Welcome to St. Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church - Freehold, NJ
Mission Parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
May 25, 2025
Sunday of the Blind Man
Upcoming Church Schedule:
Sunday May 25, 2025
The Hours - 9:00AM
Divine Liturgy - 9:30AM
New parish email: [email protected].
New parish website: www.spaoc.org. Please spread the word.
SPECIAL INTENTIONS:
Image Source: 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Monday is Memorial Day:
We remember in our prayers the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces. Those who are serving, and those who have given their lives. JOHN 15:13- "Greater Love has no one than this : to lay down one's life for our fellowman."
Please keep in your minds and hearts our parishioners, family, and friends in need of our prayers. May God grant them peace, health and happiness for many blessed years!
Please pray for Catechumens and inquirers, for those preparing for Marriage, for Expecting Mothers, for those serving in the Armed Forces and Civil Authorities.
Please pray for Jacob Cochran, son of Father David and Pani Andrea.
Please pray for the healing of Rebecca (Becky) Ream, daughter of Pani Anna Marie Slovesko (and of Fr. Michael Slovesko of blessed memory).
Congratulations to Very Rev. Protopresbyter Fr Andrew Fetchina and Matusha Charity on their Silver Jubilee Retirement. May God Grant them Many Blessed Years!
FOR FURTHER THOUGHT:
The sixth Sunday of Holy Pascha is observed by the Orthodox Church as the Sunday of the Blind Man. The day commemorates the miracle of Christ healing the man who was blind since birth. The biblical story of this event is found in the Gospel of Saint John 9:1-41.
The Lord Jesus was coming from the Temple on the Sabbath, when, while walking in the way, He saw the blind man mentioned in today's Gospel. This man had been born thus from his mother's womb, that is, he had been born without eyes (see Saint John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on John; Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V:15; and the Second Exorcism of Saint Basil the Great). When the disciples saw this, they asked their Teacher, "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" They asked this because when the Lord had healed the paralytic at the Sheep's Pool, He had told him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14); so they wondered, if sickness was caused by sin, what sin could have been the cause of his being born without eyes. But the Lord answered that this was for the glory of God. Then the God-man spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle. He anointed the eyes of the blind man and said to him, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam (which means "sent") was a well-known spring in Jerusalem used by the inhabitants for its waters, which flowed to the eastern side of the city and collected in a large pool called "the Pool of Siloam."
Therefore, the Savior sent the blind man to this pool that he might wash his eyes, which had been anointed with the clay-not that the pool's water had such power, but that the faith and obedience of the one sent might be made manifest, and that the miracle might become more remarkable and known to all, and leave no room for doubt. Thus, the blind man believed in Jesus' words, obeyed His command, went and washed himself, and returned, no longer blind, but having eyes and seeing. This was the greatest miracle that our Lord had yet worked; as the man healed of his blindness himself testified, "Since time began, never was it heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind," although the Lord had already healed the blind eyes of many. Because he now had eyes, some even doubted that he was the same person (John 9:8-9); and it was still lively in their remembrance when Christ came to the tomb of Lazarus, for they said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have caused that even this man should not have died?" Saint John Chrysostom gives a thorough and brilliant exposition of our Lord's meeting with the woman of Samaria, the healing of the paralytic, and the miracle of the blind man in his commentaries on the Gospel of Saint John.
Source: https://www.goarch.org/sunday-of-the-blind-man-learn
2025 Sts. Joachim and Anna Senior Retreat
Our Diocese is pleased to announce its sixth annual Sts. Joachim and Anna Senior Retreat which will take place at Camp Nazareth Retreat and Conference Center in Mercer, PA from May 2-4, 2025. The Retreat will feature keynote addresses by Very Rev. Nicholas Ferencz. You can read Fr. Nik’s biography here. His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory is inviting all our Diocesan Seniors, ages 55 and over, to come and enjoy 2 days of fellowship, prayer, reflection and fun. The Theme of the Retreat – Matthew 22: The BIG Questions We should ALL want to Talk about and Answer! The schedule will include worship, fellowship, learning, fun, time for reflection and relaxation, and great activities!
Online Registration is now open!! Visit 2025 Senior Retreat to register for the event. Visit campnazareth.org for more information. You may also call (724-662-4840) or email the Camp at [email protected] for more information.
Don’t miss out on our sixth annual Sts. Joachim and Anna Senior Retreat! Register today!
Registration closes Monday, June 2, 2025.
2025 Camp Nazareth Volunteer Week:
Our Diocesan Faithful are asked and encouraged to volunteer their time and talents during Camp Nazareth’s Volunteer Week which will take place Tuesday, 5/13 – Friday, 5/23. Camp has been blessed over the years to have many volunteers, including parishes, groups of parishes, men’s groups, societies, and individuals and their families, who have offered their time and talents to help get the Camp ready for each summer season as well as complete a lot of fixer-uppers around the Camp. Camp is offering an opportunity (over more than a week) for our Diocesan faithful to do the same. Come for ANY number of days. Camp will provide all meals and lodging (free-of-charge), and will provide leaders to help guide the work that needs to be done. If you can’t stay overnight, don’t worry. Just come up for a day, even part of a day. If you have any questions, call or email the Camp at 724-662-4840 or [email protected]. Camp has begun to prepare for its 50th Anniversary. Come help us get ready!! You can register for the Volunteer Week at 2025 Volunteer Week Registration. Registration is quick and easy.
Please support our diocesan seminary bookstore:
If you have any religious items to purchase such as icons, jewlery, books, and various Orthodox decor, please visit: www.orthodoxgoods.com
Also, please continue to pray for vocations:
O Lord, the High Priest of God's people, You have shown us that it is Your will that men be called to the service of Your Holy Church. From the ranks of fishermen, You called Andrew and Peter and James and John, and made them and their successors in every age to be the "fishers of men." We, your people in this age, call upon Your great love to inspire for our churches, young men to be Your future priests. Touch their lives with Your Holy Spirit; give them the courage to answer Your call and the strength to work all the days of their life for Your service. Continue to shower upon our Diocesan Seminary Your choicest blessings and make us aware of her needs so that it may continue to be a place where the souls of those called to Your service may be trained and prepared to teach and preach, to pray and labor, to forgive and heal - to care in every way as priests of Your fold, O Good Shepherd. You told us with Your precious lips, "Without me, you can do nothing." As we call upon Your Name for more vocations, O Great High Priest, hear us and have mercy.
