St. Paul describes the faith of the Saints of old and what they endured for the sake of the truth of God, saying, they: “subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong… Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They … were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11:33-38). His reference could equally apply to the Saints of North America whom we commemorate today: they brought the true faith of Christ to North America, becoming the “fishers of men” Christ calls all of us to be at great personal cost. Through their saintly lives and denial of self—their cross—they witnessed to the truth of Christ so that our forefathers in this land could come to the knowledge and love of God. Two of them, after serving as missionaries for many years in this land, Saints Innocent and Tikhon, went on to become Metropolitan and Patriarch of Moscow, respectively. Another, St. John Kochurov, was the first to be martyred by the Bolsheviks upon returning from America to serve the Church in Russia.
Christ calls us likewise deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. He calls us to become “fishers of men” like them, to love God and our fellow man to such an extent that we’re willing to ‘die to self’ in order to gain and proclaim Christ in this world that is in such great need of His healing and salvation. We do so by prioritizing our life in Christ and His holy Church above all else. We do so through our struggle to live out our Orthodox Faith. Christ and His life through the Church are not meant to be a tangential part of our life in the world, but our first love. Only in this way, by prioritizing our communion with God the Holy Trinity above all else, can we hope to make the spiritual progress that life with God necessitates both for our own salvation and our witness to the world. Rejoice holy Saints of North America and pray for the souls of us sinners!
Christ is in our midst! Fr. Robert+
THIS WEEK AT HOLY ARCHANGELS:
- Saturday, June 28, 6 p.m., Great Vespers with Litya for Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul with Confession following
- Sunday, June 29, 9:30 a.m., Hours, 10 am Divine Liturgy for Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul Trapeza following 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;
- For blessed repose of the newly departed servant Giorgi
- Archpriest George, Archpriest Michael, Priest John, Dcn. Basil, Rdr. John, newly-illumined Simeon Mihai and his godparents, Priest John and Mat. Janette, Benedict, Colette, Mary, Carol, Katherine, James, Daniel, Sarah, Seraphim, Patricia, George, Anne, Ed, Johnson, Jeanette, and Family, Bede, Meriam and family imprisoned in the Sudan, 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 and Iraq, 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 (All Saints of North America) Tone 8
As the bountiful harvest of Your sowing of salvation,
the lands of North America offer to You, O Lord, all the saints who have shone in them.
By their prayers keep the Church and our land in abiding peace
through the Theotokos, O most Merciful One!
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 (All Saints of North America) Tone 3
Today the choir of Saints who were pleasing to God in the lands of North America
now stands before us in the Church and invisibly prays to God for us.
With them the Angels glorify Him,
and all the Saints of the Church of Christ keep festival with them;
and together they all pray for us to the Pre-eternal God.
