St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre Church
Publish Date: 2015-05-03
Bulletin Contents
Welcome
Announcements
Parish Calendar
Prayers, Intersessions and Commemorations
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
Bulletin Inserts
Jcparal1
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St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 860-664-9434
  • Street Address:

  • 108 E Main St

  • Clinton, CT 06413-0134
  • Mailing Address:

  • PO Box 134

  • Clinton, CT 06413-0134

Contact Information

Rector Fr Steven Hosking

frsteve@stalexischurch.org | 860-866-5802

Services Schedule

Weekly Services

Tuesdays at 8:30a - Daily Matins

Wednesdays at 6:00p - Daily Vespers

Thursday at 8:30a - Daily Matins

Saturday at 5:30p - Great Vespers

Sunday at 9:30a - Divine Liturgy

The Church is also open on Wednesdays for "Open Doors" - confession, meditation and reflection.

Please see our online calendar for dates and times of Feast Day services.

Past Bulletins


Welcome

We welcome all visitors to our Divine Liturgy and services. While Holy Communion may only be received by prepared Orthodox Christians, our non-Orthodox guests are welcome to participate in our prayers and hymns and to join us in venerating the Cross and and receiving blessed bread at the conclusion of the Liturgy. Please sign our guest book and join us for refreshments and fellowship after the services.

Feel free to ask questions before or after the services. Any member of our Council or Congregation are glad to assist you. Literature about the Orthodox faith and this parish can be found in the narthex (back of the Church).

Members of our Parish Council are:

Deborah Bray - Secretary

Natalie Kucharski - Treasurer

Glenn PenkoffLidbeck - Member at Large

Demetra Tolis - Member at Large

Phyllis Sturtevant - President

Sophia Brubaker - Vice President

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Announcements

Thank you to everyone who cleaned and/or prepared food for the Deanery Meeting this past Thursday; it was all well received.

This year, Memorial Day is Monday the 25th. I will once again be participating in the Town of Clinton observances. Once the town’s schedule has been set, I will let you know what service we will have at the parish as well.

On Sunday, June 14th, we will hold a procession to the Community Garden, for the annual blessing of the Garden, along with the community of Holy Advent Church.

Christ with Children

International Day for Protection of Children Date in the current year: June 1, 2015

 

Children's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world to honor children and raise awareness of children's rights. Different countries celebrate it on different days. In many states, it is observed on June 1 as International Day for Protection of Children.

International Day for Protection of Children (sometimes also referred to as International Children's Day) was established by the Women's International Democratic Federation during its 1949 congress which was held in Moscow. The first celebration took place on June 1, 1950.

Nowadays, International Children's Day is celebrated on June 1 primarily in former or current communist and socialist states, including former Soviet republics, republics which ceded from Yugoslavia, as well as some other European, African, Asian and Latin American countries.

The holiday is typically marked with various activities such as contests, performances, camping trips etc. for children to have fun and enjoy themselves. In some countries International Day for Protection of Children is celebrated as a public holiday.

 

This year, Children’s Day also coincides with the Feast of Pentecost, the Day of the Holy Spirit. I have a few ideas how we might commemorate this Feast Day and observance together, but I would also like to here from any once else who might have a suggestion or two.

 

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.  (Matt 18:1-6)

 

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Parish Calendar

  • Parish Calendar

    May 3 to May 10, 2015

    Sunday, May 3

    Alex Page

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    11:00AM Church School

    Monday, May 4

    Anne Hosking

    Tuesday, May 5

    8:30AM Daily Matins - Cancelled

    Wednesday, May 6

    Sharon Marie Watson

    6:00PM Vesperal Divine Liturgy

    Thursday, May 7

    St. Alexis Toth

    8:30AM Akathist for St Alexis

    7:00PM Deanery Mtg

    Friday, May 8

    Neil Luckianow

    Saturday, May 9

    5:30PM Great Vespers

    Sunday, May 10

    Egan

    9:30AM Divine Liturgy

    11:00AM Church School

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Prayers, Intersessions and Commemorations

Cross2

Christine, Raymond, Olga, Richard, Daria, Daria, John, Evelyn, Alla, June, Nina, Joan, John, Alex, Alan, Nadia, Anastasia, Glenn, Kathryn, Ivan, Elena & Jevon and Jocean, William, Christine, Samuel, Kyra, Roderick, Albert, Barbara, Irene, Susan, Eva, Richard, Phyllis, Kathleen, Dionysia, Andrew, Krystal, Robert and Ann, Ezekiel, Elisha, Sharon & William and their unborn child.

