Pastor: Fr John Vazquez | (518) 462-0579 |
fatherjohnvazquez@gmail.com

Beloved,

Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!

Sadly our brother in Christ—Will Carragan—had a stroke earlier this week and will, in all likelihood, not make it through this weekend. Please keep Will in your prayers at this time. He is in Hospice at Samaritan Hospital in Troy...I thank God that we are not ones who grieve without hope (1 Thes 4.13).

 

 

This week in our investigation of the Creed, after having established that we believe and that we open ourselves up to God and His transformative power—we declare that we believe in One God, the Father Almighty. The God that we believe in—is one God (Deut 6.4) Who is faithful and unique, Father (Mt 5.48, Jn 5.43) Who has a Son and is loving, and almighty (Ps 68.14) Who all-powerful and victor.

The oneness of God can be defined in two ways. First, in terms of number in relation to other things—there is one divine nature, one divine substance, one divine essence (there are many words that we can use to try to communicate this understanding)—there is only one God…there are no others (1 Chron 16.26, Ps 114.4, Is 2.8). Think about it this way—we all are human beings, there is no different king of human being that has a dog for a son or elephant for a father. Human beings give birth to human beings—in the same way there is only one kind of divinity. There are no other gods who can claim divinity—who can claim that they simply exist and are uncreated (Ex 3.14), that they are eternal (Deut 33.27), that they are creator (Is 40.28)—there is no equal to the God we believe in. 

The second way that our God is one is in unity. Even though we believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—these three are united in their divinity, activity and will and these are unchanging. In other words it isn’t like paganism where one god wants one thing and another god wants something else and the stronger or more devious accomplishes what it wants—no—Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united in their activity and will. So there is one God and He is united and single in His action and will so that we need no worry about God’s faithfulness or love for us. 

Next, our God is Father (Ps 68.5, Ps 103.13, Prov 1.8, Is 9.6, Is 63.16, Jer 3.19, Jer 31.9, Mt 5.48, Mt 6.9, Jn 4.21, Jn 5.17, Jn 5.43). One of the biggest heretical challenges that the Church faced early on was the the challenge of arianism—which is, in short, the teaching that the Son and Logos of God was created. If this blasphemous teaching were true this would mean that there was a time when God was NOT Father—which of course is wrong. If God is Father from eternity, He has also had a Son from eternity. 

The fact that our God is a Father also means He cares for us as a father cares for his own children (Ps 103.13). Part of this care means that he will correct us or discipline us as a father (Prov 3.12) and part of this care means that He will always welcome us home as the father welcomes the son home in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15.11–32). Calling God Father also means that our God is personal in the sense that we can relate to Him in this intimate way as a child to a parent and that within the Godhead itself there is a relational aspect—Father to Son, Son to Father, Father to Spirit, Spirit to Father and Son to Spirit and Spirit to Son. 

Finally, for today, God is Almighty (Gen 17.1, Job 5.17, Ps 68.14, Ez 10.5). He is all-powerful and there is no-one or no thing that is greater or more powerful than Him. Our God has defeated death itself—the last enemy (Lk 24.6, Rev 1.18 and 20.14).

As we contemplate these first descriptions about who our God is we at once understand that our God loves us (He is a Father), that He is all-powerful (He is almighty), that there is no other and that He is steadfast and faithful (He is one). In short, everything will be made right. The question is—will we cooperate with the One God who is Father and Almighty?

With love in our risen Lord,

Fr John

Services and Events

Friday, June 7th—9am—Paraklesis Service of St George

Saturday, June 8th—5pm—Great Vespers 

Sunday, June 9th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy followed by Memorial for Fr Gregory DesMarais

Tuesday, June 11th—6pm—Divine Liturgy for the Leave-taking of Pascha at ST SOPHIA'S on Whitehall Rd

Wednesday, June 12th—6pm—Great Vespers w/Litia and Artoklasia for the Great Feast of Ascension 

Thursday, June 13th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy for the Great Feast of Ascension

Friday, June 14th—9am—Paraklesis Service of St George

Saturday, June 15th—TEEN EVENT—HIKING in ADIRONDACKS 9am–5pm NO VESPERS

Sunday, June 16th—9am—Orthros and Divine Liturgy 

Church Calendar

Education

But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 2 Pet 3.18

Read Metropolitan Saba's weekly teaching on the Fullness of Life HERE

Get some caffeine for the soul with Coffee with the Fathers. WE ARE ON A HIATUS UNTIL SEPTEMBER when we plan to begin studying Hymns on Paradise by St Ephraim the Syrian. 

Study the Scriptures with us—Bible Study Saturday evenings at 6pm after vespers. WE ARE ON A HIATUS UNTIL SEPTEMBER when we plan to continue studying the Gospel of Matthew.

Click HERE for some resources for learning about our Faith

Click HERE for a great article on advice for mothers. 

Click HERE for some resources for learning about Holy Pascha!

Internships for young adults, June and/or July: Men ages 18-35 can apply now to live and work at The Monastery of Our Lady and St. Laurence in Colorado, even if they're not considering a monastic vocation. Starting this Friday, young men and women can apply for internships that will teach servant leadership in Alaska, Puerto Rico and Texas for the 2024-25 school year.

Orthodox Young Professionals Conference, July 25-28: In Anaheim, Calif., attendees will have opportunities for spiritual growth, and build future friendships and lasting memories. Be one of the first fifty people to register and earn a discount! (Please also share the attached flier.)

 

Did You Know...that Christ is Risen!...and...

*Our next teen event is scheduled to be a hike on Saturday June 15th. Have your teens join us for some fellowship, a workout and some discussion on the "Mountain of God."

*St Andrew OCA camp is in need of female counselors for the summer. Please speak with me or Melody Holman if you know of anyone who is interested. 

*The Parish Life Conference is in Montreal this summer (July 4–7). Find out more here: www.antiochianevents.com/ottawa

Parish Prayer List

"Remember Me O Lord When You Come Into Your Kingdom." Lk 23.42

Please include in your daily prayers the following. Contact me to have someone added to the list. These are the names that will be remembered during the Divine Liturgy.

Living:

Bishop Alexander, Fr Gregory Potter, Fr Andrew, Fr Pat, Fr Joseph, Fr Chrysostom, Fr Peter and Matushka Sophia,  Dn Jorge, Dn Horia, Lamia, The Shahin Family, The Ruff Family, Will, Diane, Callie, Leila, Helen, Lucy, Camile, Marsha, Rana, Caroline, Jessica, Irenei, Frederick, Cathie, Ugyen, Tshering, Tenzin, Mary, Georgette, Presbytera Marina, Hassib, Alex, Raymond, Andrew, George, Elizabeth, Elena Marie

All those suffering from illness, violence and want in this country and throughout the world and especially those in Ukraine Gaza and the middle east

Departed:

Fr Gregory DesMarais, Fr Alvian, Jeninne (5.16), Ken (5.16), those who have lost their lives and who have no one to pray for them, those who have passed in the conflict in Ukraine and the middle east.

Why do we pray for the dead?

Divine Liturgy Variables for Sunday, June 09, 2024 Tone 5 / Eothinon 8

Sixth Sunday of Pascha: Sunday of the Blind Man

Cyril, archbishop of Alexandria; Pelagia and the three Virgin-martyrs of Chios

 The Priest begins Divine Liturgy with “Blessed is the Kingdom” and the choir responds “Amen.” Bearing the Paschal Candle, the Priest then leads the singing of the Paschal Apolytikion and censes the west side of the Altar Table.

Priest: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

The Choir then sings this twice, and the Liturgy continues with the Great Litany.

THE FIRST ANTIPHON

Verse: Shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing to His Name, give glory to His praises.

Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.

Verse: Say to God: How awesome are Thy works; let all the earth worship Thee, and sing to Thee. Let it sing a song to Thy Name, O Most High. (Refrain)

Glory… Both now… (Refrain)

THE SECOND ANTIPHON

Verse: May God have mercy upon us, and bless us, and may He cause His face to shine upon us, and have mercy upon us.

Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia.

Verse: That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations; let the people give thanks to Thee, O God, let all the people give thanks to Thee. (Refrain)

Verse: May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear Him. (Refrain)

Glory… Both now… O, only begotten Son and Word of God…

THE THIRD ANTIPHON

Verse: Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from before His face.

Refrain: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs, bestowing life!

