St. Luke Church
Publish Date: 2025-03-30
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St. Luke Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (413) 525-4551
  • Fax:
  • (413) 525-4552
  • Street Address:

  • 400 Prospect Street

  • East Longmeadow, MA 01028
  • Mailing Address:

  • 400 Prospect Street

  • East Longmeadow, MA 01028


Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Grave Mode

By Your Cross, O Christ our God, You destroyed death. You opened paradise to the thief. You transformed the lament of the Myrrh-bearing women, and You commanded the Apostles to proclaim You are risen, granting the world Your great mercy.

Apolytikion for Sun. of St. John Climacus in the Plagal Fourth Mode

With the rivers of your tears, you have made the barren desert fertile. Through sighs of sorrow from deep within you, your labors have borne fruit a hundred-fold. By your miracles you have become a light, shining upon the world. O John, our Holy Father, pray to Christ our God, to save our souls.

Dismissal Hymns for Saint Luke and Saint Nicholas in the First Mode

Third Tone

O Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, intercede with our merciful God, that He may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

Fourth Tone

A model of faith and the image of gentleness, the example of your life has shown you forth to your sheep-fold to be a master of temperance. You obtained thus through being lowly, gifts from on high, and riches through poverty. Nicholas, our father and priest of priests, intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Seventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:1-10

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying and the napkin, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that He must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Grave Mode. Psalm 28.11,1.
The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter 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 to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a 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 for ever after the order of Melchizedek.


Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from Mark 9:17-31

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "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 your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he 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 him, 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 you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "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 he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he 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 he would not have any one 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 when he is killed, after three days he will rise."


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Memorial and Trisagion Prayers

Memorial and Trisagion Prayers

03/30/2025

 

TODAY, 40 day Memorial will be chanted for George Poulopoulos, husband of Kathleen (+), father of Jo-Ann (Roland), Kathy (Norman), Lee-Ann (Denis), and George, grandfather of seven, great-grandfather of seven, and uncle to many nieces and nephews.

 


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Parish News

Parish News

03/30/2025

1.  Sunday of Saint John Climacus

2.  Wednesday, April 2 @ Saint LukePresanctified Liturgy @ 6 pm followed by a Lenten meal hosted by Philoptochos

3. The Akathist Hymn -- Friday, March 28 @ 6 pm

4.  Saturday of Lazarus Youth Retreat following Divine Liturgy and making of Palm Crosses (30 Hour Famine weekend)

5.  Philoptochos News 

 

Save the Dates!

 


Philoptochos Easter Baking Workshops

 

  • Bread – Monday, March 31, 2025, at 10 AM (Lunch provided)

 

Volunteers Needed to Join us on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 10 AM for the Easter Bread workshop, chaired by Vicki & Victor. Lunch will be provided. This workshop also prepares items for our homebound and shut-in parishioners to bring them Paschal joy! No prior experience is necessary—everyone is welcome!

 

  • Cookies – Friday, April 4, 2025, at 10:30 AM (Lunch provided)


    Bake Sale Orders
    All orders must be paid in full before pick-up. Orders will be available for pick-up on Palm Sunday after Divine Liturgy in the Fellowship Hall. Additional bake sale items may be available after preorders are fulfilled.

    Palm Folding—Join us on Saturday of Lazarus, April 12, 2025, after the service in Pappas Hall to help fold palms with Stephanie Bologa. No experience is necessary—all are welcome to participate in this meaningful tradition.

 

 

 

Epitaphios Decorating—On Holy and Great Friday, April 18, 2025, at 10 AM, come to Pappas Hall with Leia and Lynne Georgeopolus to decorate the Epitaphios. A light Lenten lunch will be provided following the event. 

 

  • Easter Flower Sale – Deadline: Sunday, April 13, 2025

  • Philoptochos Membership Drive—This drive will continue until the end of May 2025. Pledge your support today! Extra forms are available in the fellowship hall. Join us in championing Philoptochos's philanthropic mission at all three levels—national, the Boston Metropolis, and our St. Luke Chapter. Together, we make a difference!

    Join us with your families for all the upcoming events. We look forward to celebrating together!

 


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Words from the Saints and our Fathers

Words from the Saints

03/09/2025

Lord and Master of my life; take from me the spirit of sloth, vain curiosity, lust of power, and idle talk.  But grant to me Your servant, the spirit of prudnece, humility, patience, and love.  Yes, Lord, grant me to see my faults and not to condemn my brother or sister, for blessed are You unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

-- Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian


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Saints and Feasts

March 30

Sunday of St. John Climacus

The memory of this Saint is celebrated on March 30, where his biography may be found. He is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.


March 30

John Climacus the Righteous, author of The Divine Ladder of Ascent

This Saint gave himself over to the ascetical life from his early youth. Experienced both in the solitary life of the hermit and in the communal life of cenobitic monasticism, he was appointed Abbot of the Monastery at Mount Sinai and wrote a book containing thirty homilies on virtue. Each homily deals with one virtue, and progressing from those that deal with holy and righteous activity (praxis) unto those that deal with divine vision (theoria), they raise a man up as though by means of steps unto the height of Heaven. For this cause his work is called "The Ladder of Divine Ascent." The day he was made Abbot of Sinai, the Prophet Moses was seen giving commands to those who served at table. Saint John reposed in 603, at eighty years of age. See also the Fourth Sunday of the Fast.


March 30

Sosthenes, Apollos, Cephas, Caesar, & Epaphroditos, the Apostles of the 70


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Wisdom of the Fathers

Seest thou how He now proceeds to lay beforehand in them the foundation of His doctrine about fasting? ... See, at any rate, how many blessings spring from them both. For he that is praying as he ought, and fasting, hath not many wants, and he that hath not many wants, cannot be covetous; ...
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

... he that is not covetous, will be also more disposed for almsgiving. He that fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

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