SS.

kosmas & damianos Orthodox Church (goa)

703 W. Center Street, Rochester, MN (507) 282-1529 http://www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org
office@rochesterorthodoxchurch.org Rev. Fr. Mark Muñoz, Proistamenos
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/APOLYTIKIA FOR TODAY
Τὴν κοινὴν Ἀνάστασιν, πρὸ τοῦ σοῦ Πάθους πιστούμενος, ἐκ νεκρῶν ἤγειρας τὸν Λάζαρον
Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, ὅθεν καὶ ἡμεῖς ὡς οἱ Παῖδες, τὰ τῆς νίκης σύμβολα φέροντες, σοὶ τῷ Νικητῇ τοῦ
θανάτου βοῶμεν· Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου.
O Christ our God, before Your Passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead to confirm the common
Resurrection for all. Therefore, we carry the symbols of victory as did the youths, and we cry out to
You, the victor over death, "Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord. "
Συνταφέντες σοι διὰ τοῦ Βαπτίσματος, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, τῆς ἀθανάτου ζωῆς ἠξιώθημεν τῇ
Ἀναστάσει σου, καὶ ἀνυμνοῦντες κράζομεν, Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις, εὐλογημένος ὁ
ἐρχόμενος, ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου.
O Christ, Our God, we have been Buried with You through Baptism, and by Your Resurrection made
worthy of Life immortal. Praising You, we cry out, "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who
comes in the name of the Lord."
ΚΟΝΤΑΚΙΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/KONTAKION FOR TODAY
Τῷ θρόνῳ ἐν οὐρανῷ, τῷ πώλῳ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐποχούμενος Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, τῶν Ἀγγέλων τὴν
αἴνεσιν, καὶ τῶν Παίδων ἀνύμνησιν προσεδέξω βοώντων σοι, Εὐλογημένος εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, τὸν
Ἀδὰμ ἀνακαλέσασθαι.

In Heaven, He is seated upon a Throne and on earth He rides upon a foal. O Christ our God, accept
the praise of the Angels and the hymn of the Children who cry out to You, "Blessed are You who
comes to recall Adam."
Palm Sunday: the triumphal entry of Christ into jerusalem
Mary of Egypt, Gerontios & Vasilides the Martyrs, Euthemios of Suzdal
April 1st,
2018
+Fast: Fish/Wine/Oil Allowed+
 Today’s scripture reading
Epistle reading
St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9
Prokeimenon. Mode 4.
Psalm 117.26,1
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Verse: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His mercy endures forever.

BRETHREN, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The
Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all
understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if
there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have
learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel pericope

John 12:1-18
Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazaros was, whom Jesus had raised from the
dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazaros was one of those at table with him.
Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with
her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his
disciples (he who was to betray him), said "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and
given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had
the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day
of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." When the great
crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see
Lazaros, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazaros also to death,
because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The next day a
great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches
of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not,
daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples did not
understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of
him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazaros out of the
tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that
they heard he had done this sign.
 Announcements
HOLY WEEK 2018
Palm Sunday Eve: 1st Bridegroom Service- 7pm
Holy Monday: 2nd Bridegroom Service-7pm
Holy Tuesday: 3rd Bridegroom Service (Hymn of Kassiane)-7pm
Holy Wednesday: Holy Unction-3:00pm & Orthros of Holy Thursday-7pm
Holy Thursday: Vesperal Liturgy-7:00am, Egg dying after morning service in church hall; Holy
Passion Service (12 Gospels)-7pm (Reading of the Psalms after)
Holy Friday: Royal Hours-10am - Apokathilosis-3pm & Lamentations-7pm
Holy Saturday: Vesperal Liturgy-8:30am
& HOLY PASCHA/ANASTASIS-11pm*
Holy PASCHA: Agapi Vespers-12 noon
*Paschal Dinner to follow service in church hall.

No Catechetical School: Today to allow the children to participate in the procession with the
palms.

Palm Sunday Fish Plaki Dinner: immediately following Divine Liturgy in the church hall.
Please join us for a fish plaki dinner and support Holy Anargyroi’s Philoptochos Society as all
proceeds go to our chapter and local charities. $15 for adults and $8 for children.

Chanter’s Stand (Psalteri): please be advised that the psalteri is an extension, of sorts, of the
altar and is therefore not ‘common space’. Rather, it is reserved for those individuals who have
expressed a desire to Father to be present at the psalteri and who have received his blessing to
do so. During Holy Week we have a plethora of services some of which are quite long and we
may be in need of ‘readers’. If you are interested in functioning as such please speak with
Father before proceeding to the psalteri.

