 9:30 a.m. Hours, Divine Liturgy followed by Trapeza.
Looking Ahead: Save the Dates!
- Friday, Jan. 25, 11am Walk for Life with our Hierarchs and many other Orthodox in D.C. Meet at New Carollton Subway Station. See Fr. if you need a ride there,
- Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 16-17, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon to Visit Holy Archangels.
Prayer Requests:
- Please pray for our Mission that we may find a Choir Director.
- Pray for Noel and Nini as they look for new housing.
- Healing for Fr. George Johnson, Viorica, Benedict, Vera, Marina, Colette, Mary, Leah and her baby, Katherine.
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 7
By Your Cross You destroyed death.
To the thief You opened Paradise.
For the Myrrhbearers You changed weeping into joy.
And You commanded Your disciples, O Christ God,
to proclaim that You are risen,//
granting the world great mercy.
Troparion (for the Feast) Tone 1
When You, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan,
the worship of the Trinity was made manifest.
For the voice of the Father bore witness to You,
calling You His Beloved Son;
and the Spirit in the form of a dove
confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ our God, You have revealed Yourself,//
and have enlightened the world, glory to You!
Troparion (Martyrs Hermylus and Stratonicus) Tone 4
Your holy martyrs Hermýlus and Stratonicus, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.//
Through their intercessions save our souls!
Kontakion (Resurrection) Tone 7
The dominion of death can no longer hold mankind captive,
for Christ descended, shattering and destroying its powers.
Hell is bound, while the Prophets rejoice and cry:
“The Savior has come to those in faith;//
enter, you faithful, into the Resurrection!”
Kontakion (Martyrs Hermylus and Stratonicus) Tone 1
You drowned the enemy in the depths of your contests
by your steadfastness, O noble prize-winners.
You received your end in the streams of the river,
hence, you were brought to the waters of ^incorruption.//
You magnified Christ, divine Hermylus and Stratonicus.
Kontakion (for the Feast) Tone 1
Today You have shone forth to the world, O Lord,
and the light of Your countenance has been marked on us.
Knowing You, we sing Your praises:
“You have come and revealed Yourself,//
O unapproachable Light.”
