Philippine Antiochian Orthodox Church

Philippine Antiochian Orthodox Church "...The Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." (Acts 11:26)

13/11/2022

St John Chrysostom

Feast day, Nov. 13

St. John Chrysostom enthroned
Our father among the saints John Chrysostom (347-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the fourth and fifth centuries in Syria and Constantinople. He is famous for his eloquence in public speaking, his philanthropy, his denunciation of abuse of authority in the Church and in the Roman Empire of the time, and for a Divine Liturgy attributed to him. He had notable ascetic sensibilities. After his death he was named Chrysostom, which comes from the Greek Χρυσόστομος, "golden-mouthed." The Orthodox Church honors him as a saint (feast day, November 13) and counts him among the Three Holy Hierarchs (feast day, January 30), together with Saints Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian. Another feast day associated with him is January 27, which commemorates the event in 437, thirty years after the saint's repose, when his relics were brought back to Constantinople from the place of his death.

John Chrysostom is also recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, which considers him a saint and Doctor of the Church, and by the Church of England, both of whom commemorate him on September 13. His relics were stolen from Constantinople by crusaders in 1204 and brought to Rome, but were returned on November 27, 2004, by Pope John Paul II.

He is sometimes referred to as "John of Antioch," but that name more properly refers to the bishop of Antioch in A.D. 429-441, who led a group of moderate Eastern bishops in the Nestorian controversy.

Life

He was born in Antioch of noble parents: his father was a high-ranking military officer. His father died soon after his birth and so he was brought up by his mother Anthusa. He was baptized in 370 and tonsured a reader (one of the minor orders of the Church). He began his education under a pagan teacher named Libanius, but went on to study theology under Diodore of Tarsus (one of the leaders of the later Antiochian School) while practising extreme asceticism. He was not satisfied, however, and became a hermit (circa 375) and remained so until poor health forced a return to Antioch.

He was then ordained a deacon in 381 by St. Meletius of Antioch, and was ordained a presbyter in 386 by Bishop Flavian I of Antioch. It seems this was the happiest period of his life. Over about twelve years, he gained much popularity for the eloquence of his public speaking. Notable are his insightful expositions of Bible passages and moral teaching. The most valuable of his works are his Homilies on various books of the Bible. He particularly emphasized almsgiving. He was also most concerned with the spiritual and temporal needs of the poor. He spoke out against abuse of wealth and personal property. In many respects, the following he amassed was no surprise. His straightforward understanding of the Scriptures (in contrast to the Alexandrian tendency towards allegorical interpretation) meant that the themes of his talks were eminently social, explaining the Christian's conduct in life.

Modern Greek icon
One incident that happened during his service in Antioch perhaps illustrates the influence of his sermons best. Around the time he arrived in Antioch, the bishop had to intervene with the Emperor St. Theodosius I on behalf of citizens who had gone on a riotous rampage in which statues of the Emperor and his family were mutilated. During the weeks of Lent in 387, John preached 21 sermons in which he entreated the people to see the error of their ways. These apparently had a lasting impression on the people: many pagans reportedly converted to Christianity as a result of them. In the event, Theodosius' vengeance was not as severe as it might have been, merely changing the legal standing of the city.

In late October of 397, he was called (somewhat against his will) to be the bishop of Constantinople. He deplored the fact that Imperial court protocol would now assign to him access to privileges greater than the highest state officials. During his time as bishop he adamantly refused to host lavish entertainments. This meant he was popular with the common people, but unpopular with the wealthy and the clergy. In a sermon soon after his arrival he said, "people praise the predecessor to disparage the successor." His reforms of the clergy were also unpopular with these groups. He told visiting regional preachers to return to the churches they were meant to be serving—without any pay out.