Many Years! to Luba Martins, Elisha Liam Watson and Katerina Hoehnebart on the occasion of their Birthdays!

We commemorate: 

Apostle Simeon the Zealot (1st c.). Samaritan Woman. St. Simeon, Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal’ (Kiev Caves-Near Caves—1226). Martyrs Philadelphus, Cyprian, Alphius, Onesimus, Erasmus, and 14 others, in Sicily (3rd c.). Martyr Hesychius of Antioch (4th c.). Bl. Isidora the Fool, of Tabenna in Egypt (4th c.). Bl. Thais (Taisia) of Egypt (5th c.).

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Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the 5th Tone

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Tone

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 8th Tone

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.
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Saints and Feasts

Jcparal1
May 03

Sunday of the Paralytic

Close to the Sheep's 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.

Allsaint
May 03

Father Theodosius, Abbot of Kiev Caves Lavra

Our righteous Father Theodosius was born in 1009, not far from Kiev, and brought up in Kursk. From early childhood he showed the wisdom of an elder, avoiding childish games and refusing to wear anything but the poorest of clothing. When he was about thirteen years old, and his father died, he began to humble himself even more, going out to work with the serfs in the field. His mother went so far as to beat him in her attempts to make him behave more respectably. Hearing of the labours of Saint Anthony of Kiev, he fled to him secretly and was accepted by him as his disciple. He was tonsured at the age of twenty-four by Saint Anthony's disciple Nicon, and was elected Abbot of the Caves Monastery in 1057, since Saint Anthony refused this out of humility, and lived his whole life as a hermit. It was Saint Theodosius who introduced in Russia the cenobitic rule of the Monastery of Studium in Constantinople, and under his guidance many monks attained to great holiness, and the monastic life spread. When Prince Svyatoslav drove out his elder brother the pious Prince Isyaslav, and ascended to the throne of Chernigov in his place, Saint Theodosius courageously rebuked him, and continued reproving him even when threatened with exile. At the request of Prince Shimon, the son of a Varangian (Viking) prince, the Saint wrote a prayer for the nobleman's forgiveness of sins, and, at his behest, had it placed in his coffin, whence arose this custom in Russia. He reposed on May 3, 1074, being sixty-five years of age.

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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

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.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

For where tears are-- or rather, where miracles are, there tears ought not to be; not where such a mystery is celebrating. Hear, I beseech you: although somewhat of the like kind does not take place now, yet in the case of our dead likewise, a great mystery is celebrating. Say, if as we sit together, the Emperor were to send and invite some one of us to the palace, would it be right, I ask, to weep and mourn? Angels are present, commissioned from heaven and come from thence, sent from the King Himself to call their fellow servant, and say, dost thou weep? Knowest thou not what a mystery it is that is taking place, how awful, how dread, and worthy indeed of hymns and lauds? Wouldest thou learn, that thou mayest know, that this is no time for tears? For it is a very great mystery of the Wisdom of God. As if leaving her dwelling, the soul goes forth, speeding on her way to her own Lord, and dost thou mourn? Why then, thou shouldst do this on the birth of a child: for this in fact is also a birth, and a better than that.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 21 on Acts 9, 4th Century

In that case [Matt 9:2] there was remission of sins, (for He said, "Thy sins be forgiven thee,") but in this, warning and threats to strengthen the man for the future; "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you."
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 37 on John 1, 4th Century

Great is the profit of the divine Scriptures, and all-sufficient is the aid which comes from them ... For the divine oracles are a treasury of all manner of medicines, so that whether it be needful to quench pride, to lull desire to sleep, to tread under foot the love of money, ... from them one may find abundant resource.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 37 on John 5, 4th Century

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Bulletin Inserts

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