Agapi Vespers: to avoid disorder and confusion if you would like to read the Gospel Section in
a foreign language for the Agapi Vespers please see Father before Holy Friday indicating which
language you’ll be reading so the proper preparations can be made; no last minute additions
will be accommodated the day of.
HOW TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION—Only Orthodox Christians (i.e. the Orthodox Church
does not observe ‘open communion’) in good standing are encouraged to receive Holy Communion frequently,
provided they have prepared themselves spiritually, mentally and physically. They must be on time for the Divine
Liturgy, and be in a Christ-like, humble state of mind. They should be in a confession relationship with their priest
or spiritual father, have observed the fasts of the Church, and they should have self-examined their conscience.
On the day of receiving Holy Communion, it is not proper to eat or drink anything before coming to church. When
you approach to receive Holy Communion, state your Christian (baptismal) name clearly, and hold the red
communion cloth to your chin. After receiving, wipe your lips on the cloth, step back carefully, hand the cloth to
the next person and make the sign of the Cross as you step away. Please do not be in a rush while
communing! Please take special care not to bump the Holy Chalice.

Spring Cleanin’ Time!

It’s time to get ready for Pascha, and we’re asking for volunteers to clean the nave of the Church,
and help out on the following days:

Palm Sunday, April 1st – after luncheon remove palms, decorate for Holy Week.

Holy Saturday, April 7th- after Liturgy, light cleaning and decorate for Pascha

Pascha flowers: A table will be set up in the Narthex for collections

of monetary donations towards the Pascha flowers. Donations can
also be made at any time to the Church during Lent, please mark
‘Pascha flowers’ with your check or donation. Thank you!

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Who turned off the lights!? in order to maintain the proper ambiance of
compunction and solemnity of the Holy Week services the lights will be
dimmed to a bare minimum. In addition, a link will be emailed to the
parish every day of Holy Week for that day’s services; if you will be
following the services via smart phone, iPad, tablet, etc, please make sure
your screen is set to “night vision” to limit the amount of glare which
could be a distraction to your neighbor.
 Beginning of holy week: the
bridegroom services
The first part of Holy Week presents us with an array of themes based
chiefly on the last days of Jesus' earthly life. The story of the Passion, as
told and recorded by the Evangelists, is preceded by a series of incidents
located in Jerusalem and a collection of parables, sayings and discourses
centered on Jesus' divine sonship, the kingdom of God, the Parousia, and
Jesus' castigation of the hypocrisy and dark motives of the religious
leaders. The observances of the first three days of Great Week are rooted
in these incidents and sayings. The three days constitute a single liturgical
unit. They have the same cycle and system of daily prayer. The Scripture
lessons, hymns, commemorations, and ceremonials that make up the festal
elements in the respective services of the cycle highlight significant
aspects of salvation history, by calling to mind the events that anticipated
the Passion and by proclaiming the inevitability and significance of the
Parousia. The Orthros of each of these days is called the Service of the
Bridegroom (Akolouthia tou Nimfiou). The name comes from the central
figure in the well-known parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The title Bridegroom suggests the intimacy
of love. It is not without significance that the kingdom of God is compared to a bridal feast and a bridal chamber.
The Christ of the Passion is the divine Bridegroom of the Church. The imagery connotes the final union of the Lover
and the beloved. The title Bridegroom also suggests the Parousia. In the patristic tradition, the aforementioned
parable is related to the Second Coming; and is associated with the need for spiritual vigilance and preparedness, by
which we are enabled to keep the divine commandments and receive the blessings of the age to come. The troparion
"Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night…", which is sung at the beginning of the Orthros of Great
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, relates the worshiping community to that essential expectation: watching and
waiting for the Lord, who will come again to judge the living and the dead. "The Bridegroom" Icon portrays Christ
during His Passion, particularly during the period when our Lord was mocked and tortured by the soldiers who
crowned Him with thorns, dressed Him in purple and placed a reed in His Hands, jeering Him as the "King of the
Jews."

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A New Ministry for our Parish Family:

HOPE (Holy Orthodox Primary Education)

• Ages 3-6 years

• 1st Event is April 29th
• Parents should contact Mariya or Halina
• Meeting w/ parents 1st Sunday after Pascha
 Orthodox Christian Celebration of Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John
Chrysostom, which is preceded by the Matins service. A Great
Vespers is conducted on Saturday evening according to the order
prescribed in the Triodion. Scripture readings for Palm Sunday are:
At the Vespers: Genesis 49:1,8-12; Zephaniah 3:14-19; Zechariah
9:9-15. At the Orthros (Matins): Matthew 21:1-17. At the Divine
Liturgy: Philippians 4:4-9; John 12:1-18. On this Sunday, in addition
to the Divine Liturgy, the Church observes the Blessing and
Distribution of the Palms. A basket containing the woven palm
crosses is placed on a table in front of the icon of the Lord, which is
on the Iconostasion. The prayer for the blessing of the Palms is
found in the Ieratikon or the Euxologion. According to the rubrics
of the Typikon, this prayer is read at the Orthros just before the
Psalms of Praise (Ainoi). The palms are then distributed to the
faithful. The text of the prayer, however, indicates clearly that it is
less a prayer for the blessing of the palms, even though that is its
title, and more a blessing upon those, who in imitation of the New
Testament event hold palms in their hands as symbols of Christ's
victory and as signs of a virtuous Christian life. It appears then, that it
would be more correct to have the faithful hold the palms in their hands during the course of the
Divine Liturgy when the Church celebrates both the presence and the coming of the Lord in the mystery
of the Eucharist.
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Pearls from the Desert…

