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St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2017-04-30
Bulletin Contents
Myrrbear
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St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (281) 679-5395
  • Fax:
  • (281) 679-5397
  • Street Address:

  • 1100 Eldridge Parkway

  • Houston, TX 77077


Contact Information




Services Schedule

Sunday Orthros: 8:45 AM

Sunday Divine Liturgy: 10 AM

Weekday Liturgies: 9 AM

 

 


Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal 1st Tone

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

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the 2nd Tone

When You descended to death, O Immortal Life, then, the light of Your divinity destroyed Hades. When You raised the dead from the depths of darkness, all the heavenly powers cried out, "Glory to You our Christ, the Giver of Life."

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the 2nd Tone

Lowering Your pure body from the Cross, Joseph wrapped it in clean muslin with fragrant spices and laid it in a new tomb. But on the third day You arose, O Lord, and granted the world Your great mercy.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the 2nd Tone

Standing by the tomb the angel said to the Myrrh-bearing women: "Myrrh is for the dead; but Christ has shown Himself stranger to death." So go and cry aloud, "The Lord has risen and granted the world His great mercy."

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal 4th 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

Myrrbear
April 30

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their own homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all, the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John 19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14).

Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial. Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 2nd Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7.

IN THOSE DAYS, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.


Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The Reading is from Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8

At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

The second [Sunday after Pascha] is dedicated to the women who visited the tomb of Christ, hoping to anoint his body with myrrh, but they found an empty tomb instead. In many ways, this reflects the content of every Sunday and every Divine Liturgy: we come to church to celebrate the sacrifice of Christ, which takes place on the altar, a symbol of the tomb of Christ. Our testimony, every time, is that the tomb is empty, a reflection of the revelation to the Myrrh bearers.
Rev. Dr. Andreas Andreopoulos
Gazing on God: Trinity, Church and Salvation in Orthodox Thought and Iconography. Cambridge: James Clarke & Co., 2013, 55-56.

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General Announcements

Memorial Service

04/30/2017

The Memorial Service will be prayed this Sunday, April 30, for the servants of God:

Evangelia Kalantzakis (40 Day)

May her memories be eternal!


2017 Stewardship Update

04/28/2017

Saint Basil Stewards are beginning to respond to the invitation to articulate their commitment in 2017! 

To Date: 142 households have returned their 2017 Stewardship Commitment Cards, pledging $189,965 in support of the ministries and life of Saint Basil's.

Additional offering commitments of $20,730 have been made in the effort to retire our parish debt!

100% Household Participation is our goal.

All parishioners and friends of Saint Basil's are invited and strongly encouraged to return a completed 2017 Stewardship Commitment Card this Sunday!

* 2017 St Basil's Stewardship Commitment Card can be found in the attachments seciton of this week's bulletin.


Bible Study - Gospel Account of Saint Mark

No Bible Study this week, as Father Luke will be representing Saint Basil's at the Metropolis of Denver Clergy Laity in Denver, CO.


Scheduling Sacraments & Blessing Services

It is imperative that the scheduling of Sacraments and Blessing Services (including: memorials & 40-day blessings) be done in advance, as some desired dates may not be ecclesiastically appropriate.  Please contact the church office well in advance with scheduling requests.


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Attachments

    2017 Stewardship Card

    2017 Stewardship Card

    Respond to God's Grace by completing this 2017 Stewardship Card and returning it to the church office via email, mail or in person!


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Calendar

  • This Week at Saint Basil's

    April 30 to May 7, 2017

    Sunday, April 30

    8:45AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

    11:15AM 40-day Memorial - Evangelia Kalatzakis

    Tuesday, May 2

    7:00PM GDC Meeting

    Thursday, May 4

    11:00AM Spaghetti Lunch $8

    Sunday, May 7

    8:45AM Orthros

    10:00AM Divine Liturgy

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