Verse: As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish, as wax melts before the fire. (Refrain)

Verse: So let sinners perish before the face of God, and let the righteous be glad. (Refrain)

Verse: This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Refrain)

THE EISODIKON (ENTRANCE HYMN) OF PASCHA

In the gathering places bless ye God the Lord, from the springs of Israel. Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead, who sing to Thee: Alleluia.

Now sing these hymns in the following order.

RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE FIVE

Let us believers praise and worship the Word; coeternal with the Father and the Spirit, born of the Virgin for our salvation. For, He took pleasure in ascending the Cross in the flesh to suffer death; and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.

Now sing the apolytikion of the patron saint or feast of the temple.

The KONTAKION of pascha in Tone EIGHT

Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of     Hades, and didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women, Rejoice, and giving peace unto Thine Apostles, O Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.

THE EPISTLE

Thou, O Lord, shalt keep us and preserve us. Save me, O Lord, for the godly man is no more.

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. (16:16-34)

In those days, while we the apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, and cried out saying: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And she did this for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit: “I charge you in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said: “These men are disturbing our city, and they, being Jews, are setting forth customs which are not lawful for us to receive or observe, since we are Romans.” The multitude then rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Having received such a charge, he cast them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s fetters were unfastened.  And the jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice saying: “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And he called for lights and rushed in, and fell down before Paul and Silas trembling with fear, and brought them out and said: “Masters, what must I do to be saved?” And they said: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and his entire household. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with his entire house, in that he had believed in God.

THE GOSPEL

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John. (9:1-38)

At that time, when Jesus was passing, he saw a man blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,” which means “Sent.” So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he;” others said, “No, but he is like him.” He said, “I am the man.” They said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”  Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, “What do you say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.  Therefore, his parents said, “He is of age, ask him.” So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did He do to you?  How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become His disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He answered, “And who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is He who speaks to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.

MEGALYNARION FOR PASCHA IN TONE ONE

The Angel cried unto her that is full of grace: O pure Virgin, rejoice, and again I say, rejoice; for thy Son hath arisen from the grave on the third day. Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord hath arisen upon thee; dance now and be glad, O Zion, and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.

KOINONIKON (COMMUNION HYMN) OF PASCHA IN TONE EIGHT

Receive ye the body of Christ; taste ye the Fountain of immortality.

 Instead of “We have seen the true light,” sing “Christ is Risen” once.

THE DISMISSAL

Priest: May He Who rose from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother; by the might of the Precious and Life-giving Cross; by the protection of the honorable Bodiless Powers of Heaven; at the supplication of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious and all-laudable apostles; of our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople, whose Divine Liturgy we have now celebrated; of the holy, glorious and right-victorious Martyrs; of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers; of Saint N., the patron and protector of this holy community; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints: have mercy on us and save us, for as much as He is good and loveth mankind.

Priest:  Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs… 

People: …bestowing life!

Parish Giving Summary—Fiscal Year 2023/24

Help us Meet our Goal of $120,000 for the Year

Sunday Giving for week of June 2nd—$1277

Online Giving for week of June 2nd—$260

Total Giving for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—$67101

Families who have contributed for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—67

Families who have contributed over $5,000 for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—3

Families who have contributed over $1,000 for fiscal year to date (October 23–September 24)—18

Check out our parish financial report by clicking HERE.

*You can set up a recurring monthly donation to the Church by clicking HERE 

Give to St. George

A Note to our Visitors

WELCOME!

We are blessed by your presence! Join us for fellowship after. Please note, in the Orthodox Church only baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared can partake of the Holy Eucharist. All others may come forward for a blessing with the chalice held over their head and receive a piece of blessed bread from the altar servers.

From a Father of the Church

St Tikhon of Zadonsk on the Spiritual Blindness of Sin

Whatever physical darkness is for the eyes, so is sin for the human soul. The spiritual darkness so darkens and blinds the eyes of the soul, that the sinner walks like the blind: he doesn't know where the path leads him; he doesn't see before him the torment of an eternal death in which he might fall; he doesn't distinguish vice from virtue, evil from good, truth from lies, true good fortune from evil fortune, and, thus, seeing he does not see and acts by touching like the blind.                                           https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/05/spiritual-blindness-of-sin.html

Why should I care about the church fathers?