Today we commemorate the holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea, who in 325 A.D. won the first battle against Arius and those who followed him into heresy and put the salvation of many in peril. Mention doctrine today and you can almost see the eyes glaze over. But doctrine matters because without it we cannot keep the salvific Apostolic Faith that has been carefully preserved for us that we too may come to know the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Fathers of the Church have been careful to distinguish doctrine, as reaffirmed at the Ecumenical Councils from theologoumena (theological opinion). Living in America, we’ve grown accustomed to self-assured people asserting their opinions as if they were doctrine, but this is not the Orthodox way; this is not the way of a Christian. As Orthodox, we believe that we are grafted into the Body of the Church, that “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1) through the ages, who have faithfully upheld, proclaimed, and lived the fullness of life in Christ through communion and relationship with Christ. We don’t take Christ on our terms, but we are inheritors with all the Saints of the Truth that Christ is, that He has revealed Himself to be. The troparion for Ascension assures us that by virtue of Christ’s ascension, we see and know that Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. “O Christ God, Thou hast ascended in glory, granting joy to Thy disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit. Through the blessing they were assured that Thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world! The Holy Spriit comes to lead the Church into “all truth” and that truth is Jesus Christ, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” who has revealed God to us. We, for our part, participate in this great ‘heritage of the true (Orthodox) faith, in turn, by living out this fullness of the life in Christ that’s been granted us in Christ’s holy Church. This Sunday of all Sundays, we reaffirm our love for God and our desire to continue to grow in the knowledge and love of Him, for as Christ says in today’s Gospel, ““this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent…”
In the love and mercy of the ascended Christ, Fr. Robert+
THIS WEEK AT HOLY ARCHANGELS:
v Saturday, June 7, 3 p.m., EVE of PENTECOST, Picnic at the Rectory:bring your favorite meat to grill, wine/beer, side, and a contribution to share for our annual picnic at the Rectory, 1353 Tydings Rd., Annapolis. Great Vespers with Litya and Pentecost bon-fire following
- Great Vespers at the Rectory, 6 p.m. followed by bon-fire for PENTECOST
v Sunday, June 8, 9:30 a.m., Divine Liturgy of PENTECOST, BAPTISM of Simeon Mihai
- Festive Trapeza for Pentecost following the Liturgy
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;
- Archpriest George, Archpriest Michael, Priest John, Dcn. Basil, Rdr. John, Benedict, Colette, Mary, Carol, Katherine, James, Daniel, Sarah, Seraphim, Patricia, George, Anne, Ed, Johnson, Jeanette, and Family, Meriam and family, the Church in Georgia and Romania as they address the relativism of the West, speaking the truth in love, our suffering Orthodox brethren in Syria, a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
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 (Ascension) Tone 4
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,
granting joy to Your Disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Through the blessing, they were assured,
that You are the Son of God,// the Redeemer of the world!
Troparion (Fathers) Tone 8
You are most glorious, O Christ our God!
You have established the Holy Fathers as lights on the earth.
Through them You have guided us to the true Faith.//
O greatly compassionate One, glory to You!
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 (Fathers) Tone 8
The Apostles’ preaching and the Fathers’ doctrines have established one Faith for the Church.
Adorned with the robe of truth, woven from heavenly theology,//
It defines and glorifies the great mystery of piety.
Kontakion (Ascension) Tone 6
When You had fulfilled the dispensation for our sake, // and united earth to heaven,
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, // not being parted from those who love You,
but remaining with them and crying:// “I am with you, and there is no one against you!”
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
