St. George Antiochian Orthodox ChristianChurch

Serving the Orthodox Christian Communityof Greater Cleveland

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent Commemoration of our Righteous Mother Mary of Egypt

St. George AntiochianOrthodox Church

2587 West 14th StreetCleveland, Ohio 44113-4408

WELCOME

The mission of St. GeorgeAntiochian Orthodox Church

is to serve God and the communityby commitment to the Gospel’scommand to grow in theknowledge of Jesus Christ throughfaith, hope, and love. It is a parishof the Self –Ruled AntiochianOrthodox Christian Archdiocese ofNorth America.The Orthodox Church follows thefaith and practice of the apostlesand disciples of Christ handeddown by the ancient Christianfathers and twenty centuries ofChurch tradi t ion. GenuineChristian life nurtures andstimulates our spiritual and moraldevelopment. The liturgical life ofthe Orthodox Church has beendeveloping over the last 2000years. By taking part in themysteries of Christ’s life, death andresurrection at the liturgicalservices, the community membersare drawn to repentance and thegradual change of their innerselves.To join the community of St.George or to find out moreinformation, please fill out theGuest Book in the Narthex. Wehope this day will be spirituallyrewarding for you. Fr John will behappy to answer any questions.Join us in the hall after Liturgy forour Coffee Hour and Fellowship.

V. Rev Father John Ojaimi, PastorOffice: (216) 781-9020 Fax: (216) 781-9545

Cellular: (440) 665-6724Archdeacon Yarid Sahley

Subdeacon Sam EliasSubdeacon Khalil Samara

Teen Advisor: Priscilla Calloswww.stgeorgecleveland.com

Pastor’s E-Mail: frjojaimi@msn.comParish E-Mail: office@stgeorgecleveland.com

Sunday, March 212010

Tone 8 Eothinon 8

Fifth Sunday of LentCommemoration of our Righteous

Mother Mary of Egypt

On this day, we commemorate:

Venerable-confessor James the New, bishopof Catania; Thomas, patriarch of

Constantinople; New-martyr Michael++++++

Bread of Oblation is offered in memory of Emile & Zakia Jarrousand Moussa Saliba (6 months) by Bassam & Camilia Saliba and Family.

Bread of Oblation is offered in beloved memory of John Simon by hischildren and grandchildren.

Bread of Oblation is offered in beloved memory of Salameh Jeries Khourieh, ThaerEid Bassir, Nabeel George Kiriako, and Abdel Maseeh Saleh Nemeh by AwwadKhourieh and family.

Prayers for the Health & Spiritual Welfare of: Houda Abdelkarim, Melissa Aboid,Tommy Amato, Mary Assad, Naissef & Rita Courey, Ann Deeb, Emilie Easa, JamesEassey, Helena Elias, Sarah Elias, Vera Elias, Norman Fadil, Peter Farage, Anne-Marie, Dave & Altair Gann, Minerva Gantose, Leo George, Peter George, EliasGhazal, Eddie Haddad, Pauline Hanna, Ava Harb, Samia Harb, Jean Kash, CorrineKhouri, Hanadi Khouri, Wadad Khoury, Julia Kushner, Helen Lambert, Eleanor McKib-ben, Fadua Mina, Joyce & Marie Nader, Kaukab Nader, Virginia Nader, Mary Namy,Hassib Sabbagh, Jennie Sadallah, Christopher Fadel-Samuel, George Sarkes, FrankSayre, John Shdeed, Alice Shiekh, Alvera Shiekh, Linda Simon, Georgine Trombetto,Asma Zaboura

Candles are offered for the health, safety, and spiritual welfare of:

George, Asma, Marlene, and Nicola Zaboura by Ranna ZabouraFrank Sayre by Barb AboidFamily and Friends by Hal & Louise BouhasinChristina George by her family Tony, Olivia, Domenica, Alyana

Candles are offered in beloved memory of:Wadia Ameen by his wife Mary + familyChristine George by Leo GeorgeEdward Fadel by his wife Rita + family

Coffee HourSign up and take your turn in offering a Coffee Hour. Lots of dates for 2010 are

open. Pick a birthday, memorial, anniversary, or just a day that no one has sponsored.

Liturgical Guide for Sunday, March, 21, 2010**Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great**

RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE EIGHTFrom the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to thethree-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrec-tion, O Lord, glory to Thee.

