June 19, 2011 • 1st Sunday after Pentecost • Sunday of All SaintsHoly Apostle Jude, the brother of the Lord (ca. 80 A.D.). Ven. Barlaam of Shenkursk (1462). Martyrs Zosimas the soldier at Antioch in Pisidia (2nd c.). Ven. Paisius the Great (5th c.). St. John the Solitary of Jerusalem (6th c.). Ven. Paisius of Chilandari (Bulgarian—18th c.).

Repose of St. Job, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus (1607).

AnnouncementsHappy FatHer’s Day

Note the Apostles’ Fast begins tomorrow and continues until June 30. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated Friday at 8 a.m. for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Please keep Linda (Susanna) in your prayers as she recovers from recent surgery. Megan Elizabeth Brightwell’s birthday is Tuesday. Saturday is the anniversary of Fr. Basil’s ordination to the priesthood.

St. Luke Orthodox Christian ChurchDiocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America

The Rev. Father Basil Henry, Priest1415 Woodstock Ave. • Anniston, Alabama • www.stlukeanniston.org/

basilncana@yahoo.com • (256) 235-3893

This Week’s Scripture, Service and Fasting ScheduleMon, 6/20 Tues, 6/21 Wed, 6/22 Thurs, 6/23 Fri, 6/24 saT, 6/25 sun, 6/26

Apostles’ fAstNo

ServiceSMatins8 a.m.

Bible Study4 p.m.

Great vespers4 p.m.

Divine Liturgy8 a.m.

Great vespers4 p.m.

Divine Liturgy10 a.m.

Rom. 2:28-3:18 Rom. 4:4-12 Rom. 4:13-25 Rom. 5:10-16 Rom. 5:17-6:2 Rom. 3:19-26 Rom. 2:10-16

Matthew 6:31-34; 7:9-11

Matthew 7:15-21

Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 8:23-27

Matthew 9:14-17

Matthew 7:1-8

Matthew 4:18-23

Jude 1:1-10(Apostle Jude)

Rom. 13:11-14:4(St. John the Baptist)

Heb. 11:33-12:2

John 14:21-24(Apostle Jude)

Luke 1:5-25, 57-68, 76, 80

(St. John the Baptist)

Matthew 4:25-5:12

Holy Apostle Jude (transferred)

Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus

St. AlbanProtomartyr of

BritainSt. Etheldreda of East Anglia

Nativity of St. John, the

BaptistVirgin Martyr

FebroniaAll Saints of

America

Service times are subject to change. Please check with Fr. Basil if in any doubt.

~3~

Great Vespers“Lord, I Call”

Sunday (Tone 8)Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name!We offer to Thee, O Christ, our evening song and rea-sonable service, for Thou didst will to have mercy on us by Thy Resurrection.

The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me.Lord, Lord, do not cast us away from Thy face! For Thou didst will to have mercy on us by the Resurrection.

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice!

Rejoice, O holy Zion! Mother of the churches, the abode of God! For you were the first to receive remis-sion of sins by the Resurrection.

Let Thine ears give heed to the voice of my prayer!The Word of God the Father, begotten before the ages, in the latter times willed to be incarnate of the Virgin and endured crucifixion unto death. He has saved mortal man by His Resurrection.

If Thou observest transgression, Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For with Thee is propitiation.

We glorify Thee, O Lord Who voluntarily didst en-dure the cross for our sake. We fall down in worship before Thee, O Almighty Savior. Do not cast us away from Thy face but hear us and save us, O Lover of Man by the Resurrection.For Thy name’s sake have I waited upon Thee, O Lord; my soul

hath waited upon Thy word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.Glory to Thee, O Savior Christ, Only Begotten Son of God who was nailed to the cross and resurrected from the tomb on the third day.

Sunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 6)From the morning watch even to the night, let Israel hope in

the Lord!The Savior’s inspired Disciples became instruments of the Spirit through faith. They were scattered to the ends of the earth, sowing the glad news of the true faith. From their divine garden the army of martyrs blossomed in grace. They became images of Christ’s saving Passion, enduring every kind of torture, scourg-ing and fire. Now they boldly pray for our souls.

