Verily, the Angel came to the tomb and said to the myrrh-bearing women, "the ointment is meet for the dead,

But Christ is shown to be remote from corruption. But cry ye, 'The Lord is risen, granting the world the Great Mercy.'"

Great and Holy Pascha

Easter Day April 8, 2018

ABOUT THE LITURGICAL MUSIC THIS MORNING

undreds of masses have been written both before and after 1855, the year of Charles Gounod’s Solemn Mass for St. Cecilia—the patroness of musicians. And yet in terms of lyrical beauty, The St. Cecilia Mass ranks as one the great accomplishments in West-

ern music. It seems near perfect in its sincerity and in its joy and awe. During his lifetime Gounod was one of the leading composers in France, known mainly

for his operas. Nevertheless, it was his Solemn Mass for St. Cecilia, both composed and premi-ered in 1855, that solidified his reputation as a composer. In truth, Gounod’s expertise with opera clearly lent this mass some wonderfully dramatic effects in the conveying of the sacred text.

Gounod’s devotion to his faith increased in 1840, when he won the coveted Prix de Rome for composition, which allowed him to live for a time in Rome. He found inspiration there in the extraordinary religious paintings of Michelangelo and in the music of Palestrina and other 16th Century Church composers. When Gounod returned to Paris, his deepening faith led him to seminary studies at Saint-Sulpice. He considered becoming a priest and, for a time, even re-ferred to himself as “Abbé Gounod.” He was also deeply moved by authors like Goethe (espe-cially his Faust), and by the sumptuous French poetry of Lamartine. These two muses; faith and romanticism, bring an enchanting juxtaposition to much of Gounod’s music. The Mass exempli-fies the characteristic beauty of his works, and their simple, forthright expression.

Gounod’s pious expression in his St. Cecilia Mass was no mere posturing, but an au-thentic expression of faith. This is a sublime example of the Romantic ecclesiastical style. The Kyrie begins somberly with a plaintive 7-note motif suggesting plainchant, that grows out of the silence, gradually adding more instruments and a counter-line, and finally, the choir. This reflective reverence soon transforms into a sweetly tender plea to the Heavens with an arpeggiated accompaniment. The musical tension builds for a time over a sustained pedal note and then releases in a colossal, liberating cadence—one of Gounod’s most effectively dramatic and signature techniques.

From quietude, through a buildup of joy and passion, and then concluding with an in-spired tranquility—again, echoing the 16th century masters--Gounod’s Mass journeys through some extraordinary musical episodes. The Gloria and Credo are the cornerstones of the Mass and among the most stunning pieces of all liturgical music. An expression of ebullient adora-tion, the Gloria draws upon the music of Gounod’s predecessors Bach and Handel. The musical variety is wonderful, especially in the lyric middle section’s rich solos for tenor, bass, and sopra-no. With a return to the first section, the Gloria ends with a magnificent Amen.

In the incomparable Credo, Gounod joyfully proclaims his faith. The splendid use of voices in unison boldly proclaims the faith of the entire Church. In the middle section (Et incar-natus and Et resurrexit), the chorus parts are splintered into extra layers, with passages suggesting fantastical and mysterious wonderment.

The Offertory is a lush orchestral interlude, a gentle contrast to all that precedes and follows it.

In the poetic Sanctus, Gounod gives the solo tenor a sublime two-phrase melody fol-lowed by a half-bar of instrumental stillness. Gounod’s ability to adorn such a sensuous song so humbly brings a sense of deep contentment.

The Benedictus is a lovely hymn, reminiscent of 16th Century masters, simple and forthright. The Agnus Dei then finishes the Mass with three cries for mercy interspersed with vocal solos pre-echoing the Communion prayer “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof….”, quietly ending with a plea for peace.

Upon its premiere, Saint-Saëns was in attendance and very aptly exclaimed: “The ap-pearance of the Messe Saint-Cécile caused a kind of shock. This simplicity, this grandeur, this serene light which rose before the musical world like a breaking dawn, troubled people enor-mously… at first one was dazzled, then charmed, then conquered.”

