All Saints Weekly Bulletin

^{Sunday, April 14th}

^{Sunday of St. John Climacus}

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine Liturgy

Fellowship Hour hosted by the Papadoulos & Petsas Families

Today's Greeter is Simon Sarraf

Epistle Reading

 St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20

BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel Reading

Mark 9:17-31

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."

Weekly Calendar

Sun, Apr. 14: Sunday of St. John Climacus (Wine & Oil Allowed)

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine Liturgy

Mon, Apr. 15: St. Crescens the Martyr (Strict Fast)

         6:00pm Great Compline

         7:00pm Parish Council Meeting

Tues, Apr. 16: Ss. Agape, Chionia, & Irene the Martyrs (Strict Fast)

Wed, Apr. 17: St. Symeon the Martyr (Strict Fast)

6:00pm Presanctified Liturgy, Potluck, & Presentation @ St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Church (Springfield, IL)

Thurs, Apr. 18: St. John the Righteous (Strict Fast)

Fri, Apr. 19: St. Paphnoutios the Martyr (Strict Fast)

         6:00pm Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos

Sat, Apr. 20: St. Zacchaeus of Caesaria (Wine & Oil Allowed)

         9:00am Church Cleaning

Sun, Apr. 21: Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (Wine & Oil Allowed)

9:00am Orthros 10:00am Divine Liturgy

Parish Announcements

Lenten Service Schedule

Great Compline - Mondays @6pm

Presanctified Liturgy, Potluck, & Reflection – Wednesdays @6pm

Salutations to the Theotokos – Fridays @6pm

Memory & Tribute Votives – Deadline to Order is April 20^th

Our parish will be offering both Memory & Tribute Votives to be displayed at the Church on Holy Friday. Memorial Votives will share the names of loved ones who have passed away from this life, and Tribute Votives will share the names of the living you wish to commemorate and pray for. This year, we will not be asking to pay per votive, instead it is a free will offering. To order your votives, either fill out a form in the Church or complete the online form by clicking the link below.

Holy Week & Pascha Flower Donations

Please help us to beautify our Church as we prepare to celebrate the services of Holy Week & Pascha. If you would like to donate specific flowers, please see the sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Otherwise, you can give a check to the church office with “flowers” in the memo, or give online by using the donation link at the bottom of the bulletin and selecting “flowers”.

Church Cleaning – Sat. April 20^th @9am (until the afternoon)

We will be cleaning the Church in preparation for Holy Week. All are welcome to join and help!

Orthodox Theology & Christian Culture – Tues. April 23^rd @ 6:00pm (In-person & Zoom)

Our next lecture will be by Rev. Dr. George Tsourous on Celebrating Pascha in the Holy Land. Fr. George is a social anthropologist and Associate Fellow at the Centre for Ethnographic Studies at the University of Kent in the UK. He is also the Archdeacon of the Holy Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.

Saturday of Lazarus Retreat – Sat. April 27^th following Divine Liturgy

On Saturday of Lazarus we will have a small retreat following the Divine Liturgy. It will include lenten refreshments, folding of palm crosses, decorating the church, Confession for any children who would like to participate, and baking lenten cookies for the children. All are welcome to attend!

Palm Sunday Luncheon – Sun., April 28^th Following the Divine Liturgy

We will be hosting a Palm Sunday fish luncheon following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, April 28^th. There is no cost to attend, just the opportunity to offer a free will donation. We hope to see you then!

Mailing List Update

In an effort to expand and update our current mailing list, there will be forms to add new contact information. Forms will be downstairs in the fellowship hall. Please take a form, fill it out, and return to the Church Office.

Sunday School – Sundays following Holy Communion

Sunday School is under way! Any children (Pre-school through High School) are welcome to attend class! We have introduced a 2nd class specifically for our Middle School and High School students that will meet at the same time. Sunday School children and teachers come to receive Holy Communion first, and then go downstairs for class.

Middle school and High school students come downstairs following Holy Communion and meet with George Sarraf & Hannah Malley in the Fellowship Hall for their lesson. For any questions, please reach out to Trisha Holton (trisha.meier@gmail.com).

Wisdom of the Fathers

“Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honour your patience.”

St. John Climacus

 “Forgetting offences is a sign of sincere repentance. If you keep the memory of them, you may believe you have repented but you are like someone running in his sleep. Let no one consider it a minor defect, this darkness that often clouds the eyes even of spiritual people.”

St. John Climacus

“Obedience is the burial of the will and the resurrection of humility.”

St. John Climacus