March  9,  2015        

Holy Nativity of the Lord

www.OrthodoxChristians.org

Divine Liturgy for March 9th (Sunday’s Readings & Hymns)

Tone 2 Troparion

O Lord, save Your people, / and bless Your inheritance. / Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians, / over their adversaries. / And by virtue of Your Cross / preserve Your habitation!

Tone 7 Kontakion

Now the flaming sword no longer guards the gates of Eden; / it has mysteriously been quenched by the wood of the Cross! / The sting of death and the victory of hell have been vanquished; / for You, O my Savior, have come and cried to those in hell: / “Enter again into paradise

Tone 6 Prokeimenon

O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance! (Ps 27/28:9))

Epistle: Hebrews 4:14-5:6 Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1

   

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Monday   Tuesday   Wednesday   Thursday     Friday   Saturday   Sunday  

Fast                                      

                                       Pre-­‐Sanctified  at  St.  Nicholas  for  the  40  Martyrs  or  Sebaste  

Fast  

 

Fast                

                     Presanctified  Service  at  

Foster’s  house  5:00    

Fast  

                                     Choir  Practice  5-­‐8                                    

Fast        

                                           St.  George  Salutations,  6:00  

Men’s  Lunch  Shanes    Bossier  12:00  

 

 

Fast                                      Choir  

Practice,  3:45              Great  

Vespers  ,  Foster’s  

House  5:00      

Fast  

Divine  Liturgy  St.  Barksdale  10:00  

 

Weekly  Service  Schedule  

Service A reminder to those who serve Holy Nativity this week. Your service is greatly

appreicated!

Coffee Hour – Amanda Chandler

and Prosphora wil l be taken care of by Jennifer Gil lum

  Choir  

Choir  Practice  (For  Pascha)    Saturday  3:45    

Long  Practices  scheduled  for  March  12  &  26,  5:00-­‐8:00  

 

St.  Emilia’s  Society  (Ladies  Group)  will  be  meeting  March  19th  at    6:30,  Shanes  on  Youree  Dr.    

We  will  fellowship  and  Ruth  Taylor  will  briefly  discuss  how  to  put  together  a  Traditional  Pascha  (Easter)  Basket.  

 

   

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The Prayer of St. Ephraim – during Lent we pray this prayer in almost all of our gatherings.

O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.

Good Reads for Great Lent

The Lenten Spring: Readings for Great Lent by Thomas Hopko (daily devotional)

Great Lent: Journey to Pascha by Alexander Schmemann

St Symeon the New Theologian on the sign of the Cross: “But those who have understood [the exalted mystery of the Cross] and in very fact

have known in experience the authority and power which the Cross has over demons, have likewise understood that the Cross gives the soul strength, power, meaning, and

divine wisdom. These with great joy cry out: Far be it from me to glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world is crucified to me and I unto

the world (Gal. 6:14). And thus, inasmuch as the sign of the Cross is great and fearful, every Christian has the duty to make it with fear and trembling, with reverence and

heedfulness, and not simply, and not as it happens, simply out of habit and carelessly: for according to the degree of reverence which one has towards the Cross, he receives

corresponding power and help from God.” (_The First Created Man_, St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1994)

   

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On this Sunday, the third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the veneration of the honorable and Life-Giving Cross, and for this reason: inasmuch as in the forty days of fasting we in a way crucify ourselves.... and become bitter and despondent and failing, the Life-Giving Cross is presented to us for refreshment and assurance, for remembrance of our Lord's Passion, and for comfort.... We are like those following a long and cruel path, who become tired, see a beautiful tree with many leaves, sit in its shadow and rest for a while and then, as if rejuvenated, continue their journey; likewise today, in the time of

fasting and difficult journey and effort, the Life-Giving Cross was planted in our midst by the holy fathers to give us rest and refreshment, to make us light and courageous for the remaining task.... Or, to give another example: when a king is coming, at first his banner and symbols appear, then he himself comes glad and rejoicing about his victory and filling with joy those under him; likewise, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to show us His victory over death, and appear to us in the glory of the Resurrection Day, is sending us in advance His scepter, the royal symbol-- the Life-Giving Cross-- and it fills us with joy and makes us ready to meet, inasmuch as it is possible for us, the King Himself, and to render glory to His victory.... All this in the midst of Lent which is like a bitter source because of its tears, because also of its efforts and despondency.... but Christ comforts us who are as it were in a desert until he shall lead us up to the spiritual Jerusalem by His Resurrection.... for the Cross is called the Tree of Life, it is the tree that was planted in Paradise, and for this reason our fathers have planted it in the midst of Holy Lent, remembering both Adams bliss and how he was deprived of it, remembering also that partaking of this Tree we no longer die but are kept alive....

Thus, refreshed and reassured, we begin the second part of Lent....

Mid-­‐Lent:  The  Holy  Cross  

   

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Annunciation  Celebration!!    March  25th  

Lawn  Olympics  St. Nicholas is planning the pan-Orthodox lawn

Olympics again this year with games and

food. That's on Sunday, March 15th

after the liturgy.  

Men’s Lunch Friday at

12:00

Shanes in Bossier

 

 

                   Holy  Nativity  of  the  Lord  Mission  Rev.  Fr.  Jason  Foster,  Pastor  Visit  or  contact  us  at:  5490  Barksdale  Blvd,  Bossier  City  (Barksdale  Federal  Credit  Union)  Email:  frjasonfoster@gmail.com,318-­‐455-­‐4219    

 

 

 

Are you ready for Great Lent? To give you a boost, Be the Bee has made a playlist of all the "Be the Bee" episodes on fasting and prayer! These videos are great for youth and adults. May God give us strength. Be the Bee - Fasting Playlist http://goo.gl/6Lt9x5

To  our  Catechumens  As  a  tool  to  extend  and  deepen  your  Christian  

education,  check  out  these  podcast  on  Ancient  Faith.    This  is  actually  a  3-­‐year  diploma  program  provided  by  

the  Antiochian  Archdiocese  of  the  British  Isles,  however  anyone  may  access  the  lectures  for  free.  Click  

on  the  link  below:  

http://www.ancientfaith.com/specials/e_quip