His time there was to be far less at ease than in Antioch. Theophilus, the Pope of Alexandria, wanted to bring Constantinople under his sway and opposed John's appointment to Constantinople. Being an opponent of Origen's teachings, he accused John of being too partial to the teachings of that master. Theophilus had disciplined four Egyptian monks (known as "the Tall Brothers") over their support of Origen's teachings. They fled to and were welcomed by John. He made another enemy in Aelia Eudoxia, the wife of the eastern Emperor Arcadius, who assumed (perhaps with justification) that his denunciations of extravagance in feminine dress were aimed at herself.

Coffin of St. John Chrysostom in Komani, Georgia
St. John was fearless when denouncing offences in high places. An alliance was soon formed against him by Eudoxia, Theophilus and other enemies of his. They held a synod in 403 to charge John, in which the accusation of Origenism was used against him. It resulted in his deposition and banishment. He was called back by Arcadius almost immediately, however, for the people of the city were very angry about his departure. There was also a "quaking" in the Imperial bedroom (thought to be either an actual earthquake or perhaps as a stillbirth or miscarriage for the empress) which was seen as a sign of God's anger. Peace was shortlived. A silver statue of Eudoxia was erected near the cathedral of Hagia Sophia. John denounced the dedication ceremonies. He spoke against her in harsh terms: "Again Herodias rages; again she is confounded; again she demands the head of John on a charger" (an allusion to the events surrounding the death of John the Forerunner). Once again he was banished, this time to Caucasus in Georgia.

The pope in Rome (Innocent I at this time) protested at this banishment, but to no avail. John wrote letters which still held great influence in Constantinople. As a result of this, he was further exiled to Pityus (on the eastern edge of the Black Sea). However, he never reached this destination, as he died during the journey. His final words were "Glory be to God for all things!"

12/11/2022

EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ACUMENS

Mustered by:

Archpriest Yitzhak PD Monsanto, Jr.

22nd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
And 7th SUNDAY OF LUKE

November 13, 2022

Today’s commemorated feasts and saints

St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (407). Stockholm Icon of the Mother of God. Martyrs Nikēphóros, Antoninus, and Germanus of Caesarea, in Palestine (308). Martyr Manetha (307-8). Monastic Martyr Damascene (1681).

FAITH BEYOND WORDS

by: Fr. Philip LeMasters, October 2018

What does it mean to have faith? What do we want from religion? What can we hope for from God? These are the kinds of questions that we tend to overlook because they threaten to take us out of our comfort zones. Many people do not want to think about “the big questions” too much because they can easily make us uncomfortable and require us to change what we believe and how we live. They call us into question.

In today’s gospel reading, the faith of Jairus and his wife was put to the ultimate test when Jesus Christ said of their daughter, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well…[and] Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” We do not know exactly what Jairus had believed about the Lord other than that he knelt before Him and asked Him to come to his house, where his daughter was dying. It was one thing to believe that this rabbi had the spiritual power to heal the sick, but probably something quite different to trust that He could raise the dead.

The gospel passage does not quote any of Jairus’ words. It does not tell us explicitly how he and his wife responded to the Lord’s challenge to believe that she would be returned to life and health. These events probably rocked them to the depths of their souls. Perhaps they could not find the words to respond to what was going on in that moment. But they had enough faith to go into their house with the One Who had promised to save their daughter if they believed and did not fear. Even though the mourning and weeping had already begun, they offered Him the faith of which they were capable at that moment. Their trust enabled them to receive a miracle well beyond all reasonable expectations.

The same is true of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money paying physicians who could not help her. Her malady was medically incurable at that time, and also made her ritually and socially unclean. The passage does not tell us just what she believed about Christ, but only that she reached out and touched the hem of His garment in a crowd so large that she hoped she could do so without drawing attention to herself. She must have had some level of faith that even that small gesture would open her to receive healing through Him. That is what happened, but when the Lord announced that someone had touched Him, she knew that her secret was out. That is when she “came trembling, and falling down before Him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.” When she openly confessed what Christ had done for her, He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Both the bleeding woman and Jairus faced circumstances so dark that they could not reasonably expect to be delivered from them. In the usual course of events, incurable chronic disease and death cannot be overcome. That these challenges were so profound is reflected by the fact that these characters speak so little in this passage. They did not use words to state clearly what they believed about Christ. The woman did not say anything until after she had been healed, which came through the only gesture of faith that she had the strength to make: secretly touching the hem of the Savior’s garment. And once she was healed, she spoke only after she had been found out. Though Jairus had asked Christ to come to his house where his daughter was dying, our gospel passage does not record him asking for her to be raised after her death. He and his wife probably struggled in stunned silence to believe that the Lord could fulfill such an astounding promise.

