This time of year - the time between Pascha and Pentecost - is really the best time of year for us as Orthodox Christians. We celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord in a very outward and glorious manner for 40 days - just as He continued His work on the earth for the 40 days after His Resurrection until He ascended back into Heaven from whence He had come.

We include here a link to some beautiful photos with the theme of our Lord's Resurrection found on the most popular Russian web site:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/foto/set1319.htm

You can also find great photos of Pascha here in our parish on our photo album page:

http://stvladimirchurch.smugmug.com/2015

Enjoy and rejoice - Christ is Risen!

One of the most important of the Prophets, the Prophet of God Jeremiah, is commemorated by the Holy Church today. What makes him so important you ask? You'll have to read the articles below to find out! :)

English:

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2015/05/01/ ... t-jeremiah

Russian:

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life963.htm

This is not a short article, but it is an important article and worth reading through. First, because it describes how someone from group like the Jehovah's Witnesses - even a respected leader of such a group with all family members as part of the group - can break free and find the truth of Orthodox Christianity. But perhaps even more important for us - we see in this article the sort of Orthodox community that rejected this sincere seeker, and the kind of Orthodox community that accepted him. May God grant that at St. Vladimir's we always be like the parish family that accepted him and never like the one that rejected him!

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/78966.htm

The May Adult Discussion Group meeting has been moved from May 15 to May 22. Please forgive, but May 15 is simply impossible. Join us on May 22! More information here:

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

We have heard that there are 70 Apostles in addition to the 12 – but we don't know much about them. Not that this knowledge is unavailable or secret – we just don't take the time to learn about their lives. Today we begin to correct that oversight! Today is the commemoration of Sts. Jason and Sosipater, Apostles of the 70. Please read about them at the links below.

English:

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2015/04/28/ ... e-with-him

Russian:

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life946.htm

Today the Holy Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark. As with any of the four Evangelists – writers of the Holy Gospels, this is a significant day in the life of the Holy Church. Below we include the life of St. Mark for the edification of our readers. We wish all celebrating their name's days on this day many years!

English:

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2015/04/25/ ... elist-mark

Russian:

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life931.htm

We have a bit of business left to complete from our 2014 Annual Meeting (held on February 15, 2015) and thus we will have a special parish meeting on Sunday, June 14. Information in this regard will be sent out to all on our mailing list via email and via post (this is required by the Normal Parish Bylaws). At this meeting we will complete the election of the 2015 Parish Council, choose delegates to the 2015 Diocesan Assembly, hear the Brotherhood Report and the Church School Report (which were tabled at the Annual Meeting), get an updated on our building plans, get an update on our festival plans, and hear a proposal regarding membership criteria for our parish. Since this is a continuation of the 2014 annual meeting you must be a 2014 member of the parish to participate in this meeting. Please plan to join us on June 14!

During the night of May 2-3 our Sister in Christ Sally (Anna) DeRoo fell asleep in The Lord. She lay down to sleep on May and gave up her soul during the night. Please remember Sally (her baptismal name is Anna) in your prayers during these 40 days! The 40th day is June 11, 2015. Since Sally has chosen to be cremated there will be no memorial services until after that date. More information on those services will be forthcoming. I know I can say for our entire parish family that Sally will be truly missed by us all. She was a wonderful, hard working, and very faithful servant of our Lord.

May the memory of our Sister Anna be truly eternal!

Tomorrow the Holy Church marks the feast of Mid-Pentecost (half way between Pascha and Pentecost) as well as the feast of the Great Martyr St. George. May 6 is Fr. Gregory's ordination anniversary as a priest, and he asks the prayers of our parish family on this day for him. Since Fr. Gregory is in Russia on this day we will not have Divine Liturgy in the morning, but rather a Reader's Service at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Please join us as your personal schedule allows!

More on the feast of St. George below. Many years to our Georges and Alexandras on their name's days tomorrow!

English:

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

Russian:

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2015/04/23/ ... ker-george

This article is by one of the great theologians of the twentieth century: Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky). It is hard to overstate his importance and we think, having read this relatively short but very rich article, you will agree.

http://www.pravmir.com/a-pascha-of-incorruption/