THE EISODIKON (ENTRANCE HYMN) OF ORDINARY SUNDAYSCome, let us worship, and fall down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, Who art risen fromthe dead; who sing to Thee. Alleluia.

RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE EIGHTFrom the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to thethree-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrec-tion, O Lord, glory to Thee.

APOLYTIKION OF ST. MARY OF EGYPT IN TONE EIGHTThrough thee, the divine likeness was securely preserved, O mother Mary; for thou didst carrythe cross and follow Christ. By example and precept thou didst teach us to ignore the body,because it is perishable, and to attend to the concerns of the undying soul. Therefore, doth thysoul rejoice with the angels.

Troparion of St. George: Tone 4As deliver of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm, champion of kings, vic-

torious Great martyr George, intercede with Christ our God, for our souls’ salvation..

KONTAKION FOR THE ANNUNCIATION (AND GREAT LENT) IN TONE EIGHTTo thee, the Champion Leader, do I offer thanks of victory, O Theotokos, thou who hast de-livered me from terror; but as thou that hast that power invincible, O Theotokos, thou alonecan set me free: from all forms of danger free me and deliver me, that I may cry unto thee:“Hail, O Bride without Bridegroom.”

The TrisagionHoly God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on usHoly God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on usHoly God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: both now and ever and unto ages ofages. Amen.

Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us.Dynamis! (With Strength)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us

THE EPISTLEMake your vows to the Lord our God, and perform them.

God is known in Judah; His Name is great in Israel.The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews. (9:11-14)

Brethren, when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this crea-tion), He entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves butHis own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled personswith the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purificationof the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offeredHimself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the livingGod?

THE GOSPELThe Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark. (10:32-45)

At that time, Jesus took His twelve Disciples, and began to tell them what was to hap-pen to Him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of man will be deliv-ered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Himto the Gentiles. And they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit upon Him, and kill Him;and after three days He will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward toHim, and said to Him, “Teacher, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shalldesire” And Jesus said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And they said to Him,“Grant us to sit, one at Thy right hand and one at Thy left, in Thy glory.” But Jesus said tothem, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or tobe baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to Him, “We areable.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism withwhich I am baptized, you will be baptized. But to sit at My right hand or at My left is notMine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it,they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to Him and said to them,“You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and theirgreat men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever wouldbe great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must beservant of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give His lifeas a ransom for many.”

ST. BASIL LITURGY MEGALYNARIONIn thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, all creation: the angelic hosts, and the race of men, O hal-lowed Temple and super-sensual paradise, glory of Virgins, of whom God was incarnate andbecame a little child, even our God Who is before all the ages; for He made thy womb athrone, and thy body He made more spacious than the heavens. In thee rejoiceth, O full ofgrace, all creation; and it glorifieth thee.

The KoinonikonPraise ye the Lord from the Heavens; praise ye Him in the highest. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

Post-CommunionWe have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit. We have found the true

Faith. Worshipping the undivided Trinity; for he hath saved us.

الرسالةر المصنوع وأما المسیح، وھو قد جاء رئیس كھنة للخیرات العتیدة، فبالمسكن األعظم واألكمل، غی 11

ولیس بدم تیوس وعجول، بل بدم نفسھ، دخل مرة واحدة إلى األقداس، 12بید، أي الذي لیس من ھذه الخلیقة، ألنھ إن كان دم ثیران وتیوس ورماد عجلة مرشوش على المنجسین، یقدس إلى طھارة 13.فوجد فداء أبدیا

م من أعمال فكم بالحري یكون دم المسیح، الذي بروح أزلي قدم نفسھ هللا بال عیب، یطھر ضمائرك 14الجسد، !میتة لتخدموا اهللا الحي

االنجیل________

وفیما ھم یتبعون كانوا .وكانوا في الطریق صاعدین إلى أورشلیم ویتقدمھم یسوع، وكانوا یتحیرون 32ھا نحن صاعدون إلى أورشلیم، وابن «33:فأخذ االثني عشر أیضا وابتدأ یقول لھم عما سیحدث لھ .یخافون

فیھزأون بھ 34مم، اإلنسان یسلم إلى رؤساء الكھنة والكتبة، فیحكمون علیھ بالموت، ویسلمونھ إلى األ .»ویجلدونھ ویتفلون علیھ ویقتلونھ، وفي الیوم الثالث یقوم

