The Pascha Season

My beloved in the Risen Lord:

Christ is Risen!

     As we celebrated the glorious Pascha Season and chant joyously the hymn proclaiming Christ’s triumph over all forces of darkness, we are renewed by the dignity that comes from our destiny as Orthodox Christians who have been saved by the Crucified and Risen Christ and offered the opportunity to live eternally with Him.  With this thought in mind, let us reflect on have we should prepare ourselves to receive Holy Communion.

     First we must understand that we are receiving the true Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  When we receive Holy Communion, it works within us according to our spiritual condition.  For those struggling to live a spiritual life:  for the purified it is pure, for the illuminated it is illumination, and for the deified it is theosis.

     Holy Communion for those prepared to receive it is life itself and thus frequent reception of the Eucharist is a very good thing.  At the same time, however, for the unpurified and unrepentant, the Eucharist is judgment, condemnation and death – even bodily. For this reason Saint Paul the Apostle writes, “Whoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”  In doing so, those who partake unworthily, “eat and drink damnation to themselves,” and for this reason “many are weak and sickly among you, and many have died” (I Corinthians 11:27, 29, 30).

     So how do we receive Holy Communion worthily?  Again Saint Paul tells us, “let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (I Corinthians 11:28).  To “examine oneself” means that one must examine his/her spiritual state and have the grace of God in his/her heart.  Furthermore, to be living a spiritual life, one must be making an honest attempt to abide by the canons (rules) and guidelines given to us by the Holy Church.

     As a minimum, one should keep the fasts (Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as the various Lenten periods of the Holy Church).  One should also be examining his/her conscience and partaking of the Sacrament of Holy Confession.  Another mark of seriousness in regard to the spiritual life is frequent reading of religious books of the Orthodox Faith and prayerful attendance at the services of the Holy Church. 

     “When in fear and trembling and unworthiness we are permitted to receive the divine, undefiled Mysteries of Christ, we should display even greater watchfulness and guard our hearts.  Thus the divine fire, the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, will consume our sins and stains; for when that fire enters into us, it at once drives the evil spirits from our hearts and remits the sins previously committed.  If we thereafter keep watch over our intellect, when we next receive these Mysteries, the Divine Body will illumine our intellect still more and make it shine like a star” (Saint Hesychios of Jerusalem, 5^th Century).

     Christ is Risen! Praying that Christ our true God Who rose from the dead abundantly bless you and may the light of Great and Holy Pascha shine brilliantly within your heart, I humbly remain, 

   With love and blessings in the Risen Lord,
+Fr. Panagiotis 

The Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church welcomes you to worship with us on Sunday and whenever the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. Orthros begins at 8:45am and the Divine Liturgy at 10:00am.

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DIRECTIONS TO THE CHURCH FROM THE NORTH:

1. Proceed south on Interstate 81 South heading toward Winchester
2. Take exit 317 for VA-37/ US-11 toward US-522 N/ US-50 W/ Winchester/ Stephenson (0.3 mi)
3. Turn right at US-11 S/ VA-37 S/ Martinsburg Pike, Continue to follow VA-37 S (3.8 mi)
4. Take the ramp to US-50 E/ Northwestern Pike (0.2 mi)
5. Turn left at US-50 E/ Northwestern Pike, Continue to follow US-50 E (0.6 mi )
6. Turn left at Omps Dr, Continue to entrance of the Church`s parking lot (100 ft)
7. Turn left into the Church`s parking lot.

DIRECTIONS TO THE CHURCH FROM THE SOUTH:

1. Proceed north on Interstate 81North heading toward Winchester
2. Take exit 310 for VA-37 toward US-11/VA-642/ Winchester/ Kernstown/ US-50/ US-522/ Berkely Spgs/ Romney (0.2 mi)
3. Turn left at VA-37 N (5.2 mi)
4. Take the US-50 ramp to Winchester/ Romney (0.3 mi)
5. Turn right at US-50 E/ Amherst St (0.5 mi)
6. Turn left at Omps Dr, Continue to entrance of the Church`s parking lot (100 ft)
7. Turn left into the Church`s parking lot.