It is often difficult, if not impossible, to put into words our deepest fears, hopes, and loves. There are so many dimensions of life that are too profound for precise definitions. All the more is that the case for God, the infinitely holy “I AM” Who is beyond our knowledge and control. Orthodox theology teaches that we are completely ignorant of God’s essence, but know God as He has revealed Himself to us in His divine energies. While we may use words to make true statements about God, genuine spiritual knowledge requires participation in His life. That participation requires faith in the sense of opening and offering ourselves to Him from the depths of our souls. That kind of participation transforms us into “partakers of the divine nature” by grace as we become more like God in holiness.

In our epistle reading, Saint Paul described this fulfillment of the human person as becoming “a new creation.” He opposed the Judaizers who wanted Gentile converts to be circumcised in obedience to the Old Testament law before becoming Christians. As a former Pharisee and expert in Judaism, he knew that such practices do not conquer death or release people from bo***ge to sin. But through His Cross, the Savior has done precisely that and made it possible for us to participate personally in His eternal life. Not a matter of legal observance or having certain ideas or feelings about God, the healing of our souls comes through faith. That is how we pursue the journey to becoming more fully human in God’s image and likeness.

We may be tempted to think that faith is something we have already mastered, for hopefully, we believe the words we say in the Nicene Creed and in the prayers and worship of the Church. At some level, we have entrusted ourselves to Christ. But the goal of becoming “a new creation” is not one that we may ever say we have accomplished or completed. To become like God in holiness is an eternal, infinite journey. As St. Paul writes, it requires embracing a crucifixion of oneself in relation to the world. That means dying to the corrupting effects of sin in order to enter more fully into the new life of the risen Lord. Not much spiritual insight is required to see that we all have a long way to go on that journey.

Jairus and the bleeding woman remind us by their examples that we need faith much deeper than words, ideas, or feelings. To become “a new creation” in Christ, we must reach out to Him as best we can for the healing of our chronic and seemingly incurable diseases of soul and body. Even when all seems lost for us or our loved ones, we must struggle to obey the command: “Do not fear; only believe.”

We will probably lack the works to describe how the Lord is present and what He is doing in our darkest moments. Faith does not require complete rational comprehension; if it did, we would not call it faith. At the end of the day, faith is about uniting ourselves to Christ in His great Self-Offering on the cross. He did not conquer sin and death with ideas or words, but by offering up Himself purely out of love. If we are becoming “a new creation” in Him, then our lives must be characterized by sacrificial, trusting obedience from the depths of our souls, especially when despair seems to make much more sense than hope in the world as we know it. The clearer our spiritual vision becomes, the more we will see that faith requires something much deeper than knowing the right words or following the rules. It requires the humble trust of those who desperately want health instead of sickness, who want life instead of death. The Lord accepted the secret touch of the bleeding woman and the stunning obedience of Jairus. And He will accept our faith also if we simply do what we can to entrust our lives to Him from the depths of our souls and leave the rest in His hands.

Amen, amen, amen.

GOSPEL

Luke 8:41-56

41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[a] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

EPISTLE

Galatians 6:11-18

11See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!12As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.13For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.14But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.17From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.18Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

01/11/2022

Why Do We Include Saints In Our Prayers?

In our Prayer rule we can also ask the saints to intercede for us and to help us in our worldly struggles. Saints are those holy individuals who have died as martyrs, who have made a fearless confession of faith often with the threat of death, who have demonstrated self-sacrificing service, who have a special gift of healing and perform miracles after their death when remembered in prayer.

These holy people the Lord calls His friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:14-15)

They are those He has received in His heavenly mansions in fulfillment of His words: Where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:3) Instead of praying for forgiveness of their sins, we praise them for their struggles in Christ. We make petitions to them asking them to pray for us and the remission of our sins and spiritual growth, seeking their help in our spiritual needs.

The saints are near the Throne of God.

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, who praised the Lord. (Rev 5:11)

Our communion in prayer with the saints is the realization of the bond between Christians on earth and the Heavenly Church. (Heb 12:22-23)

Sacred scripture presents numerous examples that the righteous, while still living can see and hear and know much that is inaccessible to the ordinary understanding. The saints while they were still on earth we able to pe*****te in spirit into the world above.

From the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (luke 16:10-31) we know that Abraham being in heaven could hear the cry of the rich man who was suffering in hell, despite the great unbridgeable gulf that separates them.

The Church has always taught the invocation of the saints, convinced they intercede for us before God in heaven. Having a prayer relationship with a saint is another way that we can gain help in our spiritual path to salvation in the Church.

01/11/2022

PRAYING TO THE SAINTS

"We should seek the intercessions and the fervent prayers of the saints, because they have special 'boldness' (parresia), before God."
- Saint John Chrysostom

THROUGH THEIR INTERCESSIONS . . .

The Orthodox Church is a living and vibrant community of faithful Christians made up of the members of the Church militant and the church triumphant. The Church militant are those of us who are still part of this world, diligently striving to live our lives according to God's teachings and commandments. The Church triumphant are those individuals who have been called by God to be with Him in paradise and continue to pray for us.

Holiness or sainthood is a gift given by God to mankind through the Holy Spirit. Man's effort to become a participant in the life of divine holiness is indispensable, but sanctification itself is the work of the Holy Trinity, especially through the sanctifying power of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Kallistos Ware, a famous Orthodox Theologian, has stated that "in private, an Orthodox Christian is free to ask for the prayers of any member of the Church, whether canonized or not. It would be perfectly normal for an Orthodox child, if orphaned, to end his evening prayers by asking for the intercessions, not only of the Mother of God and the saints, but his own mother and father. In its public worship, however, the church usually prays only to those whom it has officially proclaimed as saints."

In the Orthodox Church there are six classifications of Saints:

1. The Apostles, who were the first ones to spread the message of the Incarnation of the Word of God and of salvation through Christ.
2. The Prophets, because they predicted and prophesied the coming of the Messiah.
3. The Martyrs, for sacrificing their lives and fearlessly confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.
4. The Fathers and Hierarchs of the Church, who excelled in explaining and defending, by word and deed, the Christian Faith.
5. The Monastics, who lived in the desert and dedicated themselves to spiritual exercise (askesis), reaching, as far as possible, perfection in Christ.
6. The Just, those who lived in the world, leading exemplary lives as clergy or laity with their families, becoming examples for imitation in society.

Each and every one among these saints has his or her own calling and characteristics: they all fought the "good fight for the faith" (I Tim. 6.12 and II Tim. 4.7). All of them applied in their lives the scriptural virtues of "justice, piety, fidelity, love, fortitude and gentleness" (I Tim. 6.11).

The ultimate goal of humankind is to imitate God and live the life of deification (theosis). Saint Maximos the Confessor describes saints as being men and women who have avoided the unnatural development of the soul, that is, sin, and tried to live the natural way of life, turning and looking always towards God, thus achieving total unity with God through the Holy Spirit. This is why we look to the example of their lives for strength and encouragement, and why we continue to pray to them to intercede on our behalf to our Lord.

