Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Christ is risen from the dead, by death hath He trampled down death, and on those in the graves hath He bestowed life.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Mode

Let all things above in heav'n rejoice, and let all things below on earth be glad. With all the might and strength of His arm an eternal deed the Lord did perform. Beneath His feet He has trampled down death by death, and first born of the dead has He become. From the womb of Hades has He delivered us, and to all the world has granted His great redeeming mercy.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.

Saints and Feasts

May 07

Sunday of the Paralytic

Close to the Sheep's Gate in Jerusalem, there was a pool, which was called the Sheep's Pool. It had round about it five porches, that is, five sets of pillars supporting a domed roof. Under this roof there lay very many sick people with various maladies, awaiting the moving of the water. The first to step in after the troubling of the water was healed immediately of whatever malady he had.

It was there that the paralytic of today's Gospel way lying, tormented by his infirmity of thirty-eight years. When Christ beheld him, He asked him, "Wilt thou be made whole?" And he answered with a quiet and meek voice, "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool." The Lord said unto him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." And straightaway the man was made whole and took up his bed. Walking in the presence of all, he departed rejoicing to his own house. According to the expounders of the Gospels, the Lord Jesus healed this paralytic during the days of the Passover, when He had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast, and dwelt there teaching and working miracles. According to Saint John the Evangelist, this miracle took place on the Sabbath.

May 07

Commemoration of the Precious Cross that appeared in the sky over Jerusalem in 351 A.D.

On this day in the year 351, not long after Cyril had succeeded Maximus as Archbishop of Jerusalem, during the reign of Constantius, the son of Saint Constantine the Great, on the day of Pentecost, the sign of the Cross appeared over Jerusalem. Saint Cyril, in his letter to the Emperor Constantius, says, "At about the third hour of the day, an enormous Cross, formed of light, appeared in the heaven above holy Golgotha and reaching to the holy Mount of Olives, being seen not by one or two only, but manifest with perfect clarity to the whole multitude of the city; not, as one might suppose, rushing swiftly past in fancy, but seen openly above the earth many hours in plain sight, and overcoming the beams of the sun with its dazzling rays" (PG 33:1 16q).

May 08

John the Apostle, Evangelist, & Theologian

The feast today in honour of the holy Apostle John commemorates the miracle taking place each year in Ephesus, in which a certain dust or powder, called manna, suddenly poured forth from his tomb and was used by the faithful for deliverance from maladies of both soul and body. For an account of his life, see September 26.

May 08

Arsenios the Great

Saint Arsenios was a deacon of the Church of Rome, born of an illustrious family, and wondrous in virtue. In the days of Saint Theodosius the Great, he was chosen to be the tutor of the Emperor's young sons, Arcadius and Honorius. While living at the imperial palace in Constantinople, compassed with all luxury and innumerable temptations to sin, Arsenios often besought God with tears to guide him to salvation. This prayer was answered one day when a voice came to him saying, "Arsenios, flee from men, and thou shalt be saved." He sailed secretly to Alexandria, and from there went to Scete, where he became a monk. Yet after he had withdrawn from the world, and was come among the most illustrious monks of his day, he heard, 'Arsenios, flee, be silent, pray always, for these are the causes of sinning not." Following this call, he separated himself even from his fellow monks, practicing extreme silence. On Saturday evenings, he would turn his back on the setting sun, and would stretch out his hands in prayer to Heaven, till the sun shone upon his face the following morning, and only then would he sit down. Once a monk came to visit him, and looking into his cell saw Arsenios entirely like a flame of fire. After living some fifty-five years as a monk, and attaining to heights reached by few, he reposed in peace about the year 449, at the age of ninety-five.

May 09

The Holy Prophet Esaias (Isaiah)

The Prophet Esaias, the son of Amos, was descended from a royal tribe. He prophesied in the days of Ozias (who is also called Azarias), Joatham, Ahaz, and Hezekias, Kings of Judah. About 681 B.C, in the reign of Manasses, the son and successor of the most pious Hezekias, when this Prophet was censuring Manasses' impiety and lawlessness, he was sawn asunder with a wooden saw, and thus received a martyr's end.

Of all the Prophets, he is called the most eloquent because of the beauty and loftiness of his words. His book of prophecy, divided into sixty-six chapters, is ranked first among the greater Prophets. The Fifth Ode of the Psalter, "Out of the night my spirit waketh at dawn unto Thee, O God . . ." is taken from his book. It was this holy Prophet who foretold that a Virgin would conceive in the womb (7:14); that not an ambassador, nor an angel, but the Lord Himself would save fallen man (63:9); that the Messiah would suffer, bearing our sins (ch. 53). His name means "Yah is helper."

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fifth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:13-35

At that time, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Third Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 9:32-42.

IN THOSE DAYS, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, rise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Paralytic
The Reading is from John 5:1-15

At that time, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.

Now that day was the sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet." But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, 'Take up your pallet, and walk.' "They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Parish News and Events

Prayer List:

Please pray for our brothers and sisters: Gloria, Niko, Christina, Kostas, Malina, John, Simona, Louise, Pete, Vincent.

Annunciation Men's Club is sponsoring a parish trip (open to all parishioners and friends) to the beautiful Holy Cross/Hellenic College campus this Saturday, May 13. Following is the proposed schedule:

2 PM - Visit Philoxenia House

3 PM - Library museum tour, and campus tour

4 PM - Bookstore (open til 5 PM), free time

5 PM - Vespers

6 PM - Dinner in the cafeteria

Please RSVP to John Tsakirgis at jjohnfern@aol.com or by calling 617– 686-2939 by Wednesday, May 10th. Please indicate the number of people, if you can drive and how many people you can accomodate for carpooling. If we have enough people interested in going, we will rent a van. Meeting time for departure at church: 12:45pm. We should be back at church around 8pm.

UPCOMING FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS:

Koulourakia: 5/16, 11am--6pm; 5/17,9:30am--5pm; 5/18, 9:30am--6pm; and 5/19 (if needed) (Elaine Fiasconaro and Bunny Wescott) Many hands are needed for this workshop. Please call Bunny at 978-462-3084 to sign up for the days and times you can come.

Vegetarian Dolmathes: May 28 11:45 am and June 4 11:45 am (Andrea Jones)

Kataifi: 5/31 (Stacy Kevorkian, Jen Cooper and Susan George);

Kourambethes: 6/9 at 10:00 a.m. (Gina Dussi);

Baklava: 6/12, 6/13 and 6/14 (Diane Hansen and Maria Andriotakis Connor);

Pastichio: 6/15, 6/16 and 6/17 (Stacey Kevorkian, Jen Cooper and Susan George);

Spanakopita: 6/21 6 pm, 6/22 6 pm and 6/23 10 am as needed to fininsh (Gina Dussi);

Meatballs: 6/28 prep 5 pm; 6/29 rolling 5 pm (Eddie Connor and Joanna Tsiantas)

Karithopita: 7/19 5pm (Gina Dussi and Joanna Tsiantas);

Rice Pudding: 7/26 (Eric Hansen);

Galotabourek: 7/27 during the day (Andrea Jones and Maria Andriotakis Connor);

Plaki: 7/27 5 pm (Gina Dussi and Melinda Patrick).

Food Festival Committee: Will meet every Monday at 7:00 pm.

Attention Graduating Seniors: Parish Scholarship applications are now available in the Narthex. Be sure to take one!

Orthodoxy on Tap:

You are invited

Bertucci’s Restaurant

15 Newbury Street, Rte 1 North, Peabody

Thursday May 11th,

At 7:00pm

Hosted by St. Vasilios

Speaker

Dr Bruce Beck

Assistant Professor of New Testament at Holy Cross

“Do Words Matter?”

Join us and learn about

Our Orthodox Faith!