O strange and inconceivable thing! We did not really die, we were
not really buried, we were not really crucified and raised again, but
our imitation was but a figure, while our salvation is in reality. Christ
was actually crucified, and actually buried, and truly rose again; and
all these things have been vouchsafed to us, that we, by imitation
communicating in His sufferings, might gain salvation in reality. O
surpassing loving-kindness! Christ received the nails in His
undefiled hands and feet, and endured anguish; while to me without
suffering or toil, by the fellowship of His pain He vouchsafed
salvation.
-St. Cyril of Jerusalem
 Palm Sunday Plaki Dinner
Fish Plaki, rice, salad, dessert, drinks
Adults: $15 Children 12 & under: $8

Sponsored by the Philoptochos Society

And one more “thank you”: to all our awesome volunteers that
helped during yesterday’s major clean up and luncheon prep!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Today’s liturgical commemorations
1. SAINT MARY THE EGYPTIAN: The biography of this wonderful saint was written by St.
Sophronius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Once, during the Honorable Fast [Lenten Season], a certain .priest-
monk (Heiromonk), the Elder Zosimus, withdrew into the wilderness beyond the Jordan, a twenty-day trek.
Suddenly, he caught sight of a human being with a withered and naked body whose hair was as white as snow
and who began to flee from the sight of Zosimus. The elder ran for a long while until this person crouched
down in a brook and cried out: "Abba Zosimus forgive me for the sake of the Lord. I cannot face you for I am
a naked woman." Zosimus then tossed his outer garment to her which she wrapped around herself and then
showed herself to him. The elder was frightened upon hearing his name spoken from the mouth of this
woman he did not know. Following his prolonged insistence, the woman related her life story. She was born
in Egypt and at the age of twelve began to live a life of debauchery in Alexandria where she spent seventeen
years in this perverted way of life. Driven by the adulterous flame of the flesh, one day she boarded a boat
which was sailing for Jerusalem. Arriving at the Holy City, she wanted to enter the church in order to
venerate the Honorable Cross but some invisible force restrained her and prevented her from entering the
church. In great fear, she gazed upon the icon of the All-Holy Mother of God in the vestibule and prayed that
she be allowed to enter the church to venerate the Honorable Cross, all the while confessing her sinfulness
and uncleanness and promising that she would go wherever the All-Pure One would direct her. She was then
permitted to enter the church. Having venerated the Cross she again entered the vestibule and, before the icon,
gave thanks to the Mother of God. At that very moment she heard a voice saying: "If you cross over Jordan
you will find real peace!" Immediately she purchased three loaves of bread and started out for the Jordan
where she arrived that same evening. The next day she received Holy Communion in the Monastery of St.
John and crossed over the Jordan river. She remained in the wilderness for forty-eight years in great torment,
fear and struggle with passionate thoughts as though with wild beasts. She fed on vegetation. Afterward,
when she stood for prayer, Zosimus saw her levitate in the air. She begged him to bring her Holy Communion
the following year on the shore of the Jordan where she would then come to receive it. The following year,
Zosimus arrived on the shore of the Jordan in the evening with Holy Communion. He wondered how this
saint would cross the Jordan. At that moment, in the light of the moon, he saw her as she approached the
river, made the sign of the cross over it and walked upon the water as though upon dry land. After Zosimus
administered Holy Communion to her, she begged him to come the following year to the same brook where
they had first met. Zosimus came and discovered her lifeless body on that spot.
 Palm Sunday Sermon

by St. Andrew of Crete

Let us go together to meet Christ on the Mount of

Olives. Today he returns from Bethany and proceeds
of his own free will toward his holy and blessed
passion, to consummate the mystery of our
salvation. He who came down from heaven to raise
us from the depths of sin, to raise us with himself,
we are told in Scripture, above every sovereignty,
authority and power, and every other name that can
be named, now comes of his own free will to make
his journey to Jerusalem. He comes without pomp or
ostentation. As the psalmist says: He will not
dispute or raise his voice to make it heard in the streets. He will be meek and humble, and he will make
his entry in simplicity.

Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not
by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate
ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. Then we shall be able to
receive the Word at his coming, and God, whom no limits can contain, will be within us. In his humility
Christ entered the dark regions of our fallen world and he is glad that he became so humble for our sake,
glad that he came and lived among us and shared in our nature in order to raise us up again to himself.
And even though we are told that he has now ascended above the highest heavens – the proof, surely, of
his power and godhead – his love for man will never rest until he has raised our earthbound nature from
glory to glory, and made it one with his own in heaven. So let us spread before his feet, not garments or
soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in
his grace, or rather, clothed completely in him. We who have been baptized into Christ must ourselves be
the garments that we spread before him. Now that the crimson stains of our sins have been washed away
in the saving waters of baptism and we have become white as pure wool, let us present the conqueror of
death, not with mere branches of palms but with the real rewards of his victory. Let our souls take the
place of the welcoming branches as we join today in the children’s holy song: Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel.