The Parable of the Sower…
Our Lord presents us with an opportunity in today’s Gospel to consider how we’re responding to His gracious and loving invitation to life with Him. The distractions and temptations we face in the world are great: they can smother the seed of faith planted in us; we can find ourselves on the ‘rocky soil’ or choked by the ‘weeds’ of worldly concerns. Tending our soul is a lot like tending a garden: If we want to see the ‘garden’ of our souls flourish, we make use of the ‘tools’ Christ has entrusted to us through His Church. A good gardener removes the rocks, the weeds, provides good soil, water, and all that his garden needs. So it is with our souls: we make use of the ‘tools.’ We make Confession so that we can invite the Master Gardener into our souls to tend it, remove from it the passions that would otherwise prevent our growth, healing, and salvation. We pray daily and participate in the divine worship. We read the Scriptures and the lives of the Saints. The life in Christ demands of us much patience, perseverance, humility and obedience. So, we examine our lives today and pray that God would help us to return to Him from our ‘first fruits,’ that we may grow to be as the good seed, yielding a crop a hundredfold. In Christ, Fr. Robert+
2019 Pledges/CommitmentsNEXT SUNDAY: We give our pledges of our Time, Talents, and Treasure for 2019. We give back a ”first fruits” pledge to Christ from what He’s so mercifully entrusted to us. Everything we have is a gracious gift from God. Let us be as those servants who used their talentswisely and to God’s glory (Matt. 25:23). We offer up our 2019 Pledge Formsduring the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, Oct. 21. To grow in faith and grow the Mission “in spirit and in numbers,” please give generously and faithfully. “Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver”(II Cor. 9:7).
THIS WEEK at HOLY ARCHANGELS
- TODAY, 9:30Hours, 10 a.m., Divine Liturgy,Trapeza, Sunday School.
- Wed, Oct. 17,6:15 Daily Vespers, 6:45, NEW PATRISTICS STUDY: Early Apostolic Fathers. This Week: St. Ignatius, Letter to the Ephesians, Magnesians. Books available.
- Sat, Oct. 20,6:00 p.m., Great VespersConfession following
- Sun, Oct 21,9:30 a.m., Hours, 10 a.m., Divine Liturgy,2019 Pledges: Time, Talent, Treasure,trapeza, Sunday School.
Looking Ahead…Mark your Calendars!
- Thursday, Nov. 8,10 a.m., Divine Liturgy, Patronal Feast of the Holy Archangels and All the Bodiless Powers. Trapeza.
- Sat, Nov. 10,1 p.m., Patronal Feast Retreat,“The Faith Once Delivered: Proclaiming the Timeless Truth.”Guest Speaker, The Very Rev. Fr. John Parker, new Dean, St. Tikhon’s Seminary. Please Register now at: www.OrthodoxAnnapolis.org
Confession and Reception:In keeping with OCA Guidelines, it is the discipline at Holy Archangels to practice at least monthlyconfession. If a month has passed and you have not made confession for good reason, or, are visiting, please talk with Fr. Robert prior to the serviceand before approaching the Chalice.
TRAPEZA:The lunch and fellowship served after Divine Liturgy is an important part of our Mission’s family life together. We cannot draw closer to God if we’re not also drawing closer to each other. To grow “in spirit and in numbers,” such fellowship is so important. Please sign up to help provide for this important ministry!
Prayer Requests: Our Mission’s Growth “in spirit & in numbers”
- For God’s financial provisionfor our Mission & college ministry, ACM (Annapolis Pan-Orthodox College Ministry);
- Departed founders of our church: archpriest George, the Confessor, Gabriel, Rafael, Serafim, Basil, Rdr. Michael
- Isaiah of Georgia, Archbishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi of Syria, Archpriest George, Sbn. John, Gov. Hogan, Benedict, Benjamin, Daniel, Noah, Alex, Gary, Timothy, Sophia, Vivian, Beatrice, George, Helen, Helen, Geneva, Phoenix, Sydney, Young, Liam, Eleni, Valerie, Charlotte, Anastasia, Valentina, Susan and all suffering from cancer, Noah, the Church in Georgia, Romania as they address the relativism of the West and speak the truth in love, our persecuted brethren everywhere, peace in Syria.
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 3
Let the heavens rejoice!//Let the earthbe glad!
For the Lord has shown strengthwith His arm.//He has trampled down deathby death.//He has become the firstborn of the dead.//He has delivered us from the depthsof hell,
and has granted to the world//greatmercy.
Troparion (Fathers) Tone 8
Thou art mostglorious, O Christour God!
Thou hast established the Holy Fathers as lightson the earth.
Through them Thou hast guided usto the true Faith.//
O greatly compassionate One,glory to Thee!
Troparion — (Parascheva of Iasi)Tone 4
You are worthy of praise, Parascheva. /You loved the ascetic and hesychast life. /You ran with longing to your Bridegroom, Christ. You accepted His good yoke in your tender years, marking yourself with the sign of the Cross. /You fought against impure thoughts; /through fasting, prayer and the shedding of tears you quenched the burning coal of the passions. /Now in the heavenly bridal chamber of Christ, / as you stand together with the wise virgins / intercede for us who honor your precious memory.
Troparion (Angels) Tone 4
O Commanders of the heavenly hosts,// we who are unworthy beseechyou:// by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,// and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cryto you://Deliver us from all harm, for you are the Commanders of the Powers on high!
Kontakion (Resurrection) Tone 3
On this day Thou didst rise from the tomb, O Merciful One,
leading us from the gatesof death.//On this day Adam exults as Eve rejoices;//with the Prophets and Patriarchs//
they unceasingly praise the divine majesty of Thy power.
Kontakion — (Parascheva of Iasi)Tone 6
Let us all piously praise all-honorable Parascheva, / the intercessor for the afflicted. / She gave up her earthly life, / and received eternal incorruption. / Therefore, she has been granted the grace to work wonders / by the command of God.
Kontakion (Fathers) Tone 6
The Son who shone forth from the Father
was ineffably born, two-fold in nature, of a woman.
Having beheld Him, we do not deny the image of His form,
but depict it piously and revere it faithfully.//Thus, keeping the TrueFaith,//the Church venerates the icon of Christ Incarnate.
Kontakion (Angels) Tone 2
Commanders of God’s armiesand ministers of the divine glory,//princes of the bodiless Angelsandguidesof mankind
//askfor what is good for us, and for great mercy,//O Supreme Commanders of the Bodiless Hosts.
