SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT29 Sunday of the Ladder Online Liturgy 9AM Private Prayers 10:30AM to 12:30PM

30

Open Church9AM to 5PM

31 1 Private Prayer4:30-5:30PMGreat Canon of St. Andrew ( w/ Life of St. Mary of Egypt)6:00PM Closed Church

2 Online Moleben to the Theotokos 8:30AM CST

3 Private Prayer4:30-5:30PM Presanctified Liturgy 6PMClosed Church

4No Service

5 St. Mary of EgyptOnline Liturgy 9AMPrivate Prayers 10:30AM to 12:30PM

6 7 8 Private Prayer4:30-5:30PM

9 10 Private Prayer4:30-5:30PM

End of Great Lent

11 Lazaraus Saturday

12 PALM SUNDAY Matins 9AMDivine Liturgy 10AM Blessing of Pussywillows w/ Procession

Holy Week Begins with: Bridegroom Matins 6PM

13

Bridegroom Matins 6PM

14

Bridegroom Matins 6PM

15

Holy Unction Anointing Service6PM

16Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 8AM(Last Supper)

Twelve Passion Gospels

6PM

17Royal Hours of Good Friday 8AMVespers of Good Friday(Procession with Burial Shroud) 6PM

18 Divine Liturgy (1st Resurrection)8:00AM(Tossing of bay leaves/flowers)Paschal Matins of the Resurrection 8:00PM

HOLY PASCHALiturgy 9AM

Liturgy 9AM

Liturgy 9AM

ORTHODOX CHURCH

ALL SERVICES WILL BE OFFERED IN A CLOSED CHURCH - Please note times for private prayer.

CHRIST THE SAVIOR

1802 Pershing Ave. Rockford, Illinois 61108 - Father Jonathan Bannon Father’s Cell Phone: 815-721-4952 www.CTSRockford.org

ONLINE RESOURCES FROM DIOCESE: Rockford’s New Parish Website:

www.CTSRockford.orgDiocesan Website:

www.acrod.orgCamp Nazareth:

www.campnazareth.orgFacebook:

www.facebook.com/acroddioceseTwitter:

https://twitter.com/acrodnewsYou Tube:

https://youtube.com/acroddioceseAmerican Carpatho-Russian Orthodox

Diocese of North AmericaECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE OF

CONSTANTINOPLE

FEEDING THOSE IN NEED: Thank you for your offerings to ehlp those at Carpenter’s Place. We are collectiing Men’s Jeans Sizes: 30-36, all toiletries. These are items they have requested! Leave them in a bag near the candle table and talk to Fr. Jonathan if you want to help serve! Online Moleben Service to Panagia Thursday: Please explore ACROD.org Fr. Jonathan will be offering this service online at 8:30AM our time. Many priests signed up to keep vigil throughout the day!THIS WEEK: The Church will be open for private prayer at these times: Sunday 10:30AM to 12:30PMMonday 9AM to 5PM Wednesday 4:30PM to 5:30PMFriday 4:30PM to 5:30PM NEXT Sunday April 5th: 10:30AM to 12:30PM

Sun: PASCHA / Resurrection

Mon: AngelsTues: St.

John BaptistWed. Holy

Cross/JesusBetrayed

THU: Apostles/St. Nicholas

Fri: Jesus’ Death

Sat: Martyrs & Departed

March 29th 2020 Parish Bulletin 1/2 way through Lent

ST. JOHN CLIMACUS - THE FORGOTTEN SAINT by Fr. Athanasios Papagiannis Whenever I think of Great Lent, I make it a point to remember a meaningful conversation I had just a few years ago. I was on a pilgrimage in Greece, visiting a centuries-old church, when an old priest sat down next to me and struck up a conversation. At one point he observed that the Christians in America make Christianity look easy. I sat in silence for a moment because I was surprised by his bold statement. "Why do you say that?" I asked. "Because you have forgotten about John," he replied as he let out a grin. "John who?" I responded, knowing full well that Orthodoxy has a lot of special people named John. "Are you talking about St. John the Baptist or St. John Chrysostom?" I asked. "Neither," the old priest replied. "I'm speaking of Saint John, the one with the ladder." St. John Climacus is one of the great saints of our Church. He so special that the Church remembers St. John, not once, as we do with most saints, but twice a year. His feast day is always celebrated on March 30th, but the Church also devotes the fourth Sunday of Great Lent to this majestic church father. The early life of St. John is shrouded in mystery. While we know that he was born in Palestine in the year 579 A.D., not much is known of his parents or of the days of his youth. All we know is that St. John received a general education and that he entered into the monastic ranks at the age of sixteen. From that early age, St. John embraced the life of solitude and ascesis, as he progressed greatly in the spiritual life. To really understand what St. John represents, one has to be familiar with the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible. Understanding Exodus is important, because the people of his day revered St. John so much that they saw in him another Moses. Like Moses, St. John spent forty years in the desert. Not only that, but St. John even ascended the same mountain as Moses, Mt. Sinai. He was likened to Moses because, like the great prophet of old who brought down the tablets of the Law, he too brought down a gift to share with the people. That gift, a book called The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is still being read by Orthodox Christians today. The Ladder of Divine Ascent, a book that describes how man can ascend to God, like the Ten Commandments tells the faithful how they will find order and harmony in their lives.

Fish Permitted

connect@stnicholaschurchnyc.orgIf you would like the mail them directly, they can be sent to our church address:St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church288 East 10th StreetNew York, NY 10009May God continue to strengthen all of us and grant us all good health, prayingespecially for those embattled for our health! Snami Boh! God is with us!

With love in Christ,Rev. Fr. William BennettIf you would like the mail them directly, they can be sent to our church address:St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church 288 East 10th Street New York, NY 10009May God continue to strengthen all of us and grant us all good health, prayingespecially for those embattled for our health! Snami Boh! God is with us!

W O R S H I P I N G F R O M H O M E :In an effort to keep you connected to the Church, and to keep Sunday holy, we are working at live streaming our services by getting interent at ourparish: If we are able to livestream it can be found at 9AM at this link: https://www.facebook.com/CTSRockford/

If needed, please look for the video streaming on our church website: http://www.ctsrockford.org/ Also please consider the Cathedral's live feed at this link with their Liturgy at 9AM EST. https://www.acrod.org/organizations/cathedral/live/

5 tips to consider from home:

1) Set your phone or laptop in your prayer corner. If you have a desktop computer, you can transform that space into a prayer corner with an icon and candle 2) Gather all the people in the house together so you are all watching from one device. 3) If you have candles, light them and stand in prayer as if you were in church. 4) Dress as though you were in church. Prepare the same way you would for coming to services at church It is really helpful to dedicate this time and set aside all other distractions. 5) After the services, [If alone consider making a phone call to a parishioner and checking in with them, ...or call me and we will talk!]* If at home with others, commune together with one another (eating together, having a discussion, or something that leads to unity and fellowship together.

A NOTE FROM FR. JONATHAN:GOD IS WITH US!

Beloved, How are you doing? How is Lent going? Each year we hear about Great Lent and the invitation to take time to be still and to retreat from the world for a season. This year that is exactly what we are forced to do with the COVID-19. Let’s make use of this time for the help of others. The world needs us to pray and pray often. Our brothers and sisters are sick or are helping the sick right now and we can help from a distance, with prayer. Let’s use this time to really read the Scriptures, say our prayers and stay hopeful because we know Who is in control and Who has the last say in all things: God in the Trinity. We know who has destroyed death, that is the Paschal Joy!! So make peace in your heart with yourself and with God and then offer a great prayer for the suffering and those caring for the

suffering. Thank you and if you have any need at all or know someone who has a need or concern please call my cell and we will talk: 8157214952.

with love, Fr. Jonathan

Tonight on Ancient Faith Radio!JOHNSTOWN, PA [Diocesan Chancery]  --A one-of-a-kind, in-depth interview by His Eminence, Metropolitan Gregory will be aired on a very special 5th Sunday Stewardship Calling Program on Ancient Faith Radio on Sunday, March 29th at 7:00 p.m. Central.

In this extended interview Metropolitan Gregory will discuss the following:

1. His upbringing and the challenges he faced along his journey; 2. How our Orthodox Christian theology can be reconciled with the world of science; 3. An update on the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops; 4. The background and history of the American Carpatho Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America; 5. His official trip to Cuba as the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch; 6. His critical focus on our youth and emerging adults ministries and his vision for American Orthodox churches.

