Saturday, Apr. 6 – Bright Saturday
5:00 PM Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy
5:30 PM Reader Vespers
Sunday, Apr. 7 – Thomas Sunday
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
Monday, Apr. 8 – Herodian & Others, Apostles
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
Tuesday, Apr. 9 – Eupsychius, Martyr
5:30 PM Akathist* for those suffering Addictions & Mental Illness
Wednesday, Apr. 10 – Terence & Others, Martyrs
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
6:30 PM Divine Liturgy
7:30 PM Firepit Social
Saturday, Apr. 13 – Artemon, Priest-Martyr
5:00 PM Santa Paula Outreach Divine Liturgy
Sunday, Apr. 14 – Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearers
8:30 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
*Add first names to this prayer service by emailing niemirick@gmail.com
St. Mary’s: Sundays 8:45 AM or by appointment
Santa Paula: Saturdays 4:15 PM or by appointment
(Please resubmit or submit names to admin@ByzantineLA.com)
The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr. John Mina, Mila Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, Carolina Chirdon, All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s
Collection: $948.00; Santa Paula: $945.00; Online: $155.00; Candles: $51.00; Parish Socials: $39.00; Holydays: $120.00; Bishop’s Appeal: $20.00
Total: $2,278.00 / Attendance – PSM: 70 SPO: 80
The Sunday after Easter, called the Second Sunday, is thus the eighth day of the paschal celebration, the last day of Bright Week. It is therefore called the Antipascha, and it was only on this day in the early church that the newly-baptized Christians removed their robes and entered once again into the life of this world.
In the Church services the stress is on the Apostle Thomas’ vision of Christ and the significance of the day comes to us in the words of the gospel:
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:27-29)
We have not seen Christ with our physical eyes nor touched his risen body with our physical hands, yet in the Holy Spirit we have seen and touched and tasted the Word of Life (I John 1:1-4), and so we believe.
At each of the daily services until Ascension Day we sing the Easter Troparion. At each of the Sunday services beginning with Antipascha, we sing the Easter canon and hymns, and repeat the celebration of the “first day of the week” on which Christ rose from the dead. At all of the liturgies the epistle readings are taken from the Book of Acts telling us of the first Christians who lived in communion with the Risen Lord. All of the gospel readings are taken from the Gospel of St. John, considered by many to be a gospel written particularly for those who are newly-baptized into the new life of the Kingdom of God through death and new birth in Christ, in the name of the Holy Trinity. The reason for this opinion is that all of the “signs”, as the miracles in St. John’s Gospel are called, deal with sacramental themes involving water, wine and bread. Thus, each of the Sundays after Thomas Sunday with the exception of the third, is dedicated to the memory of one of these “signs”.
By Fr. Thomas Hopko
“If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven…” The priestly life is a beautiful way to bring forgiveness to this world. Is God calling you or someone that you know to consider this life, other holy orders, or the monastic life of prayer, fasting and almsgiving? Contact the Vocations Office at 206-329-9219 or email: vocations@ephx.org
Saturday, April 6 –