For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.The noble martyrs, burning with love of the Lord, laughed at the fires and were consumed as burning coals. Through Christ, they burned the withered ar-rogance of error. They stilled the roaring of beasts with the voice of their prayers. Beheaded, they be-headed the demonic hosts. By the shedding of their own blood they watered the Church with faith.

O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people!The heroic martyrs wrestled with beasts and were torn by their claws. They were dismembered, cut with swords, and shot with arrows; they were consumed in the flames and pierced with lances. All this they will-ingly endured, for already they saw their unfading crowns, and the glory of Christ, before Whom they boldly pray for our souls.For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us and the truth of

the Lord remaineth forever.Come, let us praise the heroes of our faith: Apostles, martyrs, holy priests, and noble women! They fought for the faith in every part of the earth. Though born of earth, they were united with the heavenly hosts. Through their sufferings, they triumphed over evil by the grace of Christ. As unfading lights, they illumine our hearts, and with boldness they pray for our souls.

Sunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 6)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

O divine ranks of martyrs, you are the pillars of the Church and the fulfillment of the Gospel. By your deeds you have fulfilled the Savior’s words. You have closed the gates of hell and defended the Church. The shedding of your blood has dried up the libations poured out to idols. Your sacrifice has nourished the body of the faithful. Standing crowned before God, you amazed the Angels. Pray unceasingly to Him that our souls may be saved!

dogmatIkon (Tone 8)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The King of Heaven, because of His love for man, ap-peared on earth and dwelt with men. He took flesh from the pure Virgin and after assuming it, He came forth from her. The Son is one: in two natures, yet one

~4~

Person. Proclaiming Him as perfect God and perfect Man, we confess Christ our God! Entreat Him, O un-wedded Mother, to have mercy on our souls!

old testament ReadingsSunday of aLL SaIntS

The Prophecy of Isaiah (43:9-14)Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, It is true. “You are my witnesses,” says the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” says the LORD. “I am God, and also henceforth I am He; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it?” Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and break down all the bars, and the shouting of the Chalde’ans will be turned to lamentations.

The Wisdom of Solomon (3:1-9)The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the fool-ish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the fur-nace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.

The Wisdom of Solomon (5:15-6:3)The righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them. There-

fore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them. The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his en-emies; he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet; he will take holiness as an invincible shield, and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen. Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap to the target as from a well-drawn bow of clouds, and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them; a mighty wind will rise against them, and like a tempest it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.

Listen therefore, O kings, and understand; learn, O judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, and boast of many nations. For your dominion was given you from the Lord, and your sov-ereignty from the Most High, who will search out your works and inquire into your plans.

apostichaSunday (Tone 8)

Descending from heaven to ascend the Cross, the Eternal Life has come for death to raise those who are fallen; to enlighten those in darkness! O Jesus, our Savior and illuminator, glory to Thee!

The Lord hath become King; with beauty hath He clothed Himself.

We glorify Christ, who rose from the dead! He ac-cepted the human body and soul, and freed both from suffering. His most pure soul descended to hell, which He spoiled. His holy body did not see corruption in the tomb. He is the Redeemer of our souls!

For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved.In psalms and songs we glorify Thy Resurrection from the dead, O Christ! By it, Thou hast freed us from the tortures of hell, and as God hast granted eternal life and great mercy.

Holiness belongeth to Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days!

~5~

O Master of all, incomprehensible Creator of heaven and earth! By Thy suffering on the Cross Thou hast gained passionlessness for me! Accepting burial and aris-ing in glory, Thou didst resurrect Adam with Thyself by Thine almighty hand! Glory to Thy rising on the third day! By it Thou hast granted us eternal life and cleansing of sins as the only Compassionate One!

Sunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 6)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Come, O faithful, let us celebrate in song today, glori-fying the memory of all the Saints! Rejoice, glorious Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs and Hierarchs! Rejoice, company of all the Just! Rejoice, ranks of holy Wom-en! Pray that Christ will grant our souls great mercy!

theotokIon (Tone 6)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

My Maker and Redeemer, Christ the Lord, was born of you, O most pure Virgin. By accepting my nature, He freed Adam from his ancient curse. Unceasingly we magnify you as the Mother of God! Rejoice, O celestial Joy! Rejoice, O Lady: the Protection, Inter-cession and Salvation of our souls!

tropariaSunday (Tone 8)

Thou didst descend from on high, O Tenderhearted One. Thou didst accept the three-day burial to free us from our passions. O Lord our life and resurrection, Glory to Thee.

Sunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 4)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

As with fine porphyry and royal purple, Thy Church has been adorned with Thy martyr’s blood shed through-out all the world. She cries to Thee, O Christ God: “Send down Thy bounties on Thy people, grant peace to Thy habitation and great mercy to our souls!”

Resurrectional dismissal theotokion (Tone 4)Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The mystery of all eternity, unknown even by Angels, through thee, Theotokos, is revealed to those on earth: God incarnate by union without confusion. He volun-tarily accepted the Cross for us, by which He resur-rected the first-created man, saving our souls from death.”

continued on page 7

TSunday of all Saints

The first Sunday after the Feast of Holy Pentecost is observed by the Orthodox Church as the Sunday of All Saints. This day has been designated as a commemoration of all of the Saints, all the Righteous, the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Shep-herds, Teachers, and Holy Monastics, both men and women alike, known and un-known, who have been added to the choirs of the Saints and shall be added, from the time of Adam until the end of the world, who have been perfected in piety and have glorified God by their holy lives.Honoring the friends of God with much reverence, the Prophet-King David says, “But to me, exceedingly hon-orable are Thy friends, O Lord” (Ps. 138:16). And the Apostle Paul, recounting the achievements of the Saints, and setting forth their memorial as an example that we might turn away from earthly things and from sin, and emulate their patience and courage in the struggles for virtue, says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside

every burden, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

This commemoration began as the Sunday (Synaxis) of All Martyrs; to them were added all the ranks of Saints who bore witness (the meaning of “Martyr” in Greek) to Christ in manifold ways, even if occasion did not require the shedding of their blood.

~6~

Divine Liturgy of St John ChrysostomBeatitude Verses

SundayBlessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

We offer to Thee, O Christ, our evening song and reasonable service, for Thou didst will to have mercy on us by Thy Resurrection.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.Lord, Lord, do not cast us away from Thy face! For Thou didst will to have mercy on us by the Resurrection.Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.Rejoice, O holy Zion! Mother of the churches, the abode of God! For you were the first to receive re-mission of sins by the Resurrection.Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.The Word of God the Father, begotten before the ages, in the latter times willed to be incarnate of the Virgin and endured crucifixion unto death. He has saved mortal man by His Resurrection.

Sunday of aLL SaIntSBlessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you,

and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.The Saints, having found you, Master, in Sion placed as a precious, chosen cornerstone, an unshakeable foundation, built themselves on you as chosen stones.Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.When your side was pierced streams of blood dropped from it along with deifying water and refashioned the world and summoned a godly throng of all the Saints, O Benefactor.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…With hymn most devoutly the inspired cloud of Mar-tyrs, made radiant by grace and shining brilliantly with the purple of their blood and with the crimson of their valiant contest.

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.We all know you as most truly Mother of God, through whom women’s nature was given strength, O all-blameless, and so competed on behalf of Christ and became filled devoutly with every virtue.

tropariaSunday (Tone 8)

Thou didst descend from on high, O Tenderhearted One. Thou didst accept the three-day burial to free us from our passions. O Lord our life and resurrection, Glory to Thee.

Sunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 4)Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,…

As with fine porphyry and royal purple, Thy Church has been adorned with Thy martyr’s blood shed through-out all the world. She cries to Thee, O Christ God: “Send down Thy bounties on Thy people, grant peace to Thy habitation and great mercy to our souls!”

kontakiaSunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 8)

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.The universe offers Thee the God-bearing Martyrs as the first fruits of creation, O Lord and Creator. By their prayers keep Thy Church, Thy habitation, in abiding peace through the Theotokos, O most Merci-ful One!

ProkeimenonSunday (Tone 8)

Pray ye, and render unto the Lord our God.Vs: In Judah God is known; in Israel great is His Name.

Sunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 4)Vs: God is wondrous in His saints, the God of Israel.

epistle ReadingSunday of aLL SaIntS

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews (11:33-12:2)Brethren, who through faith conquered kingdoms, en-forced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refus-ing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned,

~7~

they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering over deserts and moun-tains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, de-spising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

alleluia VersesSunday of aLL SaIntS (Tone 4)

Vs: The righteous cried and the Lord heard them, and He delivered them from all their troubles.

Vs: Many are the afflictions of the righteous, and the Lord will deliver them out of them all.

gospel ReadingSunday of the hoLy FatheRS

The Gospel according to St. Matthew (10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30)

The Lord said to his disciples, “Every one who ac-knowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever de-nies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or moth-er more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Then Peter said in reply, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Is-rael. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.”

[The feast of All Saints achieved great prominence in the ninth century, in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor, Leo VI “the Wise” (886–911). His wife, Empress Theophano—commemorated on Decem-ber 16—lived a devout life. After her death in 893,[2] her husband built a church, intending to dedicate it to her. When he was forbidden to do so, he decided to dedicate it to

“All Saints,” so that if his wife were in fact one of the righteous, she would also be honored whenever the feast was celebrated. According to tradition, it was Leo who expanded the feast from a commemoration of All Martyrs to a general com-memoration of All Saints, whether martyrs or not. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints)]

Therefore, guided by the teaching of the Divine Scrip-tures and Apostolic Tradition, we honor all the Saints, the friends of God, for they are keepers of God’s com-mandments, shining examples of virtue, and benefac-tors of mankind. Of course, we honor the known Saints especially on their own day of the year, as is evident in the Menologion. But since many Saints are unknown,

and their number has increased with time, and will continue to increase until the end of time, the Church has appointed that once a year a common commemora-tion be made of all the Saints. This is the feast that we celebrate today. It is the harvest of the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world; it is the “much fruit” brought forth by that “Grain of wheat that fell into the earth and died” (John 12:24); it is the glorification of the Saints as “the foundation of the Church, the perfection of the Gospel, they who fulfilled in deed the sayings of the Savior” (Sunday of All Saints, Doxastikon of Ves-pers).

In this celebration, then, we reverently honor and call blessed all the Righteous, the Prophets, Apostles, Mar-tyrs, Confessors, Shepherds, Teachers, and Holy Mo-nastics, both men and women alike, known and un-known, who have been added to the choirs of the Saints and shall be added, from the time of Adam until the end of the world, who have been perfected in piety and have glorified God by their holy lives.

continued from page 8

~8~

T

All these, as well as the orders of the Angels, and especially our most holy Lady and Queen, the Ever-virgin Theotokos Mary, do we honor on this day, setting their life before us as an example of virtue, and entreating them to intercede in our behalf with God, Whose grace and boundless mercy be with us all. Amen.