The following is a list of Saints called upon for special purposes: *

To Have a Child

St. Anna, Mother of the Theotokos
St. Elizabeth, Mother of the Forerunner
St. Sabbas the Sanctified of Palestine
St. Irene Chrysovolantou

For Safe Childbirth

St. Eleftherios
For the Care & Protection of Infants
St. Stylianos

For Young People

Holy Great Martyr Demetrios the Wonderworker

Delivery from Sudden Death

St. Barbara the Great Martyr

Against Drinking

Holy Martyr Boniface & the Righteous Aglais

For Travelers

St. Nicholas: in general, & specifically for sea travel
St. John the Russian: for transport, auto, busses
St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople: for safety at sea

For Cobblers

St. Eustathius the Cobbler of Georgia

For Physicians

St. Panteleimon
The Holy Unmercenaries, Saints Cosmas & Damian

For the Kitchen, Home

St. Euphrosynos the Cook
St. Sergius of Radonezh: for baking
Sts. Spyridon & Nikodim of Kievo-Pechersk: Prosphora making

For Trading

St. Paraskeva

For Headaches

Holy New Martyr Demas of Smyrna

For Eyes

St. Paraskeva

For Ears

St. Spyridon the Wonderworker

For Teeth

St. Antipas of Pergamum

For Hernias & Intestinal Disorders

Holy Great Martyr Artemius
St. Artemius of Verkola

For Throat

St. Blaise of Sebastia

For Finding Employment

St. Xenia of St. Petersburg

For Help in Studies

The Three Hierarchs:

St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory the Theologian
St. Sergius of Radonezh
St. John of Kronstadt
St. Justin the Philosopher

For Church-Chanting

St. Romanos the Melodist

For Iconographers

St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist
St. John of Damascus

For Patient Endurance of Affliction

St. Job the Much-Suffering

Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastia: especially in freezing cold weather
Holy Forty-Two Martyrs of Amorion

For Protection Against Thieves

St. Gregory the Wonderworker of Kievo-Pechersk

For Stone-workers

Holy Martyrs Florus & Laurus

For Soldiers

Holy Archangel Michael
St. George the Great Martyr
St. Barbara the Great Martyr

For Spiritual Help, Consolation & Compunction

St. Ephraim the Syrian
St. Alexis the Man of God
St. Seraphim of Sarov

For a Good End to One's Life

Holy Archangel Michael
St. Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople

For Captives and Court Cases

St. Onouphrios the Great
St. Peter of Athos
St. George the Great Martyr

For Help in Distress, Poverty, Etc.

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
St. John the Almsgiver of Alexandria
St. John of Kronstadt

For Finding Things

St. Phanourios the Great Martyr
St. Menas the Great Martyr of Egypt

For Meeting a Difficult Situation, an Interview, Etc.

St. David the Prophet, Psalmist & King
The Holy Unmercenaries & Healers
SS. Cosmas & Damian of Rome
SS. Panteleimon & Hermolaus
St. Julian the Martyr
St. John of Kronstadt
St. Nectarios of Aegina
Holy Archangel Raphael

For Animals & Livestock

St. George: cattle & herds
St. Parthenius of Radovysdius: cattle
SS. Spevsippus, Elesippus & Melevsippus: horses
St. Tryphon: geese

For Protection of Crops from Pests

St. Michael of Synnada

For the Protection of Gardens Against Pests

Holy Great Martyr Tryphon: also for hunters and Patron of Moscow

Against Demons & Witchcraft

SS. Cyprian & Justina
St. Theodore Sykeote
St. Mitrophan of Voronezh

For Chastity & Help in Carnal Warfare

St. John the Forerunner
St. Demetrios the Great Martyr
St. John the Much-Suffering
Holy Martyr Theodore the Byzantine
Holy Martyr Ignatios of Athos
St. Mary of Egypt
St. Joseph the All-Comely
St. Susanna [Old Testament]

For Mental Disorders

St. Naum of Ochrid
St. Anastasia
St. Gerasimos of Cephalonia: the possessed

Against Plague

St. Haralambos
St. Marina the Great Martyr

For Help Against Quick-Temper & Despondency

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

For Workers in Hospitals

Holy Unmercenaries Saints Cosmas & Damian
St. Dositheus, Disciple of Abba Dorotheus

For Guilelessness & Simplicity

Holy Apostle Nathaniel & St. Paul the Simplicity.