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Great and Holy Pascha Commonly called Easter Day

“THE QUEEN OF FEASTS”

RINCE of light and champion of God’s warfare against the power of darkness, Jesus has triumphed! “Christ has risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. . .As in Adam all die, so in

Christ all will be made to live” (I Cor. 15:20, 22). His death purchased life for every sinner who has added or will add pain to the wounds and thirst and desolation of Christ. All human beings were adopted as children of God and joint heirs with Christ, and no one is any longer excluded from heaven by the Fall of Adam or by personal repented sin. Heaven is open again to those who will have it. Christ’s victory is the victory of all mankind. The new creation has dawned. Jesus in His transformed humanity is, in germ, the world redeemed. He is the vital road along which Christians continue the victorious battle for souls. And the Sacraments feed divine life into the purchased souls of Christ’s members.

PRELUDE Adagietto from the 5th Symphony Gustav Mahler ENTRANCE HYMN Easter Hymn Hymn Insert VIDI AQUAM (a reminder of our Baptismal vows) Joseph Gruber ¶The words of the Vidi aquam antiphon, have a double allusion: the first to Ezekiel's vision (see verse 47 in the book of the same name) and the second to the water and blood that flowed from Christ's body when His side was pierced by a lance.

This symbolism is even furthered by the first ceremonial action of the celebrant when he sprinkles the foot of the altar, which mystically represents the body of Christ and from whose Passion, Death and Resurrection our salvation has been obtained—which the sacrificial stone continues through the supernatu-ral life it gives to souls.

SAW WATER coming forth from the temple on the right side, alleluia: and all those to whom this water came were saved, and shall say, alleluia, alleluia.

Ps. Give praise to the Lord. For His mercy endureth forever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. I saw water…

V. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us. Alleluia. R. And grant us thy salvation. Alleluia. V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come unto thee. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit.

COLLECT R. Amen.

INTROIT (KNEEL) Resurrexi Ps. 138:18, 5-6 ¶We kneel and listen to the Schola Cantorum chant the Entrance Song in the ancient music of the Western Church—Gregorian plainsong—while the priest and his ministers quietly say their prepara-tion prayers.

AROSE and am still with Thee, alleluia; Thou hast laid Thy hand upon me, alleluia; Thy knowledge is become wonderful, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. Lord,

Thou hast searched Me and known Me; Thou knowest my sitting down and My rising up. V. Glory be to the Father . . . I arose. (repeat)

KYRIE (KNEEL, Missal pg. 12) Charles F. Gounod

Messe solennelle en l’honneur de Sainte-Cécile—The ST. CECILIA MASS ¶ We plead for mercy before we celebrate the Feast and receive the Sacred Gifts of Christ’s Body and Blood. The Choir sings in Greek the Kyrie eleison while the priest offers incense as a symbol of the prayer of the faithful rising to heaven. This symbolism is seen in Psalm 140, verse 2: "Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight: the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice." It is also a sign of honor to persons and things used several times in the Mass.

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. [Text of Kyrie & Gloria, pg. 12-13 in the Missal]

GLORIA (SIT, Missal pg. 12) Gounod ¶ While the Gloria is being sung by the choir, we sit and listen, meditating on the words of the hymn which begins with the very words of the Angels’ hymn of praise at Bethlehem on Christmas night. It is a hymn of praise to the Blessed Trinity and, in its present form, chiefly to the glory of God the Son.

lory be to God on high. And on earth peace, to men of good will. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O

Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Jesus Christ, with the Ho-ly Ghost, ✠ art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

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COLLECT (STAND) R. Amen. ¶ In the Collect the priest summarizes the aspirations and petitions suggested by the feast or mystery that is being celebrated in order to present them to God in our name. THE EPISTLE (SIT) chanted by the Sub-Deacon I Cor. 5:7-8

Just before the Paschal Feast, the Israelites removed all leavened bread from their houses and lived for eight days on unleavened bread. In the Old Testament days, leaven was a symbol of sin. Christ’s death and resurrection were meant to begin a new era of sinlessness and sincerity.

GRADUAL Chanted by the Schola Cantorum Ps. 117:24, 1 This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. V. Give praise unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.

ALLELUIA I Cor. 5:7 Alleluia, alleluia. V. Christ our Pasch is immolated.

SEQUENCE (SIT) Victimæ Paschali Laudes Pietro Alessandro Yon Christians, to the Paschal victim

offer your thankful praises!

A lamb the sheep redeemeth: Christ, who only is sinless,

reconcileth sinners to the Father.

Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: the Prince of life, who died,

reigns immortal.

Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest, wayfaring:

"The tomb of Christ, who is living,

the glory of Jesus' resurrection;

"Bright angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting.

"Yea, Christ my hope is arisen;

to Galilee he will go before you."

Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining;

have mercy, victor King, ever reigning! Amen. Alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL (STAND) Mark 16:1-7 Jesus had been buried in haste, without proper anointing. Risen, He left an angel to tell the frightened women that it was not robbery but the miracle of His resurrection that had emptied the tomb.

¶ The singing of the Gospel is surrounded with some ceremony. It is listened to while standing out of reverence for our Lord’s words; a procession is formed to go to sing it to the congregation. Before begin-ning to sing it, the deacon censes the Book of the Gospels; at the end of the Gospel lesson the celebrant reverently kisses the book before being censed himself. SERMON (SIT) Rt. Rev. Msgr. John Mangels, pastor NICENE CREED (SIT, Missal pg. 15) Gounod ¶ The Credo is a striking confession of faith in opposition to the great heresies that the Church has had to combat. While the Choir boldly proclaims the Orthodox Christian Faith with great fervor in this

setting of the Mass by Gounod, we sit and listen, meditating on the articles of our Faith.

believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his

Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pi-late; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resur-rection of the dead, and the life ✠ of the world to come. Amen.

The Mass of the Faithful

OFFERTORY chanted by the Schola Cantorum Ps. 75: 9-10 The earth trembled and was still when God arose in judgment, alleluia.

¶ With the oblation, or offertory of the bread and wine, the celebrant begins the Mystery of the Holy Mass. VOLUNTARY (SIT) OFFERTOIRE Gounod

During the VOLUNTARY, an OFFERING will be received. Your gener-ous contribution insures the continuance of this fine program. It is ONLY through the kind offerings of our parishioners, friends, and ben-efactors that we are able to continue to offer musical presentations like this glorious Easter Mass.

PRAYER FOR ACCEPTANCE OF THE SACRIFICE Missal pg. 21 SECRET COLLECT

We beseech Thee, O Lord, accept the prayers of Thy people together with the Sacrifice they offer, that what has been begun by the Paschal Mysteries, by Thy working may profit us unto eternal healing. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth…

SURSUM CORDA & PASCHAL PREFACE (STAND) Missal pg.22, 27 SANCTUS (KNEEL) [Text: Missal pg. 33] Gounod ¶ We kneel and listen as the Choir sings Gounod’s famous setting of the words sung by the Angels and the entire court of Heaven before the Presence of God (Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8). The priest quiet-ly begins The Canon or Eucharistic (Great Thanksgiving) Prayer of the Mass.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest.

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THE CANON OF THE MASS (KNEEL) Missal pg. 35 ¶ While the Choir sings the Sanctus, the Celebrant quietly begins the Canon which translates to "measuring stick" in Greek. It starts with the three remembrances: first, for the church, in which we ask God to accept and bless our gifts through His Son Jesus Christ; second, for the living, in which we pray for protection and peace in His Church; third, offering up to God those offering the Mass, includ-ing all those present, the angels and saints, and the Mother of God.

The priest then begins the offering prayer while holding his hands over the chalice with his thumbs overlapped in a cross, representing the sins of the world that Christ took upon Himself. In times before the new and everlasting covenant, a similar gesture was made over the lambs and other victims of sacrifice at the altar of God. THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION Missal pg. 40 ¶ In the hushed silence of the Church, the priest utters the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, changing bread and wine into His precious Body and Blood. In taking the bread and wine, the priest mystically performs the first of the four actions that Christ performed in the Mass. (He: 1. took bread, 2. blessed it, 3. broke it, and 4. gave it.) Bread is now taken and set apart for this sacrifice and for the use of Christ alone, just as the priest is a man who has been taken and set apart for the use of Christ, serving as His icon and image. We approach this “setting apart” with profound reverence, for acting through the priest, Christ himself — with the cooperation of the Holy Ghost — takes what is ordinary and changes it into His True, Divine Body and Blood. POST-ELEVATION Benedictus qui venit Gounod ¶ After the Gifts of bread and wine have been consecrated and have become the Body and Blood of Christ, the Choir sings the words the crowd cried to Jesus at his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mt 21:9), modeled after Psalm 118:25. Now He is welcomed, mystically present upon our Altar.

Blessed ✠ is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. THE LORD’S PRAYER (STAND) Missal pg. 44 AGNUS DEI (KNEEL) [Text: Missal pg. 46] Gounod ¶ The Choir sings the Agnus Dei. Throughout both Testaments of the Bible, our Lord is referred to in prophecy and in fact as the "Lamb of God". Before the New and Everlasting Covenant, lambs were used for sacrificial offerings. As humans would sacrifice lambs, God Himself graciously gave us His only Son as a sacrifice for our redemption.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; but speak the word only and my soul will be healed. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; but speak the word only and my soul will be healed. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.

It is a sad consequence of the divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend a general invitation to receive Holy Communion. Our non-Orthodox friends and visitors are invit-ed to receive the BLESSED BREAD of fellowship and the blessing of the priest. Come to the rail and bow your head. We pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all Christians. COMMUNION VERSE chanted by the schola cantorum I Cor. 5:7-8

Christ our Pasch is immolated, alleluia: therefore let us feast with the un-leavened bread of sincerity and truth, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

COMMUNION MOTET Ecce Panis Angelorum Alexandre Guilmant

Hail, angelic Bread of Heaven, O Good Shepherd, still confessing Now the pilgrim’s hoping-leaven, Love, in spite of our transgressing,— Yea, the Bread to children given Here Thy blessed Food possessing, That to dogs must not be thrown: Make us share Thine every blessing In the figures contemplated, In the land of life and love: ‘Twas with Isaac immolated, Thou, whose power hath all completed By the Lamb ‘twas antedated, And Thy Flesh as Food hath meted, In the Manna it was known. Make us, at Thy table seated, By Thy Saints, as friends be greeted, In Thy paradise above.

Thomas Aquinas 1264 POSTCOMMUNION COLLECT (STAND) DISMISSAL AND BLESSING (KNEEL)

LAST GOSPEL (STAND) John 1:1-14 HYMN Ellacombe Hymn Insert RECESSIONAL CHRIST TRIUMPHANT P. A. Yon

Rejoice, good Christians, raise the strain; Refrain: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

The Crucified is risen: This holiest day, sing high, sing low, The soldier guard was all in vain; And let the merry anthem flow

The Lord hath burst His prison; Benedicamus Domino. Alleluia. Seal, napkin, earthquake, moon by night

Bear witness, with the angles bright, To Jesus’ Resurrection, To Jesus’ Resurrection. O mighty Conquer in the strife,

Thine enemies be scattere’d: Thy springing forth from death to life

The gates of hell hath shatter’d: From Pharaoh’s yoke this victory

Hath set they captive people free: Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna in the highest. Refrain

from “Songs of Syon” G. R. Woodward, M.A.

MUSIC SPONSORS SERAPHIM

Mrs. Marjorie E. Eddy Rt. Rev’d Monsignor John A. Mangels

CHERUBIM Annonymous ARCHANGELS

Mr. Donald Johnson, Mrs. Pauline Dole, Dr. Alexandra Eddy, Mr. Francis E. Slechta, Mr. & Mrs. Ray Rendoff, Mr. & Mrs. John D. Wright

GIFTS

Mr. Willard D. Crakes, Mr. Shawn Trujillio, Ms. Marian Rubey, Mr. & Mrs. Carig Michaels, The Benedictine Fellowship of St. Laurence, Miss Virginia Toms

EASTER FLOWER OFFERING

LEGREUES’ FLOWERERS for Easter Decorations Special thanks to Anne VanVors for all of the floral arrangements

MEMORIALS

In memory of Delfine from Eva Bueno In memory of Baby Sumner from Dave and Dori Sumner

In memory of Monika from Ashley Collier Oxandale In memory of Mathias from Judy Jarrett

In memory of Mathias, Peter, Regina, Dennis Lily, Denise, William, Joel, Ella, Walter, Robert Donald from Mike and Debbie Braun

In memory of Eulalia (Lily) Calderon, Joseph Charles Dole; Joel Levitt, Edwin, Ruth and Irene Jostmeyer, Richard and Eileen Rendoff; Kerry, Caroline, Joanne and Charles

from Patty & Ray Rendoff In memory of Louis, Hazel & Wallace Roberts from Mr. & Mrs. Neville Gaggiani

In memory of Paul, Irene, Stuart and Ruth from Paulene Dole In memory of the Anne, Robert, Elizabeth, Margaret, Donald, Dana from Anne Emmons

In memory of Robert Jostmeyer from Patty Rendoff

THANK OFFERINGS To the Glory of God and in Thanksgiving from Alexandra Eddy

In thanksgiving for our many blessings from Shawn Trujillio In thanksgiving for the ministry of Msgr. John Mangels from Ray & Patty Rendoff

THE AMBROSIAN CH ORISTERS

Sopranos Cyrissa Anderson*, Jovhanna Anderson, Jackie Huttenhoff, Karen Mize, Sarah Roth,

Mackenzie Talley+ Altos

Meghan Dawson, Shirene DePaul, Patricia Gaggiani, Claire LeBorgne Tenors

Neville Gaggiani, Leandro Lacava §, John Ostlund, Ryan Wright, Joshua Zabatta* Basses

Jeff McLendon*, Todd Resseguie, Jim Senna, Gregory Storkan, John Wright

* soloists in the “St. Cecilia Mass” + soloist in “Victimae Paschali Laudes”

§ soloist in “Ecce Panis Angelorum”

THE SAINT AUGUSTINE CHAMBE R PLAYERS

Violin Reinier Knetsch, concertmaster Lynne Glaeske Alexandra Eddy Christine Short

Viola Donald Schumacher Summer Rhodes

Cello Richard von Foerster George Banks

Double Bass Jason Thompson

Winds Valerie Johnson, Flute Kimberly Brody, Oboe

Percussion Peter Cooper, Tympani Mark Foster, Piatto e Gran Cassa

Donald Hilsberg, Harp Francis E. Slechta, Conductor Richard Robertson, Organist

SAINT AUGUSTINE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH A Gregorian-Latin Rite Parish

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America 55 West Third Avenue

Denver, Colorado 80223 Right Reverend Monsignor John A. Mangels, Pastor

ajammn@aol.com Church Phone - 303-698-2433 Pastor’s Phone - 303-832-3657

THIS WEEK AT SAINT AUGUSTINE’S

Monday, April 9 Easter Monday Low Mass 7:00pm Tuesday, April 10 Easter Tuesday Wednesday, April 11 Easter Wednesday Low Mass 7:00pm Thursday, April 12 Easter Thursday Friday, April 13 Easter Friday Saturday, April 14 Easter Saturday Low Mass 10:00am Sunday, April 15 Dominica in Albis High Mass 10:00am

CONFESSIONS The Sacrament of Confession is anytime by appointment, and after all weekday Services.

A N N O U N C E M E N T S ELCOME to all our guests and visitors this morning. There are Service books in the pews for your use. While Holy Communion may be received only by pre-pared Orthodox Christians, our non-Orthodox guests are welcome to come

forward at Communion for a blessing and the pain benit—blessed bread. Please fill out one of the “visitor cards” found in the pew racks and take a moment to sign our guest book in the Narthex! Please join us for Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall (downstairs).