ICon oF the Sunday oF aLL SaIntSThe icon of the Sunday of All Saints depicts our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ seated above the throne of heaven surrounded by the Saints.  The rows of Saints included the Archangel Michael and other Angels, the Theotokos and John the Baptist, the Apostles, Bishops, Great Martyrs, Ascetics and Monastics.  To the side of the throne are Adam and Eve, bowing in reverence to Christ.  They are joined by the Saints, who are lifting their hands in worship to the King of Glory.  At the lower left of the icon is the Patriarch Abraham who has a righteous soul in his bosom, as told in the story of Lazarus and the rich man in the Gospel.  At the lower center is the Good Thief who was crucified with Christ.  On the lower right is the Patriarch Jacob.

nativity of the holy Prophet and Baptist JohnThe Nativity of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John: The Gospel (Luke. 1: 5) relates that the righteous parents of St John the Baptist, the Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth (September 5), lived in the ancient city of Hebron. They reached old age without having children, since Elizabeth was barren. Once, St Zachariah was serving in the Temple at Jerusalem and saw the Archangel Gabriel, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. He predicted that St Zachariah would father a son, who would announce the Savior, the Messiah, awaited by the Old Testament Church. Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. He had doubts that in old age it was possible to have a son, and he asked for a sign. It was given to him, and it was also a chastisement for his unbelief. Zachariah was struck speechless until the time of the fulfillment of the archangel’s words.

St Elizabeth came to be with child, and fearing derision at being pregnant so late in life, she kept it secret for five months. Then her relative, the Virgin Mary, came to share with her Her own joy. Elizabeth, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” was the first to greet the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. St John leaped in his mother’s womb at the visit of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Son of God incarnate within Her.

Soon St Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and all the rela-tives and acquaintances rejoiced together with her. On the eighth day, in accordance with the Law of Moses, he was circumcised and was called John. Everyone was

amazed, since no one in the family had this name. When they asked St Zachariah about this, he motioned for a tablet and wrote on it: “His name is John.” Im-mediately his tongue was loosed, and St Zachariah glo-rified God. He also prophesied about the Coming into the world of the Messiah, and of his own son John, the Forerunner of the Lord (Luke. 1: 68-79).

After the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the worship of the shepherds and the Magi, wicked king Herod gave orders to kill all male infants. Hearing about this, St Eliza-beth fled into the wilderness and hid in a cave. St Zacha-riah was at Jerusalem and was doing his priestly service in the Temple. Herod sent soldiers to him to find out the abode of the infant John and his mother. Zachariah an-swered that their whereabouts were unknown to him, and he was killed right there in the Temple. Righteous Eliza-beth continued to live in the wilderness with her son and she died there. The child John, protected by an angel, dwelt in the wilderness until the time when he came preaching repentance, and was accounted worthy to baptize the Lord.

~9~

Practices for Everyday LivingWhile all people have a calling to return to the Father by renouncing sin and turning their lives towards God, there are many and various paths to holiness, to union with God. Some people seek God through the monastic life which is a radical step of separation from the world. More, h-owever, live Christianity through their life in the parish church and in the community of marriage and family. Others remain single in the world as they stri ve to keep the commandments of Christ. All of us can learn from one another. As nuns, we often observe visiting mothers, marveling at the obedience demanded of a mother as she answers every need of her children. Likewise we hope that our Christian life as organized and lived in the monastery can also offer inspiration to those in the world. We wou ld like to mention here five monastic practices that may be help-ful to others wherever they may be called to live their Christian life.

Begin each day by turning to god.Monasteries throughout the world organize their daily life around the prayer rhythm of the Church. We start each day praising God, turning to Him in prayer. This beginning shapes our day. In the world we are taught to “start the day right” by eating a particular brand of breakfast cereal, listening to a certain local news pro-gram, showering with aroma therapy body wash, or savoring a new brand of instant cappuccino. All these things are supposed to make us “feel good.” And yes, they very well may contribute to a sense of well-being, but turning to God to start the day is not dependent on our feelings. Whatever condition we find ourselves in emotionally, physically, spiritually—we are guaranteed that our day will begin right if we turn first to Christ. He, unlike us, is constant!

For those in the world with jobs, families, and very demanding schedules, this does not mean you need to leap out of bed and spend 45 minutes in your prayer corner doing prostrations. Of course, everyone’s prayer rIile needs to be appropriate for life’s circumstances, but we can all train ourselves to remember God. The Lord’s Prayer or a short saying such as “Glory to You, 0 Lord, glory to You,” or the Jesus Prayer can be said silently in those first few minutes of each day when we become aware that wc are awake. This requires of us a cutti ng of our fa llen will. Even nuns, if we are honest, must admit

that there are days we would rather stay in bed or go straight to the coffee maker.