This is a wonderfully frank, personal and comprehensive interview. Diocesan faithful and friends are encourage to Log in at: https://www.ancientfaith.com/radio/live

PROSFORA MINISTRY: M a r c h 2 9 ( S t . J o h n C l i m a c u s )

VanSchelven Family  - 1 lg 2 small April 5 (St. Mary of Egypt) Maggie Ruggerio  - 1 lg 2 small SATURDAY April 11/ Sun 12th Debbie Anderson 2 large; Lazarus Saturday and Palm

Sunday Coffee Hour: We are exploring sharing conversation via zoom online at

a scheduled time.

PRAYER REQUEST: Twins in NYC We ask your prayers for Fr. William Bennett, Pani Ileana and 2-year old Helen of St. Nicholas Parish in NYC. As you may be aware, they are expecting twins very soon. How would anyone have foreseen that this ‘blessed event’ would be during a global pandemic, let alone in the epicenter of the growing coronavirus in our country! Soon Pani Ileana will be admitted to Mount Sinai/St. Luke’s Medical Center on New York’s West Side. Please pray for her health and well-being, along with her twin-newborns, together with Father Will and daughter Helen. Many Years! Mnohaja L’ita! THANK YOU: Keeping Vigil We had 12 people sign up to pray the Jesus Prayer/Psalms throughout the night with Mt. Athos this past Friday. Thank you!CARPENTERS PLACE: April 8th Cook Breakfast for about 50 people. We are also collecting coloring books and crayons. Drop off at church during scheudled private prayer times. Due to COVID-19 we cannot serve breakfast but we can bring the food to CP. Please drop off all breakfast items at our parish from 7:30AM - 8:15AM on Apr. 8th as Fr. Jonathan will be delievering them to Carpenter’s Place. Please see Father Jonathan if you have any quesitons!Some of the Ministries of our Parish: Prosfora BakingTeaching Church SchoolChoir Chanting Matins/VespersPsalter Group Feeding/Clothing those in Need - Carpenters PlaceSisterhood: Altar Care / HospitalityAssisting in the Altar Parish BoardSPF -New Family Ministry in Diocese Book StudiesLibrary Lectures In-reach and Outreach

The comparisons to Moses don't stop there. Orthodox tradition states that on the very day St. John became the Abbot of the monastery on Mt. Sinai, a miracle took place: while six hundred people were sitting and eating, St. John noticed a man dressed like a Hebrew, wearing a white tunic. He observed this man walking around like a manager, giving instructions to the cooks, servers, and volunteers. When all the pilgrims departed, the servants were sitting by a table wondering where the stranger went. St. John addressed the group and, being full of the Holy Spirit, he informed them that the man in the white tunic was none other than Moses himself. Moses and St. John had a shared interest: they both sought to deliver their people out of slavery. What Moses did in the past, St. John does eternally by his theology. To this day, people are still being freed by his wisdom.

The writing of The Ladder of Divine Ascent took place at the end of St. John's life. Our tradition says that a certain monk begged St. John to write a book that would help Christians progress in the spiritual life. That monk asked St. John to write such an authoritative book because he, like others, observed that the people of the day were losing touch with the tradition that was handed down to them. Thankfully, a wonderful tradition developed with respect to St. John's book. Generation after generation, The Ladder of Divine Ascent has been passed down in many Orthodox families. In fact, over the course of many cen-turies e Ladder of Divine Ascent maintained its popularity among the people. To this day, St. John's work is a best-seller among Orthodox people. A few decades ago an anthropologist in the Orthodoxy country of Romania was astonished when he observed that almost every household of Romania – over 95 percent – contained both the Holy Bible and The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Many years ago, St. John's majestic work even migrated to this country with the Orthodox faithful who moved here. As a matter of fact, when the printing press was developed, The Ladder of Divine Ascent was one of the first books ever published in America. This is how revered his work was. St. John’s was without question the most loved and read Christian book on spirituality. Times have changed, however. For some reason, American culture has not embraced this wonderful work. There is something about the way we think and live that makes The Ladder of Divine Ascent controversial, or perhaps insignificant. This neglect can be observed on many different levels. In academia, for example, Western theologians often remark on how little research has been done with St. John, considering the great impact of his work on the Christian faith. The number of scholars who have written about St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom are many, but the number of Climacan scholars is few for some reason. Even in the Church itself we can see this type of neglect. How many Churches across America are named after St. John? How many icons of St. John are visible in our Churches? Moreover, it is not a stretch to state that there is a movement in our Church to assume that what St. John writes is only for the monks of Mt. Athos. In Orthodox circles, many people have been turned away from The Ladder of Divine Ascent. The common response to The Ladder of Divine Ascent  today is, "That's a book that's too spiritual for you. It's only to be read by monks." We say these things and we wonder why our youth leave the Church in search of the spirituality St. John represents. Indeed, for many modern people what St. John says is too demanding or perhaps too radical for the American way of life. St. John speaks of finding silence; he speaks of fasting and nding deep moments of prayer; he speaks of withdrawing from the world we live in, and even of dying to its wisdom. St. John speaks about turning our back on pleasure and comfort. He speaks against gluttony and self-indulgence. In short he speaks of so many things the world is promoting in our days.

