The blind man had sat begging at the Temple every day. He was known to all. Christ God visits him and restores his sight, revealing Himself to be God. The miracle is even more remarkable than it first seems: Not only has no one ever opened the eyes of one born blind before, BUT, as the Holy Fathers tell us, this man was born WITHOUT EYES. Not only did Christ God, the Word of God through Whom all things were made and all life came forth, open the blind man’s eyes, He MADE eyes for the blind man, which He then opened. Just as our first parent, Adam, was taken from the clay and made alive, so Jesus takes clay and makes eyes for the blind man. There is a clear parallel here to the first creation of man, but here there is even more: Christ God not only gives the blind man physical eyes, not only does He then open those eyes so the blind man can see, but even more importantly, He gives him the sight within—He awakens and illumines the blind man’s immortal soul, giving Him a living encounter with God, revealing Himself to him, and bringing him to the knowledge and love of Him. The blind man comes to faith in the living God; he receives spiritual sight and worships God, his Creator, the only Lover of mankind. But he doesn’t stop there: he testifies boldly before the Pharisees, not fearing their wrath, the truth of Christ and His life-giving power. For that is what Christ does in creating eyes and sight for the man born blind. For his testimony, he is put out of the synagogue. May Christ God give each of us such courage to boldly and courageously testify to the truth of our life in Him, of the miracles He is working in us for our deification and salvation. With the blind man, we cry to God to illumine us as well and save us through repentance!
In the love and mercy of the risen Christ, Fr. Robert+
THIS WEEK AT HOLY ARCHANGELS:
- Thursday, May 29, 9:30 Hours, 10 am Divine Liturgy of ASCENSION
- Saturday, May 31, 6:00 p.m., Great Vespers. Confession offered following the service
- Sunday, June 1, 9:30 Hours, 10 a.m., Divine Liturgy
Save the Dates:
- 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
- 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;
- 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 5
Let us, the faithful, praise and worship the Word, // co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit,
born for our salvation from the Virgin; // for He willed to be lifted up on the Cross in the flesh,
to endure death, // and to raise the dead// by His glorious Resurrection.
Troparion (St John the Baptist) Tone 4
Your head was revealed to us by Christ
as a divine treasure in the earth, O Prophet and Forerunner.
We gather in honor of this discovery // with inspired hymns of praise to the Savior,//
Who saves us from corruption through your prayers.
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 (St John the Baptist) Tone 6
The shining pillar on earth, the Forerunner,
lamp of the Spiritual Sun, has revealed his radiant, holy head to the ends of the earth.
He sanctifies those who venerate it and who faithfully cry:// “Wise Baptist of Christ, save us all!”
Kontakion (from the Pentecostarion)Tone 4
I come to You, O Christ, blind from birth in my spiritual eyes,
and call to You in repentance:// “You are the most radiant Light of those in darkness.”
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.
