Today’s Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 6:13-20
Gospel: Mark 9:17-31
Schedule of Services:
Thursday, April 18th, Canon and Life of St. Mary of Egypt at 6:30pm.
Friday, April 19th, Pre-sanctified Liturgy at 6:30pm. (Pot-luck)
Saturday, April 20th, Great Vespers at 4pm.
Sunday, April 21st, Divine Liturgy at 10am. Hours begin at 9:40am.
Announcements:
-Thank you to the Petronko’s for hosting coffee hour today!
-Many years to Domenico Altomare, his parents Dino and Deanna, his grandparents, Godparents, and family. Congratulations!
-Please see the April calendar for services for the rest of the month. This week, we have the Canon and reading of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt at 6:30pm on Thursday, April 18th, and our next Pre-sanctified Liturgy is this Friday, April 19th at 6:30pm.
-There will be a council meeting after Divine Liturgy next Sunday.
-Please pick up the separate Holy Week Schedule of Services to compliment your April calendar.
-Please consider visiting Steve W. Who is currently residing at Hunterdon Care Center in Flemington, NJ. He is happy to welcome any visitors. His room number is C 120.
Prayers for:
Departed: Michael (March 9th), Irwin, Elena
Living: Krystyna and her newborn child, Seph, Forrest, Robert, Marie, Fernando, Michael, Bernard, Mark, Gerald, David, Robert, Steven, Stephen, Michele; Metropolitan Onuphry and the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; the suffering people and innocent victims of the Ukrainian/Russian war and those being persecuted; and the suffering victims of the war in Israel and Palestine.
Words for the Day
Do not say: "I have sinned much, and therefore I am not bold enough to fall down before God." Do not despair. Simply do not increase your sins in despair and, with the help of the All-merciful One, you will not be put to shame. For He said, "he who comes to Me I will not cast out." (John. 6:37) And so, be bold and believe that He is pure and cleanses those who draw near to Him. If you want to accomplish true repentance, show it with your deeds. If you have fallen into pride, show humility; if into drunkenness, show sobriety; if into defilement, show purity of life. For it is said, "Turn away from evil and do good." (I Pet. 3:11)
(St. Gennadius of Constantinople, The Golden Chain, 87-89)
The Lord has given the Holy Spirit upon the earth, and in whomsoever He dwells, that one feels paradise within himself. You might say: why hasn't this happened to me? Because you have not given yourself over to the will of God, but you live according to yourself. Look at the one who loves his own will. He never has peace in himself and is always displeased with something. But whoever has given himself over to God's will perfectly has pure prayer. His soul loves the Lord, and everything is acceptable and good to him.
(St. Silouan the Athonite, Writings, VI.14)
Next Week’s Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14. Brethren, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45. At that time, they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”