PARISH NEWS

From the Ladder of Divine Ascent: “Fight to escape from your own cleverness. If you do, then you will find salvation and uprightness through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“This sea is bound to be stirred up and roused and enraged, so as to cast out of it again on to the dry land the wood, and hay, and all the corruption that was brought down into it by the rivers of the passions. Let us watch nature and we shall find that after a storm at sea there comes a deep calm.”

“Humility is an unchanging character of the soul which continues untouched either by a bad or good report, in disgrace or in honor.”

“The start of liberty from anger is stillness of the mouth when the heart is troubled. The middle is a stillness of the mind when there is a small agitation of the soul. The end is an unchanging calm beneath the breath of polluted winds.”

“Intelligent silence is the mother of prayer, a recall from captivity, preservation of fire, an overseer of thoughts, a watch against enemies, a prison of mourning, a friend of tears, effective remembrance of death, a depicter of punishment, a delver into judgment, a minister of sorrow, an enemy of freedom of speech, a companion of stillness, an opponent of dogmatism, increase of knowledge, a creator of divine vision, hidden progress, secret ascent.”

“If some are still dominated by their former bad habits, and yet can teach by mere words, let them teach. . . . For perhaps, by being put to shame by their own words, they will eventually begin to practice what they teach.”

While he may be found to be too radical for today's Orthodox faithful, the tradition of the Church tells a different story. Clearly, the Orthodox tradition has always been for monk and layperson alike: to spend Great Lent reading St. John's majestic work and applying his ideas, according to our situation in life, and then to pass this tradition on to those who follow. Our neglect of St. John has created a great paradox in Christian circles today. Protestant scholars who have focused on studying early Christianity have noticed that the early Christians lived radically. That is to say, they prayed radically, fasted radically and lived out radically simplistic lives. And this astute observation has led many denominations to reevaluate how they do their theology. In short, these Protestants in many respects are thankfully starting to think like Orthodox Christians, Orthodox Christians of past centuries, that is! This raises an important question: Can the paradox of our time be that these Protestants are becoming more Orthodox by embracing what St. John teaches, while the Orthodox are becoming more Protestant in their comfortable way of life, by neglecting this important father and relegating him to the monasteries? Without question the greatest contribution to the Orthodox faith that St. John has made is that his theology takes one from slavery, to the desert, to the Promised Land. He is like Moses in this respect, as he leads one from bondage to freedom. As we live in a society that promotes comfort and minimizes the Christian faith, we have to recognize the modern heresies would convince good Orthodox Christians that they can progress from slavery to the Promised Land without venturing into the metaphorical desert by embracing the radical lifestyle St. John speaks of and lived by. The hard interior work that St. John speaks of in the Ladder of Divine Ascent is meant for every single Orthodox Christian. It's meant directly for the monk, but indirectly for the layperson in a modied form. As we continue to struggle to live the Christian life in America, let us take seriously what that old priest once said about the state of Christianity in America. Maybe we are making living the Christian life look easy. More importantly, let us remember the life of St. John Climacus and cling to the old Orthodox tradition of reading his majestic work. For, as St. John himself teaches, no one can ascend to the Kingdom without first using a ladder.