Instead of carrying on an endless monolog in our minds: “0 no, the alarm l I am going to be late, what am I going to wear •it’s raining!” have a dialog with Christ. Just talk to Him l Say, “Lord, I really don’t feel grateful for this day-help me to change!” Because of His steadfastness, we will begin to discover that fall ing into His arms with our whole ungrateful selves is far better than falling back into our pillows. We acknowledge His strength and our weakness, thus beginning to Icam humility, and perhaps experiencing an inkling of His unfathomable love.

Whatever we do can be done as an offering to god. Everything in the monastery is done with a blessing by the abbess who represents Christ to the sisters. A blessing is both permission and prayer, a reminder that we are always in the presep.ce of God. All of us can offer evelything we do to God, recognize that we can do nothing without Him, and then be blessed with Christ’s presence as we move through our day. Try say-ing simply, “Lord, be with me!” or “Lord, help me to do this task to Your glory!” or “Lord, have mercy!” before doing anything whether it be starting the dinner dishes or sitting down to check your email. Then say, “Thank you, God,” when you have finished. Desiring that He be with us throughout the day, talking with God will become a habit and our relationship with Him will be-gin to deepen.

everything ordinary is a potential opening to en-countering god. In the monastery we do a lot of cooking and dish wash-ing. These activities sound pretty ordinalY, not what one may imagine as “spiritual experiences.” But really, every-thing ordinary is a potential opening to encountering God. Holy tradition tells us that the Virgin was spin-

~10~

ning when Gabriel appeared to her to announce the Child she would bear. The Apostles were mending their fishing nets when they were called by Christ. Our work is sanctified by God when we offer ourselves to God, when we say yes to Him—whether it is grocery shop-ping, taking the kids to the orthodontist, or doing yard work. Whatever we find ourselves doing, Christ is with us. Our daily life is not separated from our spiritual life and our prayer is not separated from our work. There is one Christian life whether lived in the monastery or in the world, and this life encompasses our whole life. Reading about the extraordinary lives of the saints who labored in fasting, in caves, standing in prayer for days, can lead us to falsely assume that extreme ascetical feats are somehow necessary in order to lead a spiritual life. Simply living in community, striving to be obedient to the commandments of God in the workplace, growing in love with your spouse, making the sacrifices that are necessary to raise your children—when offered to God, these ordinary activities become encounters withOod.

all work and all workers are important and necessary. In our competitive American society, we are taught that it is good to be the best. Not necessarily “be all that you can be,” but be better than your peers, strive for the top position. In the monastery, all work and all workers are of equal importance. St. Paul speaks at length to the Corinthians about the importance of every member of the Church to its life hy using the example of the body:

“If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the smelling?” (cf. 1 Cor. 12:14-26) Every sister, lay worker, and guest is of equal value in the eyes of God, and every obedience IS necessary for the community as a whole to function smoothly.

An example to illustrate this is the institution of a large hospital. Our society has a tendency to be very impressed with all the surgeons and the highly-trained physicians that work in that environmen t. But could they do their work without the staff that cleans the op-erating room, or the clerical workers that keep track of the paper work, or the assembly line workers that make the medical equipment and all the building materials? There is a practically endless list of people, each with a

task that is absolutely necessary to make the hospital run smoothly.

