Saturday, May. 23 – 5th All-Souls Saturday
9:30 AM 5th All-Souls Divine Liturgy
5:00 PM Mission Divine Liturgy at St. Raphael’s
Sunday, May. 24 – Pentecost Sunday
8:00 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy
Monday, May. 25 – Pentecost Monday
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
6:30 PM Pentecost Monday Divine Liturgy
Wednesday, May. 27 – Therapont, Bishop & Martyr
8:30 AM Morning Prayer
6:30 PM Divine Liturgy
7:30 PM Firepit Social
Saturday, May. 30 – Isaac Venerable
5:00 PM Mission Divine Liturgy at St. Raphael’s
Sunday, May. 31 – Sunday of All Saints
8:00 AM Matins
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy: Sunday of All Saints
*Add first names to this prayer service by emailing niemirick@gmail.com
St. Mary’s: Sundays 8:45 AM or by appointment St. Raphael’s: Saturdays 4:15 PM or by appointment
(Please resubmit or submit names to admin@ByzantineLA.com)
The Carlin Family, Michael Hefferon, Shirley Kunze, Diana Mina, Michael Mina, Peter Mina, Fr. John Mina, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Shannon O’Neill, Fern Bonowicz, Stephen Petach, Jenny Roman, Nicolese Salazar, and All the sick and suffering of St. Mary’s
Collection: $1,237.00; Online: $720.00; Santa Paula: $1,712.08; Church Improvments: $200.00; Candles: $23.00; Holydays: $200.00; Parish Social: $5.00; Building Fund: $15.00;
Total: $4,112.08/ Attendance – PSM: 83 SRM: 85
“Whoever follows me will not walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” The Holy Spirit is our light and life. The Church is strengthened by those servants filled with the Spirit, whose life of prayer and service brings light and life to the world. Is the Holy Spirit guiding you to this life as a priest, deacon, monk or nun? Call the Vocations Office at 602-861-9778 or email: vocations@ephx.org
The Descent of the Spirit came with a great wind that rushed through the building, and tongues of fire danced on the heads of the disciples. This event, at nine o’clock in the morning, is commemorated every day in the Divine Office at the Third Hour. As a result of the descent of the Holy Spirit, Saint Peter is transformed and he begins his preaching ministry in the street outside of the house, and thousands are converted to faith in Jesus as the Son of God and the true Messiah of Israel.
All Pentecost icons show Our Lady in the upper part, just off-center. She is the one who prayed with the apostles and disciples, and this is her last appearance in the bible. She will step aside to let the apostles and disciples undertake their preaching ministry to save souls. The apostles are in a semi-circle, showing their unity in the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is at the top, as a dove, with rays of fire coming forth. Many icons have an empty space in the center, where Christ would sit. Instead, His invisible presence is shown by the small gap in the altar or seats. Most icons also show a large black opening at the bottom center, with a king in the center. The king is “Cosmos”, a crowned man who represents the universe. The Gospel is to be carried out to all nations, to the cosmos itself. The Gospel is for everyone. With the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples are able to launch out into the known world, and shortly enough to go beyond the boundaries and trade routes of the Roman and Persian empires as they carry the Good News to all peoples. Within the first generation of Christians, the Faith was carried all the way to India!
On Pentecost, we kneel down while the priest kneels at the Royal Doors and sings “Heavenly King” once, and we repeat it two more times, just like the Easter Troparion. We kneel in humility, waiting for the Spirit of God to descend upon us. Through the gift of sacred time, kairos, we are lifted out of our daily time, chronos, and so we are present in the Upper Room with Mary and the rest of the apostles and disciples, and we are able to partake in the Spirit’s gifts. The Prophet Isaiah listed these gifts for us in chapter 11, verses 2-3: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.”
Read the rest of this article in this week’s email or at ephx.org
This is the last week left before the end of the Bishop’s Appeal. We’ve donated $20,550.30 toward our goal of $24,500. You can give to the appeal online by going to the “Donation” page at www.ephx.org. Please make sure you identify the parish or the mission as the recipient of your generosity.
Thank you so much to the following parishioners who have given this year: Alig, Ariss, Brunet, Clemens, Cook, Healy, Herrera, Horey, Kieselhorst, Klein, Koman Keogh, Kopcho, Martini, Matthews, Michnya, Mina, Nelson, O’Loughlin, Parrot, Petach, Reichert, Schoelen, Varga, Weitzel, Wiggins, Zimmerman
We have received GCU Magazines for the new quarter. They are on a table in the Narthex. Feel free to take one home!
Sunday, May 24 –
