St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney, Texas
Electronic Newsletter
March 28/ April 10, 2011
5th Sunday of Great Lent / St. Mary of Egypt
Announcements
Prayer Requests
Schedule of Divine Services in the Coming week
Fasting in the Coming week
Links related to the coming week
Brothers and sisters, the Great Fast is drawing to a close. This Sunday the Scripture readings will tell us much about Christ and our relationship with him. We will hear about him tell His disciples, as he travels toward Jerusalem, about his coming Passion, Death and Resurrection. We will hear how two of the disciples seek honor and our Lord responds by teaching them the importance of humility and service, "for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many." We will hear about how there is no sin that God cannot or will not forgive, provided we are willing to repent.
And then, throughout the coming week, the services will speak again and again about how Christ approaches Jerusalem, preparing to raise Lazarus from the tomb – and we must, of course, consider this an image of our own resurrection from sin by His almighty power.
Announcements
Passion week is approaching! We will have services every day from April 15 through April 24, as we accompany our Lord on His march to Calvary and give Him thanks for all that He has done for our salvation.
On Lazarus Saturday (April 16), we will have a general parish clean-up after the Divine Liturgy. This is our annual opportunity to get the church and grounds clean for the celebration of the feast of feasts. Many hands make light work, so please plan to join us and help out!
Remember that on Pascha Sunday, the Divine Liturgy takes place immediately after the Festal Matins service, in the early morning. There will be no service at 10AM on Sunday, April 24th, and our festal trapeza will be after the Vespers service at 3PM, with with lots of good food and no rice and beans in sight!
Our new facility brings with it many new maintenance and upkeep tasks. Matushka Marina and Reader David Hawthorne need volunteers to help get all the work done.If you can give a few hours of our time to help care for God's house, please contact Matushka Marina, Reader David or Deacon Nicholas and we'll tell you how you can help.
We have a list of things our parish needs. If you or somebody you know wish to supply one of these items, please contact us.
Prayer Requests
For the Health and Salvation.
- Kateryna (Kayla) Bayda. (employment)
- David and Elizabeth Ash.
- Priests Jean and Grégoire and all the faithful and suffering of Haiti.
- The suffering people of East Japan.
- Metropolitan Hilarion (recent knee surgery)
- Archbishop Kyrill (on leave of absence because of health problems)
For a more complete listing, please see our parish prayer list. Anyone can make requests.
Schedule of Divine Services in the Coming week
Saturday 4/9.
- 4PM Confession
- 5PM Vigil
Sunday 4/10
- 10AM Divine Liturgy
- 12:45PM Church School for adults and children
- 6PM at St. Seraphim's in Dallas. Pan-Orthodox Vespers
Monday 4/11
- 7:30PM Great Compline or Moleben
Wednesday 4/13
- 6:00PM Lenten Hours
- 7:00PM Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Friday 4/15
- 7PM Vespers and Matins for Lazarus Saturday
Saturday 4/16. Lazarus Saturday Wine, Oil and Caviar allowed
- 9AM Divine Liturgy
- 11AM General Church Clean-up
- 3:30PM Parish Council Meeting
- 4PM Confession
- 5PM Vigil
Sunday 4/17 PALM SUNDAY Fish, Wine and Oil allowed
- 10AM Divine Liturgy followed by Procession with Palms
- 12:45PM Church School for children
- 6PM 1st Bridegroom Matins
Fasting in the Coming week
Throughout Great Lent, we abstain from all animal products, wine and oil on weekdays. Wine and Oil are allowed on weekends. Fish is allowed on Palm Sunday.
LINKS
LAZARUS SATURDAY
- Thoughts on Lazarus Saturday – the resurrection of Lazarus, the four days dead, of Bethany Also in WORD format
- Lazarus Saturday – the resurrection is NOW (mp3)
- Questions about Lazarus Saturday
- Kontakion On the Raising of Lazarus by St. Romanos the Melodist
- Prayer on the Saturday of the Righteous Lazarus
PALM SUNDAY
- Palm Sunday – These Things They Did Not Understand At First John 12:1-18 (mp3 format) 2008
- The inner meaning of Palm Sunday. Philippians 4:4-9 John 12:1-18 mp3 audio
You can watch this sermon on the following video platforms: YouTube, Yahoo, MySpace, Metacafe, DailyMotion, Blip.tv and Veoh
SYNOPSIS:The events of Palm Sunday are momentous, but they cannot be understood without understanding the words of the Apostle Paul and contrasting them to the actions of the people who received Jesus joyfully and with shouts of praise as he rode into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass. - Palm Sunday – Why did we read this Epistle? Principles of scriptural exegesis. – Philippians 4:4-9 mp3 audio.
- Prayer on Palm Sunday
Prayer on Palm Sunday. O Lord our God, Who didst accept and give ear to the weeping of the holy Myrrh-bearing Women, Martha and Mary, in Bethany, and, …
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: