"This is the cause of all evils: the ignorance of the Scriptures. We go into battle without arms, and how ought we to come off safe?" -St. John Chrysostom, Homily IX on Colossians.

In order to help increase the general knowledge of scripture in our parish family we present here for your edification the scripture readings for the coming week. At least one Gospel Reading and one Epistle reading are assigned for each day of the year (although during Great Lent the readings are from the Old Testament). Hearing or reading only those readings appointed for Sunday merely scratches the surface of the great spiritual wealth that the scriptures provide us. Some of the readings are easily understandable – others are less so. As Orthodox Christians we do not make private interpretation of scripture, but rather consult the fathers of the Church for their explanations to aid us in our understanding. Those wishing to have access to such explanations are asked to contact Fr. Gregory or inquire in the kiosk for further reading in this regard. Bibles may also be acquired in the kiosk.

Monday: Acts 6:8-7:5 & John 4:46-54
Tuesday: Acts 8:5-17 & John 6:27-33
Wednesday: Acts 8:18-25 & John 6:35-39
Thursday: Acts 8:26-39 & John 6:40-44
Friday: Acts 8:40-9:19 & John 6:48-54
Saturday: Acts 9:19-31 & John 15:17-16:2

Please find below several very nice articles on how to read the scripture from an Orthodox point of view.

By St. Justin (Popovich):

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/bible_how.aspx

By Bishop Kalistos (Ware):

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/phronema/ware_howto.aspx

This short article explains to us not just HOW to read the scriptures, but also what our goal should be in reading the scriptures. A short read and well worth it:

http://www.chrysostompress.org/reading_scripture.html

As noted in the article above we need God's help and blessing to read and understand the scriptures correctly. What better way to entreat God's help in this regard than through prayer? Please find the prayer before reading the scriptures here:

http://www.chrysostompress.org/prayer_b ... pture.html

Our weekly bulletin, "Sunday Reading", has been posted at the following link:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/SundayRea ... eading.pdf

Please keep our parishioners, friends, and those who have asked us in our unworthiness to pray for them in your prayers this coming week. Our parish prayer list can be found here:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/SundayRea ... erlist.pdf

Did you know that some (in fact many) companies offer matching funds for donations made to non-profit organizations such as our parish? To find out more please contact your Human Resources department at you place of employment. Did you know that if you donate your used car to Charity Motors you can direct that the proceeds from the sale of the car go to our own St. Vladimir parish? You can find out more at their web site: http://www.charitymotors.org Please consider these options to support your parish!

Each of us has a patron saint, and thus a name’s day. On our name’s days we we honor our heavenly protector, that is, the saint for whom we are named. This we do by going to the parish church and partaking of the Mysteries of Confession and Communion, or if there is no service in our parish on that particular day, arranging for a Moleben to be served for our saint in the church on that day and Confessing and Communing on the nearest day possible to our namesday. It is also a pious tradition to invite our friends to our homes on our namesdays for a reception in honor of the saint for which we are named, to sing the saint's troparion, and to read the life of the saint. It is also very important to have an icon of our patron saint in our home icon corner. Some who read this may not know in honor of which saint they are named. For instance, there are at least 23 different saints with the name "John" on the Orthodox calendar. This is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is VERY important to learn about your heavenly patron, to make that saint a focus of daily prayer, and to keep that saint's commemoration (your namesday) in a pious manner. If you are not sure for whom you are named, and your parents also are not sure (this should be part of the baptismal record at the parish where you were baptized), please see Fr. Gregory for help in determining this important information!

Please visit the links below to learn more about our first annual Russian Festival this fall. This is a HUGE opportunity to welcome our friends, loved ones, and neighbors to our parish so they can learn more about our Orthodox Faith. And – it will be a lot of fun! We need your help! See the links below to find out how you can participate in the festival!

English:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/kickoffletter.pdf

Russian:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/ki ... ter_ru.pdf

On June 21-23 there will be an Orthodox family conference held on the grounds of the New Gracanica Monastery near Chicago, IL with special guest speaker Archpriest Andrei Tkachev.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear lectures, discussions and ask questions of this renowned preacher, author and missionary. The program also includes attendance of Divine Services, lectures and activities for children.

To register for the conference please visit the link below:

http://www.english.holyvirginprotection ... n-Form.pdf

Do you have 10 extra minutes per week? Could you put those ten extra minutes per week together once per month to visit one of our parishioners in the hospital or unable to leave their home? If so – please contact Fr. Gregory! Your 30 to 40 minutes per month could make the difference in someone’s life! Members of our parish family deserve better than to be lonely! Train your children in the pious Christian virtue of caring for those less fortunate – visit our parish family members in the hospital, nursing home, and at home this month! Those who are aware of parish family members who are in hospitals, nursing homes, or who are home-bound should contact Fr. Gregory so that these parishioners may be added to our list of those to be visited and spiritually cared for.

Below is a link to an excerpt from the book "The Search for Truth on the Path of Reason" by the important contemporary Russian spiritual writer Alexei Osipov. The excerpt entitled "The Basics of Spiritual Life Based on the Writings of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)". We hope our readers find this spiritually edifying.

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/53476.htm

Let there be no question: we welcome young families at St. Vladimir’s and we love to have children in church! However, we want young families’ experience at St. Vladimir’s to be both spiritually profitable and safe. We ask parents to be attentive to their children both during the Divine Services and especially after the Divine Services. Unattended children have recently been seen running through the sanctuary, playing with the candle stands (some of which are a bit top heavy and could fall on a child), climbing on the memorial (pannykhida) table, and playing with the sand (and making quite a mess!) on the memorial table. Children unattended outside have been observed running and playing with sticks and other sharp objects, throwing stones, and playing in the parking lot.

If nothing changes it is only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured or killed. We do not want to deprive children of being children – but we want them to be safe. We cannot expect children to police themselves in this regard. The Parish Council seriously looking at options to positively engage our young people after the Divine Services, including moving Church School from before Sunday Liturgy to after Sunday Liturgy, but this could not be operationalized until Fall 2013 at the earliest. In the meantime, we ask parents to be responsible for their children to the greatest extent possible so that we do our best to avoid a tragedy. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions, concerns, or suggestions.

We present here a short educational offering for both children and adults. Parents are asked to review the children’s portion with their children. It is very important for us to attend the Divine Services on Sundays and whenever else we are able, but in addition it is our spiritual responsibility to educate ourselves and our families in the faith. It is our hope that this mid-week offering will be an aid in this regard. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions or suggestions.

For Adults: the explanation of last Sunday's gospel reading by Blessed Theophylact:

http://chrysostompress.org/antipascha_t ... unday.html

For Children – an activity based on last Sunday's gospel reading for various ages:

http://www.antiochian.org/sites/antioch ... 5-12-b.pdf

We are often asked this question. We hope that the explanation below will be helpful and useful to those who would like to know the answer!

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/46216.htm

Tomorrow we resume our usual Wednesday and Friday fasting practices. We include this little reminder here since after the Bright Week and the absence of fasting it is easy to forget that beginning this Wednesday we begin to fast again. As with all non-fasting weeks there is a twinge of regret that we fast again, but if we reflect on this we will see that truly we are ready for this weekly structure to be reinstituted in our lives and that it provides us great help in our struggles against the values of the world, many of which are at odds with our own spiritual values. For questions about fasting - or any other spiritual questions - please see Fr. Gregory or Fr. Michael.

With Bishop Peter’s blessing Fr. Gregory will be traveling from May 14-24. Divine Services will continue per the schedule during his absence. During his absence you may, as always, send him an email (ogrisha@stvladimiraami.org). He will get back to you as soon as possible. If there is a serious emergency that requires a priest please contact our Starosta, Karl Meyer at 734-945-0490. In such a serious emergency Karl will arrange for a priest to visit you or your loved one.

The 10th day after Pascha and the 40th day before Pentencost are the same day – the second Tuesday after Pascha. This feast is named Radonitsa and is the traditional day to visit cemeteries after the Paschal feast and bring the glad tidings of the Resurrection to our friends and loved ones in these cemeteries. At St. Vladimir’s we visited the cemeteries on Thomas Sunday according to our tradition. But we will have Vespers and Matins this evening at 6:00 p.m. and Divine Liturgy tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. followed by a general pannykhida. Please plan to join us as your schedule allows!

With the blessing of Bishop Peter our parish will undertake our annual Spring Pilgrimage to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY May 24-26. Holy Trinity Monastery has been a significant spiritual center for the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia for decades and is within driving distance of Ann Arbor! We will depart on Friday, May 24 and return late in the day on Sunday, May 26. While in Jordanville we will stay at the monastery guest house. To learn more about the pilgrimage please contact Fr. Gregory or Dmitry Knysh (info@stvladimiraami.org).

Please visit the link below to view pictures of Paschal celebrations from the various parishes in our diocese, including our own St. Vladimir's!

http://www.chicagodiocese.org/pascha2013.html

In fact, the traditional visiting of cemeteries after Pascha was always set for Radonitsa, the second Tuesday and 10th day after Pascha (also the 40th day before Pentecost) when the first Pannykhidas after Pascha are allowed to be served. However, in the west since our first immigrants tended to work rather menial jobs without flexible work schedules this visiting of cemeteries was moved to Thomas Sunday, since in those days everyone had Sunday off. We will visit the cemeteries this Sunday according to the tradition, with the rain date being Radonitsa itself. Please note that we will also serve Divine Liturgy on Radonitsa (May 14) followed by a Pannykhida in the parish church.

Please join us at 2:30 p.m. in the Russian Orthodox section of Forest Hill cemetery this Sunday, May 12, as we bring the glad tidings of our Lord’s Resurrection to our departed loved ones resting there.

Christ is Risen!

Thank you to all who took pictures during Holy Week and Pascha and shared them with us for our photo album. You can find these pictures at the link on our home page "Photo Album" or at the link below:

http://stvladimirchurch.smugmug.com/Category

If you have taken pictures but not yet shared them with us please do so soon by emailing info@stvladimiraami.org.

Christ is Risen!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the reading of the Acts of the Apostles on Holy Saturday night! We note this here because we had a particularly good variety of languages read this year. The languages were:

English, Church Slavonic, Greek, Latin, Armenian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, German, French, Polish, Uzbek

Please consider if you can help next year to add to this impressive list! We read the Acts of the Apostles in many languages to show visible that Orthodox Christianity is for all peoples and nations. Consider inviting a friend or loved one who has not been exposed to the Holy Faith to a Divine Service sometime soon. This might be a very good follow up to the effort exerted by so many on Holy Saturday evening.

Beginning in April we will serve one cycle of Divine Services per month (Friday Evening Services and Saturday Divine Liturgy) completely in English. Following the Divine Liturgy on these Saturdays a cup of tea and something sweet will be offered and we will hold a discussion on some aspect of Orthodox Christianity. This is a missionary effort designed to allow those who are interested in Orthodox Christianity to more easily access the beauty of the Divine Services – the “theology in action” of the Holy Church. However, ALL ARE WELCOME at these services! Please invite friends and loved ones! Let us work together to no longer allow Orthodox Christianity to be the best kept secret in the spiritual life of North America! Please join us!

Schedule of English Services for the next few months:

Friday, May 10
Paschal Evening Services: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 11
Paschal Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.

Friday, June 7
Evening Services: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 8
Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.

Friday, July 19
Evening Services: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 20
Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.

We have 9-12 year old and teen youth group meetings scheduled this coming Sunday. We will also visit the cemeteries this Sunday after Divine Liturgy to greet our parishioners resting there with the great feast of our Lord’s Resurrection. It seems logical to combine these two activities. It is important to expose our young people to these important spiritual traditions of our faith early in life and this is an excellent opportunity in this regard. We ask parents of all our 9-12 year olds and teens to meet us at Forest Hill Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. We will ask that the young people (with supervision) place the eggs on the graves and then accompany us as we bless the graves throughout the cemetery singing the Paschal hymns. Once we have blessed all the graves we will have a discussion about this and other Paschal traditions with the young people. Please plan to join us!

Alpha House is the local shelter for homeless families. It is located on Jackson Road just west of Ann Arbor – between the city and St. Vladimir’s. Our parish has committed to providing breakfast for Alpha House families on May 12 – THIS SUNDAY! We are seeking two more volunteers to help out, some potatoes, and a gallon of milk. The beauty of volunteering on Sunday morning is you get to lend a hand up to the families at the shelter and still make it to St. Vladimir’s in time for the beginning of the Divine Liturgy! For more information please contact Aaron Owen at info@stvladimiraami.org.

This Sunday following the Divine Liturgy we will have our usual monthly collection for Project Life Novosibirsk. This worthy project provides material support under the auspices of the Church for mothers to help them choose not to abort their children. The abortion issue in Russia continues to be a huge problem. Your contributions to this project help save children's lives. If you would like to support this project but cannot be in church this Sunday please contact Fr. Gregory or our Treasurer, Molly Martincheck. Thank you for your past and future support of this project!

We present here a short educational offering for both children and adults. Parents are asked to review the children’s portion with their children. It is very important for us to attend the Divine Services on Sundays and whenever else we are able, but in addition it is our spiritual responsibility to educate ourselves and our families in the faith. It is our hope that this mid-week offering will be an aid in this regard. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions or suggestions.

For Adults – an instruction on last Sunday's gospel reading by Blessed Theophylact:

http://chrysostompress.org/c_pascha.html

For Children – an activity based on last week's gospel reading for for various ages:

http://www.antiochian.org/sites/antioch ... 5-05-b.pdf

Please find the Paschal Epistle of His Holiness Patriarch Kyrill at the links below. Christ is Risen!

English:

https://mospat.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/eng.pdf

Russian:

https://mospat.ru/ru/2013/05/04/news84567/

Please find the Paschal Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad at the links below. Christ is Risen!

English:

http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/syn ... istle.html

Russian:

http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/syn ... istle.html

Thank you to everyone who made our Holy Week and Pascha so edifying and memorable at St. Vladimir’s this year! As always there are too many to remember by name, but to those who cleaned, and cooked, and sang, and served, and to all who worked tirelessly “behind the scenes” we thank you profoundly for your hard work! May the Lord reward you both in this life and the next for your service to His Church and people!

THE FEAST IS NOT OVER! In fact, the feast only BEGINS with Pascha. Please see the schedule of services at the link below for the Divine Services scheduled for the remainder of Bright Week. Join us as your schedule allows. Not just this week – but throughout the year. All are welcome as we celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection not just this week, but on every Sunday of the year!

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/pa ... lyer13.pdf

Today marks not just Bright Monday, but also the feast of the Holy Great Martyr and Trophy-Bearer George. St. George is a universally revered Orthodox Saint – every local Orthodox Church celebrates his memory with great piety. We congratulate all our Georges and Alexandras who are celebrating today on their name’s days! To learn more about this great athlete of Christ please visit the links below.

English:

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/04/23/ ... ker-george

Russian:

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life6523.htm

We congratulate our parish family and friends with the feast of feast and the day of days: the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

On the Great and Holy Sunday of Pascha, we celebrate the Life-giving Resurrection of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ: Pascha, which, translated from the Hebrew, means Passover.

For this is the day on which God created the world from nothingness. On this day, He delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s hands and led them through the Red Sea. On this day, he descended from heaven and took His dwelling in the Virgin’s womb; now drawing forth mankind held in Hades, He raised them to heaven and brought them to the first-created honour of incorruption. …While the soldiers guarded the tomb, at midnight the earth quaked, for the angel of the Lord had descended and rolled the stone from the entrance of the tomb, and the soldiers [set to guard the tomb] were so frightened that they fled. The women came to the tomb very early in the morning on the day following the Sabbath — that is to say at midnight on Saturday. Therefore, late on the first day of the Resurrection, the Mother of God was there together with St Mary Magdalene, who was sitting near the tomb according to St Matthew. The Evangelists say that He first appeared to St Mary Magdalene [rather than His Mother]…so that there would be no doubts or suspicions concerning the truth of the Resurrection.

It was St Mary Magdalene who saw the angel upon the stone; then bowing down, she saw the other angels inside. The angels announced the Lord’s Resurrection to her and said, ‘He is risen! He is not here! Behold the place where they laid Him’ (Mark 16:6). Hearing this, the women turned to run and announce the Resurrection to the most fervent of the Apostles, that is, to St Peter and St John. But when they returned, they met Christ Himself, Who said to them, ‘Rejoice’ (Matthew 28:9).

Fr. Gregory, Matushka Elizabeth, Maria, Michael, and Natalia invite all St. Vladimir’s family and friends to their Paschal Open House on Bright Monday, May 6 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at their home in Saline. Please join them as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord!

Holy and Great Saturday is a reverent vigil at the tomb of the Son of God, slain for our sins. By anticipation, the Saturday Matins is held on Friday evening.

After the Six Psalms and the Great Litany, the Royal Doors are opened clergy come out with candles and censer. The choir sings ‘The Lord is God and hath appeared unto us,’ and then the appointed troparia:

In the meantime, the priest and deacon cense the Shroud, then stand in front of it. The priest and the choir then chant the ‘Lamentations’ with the verses of the 118th Psalm: ‘Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.’ Each verse of the Psalm is followed by a verse of the Lamentations. It is like a long poem depicting the Angels in Heaven and all creatures on earth overwhelmed by the death of their Creator, and their gratitude at being freed from death’s power by Christ.

After the Lamentations, the Resurrection hymns are sung. Then, following the customary litanies, the choir chants the canon, where the note of joy and triumph is heard more and more clearly. At the end of the Great Doxology of Matins, the priest raises the Shroud, which is then taken by four pall-bearers, the deacon walks in front, the people follow, all carrying candles, accompanied by the choir chanting, ‘Holy God, Holy and Strong, Holy and Immortal, have mercy on us.’ This represents the burial of Christ. Then, the prokeimenon is chanted, and the glorious prophecy of Ezekiel is read about the dry bones of Israel, out of which arose ‘an exceeding great host’ quickened to life by the breath of God. Then follows Saint Paul’s Epistle about Christ our Passover, and the Gospel about the sealing of Jesus’ tomb. Matins then ends as usual.

The Liturgy of Holy and Great Saturday is that of Saint Basil the Great. It begins with Vespers. After the entrance, the evening hymn ‘O Gentle Light’ is chanted as usual. Then the Old Testament readings are recited. They tell of the most striking events and prophecies of the salvation of mankind by the death of the Son of God. The account of creation in Genesis is the first reading. The sixth reading is the story of Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea and Moses’ song of victory - over Pharaoh, with its refrain: ‘For gloriously is He glorified’. The last reading is about the Three Children in the fiery furnace of Babylon, and their song of praise with its repeated refrain: ‘O praise ye the Lord and supremely exalt Him unto the ages.’ In the ancient church the catechumens were baptized during the time of these readings. The Epistle which follows speaks of how, through the death of Christ, we too shall rise to a new life. After the Epistle, the choir chants, like a call to the sleeping Christ: ‘Arise, O Lord, Judge the earth, for Thou shalt have an inheritance among all the nations... The deacon carries out the Book of the Gospels, and reads the first message of the resurrection from Saint Matthew. Because the Vespers portion of the service belongs to the next day (Pascha) the burial hymns of Saturday are mingled with those of the resurrection, so that this service is already full of the coming Paschal joy.

After the Gospel the Liturgy proceeds as usual. Instead of the Cherubic Hymn, a special Great Entrance Hymn is chanted:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence and stand with fear and trembling, and take no thought for any earthly thing, for the King of kings and Lord of lords cometh to be slain and given as food for the faithful. Before Him go the choirs of the angels with all sovereignty and power: the many-eyed Cherubim and six-winged Seraphim, covering their faces and crying out the hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia, .Alleluia.

After the Liturgy the faithful take their meal, observing the strict fast, to strengthen them to keep watch the rest of the day and evening. This is the only Saturday of the year on which a strict fast is kept. In the monasteries and convents, the refectory meal is taken in complete silence, out of reverence for the burial of Christ. The world awaits the proclamation of His Resurrection.

Paschal baskets are blessed at St. Vladimir's following the Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday and after each Divine Service of Bright Week, including Pascha itself. The entire schedule of services for Holy Week and Bright Week can be found at the link below. Please join us for as many of these services as your schedule allows!

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/pa ... lyer13.pdf

Great Friday is the most solemn day of Holy Week. In awe and trembling, we stand before the Cross on which our Savior died and we see the image of Him dead, lying in our midst, on the Epitaphios (the Winding Sheet).

During the Service of Matins, which by anticipation is chanted on Thursday evening, we will hear some of the most awe-inspiring hymns of the ecclesiastical year. The following is but a one example:

Today there is hung upon the Tree, He that suspended the earth upon the waters. A crown of thorns is placed upon Him Who is the King of the Angels. With false purple is He wrapped about, He that wrappeth the Heavens with clouds. Buffetings did He receive, Who freed Adam in the Jordan. With nails was He affixed, He that is the Bridegroom of the Church. With a lance was He pierced, He that is the Son of the Virgin. We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ. Show also unto us Thy glorious Resurrection.

The solemn Vespers of Great Friday is celebrated in the afternoon at the time of our Lord Jesus’ death. Again all the readings remind us of the suffering Christ and His glory. After the entrance, lessons are read in which the Prophet Isaiah speaks of ‘the Lamb led to the slaughter,’ and an Epistle of Saint Paul on the power and wisdom of the Cross; again a Gospel is read describing our Lord’s trial before Pilate, His Crucifixion and burial.

After the usual petitions, ‘Let us all say ...,’ ‘Vouchsafe ...,’ ‘Let us complete ...,’ etc., the choir slowly chants the Aposticha, during which the procession exits from the Sanctuary, with the priest and deacon bearing the Shroud of Christ, their heads uncovered, proceeded by candles and censer. All kneel with head bowed low before the image of our dead Savior. A bier stands in the middle of the church, with candles lit round it. On it the Shroud is laid reverently and censed all round by the priest.

Then, after the Lord’s Prayer, the dismissal hymns are chanted: ‘The noble Joseph ...’ and ‘Unto the myrrh-bearing women ...’ followed by the prayers of dismissal.

We conclude here the instructions of Abba Dorotheos. It is our hope that these edifying words have been a spiritual help to our parish friends and family.

To the Brother who Served as Cellarer

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/61047.htm

Some brief Instructions

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/61073.htm

The Epistles of St. Abba Dorotheus

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/61104.htm

For many of our parish family and friends our photo album is an important ministry – a crucial way that they can stay in touch with our parish and the Holy Church. Holy Week and Bright Week are times that we want to be certain to have solid photo coverage of the Divine Services. Can you help? Do you like to take pictures? Can you take pictures (even if you don’t like to do it so much)? :) We need you! Please contact Fr. Gregory if you are willing and able to take pictures when you attend the Divine Services over the next two weeks. Your efforts in this regard will be very much appreciated by many!

The Gospels of Holy and Great Thursday tell how our Savior and His disciples came to Jerusalem to celebrate His last feast of the Passover, how He washed their feet. They tell the account of that Mystical Supper when our Lord ordained the Mystery of His Most Holy Body and Blood ‘for the remission of sins and life everlasting.’ They speak of Christ’s instruction to the Apostles, and how He told them that they would all forsake Him that night; they speak of Peter’s rash promise that he would always remain faithful; of Christ’s vigil in the garden; of how He was seized and led away to the high priest’s court; of the scene in the courtyard; of Peter’s three-fold denial and his grief; of the high priest’s mocking questions; and of how our Savior Christ God, wearing the crown of thorns, beaten and insulted by the soldiers, was led before Pilate.

The readings and hymns of Matins dwell on Judas’ betrayal, on ‘the dark night’ which settled in his soul. We pray that we may keep ourselves from greed and deceit, and be made pure by partaking of the holy Mysteries of Christ’s Body and Blood. The Troparion after the ‘Alleluia’ at Matins speaks of this:

When the glorious disciples were enlightened at the washing of the feet, then Judas the ungodly one was stricken and darkened with the love of silver. And unto the lawless judges did he deliver Thee, the righteous Judge. O thou lover of money, behold thou him that for the sake thereof did hang himself, flee from that insatiable soul that dared such things against the Master. O Thou Who art good unto all, Lord, glory be to Thee.

On this day the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great is celebrated together with Vespers.

The whole narration of our Lord’s Passion is given at the Matins of Holy and Great Thursday. It is commonly called ‘the Service of the Twelve Gospels.’ A tall Crucifix usually stands in the middle of the church with many candles lighted round it. After the Six Psalms and the Great Litany, the choir chants, ‘Alleluia’ and the Troparion of Holy and Great Thursday. The priest and deacon come out of the sanctuary carrying the Book of Gospels. It is placed on a podium and the priest begins the reading. The whole story of the Passion is read from the four evangelists and is divided into twelve parts. It begins with the ‘Gospel of the Testament’ and the prayer at the Mystical Supper, in Saint John’s Gospel, and continues through the four Gospels to the burial of Christ by Joseph of Arimathea. After each reading the choir chants, ‘Glory to Thy forbearance, 0 Lord, glory to Thee.’ Between the readings special antiphons and hymns are chanted. They speak of Judas’ betrayal; of the cruelty of the Jews; of our Savior’s infinite patience and meekness; of the awe of all creation when the Lord of all was nailed to the Cross between two thieves. The canon has only three odes. All recount the Passion and foretell the glory of the Resurrection. Matins ends shortly after the twelfth Gospel.

Two of the most-attended services of the year are Palm Sunday and Pascha. We urge all our parishioners to car pool for both of these feasts if at all possible. It is wonderful that so many people want to come to church, but it would be so very unfortunate if we do not have enough parking to allow everyone who wants to attend these important services to indeed attend. Carpooling will allow us to utilize our limited parking spaces to the greatest extent possible. We hope to be able to install additional parking in the early summer. We thank everyone for their cooperation!

On Great Wednesday the Church commemorates the act of contrition and love of the sinful woman who poured precious myrrh-oil on our Savior’s head, and, though she did not know it, ‘prepared Him for burial.’ And in contrast we hear of the dark act of Judas, whose greed led him to betray his Master. All the readings and hymns of the day warn us to beware of greed and love of money, which even tempted a disciple of Christ. We too can betray Him, if we let greed and selfishness get hold of us.

We have all heard from either Fr. Gregory or Fr. Michael or both of our priests how we should spend Holy Week. However, we thought it would be edifying also for our parish family and friends to read suggestions from several well-known priests in Russia in this regard. Interestingly the message from our priests and the priests in Russia is remarkably consistent. We hope our readers find these instructions useful and helpful.

English:

http://www.pravmir.com/how-should-we-spend-holy-week/

Russian:

http://www.pravmir.ru/kak-provesti-stra ... edmicu-33/

Please plan to come to Confession for Pascha early! All those who confess beginning on Friday, April 26 do not have to confess afterwards again in order to go to Communion on Pascha itself or for the entire Bright Week. Everyone should be planning to go to Communion on Pascha, as this is the Feast of Feasts, the most important spiritual day of the Orthodox year. Please see Fr. Gregory with questions, and PLEASE come early to Confession!

On Holy and Great Tuesday we listen to our Savior’s replies to the wily questions of the Pharisees and scribes, who tried to trap Him; we hear His stern rebukes of their envy and deceit. The parables of the Ten Virgins and of the Talents remind us how we should always keep watch over our conscience and use in God’s service any gift or talent we have received from Him. The Gospel then tells Christ’s prophecy of His second coming and the Last Judgment. It ends with the awful warning: ‘Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.’

Please find the schedule of services and activities at St. Vladimir's for Holy Week and Bright Week 2013 at the link below:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/pa ... lyer13.pdf

Please join us for these Divine Services and activities as your schedule allows!

You can only make a first impression once. That is why it is so important, and the responsibility of EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, to warmly welcome visitors to our parish. Is the visitor not acting “appropriately”? Assure them that all will be fine and lovingly help. Is the visitor’s child fussy? Assure them that we welcome children in the church and not to worry. If they ask for a place to go to quiet the child please point out the nursery – do not push them out the door. Does the visitor have questions? Answer them if possible, and if not, refer them to someone who can. A smile and a welcoming word can make the difference in someone’s spiritual life both in this life and the next. Let us show love one to another so that people will know that we are Christ’s disciples! We want to be known for our warm hospitality as was Abraham – but we all must work together to make our parish as welcoming as we possibly can!

As we approach the great solemn days of Holy Week, we bring to mind how our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed and seized, tortured and crucified, died and was buried, and arose from the dead. The services of Holy Week, beginning with Lazarus Saturday, show us in symbols, readings and chants the account of our Savior’s love and sacrifice ‘unto death, even the death of the cross’ for our sake (Phil. 2:8).

On Palm Sunday we shall stand with branches in our hands and listen to the ‘Hosannas,’ like the multitudes in Jerusalem, welcoming ‘Him Who cometh in the Name of the Lord,’ and, like the children, waving palms and shouting for joy. In the Gospels of the first three days of Passion Week we shall hear Christ’s final teachings to his disciples and the people; His stern rebukes to the proud, self-righteous Pharisees and scribes; His prophecy of His resurrection and second coming. In the house of Simon the Leper, where Jesus was having a meal, we shall see the sinful woman enter to anoint His head and feet in love and repentance, and we shall contrast her to Judas, the disciple whose greed incited him to betray his Master for a paltry sum of money. Then we shall follow Jesus to the ‘upper chamber’ where He and his disciples partook of his Mystical Supper, that is, the first celebration of the Eucharist of his Most Holy Body and Blood, and then to the Garden of Gethsemane. There our Lord and God Jesus Christ prayed in agony.

Concerning our Savior’s prayer before his Passion, Saint John Chrysostom says:

By saying, ‘If it be possible, let it pass from me,’ He showed His humanity; but by saying, ‘Nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt,’ He showed His virtue and self-command, teaching us even when nature pulls us back to follow God. (Homily 83 on the Gospel of Matthew)

Together with Christ’s grieving Mother and John, the disciple He loved best, and with the other women, we shall stand watch by His Cross. We shall follow as His body is carried to the grave in the garden, and there leave his Body to rest till the Resurrection’s glorious morning.

This is why through all Passion Week’s mournful services there runs the strain of bright hope of forgiveness, of triumph over sin and death, and of our Savior’s victory over Satan, Hades, and mortal corruption.

HOLY MONDAY

The week of our Savior’s Passion begins with Holy and Great Monday. The first three days of Holy Week recall Christ’s last teachings with His disciples. These teachings inspire the readings and hymns. The services consist of Great Compline, Matins, Hours, and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts with Vespers. Gospels are read at Matins and Liturgy. In addition, the whole Psalter is read in the services of the first three days of Holy Week; also, the four Gospels are read. The Psalms remind us how the coming and sufferings of Christ were awaited and foretold in the Old Testament. The Gospels tell of His life in the world; His teaching and miracles prove that He was indeed the Son of God, who of His own free will suffered for our sake though He was without guilt.

At Matins after the great litany we do not hear the usual joyous verses, ‘God is the Lord, and hath appeared unto us.’ Instead, a compunctionate ‘Alleluia’ is chanted. And to inspire us to watch and pray in these solemn days, this troparion is chanted:

Behold, the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching; and again unworthy is he whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, lest thou be overcome with sleep, lest thou be given up to death, and be shut out from the Kingdom. But rouse thyself and cry: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God, through the Mother of God, have mercy on us.

After the canon, which speaks of Christ’s coming Passion, another special hymn an Exapostilarion — is chanted. It is like a cry of our soul as if it saw from afar Christ’s radiant mansions and felt how unworthy it was to enter them:

Thy bridal chamber, O my Saviour, do I behold all adorned, and a garment I have not that I may enter therein. Illumine the garment of my soul, O Giver of Light, and save me.

On Holy and Great Monday the Church tells us the parable of the barren fig tree. It is the symbol of those who think only of outward goodness which does not come from the heart. The Gospel also tells about Christ’s prophecies about the fall of Jerusalem, wars and tribulations, and the end of the world.

Please note that Great Lent begins this year on March 18. The week previous to this is a week where all foods are allowed except for meat. During Great Lent we abstain from meat and dairy products including fish (although fish is allowed on the Annunciation – April 7 & Palm Sunday – April 28). Let us recall that fasting is a tool given to us by God to aid us spiritually. For some it is easy to fast, for others it is difficult. However, what is most important is that we make a sincere effort to follow the fast. Why? Simply because the fast helps us to see our sins by helping us to focus spiritually. Eating “light” foods, or perhaps rather, abstaining from “heavy” foods such as meats and cheeses, allows us to be less focused on our stomachs and more focused on our souls, and of course, in this season when we undergo our journey to the Resurrection of our Lord we dearly wish to improve ourselves spiritually that we might meet the risen Christ better than we were when we began Great Lent. St. John Chrysostom writes that we abstain from meats that we might abstain from our sins. This nicely sums up the reason the Holy Church, as a loving mother, gives us the gift of fasting. Pascha is May 5 – may God grant us all a spiritually profitable Great Lent!

Most of our parishioners and friends know that tomorrow is Palm Sunday - the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem and the ostensible outward high point of our Lord's ministry. It is traditional for us to hold palms and pussy willows in our hands during the Palm Sunday services, but when is the best time to assure that we receive palms and pussy willows? Of course we order as many of these as we think we will need and then some, but each year we seem to run out. To assure that you receive your palms and pussy willows we suggest that you attend Vigil this evening - when the palms and pussy willows are blessed and distributed to the faithful. Of course we will have some left over for Liturgy and we are happy to share these with those who have missed Vigil, but to be certain you get your palms and pussy willows please come to Vigil tonight. Not only will you receive these blessed symbols of victory, but you will be exposed to the beautiful and meaningful hymnography of the Church that is only heard at Vigil. Please join us! Vigil begins this evening at 6:00 p.m.

We commend this short explanation of today's feast to our readers.

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/29999.htm

Please plan to join us this evening for the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. At tonight's vigil the palms and pussy willows are blessed and distributed to the faithful. We congratulate all with today's and tomorrow's feasts!

"Satan is resourceful, but untalented. He does not come to give us something, but to take something away and offer nothing in return. We rebuff him when we refuse to be destroyed."

This is a very even-handed and sober assessment of the evil that was evidenced in Boston last week. It is not good for us to over-react, which is our usual path. It is also not good for us to be purely passive. No matter why (if a reason is ever identified) these young men killed others it is our responsibility to pray - to ask the Lord to protect our land and to guide those inclined to evil away from it. We hope that reading this short opinion piece will motivate us all to prayer in just this way.

English:

http://www.pravmir.com/the-mystery-of-e ... -bombings/

Russian:

http://www.pravmir.ru/tajna-zla/

Our St. Xenia Sisterhood invites one and all to this month's building fund dinner this Sunday! The menu includes fish, potatoes, salads, fruit, desserts, and much more! Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to help support your parish and enjoy a pleasant meal with your fellow parishioners! As always we ask a donation of $10 for adults, $5 for students, and young children eat for free. This is a true donation! We can use the funds to help build our new church to be sure, but what is most important is that you join us - whether you have the donation or not!

Tonight we mark a very significant point in our yearly lives as Orthodox Christians. With the beginning of the Matins service for Lazarus Saturday we bid farewell to Great Lent and begin a new and even more focused spiritual time of year: Holy Week. There are many services during Holy Week and this is simply because as His Disciples we want to be with our Lord to the greatest extent possible during this meaningful time of year. The week begins with great fanfare and rejoicing as the Lord raises Lazarus from the dead, but soon the intrigues begin and our Lord is betrayed, crucified, and dies for our sake on the Cross. Perhaps our greatest temptation during this week is to overlook all this, that is, to be with the Lord as He is welcomed into Jerusalem as King and God on Palm Sunday, and then again to meet Him risen from the Dead on Pascha. Of course we commend those who attend these services, but we recommend more. That is, we recommend that, to the greatest extent possible, we put aside the things of this world during this week and spend it with our Lord - both during the time of His glory and the time of His betrayal and suffering. We are mystically present at the actual events of this week when we attend the Divine Services. May the Lord strengthen us all to accompany Him this coming week, so that we may meet Him as perhaps we never before have as He Rises from the Dead on the feast of feasts and day of days!

Holy Week and Bright Week Schedule of Services:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/pa ... lyer13.pdf

"They began celebrating Pascha on Earth and completed it in Heaven."

We highly recommend this short recollection by one who was present at the Paschal martyrdom of three brothers of the Optina monastery in 1993. These deaths that first shocked and then inspired the newly-awakening spiritual life of post-Soviet Russia are still instructive for us today. Pascha was earlier that year than it is this year, but the deaths of these New Martyrs reminds us that in fact Pascha is eternal. May the Lord grant us all to taste of it in His Heavenly Kingdom!

English:

http://www.pravmir.com/three-smiles-on- ... -slayings/

Russian:

http://www.pravmir.ru/tri-ulybki/

This Sunday we continue the tradition that reaches back to even before the Russian Revolution: a special collection on Palm Sunday to benefit the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in the Holy Land. Your donations are an investment in your future pilgrimage and the pilgrimages of thousands and tens of thousands of others who will travel to the Holy Land to visit and pray at the significant places in the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Russian Mission is a holder of many properties – properties purchased by the Imperial Palestine Society to insure that these properties would be preserved for Orthodox pilgrims to the Holy Land. Please be as generous as you can when you come to kiss the cross at the end of the Divine Liturgy this Sunday. Thank you in advance for your care for those in the Holy Land who labor night and day in prayer and hospitality for present and future pilgrims!

This Sunday our St. Xenia Sisterhood will offer kulich (Russian sweet Easter bread) for sale during the meal after the Divine Liturgy. These kulich are extremely non-Lenten and are meant to be blessed with one's Pascha basket - not to be eaten before Pascha. Those who would like to purchase a kulich but who cannot be present this Sunday are asked to email info@stvladimiraami.org. We can't guarantee you a kulich if you can't be at church on Sunday, but we will try to help however we can. See you soon at St. Vladimir's!

"As long as we idly dismiss our internal life without discerning good and evil within it, and passively give ourselves over to our desires and amusements, whatever they might be, making no accounting of ourselves, we will not live a Christian life."

As we come to the end of Great Lent and embark on the Holy Week perhaps now of all times of the year it is incumbent upon us to reflect on our spiritual lives and to truly repent. For now, as we draw near to our Lord's Passion we need to be with Him to the greatest extent possible. Please read the article below to learn more about just how best we can do that.

http://www.pravmir.com/the-meaning-of-confession/

We continue here the serialization of the instructions of Abba Dorotheos - a beautiful accompaniment to our Great Lenten journey.

That one Must Bear Temptation with Thanksgiving and without Disturbance

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60892.htm

On the Building and Completion of the Soul's House of Virtues

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60937.htm

On the Holy Forty Days of Lent

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60971.htm

To Certain Kelliotes (those who live apart from the brethren)

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60995.htm

To those who are Instructors in Monasteries and to Disciples: How one should Instruct the Brethren and how one should Receive Instruction

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60998.htm

Metropolitan Paul Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo (brother of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of the Great City-of-God Antioch and all the East) and Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, were both abducted Monday, April 22nd, while they were traveling together on the road between Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) and the north Syrian city of Aleppo. The driver of the vehicle (a Deacon) in which they were traveling was killed in the attack. Your prayers are very much requested.

St. Vladimir Parish Family members who would like to donate flowers to decorate the tomb of our Lord for Holy Week and the Paschal Icon for Bright Week are asked to stop in the kiosk or contact Albina S. Poplavsky or Sally DeRoo to make your donation. Please be sure to provide the names of your loved ones both living and departed to be commemorated at the Holy Week and Bright Week Divine Liturgies when you make your donation. Thank you kindly for your generosity!

We celebrate the resurrection of the Righteous Lazarus on Saturday, April 27. Matins for the feast is on Friday, April 26 with Divine Liturgy at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 27. Following the Liturgy on Saturday we will prepare the palms and pussy willows to be blessed at the vigil that evening. Please plan to join us for the preparing of the palms! Bring your children – this is a wonderful opportunity for them to participate in a memorable and special way in preparing for the great feast of our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem!

With the blessing of Bishop Peter there will be a General Unction service at St. Vladimir’s on April 22 at 6:00 p.m. Please note that Unction is a Sacrament of the Holy Church. All are welcome to attend the service, but only Orthodox Christians may be anointed with the Holy Oil at the conclusion of the service. The Sacrament of Unction is tied very closely to both repentance and healing, and thus, although this sacrament is generally reserved for those who are very sick (to aid in their healing or their prayerful departure into the next life) the practice is to hold this service one time per year during Great Lent to strengthen all of us on our path towards spiritual healing through repentance – the path we tread each year during Great Lent. IT IS IMPORTANT that you prepare yourself by confessing before this sacrament. Please contact Fr. Gregory for more details. A flyer suitable for sharing can be found at the link below:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/ge ... er2013.pdf

Please find the sound files from last Saturday's Vigil and last Sunday's Divine Liturgy at the links below.

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/vigil04-13-13.m4a

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/liturgy04-14-13.m4a

At the Parish Council meeting on Sunday, July 22 the proliferation of Nintendo DS’, iPads, smart phones, and other similar portable electronic gaming equipment was discussed. The council decided to make our parish a “game free zone” during the times of the Divine Services. Thus, we ask all parents to see to it that ALL electronic gaming devices not be used during the Divine Services at St. Vladimir’s. It is very important that all parents support this policy, since if just one child brings an electronic game to the church it will attract and distract others from prayer or their other spiritual duties (such as serving in the altar or ringing the bells).

We are aware that the Divine Services can be somewhat long. It is understood that children, especially young children, need a break from time to time. However, older children and teenagers should be able to participate in the Divine Services without nearly the number of breaks that young children need. Children from age 7 or so are invited to serve in the altar, help to ring the bells, or sing in the choir. Those much older than that who need breaks (and we trust parents to make the best decision in this regard for their children) are encouraged to walk along the sidewalk around the parish church and contemplate the natural beauty that our Lord has given to us as a sign for His love for us before returning quickly to the church to continue to participate in the Divine Services. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions or concerns about this new policy.

Please visit the link below to preview the next schedule of services and activities at St. Vladimir's. This link will be posted as our latest schedule of services on Saturday evening:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/calendars/newschedule.pdf

As most of our parish family is aware, we have met our goal of gathering $1,000,000 in pledges and cash towards the building of our new parish church and educational center. This year we have also been able to pay off our entire existing mortgage outstanding from our 2006 parish expansion. We are thankful to our donors, to our Philanthropy Team who has worked so hard to get us to this point, and especially to our Merciful Lord Who has blessed us with this success. We humbly confess that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights..." (James 1:17) and attribute all this to God's goodness.

That all being said, WE ARE NOT DONE! We also have a goal of 100% participation in our Capital Campaign. That is, we are striving for, and asking the Lord to bless us to involve every single one of our parish family members in this effort. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT! You can make a difference in the future of our parish! Each of our parish members will be contacted by one of our Philanthropy Team (see below) to set up an appointment to discuss the project and how every single one of us can be involved. Please do work with the Philanthropy Team to investigate how you can take part! This is a family effort and we are eagerly seeking the entire parish family’s participation!

The entire project is estimated to cost $4,100,000. So although we must thank the Lord that He has blessed us to get to this point we still have some work to do. HOWEVER, with our sincere effort and the Lord’s blessing we have real hope that we can do this – and do it soon! Please contact one of Philanthropy Team members below with questions (or if you just can’t wait for their call to you to get involved!).

Dmitry Knysh
734-358-5996
dmitriknysh@hotmail.com

Nathan Longan
734-678-8042
nathanlongan@gmail.com

Karl Meyer
734-945-0490
kmeyer4995@aol.com

To see the design renderings of the new church please visit the link below:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/stewardsh ... erings.pdf

This is an interesting, inspiring, and short sermon about the long service we served last night: Matins with the reading of the life of St. Mary of Egypt and the full penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete. How could standing through such a long service strengthen us rather than tire us our all the more? Read on to see how such an "illogical" thought can in fact be true...

English:

http://www.pravmir.com/strengthening-ou ... eat-canon/

Russian:

http://www.obitel-minsk.by/obitel-minsk_oid224072.html

In case of inclement weather St. Vladimir’s parishioners are urged to use caution and their best judgment when deciding whether to travel to the parish church for Divine Services. If the priest is able to reach the church the Divine Services will be conducted, but if parishioners perceive the driving conditions to be dangerous they should not feel compelled to travel to church.

-Approved by St. Vladimir Church Parish Council February 21, 2005

===

Please recall, as we move into our spring and summer severe weather season that there is a very significant difference between a "watch" and a "warning". A watch means that atmospheric conditions are favorable for the development of whatever that watch is for (thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane, winter storm, etc.). No action need be taken - we should simply be aware that such weather could develop. A warning, on the other hand, means that something is happening now, and if it is a severe thunderstorm or especially a tornado warning action should be taken to seek safe cover immediately. At St. Vladimir's, if there ever were to be a tornado warning during a Divine Service, the safest place to seek cover would be the bathrooms. Please be aware that we monitor severe weather during all Divine Services and that warnings are posted by county. Therefore, a tornado touch down in Ypsilanti would trigger a county-wide tornado warning, although the parish would be in no danger. In the event that the parish truly is in danger clear directions to seek shelter will be given.

Due to the Matins service with the reading of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt and the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete Presanctified Liturgy is moved to Thursday this week. Please join us for what is one of the most beautiful Great Lenten services followed by a light lenten meal and fellowship. The entire schedule of Presanctified Liturgies for this Great Lent as well as fasting rules for preparation for Holy Communion can be found at the link below.

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/pr ... ings13.pdf

We continue the serialization of the teachings of St. Dorotheos with his instructions listed below. We encourage our parish family and friends in the reading of Abba Dorotheos - an excellent companion to our Great Lenten struggle.

Concerning the Remembrance of Wrongs

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60727.htm

That one should not Lie

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60751.htm

That We Should Traverse the Godly Path with Understanding and Heedfulness

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60786.htm

That We Should Strive to Cut Off Passions Before They Become an Evil Habit of the Soul

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60814.htm

Concerning the Fear of Future Torture and that One Who Desires to be Saved Should Never Be Careless Over His Salvation

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60853.htm

For those who absolutely cannot join us this evening at St. Vladimir’s for the “Standing of Andrew”, we present here the life of St. Mary of Egypt and the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, both of which are ready in their entirety at tonight’s service. Those who are unable to attend are urged to read these at home as any prayer would be ready – with attentiveness standing before one’s icon corner. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions.

Life of St. Mary English:

http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets ... pt_ext.htm

Life of St. Mary Russian:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/3079.htm

Canon of St. Andrew English:

http://www.orthodox.net/greatlent/great ... -week.html

Canon of St. Andrew Russian:

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/rubrics/canon.htm

It is the time of year that parents need to sign up their children for Orthodox Church Camps if they hope to reserve a place for their kids. The two camps that young people from our parish have traditionally taken part in are the ORPR Camp and Camp Ruskoka. The web sites for both are below. We cannot stress strongly enough: YOU MUST REGISTER YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS NOW IF YOU HOPE TO RESERVE A PLACE FOR THEM AT ONE OF THESE EXCELLENT CAMPS! Please see Fr. Gregory with questions. Please know that Fr. Gregory strongly supports Orthodox camping and hopes that all our young people get the chance to participate in these camps this year.

http://orprcamp.org/

http://www.ruskoka.com/

A message from our Head Reader, Ken (Peter) Doll:

---

It has been our practice at St. Vladimir's to read from the Acts of the Apostles before the Paschal services. We try to read from as many languages as we have people that can read, but we also want to include as many people as would like to read.

We usually start at 10:00 p.m. and read until 11:15 p.m. with approximately 10 minute shifts, but if there are significantly more readers than in the past, we can start earlier and/or shorten the shifts.

---

Those that are interested in participating in this ancient Christian practice - the reading of the Acts of the Apostles before the beginning of the midnight Paschal service - are asked to contact Ken at info@stvladimiraami.org or see him at church.

We ask the prayers of our parish family and friends for those who lost their lives and those who were injured in the multiple bombings this afternoon in Boston, MA. It is still much too early in this tragedy to assign blame to anyone and speculation in this regard simply detracts from time and energy that could profit the victims through our prayers. The Lord will arrange for the guilty parties to be punished appropriately. Our responsibility is rather to pray for the fallen and the injured. May the Lord grant the reposed rest in His Heavenly Kingdom and strength and consolation to the suffering!

On Sunday, April 21 we are pleased to welcome Turbo Qualls to our monthly College Age Youth Group dinner. We will invite our Teen Youth Group to join us at this dinner as well. Turbo will speak on his ministry to disaffected youth in society as well as take questions from the gathered youth. This should be a really wonderful meeting – don’t miss it! RSVP to Fr. Gregory ASAP. With lots of people coming together that evening we want to make sure to have enough food. Spread the word – invite a friend! Please join us!

Many of you will remember Turbo Qualls. Turbo visited us last Great Lent as the keynote speaker of our Great Lenten Lecture Series. You can see his presentation from that visit here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlpyfmr6GDA

Turbo will be leading the Diocesan Young Adult Retreat the weekend of April 19-21. However, he will arrive on April 18 and we are happy to announce that he will be able to make a presentation after the Presanctified Liturgy that evening to our parish. The topic of Turbo’s talk will be: “Refreshment in and by the Lord.” A light Lenten dinner will be served. Please join us and please invite a friend (or more)! A flyer for the event can be found here – please share it with those you feel would be interested:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/pr ... -18-13.pdf

A Homily by St. Nikolai Velimirovich
- From The Prologue -

Launch out into the deep... (Luke 5:4)

This is what our Lord commanded Peter and the rest of the apostles when He had finished speaking. This means that He first gave instructions and then, immediately after, He called them to action. This is also important for us. For as soon as we learn something from the Gospels, we immediately need to go out and implement it. The disciple’s works are dear to the Lord—not just the disciple.

Launch out into the deep. From the shallow water along the shore, our Lord spoke to the people who were less enlightened in the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but he summoned the apostles out into the deep. There is less danger in the shallow waters, but the catch is also smaller. In the shallows there are snakes, frogs and other small repulsive water creatures; that is all the danger. In shallow waters there are only small fish; that is the entire catch. But in the greater depths, the danger is also greater. There you have large sea creatures and great storms; that is the danger. But there are also much larger and better fish in enormous quantity; that is the catch. O enlightened one, come therefore into the deep!

Launch out into the deep, mysterious sea of life, but do not proceed without Christ in your boat. By no means. You might spend the entire night of your life not catching anything, as Peter said: We have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing (Luke 5:5). Not only that, but you could face far worse if Christ is not in your boat. Perhaps the winds will carry you away and cast you into an abyss. Perhaps the monstrous and enormous beasts of the sea will consume you. The winds, O enlightened one, are your own passions which accompany you unavoidably if you set out into the deep without Christ. The enormous and monstrous beasts of the sea are demons, who can destroy you in the blink of an eye as they destroyed the herd of two thousand swine.

However, if you are going out with Christ into the deep, do not be afraid of anything, but go joyfully and courageously joined to Christ. You will lay hold of the best catch, and you will fill both boats with it—the physical and the spiritual. You will snare the best catch, O dedicated one, and you will arrive on shore without any dangers, on the shore of the Kingdom of Christ. Nowhere without Christ! Neither in shallow places nor in the deep. In the shallow places you will become vexed by hunger and by many minor annoyances, but in the deep a greater evil will befall you.

O my Almighty Savior, Thou art our Helmsman, our Defense, our Harbor. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.

Perhaps it has been some time since you came to Church – maybe even since your childhood. Please know that we WELCOME you at St. Vladimir’s. Great Lent is often a time when we consider returning to the Church if we have been away. We WELCOME you at St. Vladimir’s. The Church is here for you – our Lord became incarnate for the salvation of all. If you have been away for a while please consider this your invitation: we WELCOME you at St. Vladimir’s! Please contact Fr. Gregory at 734-649-5746 or ogrisha@stvladimiraami.org with questions or concerns. Rest assured – we will be happy to have you as a part of our parish family!

This is a nice article about the need to attend the evening Divine Services. Too often we have "more important things to do" than go to Church in the evening. This is a real shame, something this article's author notes when he writes: "Today’s Christians, who reject the path of struggle and strive only for consolation, are robbing themselves, depriving themselves of grace." Do not rob yourself of grace! Please read the article below and please make plans to attend the evening Divine Services regularly - you will not be at all sorry you have made such a salvatory decision!

http://www.pravmir.com/on-the-importanc ... -services/

At the link below you will find a nice You Tube video created by one of the faithful who has recently begun to come to St. Vladimir’s. Thank you to all who greet visitors hospitably and with Christian love - we can see here that this truly makes a difference! In his email to Fr. Gregory accompanying the video he writes:

My dear brothers and sisters of St. Vladimir's,

Since taking part in some of the services of the Great Lent, I have been so moved by your Christian warmth and especially by the devotion and the love of Christ I have been privileged to share with you. The services are long and sometimes difficult, and yours is not a grand cathedral with a massed choir but it does not make any difference. I can say truthfully that I have never felt such spiritual intensity in my life in any church I have ever been in. At the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified last Wednesday, I felt myself tearing up throughout the service and when the choir sang "Come and taste," I started to cry and wept like a child through the rest of the liturgy. Because I was standing and kneeling before God, I was not embarrassed, although I confess I was glad it was dark in the church.

Just today I made this as meditation on the resurrection and as a tribute to Russian Orthodoxy. It was very much inspired by all of you.

The mercy of God, and the holy protection of the blessed Theotokos be with you always,

http://youtu.be/W0oe5u-Unt0

Our apologies that we have not posted sound files for some time. But we are making it up for it here! All the files that had not been posted since March 27 appear below. Enjoy!

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/vigil03-30-13.m4a

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/liturgy03-31-13.m4a

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/liturgy04-04-13.m4a

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/liturgy04-06-13.m4a

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/vigil04-06-13.m4a

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/liturgy04-07-13.m4a

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/Music/liturgy04-10-13.m4a

Parents may find the questions at this link helpful as their children prepare for confession:

http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/Ten-Comm ... r-KIds.pdf

We do not say you MUST use this questionnaire, but that it MAY be helpful. Parents are urged to read through the questions before sharing with their children so that they can "rehearse" questions that may obviously arise from reviewing such a questionnaire. Although a few of these questions may be slightly uncomfortable, and of course each parent is best equipped to know when it is best to have these discussions with their own child, perhaps it is really better to have these conversations sooner rather than later given the early age at which our children are exposed to adult themes in today's media and entertainment culture?

We continue the serialization of the teachings of St. Dorotheos with his instructions listed below. We encourage our parish family and friends in the reading of Abba Dorotheos - an excellent companion to our Great Lenten struggle.

On Renunciation:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60493.htm

Concerning the Humility of Wisdom:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60560.htm

On the Conscience:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60587.htm

Concerning the Fear of God:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60605.htm

That we should not Trust in our own Understanding:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60650.htm

That we should not Judge our Neighbor:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60661.htm

How we must Accuse ourselves, and not our Neighbors:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60689.htm

Please join us for our monthly 9-12 year old youth group activity this Sunday! Immediately after Liturgy our 9-12 year olds will commence a general cleanup of the parish grounds. The snow hid lots of junk from our view – but the snow is gone! And this is a great opportunity for our young people to contribute to the preparation of our parish family for the great feast of feast and day of days that is approaching: the feast of our Lord’s Resurrection! We will have many visitors for the feast and we want to welcome them to a parish shining both outwardly and inwardly. All parishioners will soon be called upon to pitch in too, but our youngest parishioners will lead the charge by getting a head start this Sunday. Parents – please be certain to bring a change of clothes for your children so they don’t ruin their Sunday best during this activity. Gloves, shovels, rakes, and other similar tools should also be brought for this work. Please plan to join us!

A message from our Head Reader, Ken (Peter) Doll:

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It has been our practice at St. Vladimir's to read from the Acts of the Apostles before the Paschal services. We try to read from as many languages as we have people that can read, but we also want to include as many people as would like to read.

We usually start at 10:00 p.m. and read until 11:15 p.m. with approximately 10 minute shifts, but if there are significantly more readers than in the past, we can start earlier and/or shorten the shifts.

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Those that are interested in participating in this ancient Christian practice - the reading of the Acts of the Apostles before the beginning of the midnight Paschal service - are asked to contact Ken at info@stvladimiraami.org or see him at church.

We invite all to ponder this quote from St. John of the Ladder (Climacus) as we enter this fourth week of Great Lent. The Orthodox Church commemorates St. John this coming Sunday, as is the case each year on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent.

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The forgetting of wrongs is a sign of true repentance. But he who dwells on them and thinks that he is repenting is like a man who thinks he is running while he is really asleep.

-St. John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent"

St. Vladimir Parish Family members who would like to donate flowers to decorate the tomb of our Lord for Holy Week and the Paschal Icon for Bright Week are asked to stop in the kiosk or contact Albina S. Poplavsky or Sally DeRoo to make your donation. Please be sure to provide the names of your loved ones both living and departed to be commemorated at the Holy Week and Bright Week Divine Liturgies when you make your donation. Thank you kindly for your generosity!

The little picture at this link is simple - but very powerful. It graphically represents exactly how NOT to fast. Mr. Stick Figure has forgotten that fasting is not just about the food we eat. That is part of it of course, but abstaining from "biting our brother" through unkind words, judging, evil thoughts and the like are also part of our Great Lenten struggle. We hope you enjoy the picture!

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/images/notfasting.JPG

On Tuesday, April 9th, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Ann Arbor, Dr. Arthur Verhoogt (Associate Professor of Papyrology and Greek and Acting Archivist of the Papyrology Collection at the U of M will offer a presentation on “Early Christian Texts from the University of Michigan Papyrology Collection.” The U of M Papyrus collection is the fifth largest in the world. The U of M collection contains papyrus from the 10th century BC to the 11th century AD. In this particular presentation, Prof. Verhoogt will speak about 7 papyrus fragments; 5 are in Greek and 2 in Coptic. They have to do with the Epistles of St. Paul, the Gospel according to St. Matthew, and a document from the Decian persecution. One of the pieces from St. Paul’s Epistles is the oldest known copy in the world of one of his epistles. The 7 papyri will be brought to St. Nicholas church for the presentation and we will be able to view them up close. This will be a truly unique experience. Following the presentation, there will be a reception. For more information please visit the flyer below:

http://www.stnickaa.org/Events/Papyrus% ... %20IIb.pdf

Please join us each Sunday of Great Lent for our annual Great Lenten Lecture series. This year we have a wonderful lineup of speakers – you won’t want to miss one of these lectures! But if you do we will of course post them on our You Tube Channel...

Sunday, March 24 – The Sunday of Orthodoxy
Lilia Vershynin – Iconoclasm
Lilia completed her Ph.D. dissertation on this very same topic and thus will have much insight for us on a topic that few of us really understand all that well.

Sunday, March 31 – Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
Marion Gabl – Is there a place for Christians in the Academy?
Marion is a graduate student at the University of Chicago and dealing with this very topic on a regular basis. We therefore asked her to bring this interesting quandary to our parish for further discussion!

Sunday, April 7 – Annunciation of the Mother of God and Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross
Fr. Gregory – A Comparative Treatment of the Veneration of the Mother of God
This lecture will examine how Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim believers have historically venerated (or not and why not) the Mother of God.

Sunday, April 14 – Sunday of St. John of the Ladder
Kathy Kovolak, Zoe for Life Cleveland: “The Orthodox Approach to being Pro Life”
Zoe for Life Cleveland is a Pan-Orthodox effort that provides support for mothers to help them decide to carry their babies to term by providing counseling, shelter, material help, and adoption services. We hope Kathy’s visit to help us as a parish to continue our conversation about how we can best express the life affirming position of the Orthodox Church together.

Sunday, April 21 – Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
Deacon Zacharias – The Liturgies of St. James and St. Mark
This lecture will examine two of the lesser known Liturgies of the Orthodox Church, their contemporary and historical usage.

Sunday, April 28 – Palm Sunday
John Hill – The Tradition of Liturgical Theater
This lecture will examine the tradition of Liturgical Theater in the Russian Church. Haven’t ever heard of that before? This is exactly why John will give us this lecture!

During the warm spring and summer months, just as during the cold winter months, we sometimes forget the necessity of dressing appropriately for church services. We include below a helpful guide for appropriate dress in church. Thank you very much for supporting our parish family by conforming to these important standards (which are applicable to all Divine Services – not just Sunday Divine Liturgy)!

WE ARE SLIPPING A LITTLE BIT HERE - TOO OFTEN PEOPLE ARE COMING TO SERVICES DRESSED UNFITTINGLY. It is understood that everyone makes a mistake once in a while, but there are several people that consistently dress inappropriately at church (not newcomers who might not know - but regular parishioners who very well know the standard). This is unacceptable and must stop. The standard applies to all - not just some.

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/flyers/properattire.pdf

In the winter months we don’t really have to think about things like dresses that do not cover the shoulder or short pants, but in the summer we do - and summer will be here soon. A few practical tips in this regard:

• If you have a dress that does not cover your shoulders that you would like to wear to church that is just fine, but please cover your shoulders with a shawl or light sweater while in church
• Shorts are not appropriate in church. Somehow we struggle with this every spring and summer as a parish family. This is likely because this has not been made clear in the past and we ask the forgiveness of all for not being as clear as we should have been. So, to be as clear as possible: shorts should not be worn in church by anyone of any age at any time.

We congratulate the newly tonsured Mother Raphaela (our parish family member Rebecca Gabl)! Mother Raphaela was tonsured at the Presentation Convent in Australia earlier this week (on April 2 - the feast of the martyrs of St. Savva's Monastery - the martyrs whose relics are sewn into the antimins used in our parish). Please remember the newly-tonsured in your prayers. This is a great honor and privilege for our parish. The state of the monastic life in any local Orthodox Church is widely considered to be the best measure of that Church’s health. That we have had one of our own parish family members enter this life of focused struggle for salvation via prayer and repentance is something for which we should thank God profoundly. Monastics pray for the entire world. We can have hope that in Mother Raphaela's prayers there will also be mention of our parish family as the place in which she first began to grow spiritually. We strongly urge all our parish family members – but especially our young families with children – to participate in our two parish pilgrimages held each year: in the spring to Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY and in the fall to Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV. By exposing our children in a positive way to the monastic life we can have hope that the first monastic from our parish, Mother Rapaela, will be just that: the first in a long line of those from our parish family that will embrace the angelic life for the sake of their souls and the good of the Holy Church. May God grant it!

Beginning in April we will serve one cycle of Divine Services per month (Friday Evening Services and Saturday Divine Liturgy) completely in English. Following the Divine Liturgy on these Saturdays a cup of tea and something sweet will be offered and we will hold a discussion on some aspect of Orthodox Christianity. This is a missionary effort designed to allow those who are interested in Orthodox Christianity to more easily access the beauty of the Divine Services – the “theology in action” of the Holy Church. However, ALL ARE WELCOME at these services! Please invite friends and loved ones! Let us work together to no longer allow Orthodox Christianity to be the best kept secret in the spiritual life of North America! Please join us!

Schedule of English Services for the next few months:

Friday, April 5
Evening Services: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 6
Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.

Friday, May 10
Paschal Evening Services: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 11
Paschal Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.

Friday, June 7
Evening Services: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 8
Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.

Friday, July 19
Evening Services: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 20
Divine Liturgy: 9:00 a.m.

Please join us for our monthly teen youth group meeting this Sunday at 4:00 p.m. at Fr. Gregory’s home in Saline. We will be revisiting our gardening project from two months ago as well as discussing our Great Lenten journey and the upcoming feast of our Lord’s Resurrection and what this all means to a teenage Orthodox Christian. Of course, questions about whatever the young people would like to discuss are also welcome. Please join us! RSVP so we have the right amount of dirt and other important materials to work on our gardening project. See you Sunday!

This is a very interesting account of the Sunday of Orthodoxy in Moscow's Dormition Cathedral in 1914 by a future bishop and eminent chorister of the Russian Church. We urge all as you read this to consider - what would have been missed if this young man had not gone to church that day? We are all tired and we are all busy. But if we miss attending the Saturday evening and Sunday morning Divine Services we miss a lot! Perhaps something to work on rectifying during this special time of year that is Great Lent...

http://www.pravmir.com/recollections-of ... scow-1914/

Many are likely aware of the burgeoning evidence of Orthodoxy in colonial America. The article below provides more source documentation in this regard. We live in an interesting time as far as this subject is concerned - in the midst of significant historical discoveries. The concept of Orthodox Christians as part of the early colonies was not covered in our American History textbooks, but it seems to be the case that Orthodox Christians really were here from the very beginning of the English colonial presence.

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60438.htm

If you are thinking that this is a rather obscure commemoration you may be right on one hand, but on the other - did you know that all every Orthodox Divine Liturgy must be served on an antimins? This is the cloth that is imprinted with an icon of the burial of our Lord. Within each antimins is sewn the relics of martyrs, for in the time of great persecutions the Christians would serve the Divine Liturgy on the relics of the martyrs in the catacombs. The relics can be of any martyr, but at St. Vladimir's we have a very unique antimins. We are privilaged to have the relics of the martyrs of St. Sabbas' Monastery sewn into our antimins - the only antimins that we know of with the relics of these saints. And thus, today is a day that has meaning to our parish - a day that is a bit of a feast for us. Let us keep the feast at least by learning about these martyrs, which each of us can do by visiting the appropriate link below.

English:

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2013/03/20/ ... of-st-sava

Russian:

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life678.htm

The serialization of the life of Abba Dorotheos continues with this entry, which contains information also on the life of St. Dositheus. Outstanding reading for Great Lent!

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60473.htm

Information about the life and writings of this great ascetic and father of the Church will be serialized throughout Great Lent on the English side of pravoslavie.ru. The first entry can be found here and is highly recommended!

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60440.htm

A very important ministry in our parish is the ministry of photography and videography. Yes – ministry! We need to serve others by reaching out to them and allowing them to learn more about our parish and Orthodox Christianity through our photo album page and our You Tube channel. You don’t need to be a professional photographer to help out in this regard (although we certainly won’t turn you way if you are a professional). What is important is that we have regular coverage of Divine Services and events at our parish to share with others and that you desire to serve others through this ministry. We can teach you the rest! Please contact Fr. Gregory to learn more!