FIRST ANTIPHON - Refrain: Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us. (Refrain) Glory… Both now… (Refrain)
SECOND ANTIPHON 🄰 Refrain: Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen from the dead, who sing to Thee: Alleluia.
THIRD ANTIPHON 🄱 FOR THE HOLY CROSS, Tone 8 - From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.
ENTRANCE HYMN 🄲 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool. O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Feed them, and lift them up forever.
RESURRECTION HYMN, Tone 8 - From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.
APOLYTIKION FOR THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL, Tone 4 - (**Thou Who wast raised up**) Supreme Commander of the Hosts of the Heavens, * we, the unworthy, importune and beseech thee * that by thy supplications thou encircle us * in the shelter of the wings * of thine immaterial glory; * guarding us who now fall down * and cry to thee with fervor: * Deliver us from dangers of all kinds, * as the great marshal of the heavenly hosts on high.
HYMN FOR ST PHILIP, Tone 3 - O holy Apostle and our Patron Saint Philip, Intercede with Christ our God for our soul’s salvation.
KONTAKION FOR SUNDAYS IN GREAT LENT, Tone 8 - To thee, the Champion Leader, do I offer thanks of victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast delivered me from terror; but as thou that hast that power invincible, O Theotokos, thou alone can set me free: from all forms of danger free me and deliver me, that I may cry unto thee: Hail, O Bride without Bridegroom.
TRISAGION 🄳 Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.
THE EPISTLE 🄴 (For the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent) The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace.
The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul 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 by Himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by one 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 forever after the order of Melchizedek.
THE GOSPEL 🄵
(For the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent)
The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (9:16-30)
At that time, a man came to Jesus, kneeling down and saying unto him, “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 Thy Disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And Jesus 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 Jesus, 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 Thou canst do anything, have pity on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, 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 Jesus had entered the house, His Disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And Jesus 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 Jesus would not have anyone 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 after He is killed, He will rise on the third day.”
INTERCESSIONS–During the Great Entrance, when we bring the gifts of Bread and Wine to the altar, we pray for the many intentions on the hearts of our people. If you would like to add a name to our prayerlist, please call the Church office or fill out the blue ConnectionCard in the pew. And if you know of anyone that needs a visit, please let Fr Alex know.
For the Living
For all the victims of war and civil strife, of hunger, want and disease, of intolerance and injustice, and of every evil.
Fr George Gheevargese
Kh Julianne Criscella
Fadi Khoury
Nebyu
Robel
Tatjana Arsenovic
Paul Seraphim
Laura Langlois
Jennifer
Anna
Jeff Nassiff
Barbara Sedawie
Maria Dragon
Anhila Abounowara
Michael Siegal
Diana Koch
Erik Himber
Jimmy & Amal Kando
The Hosh family
Taylor Khoury & Andrew Khoury
Birthdays
Catechumens
Julian Cantalupo
Levi Joshua Modin
Joseph Roman
Agustin Leston
For the Reposed
Thaer Ayoub (ND)
Boutros Salibi (ND)
Eugenie Salibi-Hachem (ND)
Jeffrey Miranda (ND)
We will also pray the Trisagion Prayers on March 26 for those who have departed in the Month of March:
Metropolitan Philip (9 years)
Fr Michael Husson (20 years)
Helen Lillis (46 years)
Sarah Nakles (40 years)
Albert Ghiz (37 years)
Anthony Gerdack (29 years)
Elaine Zaine Ayoub (28 years)
George David (15 years)
Thakla Said (15 years)
Fernando Phillip Alvarez (6 years)
Albert Gorab (6 years)
James Mellides (5 years)
Edmund Kouri (4 years)
Louis Zeno
Alemash Sebhatu (5 years)
OFFERING—We give tithes and offerings as an act of worship, obedience, celebration, and thanksgiving to the Lord. You can give at the service in the collection baskets or anytime via our website. We receive offerings through Venmo (ID: @OrthodoxFL) and PayPal (ID: office@OrthodoxFL.com). If you are a guest, you are not expected or obligated to give.
COMMUNION—During Divine Liturgy, Holy Communion may only be received by prepared Orthodox Christians. Our non-Orthodox guests are welcome to join us in venerating (kissing) the cross and receiving the Holy Bread at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. A Coffee Hour is offered in the Parish Hall following Sunday Divine Liturgy.
DISMISSAL— At the end of the service, all are invited to venerate the Cross. That means we line up to greet the Priest, then we kiss the Cross, and receive some Holy Bread from the wooden bowl. The Holy Bread is not communion but a blessing and a sign of fellowship.