Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission

Icon of the Archangel Gabriel

O ye incorporeal angels who stand before the throne of God, luminous with the brilliance thereof and everlastingly shining with radiance. As secondary luminaries, entreat Christ, that He grant unto our souls peace and great mercy.

O immortal messengers of the truly incorruptible Life, ye most blessed ones who received life from the first Life, ye have become holy beholders of the eternal Wisdom, full of light, and reflecting lamps shown forth as is meet.

O ye archangels and angels, principalities, thrones, dominions, six-winged seraphim, and divine, many-eyed cherubim, instruments of wisdom, virtues and powers most divine. Pray ye to Christ, that He grant our souls peace and great mercy.

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HOLY RESURRECTION BYZANTINE CATHOLIC MISSION
FATHER THOMAS O’CONNELL, PASTOR
FATHER DEACON RON VOLEK, PASTORAL ASSISTANT
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH
307 BLACK OAK RIDGE ROAD PO BOX 817
SEYMOUR, TN 37865
PHONE: 865-609-1081
www.hrbcc.org

Slava Isusu Christu! Slava Na Niky!
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

Divine Liturgy begins at 4 p.m. Every Sunday
Ninth Hour Prayer precedes Liturgy at 3:30 p.m.

Potluck supper follows Liturgy on the third Sunday of the month
Also at this time non-perishable foods and items for those in need

AUGUST 12, 2007
ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
POSTFESTIVE DAY OF TRANSFIGURATION
THE HOLY MARTYRS, PHOTIUS AND ANICETUS
TODAY WE ALSO REMEMBER ST. MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR BECAUSE OF THE OTDANIJE TOMORROW

Our Offerings
August 5: $430 — Candles: $9

DAY OF OBLIGATION: THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS
DIVINE LITURGY ON WED., AUGUST 15 at 7:30 P.M.

THE DORMITION

According to a very early Christian legend, while the Apostles were scattered all over the then-known world preaching the Gospel, Mary remained in Jerusalem in the house of John. Her love of God, like an ardent flame, burned steadily in her body. When it was finally revealed to her that her life was about to end: she wished to see the Twelve once more before she died. So, each one of them, that is, except for Thomas, was miraculously carried away from where they had happened to be—while borne on a cloud—to the house on Mount Sinai in Jerusalem where Mary was approaching death. While with the Theotokos, they saw Christ, Himself, come down from heaven and receive the precious soul of His Mother in His arms. The Apostles then took her holy body and placed it in the tomb prepared for it in the valley of Cedron near Gethsemane.

Thomas arrived three days later, when all was over. He, however, wished to see for the last time the face of the woman who had been the Temple of God. He went with the other apostles to the tomb, which they opened. But to their surprise, they found it empty—only hearing an angelic concert! Mary herself appeared to them then and confirmed the fact of her Assumption into heaven.

—Taken from “Byzantine Daily Worship”

THE LITURGICAL OFFICE OF THE PARACLISIS

There is a liturgical office called Paraclisis or Prayer of Consolation. It is recited or solemnly chanted during the 15 days preceding the celebration of the Dormition-Assumption of Mary on August 15. As the Acathist Hymn is the prayer extolling the glory of divinization of humanity, the Paraclisis is the prayer of sighing or groaning over our misery and sin.

In Paraclisis, we enumerate all the evils and aches and pains of life. The prayer describes the diseases of our body and soul, of wars and natural disasters that beset us every day of our life. We cry to the Mother of the Lord that we are crucified “on a bed of suffering.” We find help and consolation forthcoming and sure only in her! She is the Mother of Mercy and Source of Healing.

The prayer does not mention or explain the origin or reason for these ills. They are facts of our daily life. After evil and death—there is resurrection! After sin and suffering—there is the brilliance of the Face of God!

Mary is the perfect example and paradigm of our own lives. For in her own life, she encountered ecstasy and joy at our Lord’s birth, but also suffered the horrible pain and sorrow of His crucifixion and death. Our Holy Mother encountered death and separation, and she passed to resurrection. After death, she entered beatitude.

Almost two thousand years ago, St. Paul declared that all pain and sorrow will be absorbed by resurrection. All is empty discourse if we do not talk about resurrection and see that resurrection with God is the final outcome of all sadness. God seems sometimes hidden—discretely watching our miseries—but He really is the one coming. He is the One who attracts us and reveals Himself to us in final resurrection!

This is the real end of our history; the achievement of our existence. Our choice and our faith, as well as the purpose of all our struggles and existence here on earth should only be for one goal. And that goal is to be with God for all eternity!

As a conclusion to the Office of Paraclisis, we pray:

Gracious Virgin, victory will come to those who put their trust in the
strength of your arm, for we sinners, who stoop with the weight of our sins,
have none before God to plead for us but you.
O Mother of God Most High, we bend our knees to you: deliver your
faithful servants from every kind of trouble.
You are joy to the distressed, you are strength to the oppressed,
you are food to those who sink into despair.
You console all the strangers, you support all the blind and you come and
visit all the sick. You are shelter to the weary,
you are comfort to the crushed,
you are heavenly assistance to the orphans.
You are the Mother of God Most High, and so we pray to you: hasten,
O Immaculate One, and save your faithful servants!
In you is all my hope, O Mother of God:
place me under the wings of your protection.

Words of Wisdom from St. Ambrose of Optina

“The Holy Eucharist is the first, most important, and greatest miracle of Christ. All the other Gospel miracles are secondary. How could we not call this the greatest miracle? For isn’t it a wondrous miracle that simple bread and wine were once transformed by the Lord into His very Body and His very Blood, and then is miraculously continued to be transformed for nearly two thousand years by the prayers of priests, who are but simple human beings?

“Even more is the fact that this mystery has continued to effect a miraculous and wonderful change in those people who consume this Divine Mystery with sincere faith, humility, and love!”

Last updated: 11-Aug-2007