May 13, 2012

Fifth Sunday of Pascha
Sunday of the Samaritan Woman

Tone 4 Eothinon 7

Today we also commemorate: Virgin-martyr Glykeria of Heraklea; Sergios the Confessor; Venerable John the Georgian, founder of Iviron monastery on Athos and Venerable Euthymios, George and Gabriel of Iviron monastery; Venerable-martyrs of Iviron monastery

Apolytikion of Holy Pascha - Tone 5: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

Apolytikion of the Resurrection - Tone 4: Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel, the women disciples of the Lord cast from them their parental condemnation, and proudly broke the news to the disciples, saying death hath been spoiled; Christ God is risen, granting the world great mercy.

Apolytikion of Mid-Pentecost - Tone 8: In the midst of this Feast, O Savior, give Thou my thirsty soul to drink of the waters of true worship; for Thou didst call out to all, saying: Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Wherefore, O Christ our God, Fountain of life, glory to Thee.

Apolytikion of St. George - Tone 4: Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, O trophy-bearer, Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Kontakion of Pascha - Tone 8: 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.

Run the Race! Join the TEAM!
Camp St. Mary of Egypt is seeking energetic and enthusiastic adults who love Christ and His Church to apply as camp staffers for the week of July 16-21 (with additional days for Leadership Retreat starting on July 13th). Applicants ages 18 and up are asked to visit the camp website to begin the application process: www.campstmary.org. If you have questions, please contact CSME Assistant Director Joy Wise at CSMECampOffice@gmail.com or 425- 280-1619.

Fast-Free Forty Days
While most of the Orthodox world has resumed the keeping of the Wednesday and Friday fasts (though allowing for wine and oil), a 1997 proclamation of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch designates the entire forty days from Pascha to Ascension as a fast-free period. During this time period there is no required fasting on Wednesdays or Fridays (though if you find it spiritually beneficial you certainly may keep a mitigated fast with wine and oil and possibly fish on these days). Please note that the pre-Communion fast (i.e. no food or drink from midnight until our morning reception of Holy Communion or from our noon meal until the evening reception of Holy Communion) is observed at all times and in all seasons.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Ascension Liturgy– We will celebrate the Great Feast of the Ascension of Christ with a Vesperal Divine Liturgy at 6pm on Wednesday, May 23. The Liturgy will be followed by a non-fasting potluck supper.

Pentecost – We will celebrate the Great Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, June 3, with Orthros and Divine Liturgy at 9 and 10am and the Kneeling Vespers of Pentecost at 6pm.

Church School Graduation – The Church School year will conclude with promotion/graduation on Sunday, June 10.

Parish Picnic – Celebrate the completion of the church school year with an all-parish picnic at the home of Tony & Mary Charles (19206 NE 205th Ct. Brush Prairie, WA 98606) following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, June 10. The parish will provide a BBQ main dish, paper goods and utensils; please bring potluck side dishes, salads and desserts to share and drinks for your family. (Kids, don’t forget to pack swimsuits for the pond!)

Apostles Fast – The Apostles Fast begins this year on June 11 and runs through June 28, the eve of the commemoration of Ss. Peter and Paul. During the Apostles’ Fast we abstain from meat, eggs, and dairy products on all days.

Ss. Peter and Paul – We will celebrate the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (patrons of the Patriarchate of Antioch) on Thursday, June 28, with a Vesperal Divine Liturgy at 6pm. The Liturgy will be followed by a non-fasting potluck.

For information on Orthodox events in the Portland area visit orthodoxportland.org

The Acts of the Apostles 11:19-30
In those days, the Disciples, who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the Word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, upon coming to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the Disciples were for the first time called Christians. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the Disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea; and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

The Gospel According to St. John 4:5-42
At that time, Jesus came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as He was with His journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His Disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and You say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He Who is called Christ); when He comes, He will show us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I Who speak to you am He.” Just then His Disciples came. They marveled that He was talking with a woman, but none said, “What do You wish?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man Who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the city and were coming to Him. Meanwhile, the Disciples besought Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” So the Disciples said to one another, “Has any one brought Him food?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Many Samaritans from that city believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”