The Dove

 

  Upcoming News & Events WELCOME TO ALL VISITORS: For those visiting an Orthodox Church for the first time, please be aware that Holy Communion is a sign of unity of faith which is only offered to Baptized or Chrismated Orthodox Christians. All present are welcome, however, to partake of the antidoro (blessed bread) which is distributed at the end of the service. Those interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, please feel free to see Fr. Tom after the service. This week, to assist you in the Narthex we have at the Pangary: Nick Bouritsas, Charlie Eliopoulos; Greeter: Eleni Asimacopoulos; Ushers: Michael Kalambokis, Jim Karimbakas, Lula Kiflit, Peter Koshivos.           MEMORIAL:  The memorial service is offered today for the repose of the soul of  Mary Guerriero   (40 days) and Maria Papagianopoulos (40 days).   Memorial prayers are offered today for the repose of the souls of George Fountas , Athena Fountas , Helen Dukas , Mary Dukas , and Vasiliki Arvani

On the third Sunday of Pascha, the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing women, who bravely went to the tomb of Christ following His crucifixion and were astonished at what they saw and experienced. We oftentimes forget the deep devotion and courage of these women. These women rose early in the morning to go to the tomb to anoint the body of Christ with burial ointments to provide Him with a proper burial. They knew a large stone had been used to seal the opening of the tomb and wondered what they would do, but they went anyway. When they arrived, they found the stone had been rolled away from the opening of the tomb. Then, as they went in, they were greeted by, ‘a young man dressed in dazzling apparel’ from whom they heard the news of Christ’s resurrection. ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen!’ For forty days following Pascha we greet one another with this glorious proclamation, ‘Christ is Risen!’ -- ‘Truly He is Risen!’ We give witness to one another

 

Christ is Risen! There are two images in today’s readings that provide insight into the faith of the people at the time of Christ’s Resurrection. One image demonstrates great faithfulness without a great amount of knowledge and the second one reflects a questioning heart though there was knowledge. The first image is that of the people in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas who flocked to the streets and brought the sick to Peter, “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them…and they were all healed.” (Acts 5:14-16) These people heard of what had happened to Jesus and believed. They didn’t know the fullness of who Jesus was or what He taught, they just knew that something miraculous had taken place, He was crucified, buried, and had risen from the dead. As one of Jesus’ disciples

  Upcoming News & Events WELCOME TO ALL VISITORS: For those visiting an Orthodox Church for the first time, please be aware that Holy Communion is a sign of unity of faith which is only offered to Baptized or Chrismated Orthodox Christians. All present are welcome, however, to partake of the antidoro (blessed bread) which is distributed at the end of the service. Those interested in learning more about the Orthodox Christian faith, please feel free to see Fr. Tom after the service. This week, to assist you in the Narthex we have at the Pangary: Nick Bouritsas, Peter Koshivos; Greeter: Chuck Papaslis; Ushers: Elaine Racheotes, Tina Savvidis, Carol Travayiakis, Dimitri Zaferacopoulos.   FELLOWSHIP HOUR:  Please join us for fellowship immediately following the Liturgy in the Anastasia and Spiro Davis Hall. The fellowship hour will be sponsored by the PC members. MOTHER’S DAY: Today, we celebrate and honor our Mothers, Grandmothers, Godmothers and all the special women in our liv

Prot. No. 244 + B A R T H O L O M E W BY GOD’S MERCY ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE-NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH: MAY THE GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY OF CHRIST RISEN IN GLORY BE WITH YOU ALL * * * Most honorable brother Hierarchs and beloved children in the Lord, By the pleasure and grace of God, the giver of all gifts, having run the race of Holy and Great Lent and spent with compunction the Week of our Lord’s Passion, behold we delight in the celebration of His splendid Resurrection, through which we were redeemed from the tyranny of Hades. The glorious Resurrection of the Lord Christ from the dead is a shared resurrection of the entire race of mortals and a foretaste of the perfection of all, as well as of the fulfilment of the Divine Oikonomia in the heavenly Kingdom. We participate in the ineffable mystery of the Resurrection in the Church, being sanctified in its sacraments and experiencing Pascha, “which has opened to us the gates of Paradise,” not