Orthodox Christians must be prepared for Holy Communion through Sacramen-tal Confession, fasting, prayer, and being at peace with others. A prepared person must have been to Confession recently (frequency established by his Pastor), have abstained from food and drink from Midnight and have attended Mass regularly. Please seek and give for-giveness before receiving Communion. THOSE WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS Please pray for: Eric Willet, Victoria Loop, Loretta Gosse, Gerald Near, Elizabeth Farr, June Huang, Nancy Douglas Gale, Erin Lefke, Charles Rubey, Marta Lewis, Brian Glass, Ruth Sanchez, Phyllis Roberts, the suffering Christians in Syria and the Middle East, Metropolitan Boulos of Aleppo, Metropolitan Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of Aleppo, Jim Sanders. PEARLS FROM THE FATHERS:Now since you are celebrating the holy Pascha, you should know, brethren, what the Pascha is. Pascha means the crossing-over, and so the Festival is called by this name. For it was on this day that the Children of Israel crossed over out of Egypt, and the Son of God crossed over from this world to His Father. What gain is it to celebrate unless you imitate Him Whom you worship; that is, unless you cross over from Egypt, that is, from the darkness of evildoing to the light of virtue, from the love of this world to the love of your heavenly home? St. Ambrose of Milan (+397)

PASCHAL FLOWER FUND & ORCHESTRAL SPONSORSHIP We want to thank all of our parishioners and friends for the kind support of our Easter Flower Fund and the Orchestral Sponsorship. Without the kind gifts of our parishioners, benefactors and friends we would be unable to provide the “extras” that make this time of year so special. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL to Dom Theodore Phillips and Brother Lazarus for serving as deacon and subdeacon of the Mass today. Also we thank our servers; Subdeacon Daniel Brain-erd, Bronco VanVors, Joseph Oxandale, Rupert Applegate, Shawn Trujillio, and Elijah Valdez for their help today, through Lent and Holy Week and indeed, the entire Church year! Thank you to our ushers and greeters. To all of those who cleaned, cooked and helped with so many preparations for this Mass and all of Holy Week we are most grateful. Our Ladies of St. Augus-tine’s can always be counted upon to help with all of the preparations for great feast days. Thanks you! We are thankful for all of the time and effort expended by our marvelous AMBRO-SIAN CHORISTERS in presenting this marvelous Easter Music and their help during Holy Week and throughout the year. Our organists,-choirmasters, Frank Slechta and Richard Robertson, have also worked very hard in the many things that go one “behind the scenes” to make these great days of the Church’s year so special. THE CHURCH FATHERS SPEAK: Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I am quickened with Him; yesterday I was buried with Him; today I rise with Him. But let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us— you will think perhaps that I am going to say gold, or silver, or woven work or transparent and costly stones, the mere passing material of earth, that remains here below, and is for the most part always possessed by bad men, slaves of the world and of the Prince of the world. Let us offer ourselves, the possession most precious to God, and most fitting; let us give back to the Image what is made after the Image. Let us recognize our Dignity; let us honour our Archetype; let us know the power of the Mystery, and for what Christ died. St. Gregory the Theologian (+391) THE SANCTUARY LAMPS are given this week in thanksgiving for Holy Pascha. A gift from Patty Rendoff. PATRIARCHAL OFFERING Each year during this season, a special offering is received for the beleaguered Patriarchate of Antioch—our Mother Church. This offering, received in Antiochian Orthodox Parishes throughout the world helps our Father in God, Patriarch John X in his work in war-torn Syria and throughout the Middle East. We will receive a second collection during the remainder of the Month of April for this cause. LENTEN FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE DRIVE Please return your Offering Boxes next Sunday or you can make out a check for the Food For Hungry People drive. BOOKSTORE Don’t forget to check out the Bookstore for books on Orthodoxy and other spiritual topics as well as Icons, devotional books, gifts, cards and the like. PATRISTIC WISDOM: Their poor ointments, with which they meant to preserve from cor-ruption Him who Himself keeps the heavens from decay, and with which they desired to anoint Him from whom the heavens take their fragrance! O most fragrant Lord, the only fragrance of the human being and human history; how wondrously didst Thou reward these devoted and faithful souls who did not forget Thee dead in Thy tomb! Thou didst make the Myrrh-Bearing Women the bearers of the tidings of Thy Resurrection and Thy glory! They did not anoint Thy dead body, but Thou didst anoint their living souls with the oil of gladness. The mourners of the dead became the swallows of a new spring. St. Nikolai Velimirovic (+1956)

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