* Reprinted from Orthodox Family Life. Volume 3, Issue 3. Spring 1998

St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church
Orange, Connecticut

31/10/2022

ORTHODOX CHURCH COMMEMORATION OF ALL SAINTS AND ALL SOULS

All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are known or unknown.

From the 4th century, feasts Commemorating all Christian martyrs were held in various places, on various dates near Easter and Pentecost. In the 9th century, some churches in the British Isles began holding the commemoration of all saints on 1 November, and in the 9th century this was extended to, the whole Catholic church by Pope Gregory IV.

In Western Christianity, it is still celebrated on 1 November by the Roman Catholic Church as well as many Protestant churches, as the Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist traditions. The Eastern Orthodox Church and associated Eastern Catholic and Eastern Lutheran churches celebrate it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. The Church of the East and the Syro-Malabar Church and Chaldean Catholic Church, the latter of which is in communion with Rome, celebrates All Saints' Day on the first Friday after Easter Sunday. In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, All Saints' Day is on Nayrouz, celebrated on September 11. The day is both the start of the Coptic new year and its first month, Thout.

Lest it is misunderstood, in the Orthodox Christian Churches, the commemoration of all souls is made on several days throughout the year, usually on Saturdays.

Saturday of Souls (or Soul Saturday) is a day set aside for the commemoration of the dead within the liturgical year of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Saturday is a traditional day of prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in the Tomb on Saturday.

These days are devoted to prayer for departed relatives and others among the faithful who would not be commemorated specifically as saints. The Divine Services on these days have special hymns added to them to commemorate the departed. There is often a Panikhida (Memorial Service) either after the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning or after Vespers on Friday evening, for which Koliva (a dish made of boiled wheatberries or rice and honey) is prepared and placed on the Panikhida table. After the Service, the priest blesses the Koliva. It is then eaten as a memorial by all present.

Another Memorial Day, Radonitsa, does not fall on a Saturday, but on either Monday or Tuesday of the second week after Pascha (Easter). Radonitsa does not have special hymns for the dead at the Divine Services. Instead, a Panikhida will follow the Divine Liturgy, and then, all will bring paschal foods to the cemeteries to greet the departed with the joy of the Resurrection.

SCHEDULE

- The Saturday of Meatfare Week (the second Saturday before Great Lent)
- The second Saturday of Great Lent
- The third Saturday of Great Lent
- The fourth Saturday of Great Lent
- Radonitsa (Monday or Tuesday after St. Thomas Sunday, i.e. Second Sunday of Easter)
- The Saturday before Pentecost
- Intercession Saturday (the Saturday before the Intercession Day, i.e. 1 October).
- Demetrius Saturday (the Saturday before the feast of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki, i.e. 26 October).

OBSERVANCE BY JURISDICTION

Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics

All Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics observe Soul Saturdays on Meatfare Saturday (i.e., two Saturdays before the beginning of Great Lent); the second, third and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent; and the Saturday before Pentecost.

Bulgarian Orthodox Church

In the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, there is a commemoration of the dead on the Saturday before the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel on 8 November instead of the Demetrius Soul Saturday.

Russian Orthodox Church

The Russians observe memorials on Commemoration Day of Deceased Warriors (9 May), Memorial Day of Orthodox Warriors killed for Faith, Tzar and Fatherland on battlefield (11 September), the Saturdays closest to 26 October (Saint Demetrius) and 23 September (Conception of St. John the Forerunner).

Serbian Orthodox Church

In the Serbian Orthodox Church, there is also a commemoration of the dead on the Saturday closest to the Conception of St. John the Baptist—23 September.

Slavic and Greek Churches

In Slavic and Greek Churches, all of the Lenten Soul Saturdays are typically observed. In some of the Churches of the Eastern Mediterranean, Meatfare Saturday, Radonitsa and the Saturday before Pentecost are typically observed.

Orthodox Memorial Service

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.

The choir of Saints has found the fountain of life and the door of Paradise. May I also find the way through repentance. I am the lost sheep: O Savior, call me back and save me.

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.

Of old, You created me from nothing and honored me with Your divine image. But when I disobeyed Your commandment, You returned me to the earth from which I was taken. Lead me back again to Your likeness, so that the ancient beauty may be refashioned.

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
I am an image of Your ineffable glory, though I bear the scars of my transgressions. Take pity on me, the work of Your hands, Master, and cleanse me by Your compassion. Grant me the desired homeland for which I long, making me again a citizen of Paradise.

People: Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.

Give rest, O God, to Your servant(s), and place him (her, them) in Paradise where the choirs of the Saints and the righteous, O Lord, will shine as the stars of heaven. To Your departed servant(s) give rest, O Lord, overlooking all his (her, their) offenses.

People: Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Let us devoutly praise the threefold radiance of the one God as we sing: Holy are You, the Father without beginning, the co-eternal Son, and the divine Spirit. Illumine us who worship You in faith and deliver us from the eternal fire.

People: Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, gracious Lady, who gave birth to God in the flesh for the salvation of all, and through whom the human race has found salvation. Through you, pure and blessed Theotokos, may we find Paradise.

People: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to You O God. (3)

Tone Eight

People: With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul(s) of Your servant(s) where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting.
Tone Four

People: Among the spirits of the righteous perfected in faith, give rest, O Savior, to the soul(s) of Your servant, keeping it (them) in the blessed life which is from You, O loving One.

People: In your place of rest, O Lord, where all Your saints repose, give rest also to the soul of Your servant, for You alone are immortal.

People: Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

People: You are our God who descended into Hades and loosened the pains of those who were held captive. Grant rest also, O Savior, to the soul of Your servant.

Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

You the only pure and spotless Virgin, who ineffably gave birth to God, intercede for mercy and forgiveness of the soul of your servant(s).

Priest: Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.

People: Lord, have mercy. (3)

Priest: Again we pray for the repose of the soul(s) of the departed servant(s) of God (Name) and for the forgiveness of all his (her, their) sins, both voluntary and involuntary.

People: Lord, have mercy. (3)

Priest: May the Lord God grant his (her, their) soul(s) rest where the righteous repose. For the mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the forgiveness of his (her, their) sins.

People: Grant this, O Lord.

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O God of spirits and of all flesh, You trampled upon death and abolished the power of the devil, giving life to Your world. Give rest to the soul(s) of Your departed servant(s) (Name) in a place of light, in a place of green pasture, in a place of refreshment, from where pain, sorrow, and sighing have fled away. As a good and loving God, forgive every sin he (she, they) has (have) committed in word, deed, or thought, for there is no one who lives and does not sin. You alone are without sin. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your word is truth.

Priest: For You are the resurrection, the life, and the repose of Your departed servant(s) (Name), Christ our God, and to You we offer glory, with Your eternal Father who is without beginning and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

The Dismissal

Priest: Glory to You, O God, our hope, glory to You.

Lord of the living and the dead, the immortal King and Risen Christ, our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and spotless holy Mother; of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy Apostles; of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers; of the holy and glorious forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; of His holy and righteous friend Lazaros, who lay in the grave four days; and of all the saints; place the soul(s) of His servant(s) (Name), departed from us, in the dwelling place of the righteous; give rest to him (her, them) in the bosom of Abraham; and number him (her, them) among the saints and have mercy on us, as a good God who loves mankind.

People: Amen.

Priest: May your memory be eternal, brother worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)

For Women

Priest: May your memory be eternal, sister worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)

For Many

Priest: May their memories be eternal, sisters and brothers worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)

People: Eternal be his (her, their) memory. Eternal be his (her, their) memory. May his (her, their) memory be eternal. (3)

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us.

People: Amen.

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Caloocan
1424

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Friday 9am - 6pm
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