Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission

HOLY RESURRECTION BYZANTINE CATHOLIC MISSION
PASTOR REV. THOMAS O'CONNELL
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH
307 BLACK OAK RIDGE ROAD
P.O. BOX 817
SEYMOUR TN 37865
PHONE: 609-1081

CHRIST IS RISEN! - INDEED HE IS RISEN!
CHRISTOS VOSKRESE! - VOISTINU VOSKRESE!
CHRISTOS ANESTI! - ALITHOS ANESTI!

THOSE WHO ARE FAMILY, RELATIVES, AND FRIENDS TO PARISHONERS; THOSE INQUIRING ABOUT THE BYZANTINE CATHOLIC FAITH; THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR AWHILE. You enter this holy place of heaven on earth, not as a stranger, but as a guest of God. He is your Father. Come then, with gratitude in your heart - for there is not one of your needs of which He is not mindful; come then, with gladness on your lips, offering Him your loving service. May all who love this Home of Faith, rejoice in the power and love of God ... that His blessings, strength, and love abide within you, both in your coming in and going out.

Living: For William and Dolores Gogar who are celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary. May God grant them many, happy years in health and happiness. God grant them many happy years.

May 18^th at 3 PM; 2:30 Akathist (it is also Food Sunday - bring in non-perishable food, soap, and toiletries to be given to the needy)

A Reader's Byzantine service is prayed every Saturday evening at 6:30 PM at Holy Family when there is no Divine Liturgy that Saturday weekend. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

On Saturday, June 7^th there will be the 5^th All Souls Saturday. We will pray a Reader's Service Panichida. If anyone has a cemetery preference to pray the Panichida, please contact William Gogar at 865-691-7853 or Ed Klages at 865-483-0723.

Christ is Risen is the witness of the Church to the world. The discovery of the empty tomb by the Myrrh-bearing Women was the first sign of the Resurrection. These women were present when Joseph of Arimathea placed the lifeless body of Jesus in the grave. They watched him roll the large stone over the mouth of the cave in which Jesus was buried. Early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus. As they approached the grave, it occurred to them that the large stone would have to be rolled back if they wanted to enter the grave. As they were discussing this, they came to the grave and say the stone rolled back. They entered the tomb and found an Angel seated there. They were afraid, but the Angel said to them, "Do not be frightened. I know you are looking for Jesus the Crucified, but He is not here. He has been raised, exactly as He promised. Come and see the place where He was laid. Then go quickly and tell his Disciples." (Mt. 28: 5-6)

Our Church remembers these holy women on the second Sunday after Pascha. The Icon of the Myrrh-bearing Women witnesses the Resurrection of Christ as it follows the Gospel account. The cave represents the burial place, originally belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Now there only remains the empty sepulcher and linen cloth. The faithful women stand by it as the Angel of the Lord tells them, "He has been raised."

Unlike Lazarus, who was called from his grave when the stone was rolled back, Christ was not called forth from His tomb. The Angel moved the stone to show that He was no longer there. He has risen! The image is sung over and over in the Resurrectional verse:

The Myrrh-bearing Women arrived just before the dawn at the tomb of the Giver of Life and found an Angel seated on the stone who spoke these words to them: "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why do you mourn the incorruptible among those subject to decay? Go, announce the good news to His Disciples."

The message of the Myrrh-bearing Women touches us. Christ is not in the Tomb. He is risen!

TROPARION - The Angel stood by the tomb and cried out to the woman bringing ointment: "Ointments are for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself not subject to corruption; so now cry out, 'The Lord is risen, bestowing great mercy upon the world.'"

A St. Bernard dog is trained to find and revive people who are victims of those blinding snow storms in the high Alps of Switzerland. They are trained to remove the snow from the bodies they find and to lay their warm bodies on top of the victims until they slowly revive and can help themselves to some whiskey from the container carried around the St. Bernard's neck.

One such St. Bernard had saved 69 lives. He went out one more time ad did exactly what he was trained to do. Only this time the survivor awakened and in his delirium thought he was being attacked by a wolf. He reached down, grabbed his dagger and plunged it into the side of the St. Bernard. The St. Bernard rolled over and was found dead at the door of his master's house, having bled to death.