Contact Fr. Anthony Tandilyan for RSVP or questions:

franthony@stvasilios.org

978-223-8224

Greek Ladies Aid Society: Dues are now due! Please see Irene Falite or Dorothy Davis to sign up and pay your $15.00. 100% of all dues go towards our philanthropic activities throughout the year.

Paper Icon Drive: Donate your used paper icons today! Our fellow Orthodox Christians in Kenya have a great need for more icons, so please consider helping out by bringing in any flat icons on paper or card stock by June 1st. There will be a designated basket in the narthex. These will be sent to Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Seattle, WA, which will in turn send all that they collect to the Church in Kenya.

Bible Study: Thursday, May 11 at 5:30 pm. Texts: John 4:5-42 (Samaritan woman) and John 9:1-38 (Blind man). Everyone welcome!

Exit Dance 30th Anniversary Performance: Fontaine Dollas Dubus and the Exit Dance Co. which she founded in 1987 with several other dancers, will be performing Friday and Saturday evening May 19 & 20 at 8:00 PM at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Market Square, Newburyport. Congratulations to Fontaine and all the Exit Dance performers!

Parishioner of the Year Award: The Parish council has chosen two most deserving sisters to share the honor this year. Congratulations go to Irene Katsoulis and Daphne Tikellis! They will be honored at the 31st Annual Metropolis of Boston Ministry Awards Banquet at Lombardo’s, Randolph, MA, 5:30 pm reception, 6:30 pm dinner, June 11th. Please contact us to reserve tickets!

100th Anniversary Committee:

The meeting dates for the next upcoming meetings are as follows:

Tuesday, May 9, 2017 - 6:30 PM

Sunday, May 28, 2017 - 11:45 AM

Tuesday, June 06, 2017 - 6:30 PM

We will be meeting going forward on the second Tuesday and the last Sunday of the month.

Annunciation Online: Please "Like" our Facebook page so that you may be kept up on services, events and activities: https://www.facebook.com/AnnunciationGreekOrthodoxChurch/

Please return church keys: As many of you are aware, there have been several break-ins and thefts from Newburyport churches. We’re looking to upgrade our exterior keys. If you have a key, make sure to let a Council member know over the next few weeks! Also, please never leave doors unlocked with the key even when you are in the complex. Instead, block them open with the little wrenches provided, and don’t forget to unblock when you leave!!!!

Thermostat settings: The Parish Council has determined an acceptable temperature range for the thermostats in the building complex. 60-75 in winter, 65-80 in summer. Please respect these settings!

Council Members on duty today: Eric Hansen and John Housianitis

Prosphoro Schedule:

May 7 - Kathy Tsiantas

May 14 - Anna Chetsas

May 21 - Lisa Housianitis

May 28 - Tina Klidaras

Parish Events of the Week

This week at Annunciation:

Monday, May 8: 11:00 am: St. Basil's Lunch, all are welcome!

6:00 pm: Chanting

7:00 pm: Food Festival Committee

Tuesday, May 9: 6:30 pm: 100th Anniversay Meeting

Thursday, May 11: 5:30 pm: Bible Study

7:00 pm: Parish Council

Fellowship Hour Hosts

Fellowship Hour:

We enjoy visiting with our Church Family over a cup of coffee and treats following Sunday Liturgy. Please sign up to host a Fellowship/Coffee Hour and keep the coffee brewing every Sunday.

We are in need of hosts! The Fellowship Hour Coordinator has prepared a calendar scheduling out though the end of the summer of 2017. Please email AndreaJones1@Comcast.net, phone at home 978 465-1021or text cell 978 621-6123 to schedule your coffee hour.

Sunday, May 7th: Patten/Beck Family

Sunday, May 14th: Men's Club (Mother's Day)

Sunday, May 21st: Chetsas Family (40 day Memorial Leon Chetsas)

Sunday, May 28th: OPEN

Bulletin Inserts

Creed and Lord's prayer in Greek with English transliteration

Card used in the pews to recite the Creed in Greek on the first Sunday of the month

Sunday School Lesson for April 30th

Three types of faith

General Information

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