Our spiritual father, Fr. Alexander, in describing com-munity life uses the imagery of a greenhouse that is growing flowers. He says that a single flower is love-ly, and reflects the glory of God. But if you examine it closely, you will see that it has imperfections. If you take many individual flowers and put them together in one bunch, the resulting arrangement will be even more beautiful, and the flaws less noticeable. We are created to be in community, each supporting the other as we strive to be all that God wants us to be.

take spiritual coffee breaks. In a traditionally structured workplace, research has clearly shown that coffee breaks benefit the workers and the business. Employees after 10 or 15 minutes of a change of routine return to their jobs refreshed and more energized, and are more productive. Contrary to popular opinion, even in the monastery we can feel overwhelmed. We find in the monastery that if we break from our work and take a few minutes to read the Psalms or any Scripture, this is very beneficial. When you read from the Old or New Testament it can have a very calming effect, even if your reading is unfocused. For the first few minutes or pages, it is often hard to pay attention, being distracted by the details of whatever project is at hand. But if we do not give up, soon things will change—we start to calm down and gradually be-come absorbed in the words.

These practices are simple, but decidedly not simplistic. Indeed they are foundational to growing in Christ. It can be helpful to work on them one at a time. You may choose to commit to learning one for several months to a year before going on to another. In this way they become second-nature, aiding us in an ever-deepening relationship with Christ. Know that you will be chal-lenged: the flesh will say, “Tomorrow is soon enough.” The world will do its best to distract you and make you forget. The devil may say, “These practices are for chil-dren •you deserve more.” However it is our own experi-ence that when we steadily and daily seek to give our life to God, we have an ever-deepening experience of His presence in our lives. More and more we are able to

“taste and see how good the Lord is.”

~11~

In Hope They BelievedAgainst Hope This weekly bulletin insert complements the curriculum published by the Department of Christian Education of the Orthodox Church inAmerica. This and many other Christian Education resources are available at http://dce.oca.org.

  On June 22 we read Saint Paul's words in Romans 4:13-25. He urges us to follow theexample of the patriarch Abraham, whose faith remained constant no matter whathappened to him.

Abraham continued to believe God's promise that he would be the father of many nations, evenas the years went by and he became an old man who still hadn't seen the promise fulfilled. SaintPaul puts it this way: "He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which wasas good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered thebarrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but hegrew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what Hehad promised" (19-21).

This is what Paul means by "in hope believing against hope." Abraham continued to believe Godcould and would keep His promise, even though immediate circumstances—his great age and hiswife Sarah's barrenness—would seem to render it impossible for them to bear children and makehim the father of many nations.

One of the saints commemorated on the previous day, June 21, is the martyr Julian of Tarsus.He was the son of a pagan father and a devout Christian mother. When she was widowed, shetook her son from his birthplace, the town of Anazerba, to Tarsus. There she saw to his baptismand instructed him in the faith.

The grace of baptism and his mother's teaching kept Julian from denying his faith during the persecutions unleashedby the emperor Diocletian. Though he was just eighteen when he was arrested as a Christian, Julian not only withstoodtorture but resisted the promises of riches and honors if he would renounce Christ and worship the pagan gods. Whenthey tortured him and threw him into a dungeon, his mother begged to be given three days with her son, assuring thejailers that she would convince him to offer sacrifice to the idols. Her request was granted.

When the three days had passed, Julian and hismother were brought before the magistrate, whobegan to praise her motherly influence for bringingher son to his senses. But his flowery words wereinterrupted by the voices of the mother and son,loudly proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the only trueGod.

Julian's mother knew she was consigning him to execution when she urged him, imprisoned and severely weakened bytorture, not to deny his faith. As a mother, she grieved her terrible loss. But like Abraham, she "did not waver when sheconsidered his body" and her own body, which were "as good as dead." Like Abraham, "in hope she believed againsthope," and the Church tells us that she and her son have received their crowns in the Kingdom of the One whosepromises they believed.

Troparion - Tone 4

Your holy martyr Julian, O Lord,through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.Through his intercessions save our souls!

St. Luke orthodox Christian Church1415 Woodstock ave.anniston, aL 36207

The Cathedral of Christ

the Saviour (Russian: Храм Христа Спасителя) is a Church

in Moscow, Russia, on the bank of the Moskva River, a few blocks west of the Kremlin. With an overall height

of 105 metres (344 ft), it is the tallest Orthodox church in

the world.