ماذا «:فقال لھما 36.»یا معلم، نرید أن تفعل لنا كل ما طلبنا «:وتقدم إلیھ یعقوب ویوحنا ابنا زبدي قائلین 35فقال 38.»أعطنا أن نجلس واحد عن یمینك واآلخر عن یسارك في مجدك «:فقاال لھ37»تریدان أن أفعل لكما؟

أتستطیعان أن تشربا الكأس التي أشربھا أنا، وأن تصطبغا بالصبغة .لستما تعلمان ما تطلبان «:لھما یسوع أما الكأس التي أشربھا أنا فتشربانھا، «:فقال لھما یسوع .»نستطیع«:فقاال لھ 39»التي أصطبغ بھا أنا؟

وأما الجلوس عن یمیني وعن یساري فلیس لي أن أعطیھ إال 40.وبالصبغة التي أصطبغ بھا أنا تصطبغان .»للذین أعد لھم

أنتم تعلمون أن «:فدعاھم یسوع وقال لھم42.ولما سمع العشرة ابتدأوا یغتاظون من أجل یعقوب ویوحنا41بل من أراد .فال یكون ھكذا فیكم 43.الذین یحسبون رؤساء األمم یسودونھم، وأن عظماءھم یتسلطون علیھم

ألن ابن 45.ومن أراد أن یصیر فیكم أوال، یكون للجمیع عبدا 44أن یصیر فیكم عظیما، یكون لكم خادما، .»اإلنسان أیضا لم یأت لیخدم بل لیخدم ولیبذل نفسھ فدیة عن كثیرین

PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTEThere are certain times during the Divine Liturgy when one should refrain from entering

the Church out of respect for God and the worship of His people. They are:During the Trisagion Hymn

During the Epistle and Gospel readingsDuring the Cherubic Hymn and Great Entrance

During the CreedDuring The Anaphora—(“Let us stand aright” through “Especially our all-holy Lady.”)

During Holy Communion one should remain standing throughout the distribution of thegifts. If you have already received Holy Communion, please avail yourself of the

“Prayers of Thanksgiving” which begin on Page 128 of the red prayer book while youwait for everyone else to receive.

UPCOMING DIVINE SERVICE

Monday, March 22, 2010 English Great Compline@ 7:00 pmTuesday, March 23, 2010 Arabic Great Compline @ 7:00 pm

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Liturgy for the Annunciation @ 7:00 pmFriday, March 26, 2010 Lazarus Vespers & Canon @ 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 27, 2010 Lazarus Saturday Liturgy @ 10:30 am

PALM SUNDAY, March 28, 2010 Matin @ 9:30 am, Divine Liturgy @ 10:30 amSunday, March 28, 2010 Bridegroom Service @ 7:00pm

During Lent confessions will be heard before evening services though Holy Fridayevening, or Sunday Morning before Liturgy starts and by appointment.

Come for Confession,Start fresh.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Commemoration of our RighteousMother Mary of Egypt

St. Mary, who is known as Mary of Egypt, lived in the middle of the fifth century and atthe beginning of the sixth century. Her youth did not presage anything good. Mary wastwelve years old when she left her home for the city of Alexandria. Being free of parentaloversight, young and inexperienced, Mary was allured by a life of depravity. There was noone to stop her on the way to perdition, and there were not a few temptations. Thus, for sev-enteen years Mary lived in sin, until the merciful Lord turned her to repentance.

It happened thus. By coincidence, Mary joined a group of pilgrims bound for the HolyLand. While sailing with the pilgrims on the ship, Mary did not cease from seducing menand sinning. On getting to Jerusalem, she joined the pilgrims who were heading for theChurch of Christ's Resurrection.

People were entering the church in an large throng, but Mary was stopped at the entranceby an invisible hand and could not by any efforts enter it. Here she understood that the Lordwas not permitting her to enter into the holy place because of her impurity.

Seized by horror and a feeling of profound repentance, she began to entreat God to for-give her sins, promising to radically correct her life. Seeing an icon of the Mother of God atthe entrance of the church, Mary began to beg the Divine Mother to plead for her beforeGod. After this, she immediately felt a clearing up in her soul and entered the church unhin-dered. Having poured out abundant tears at the Lord's Tomb, she went out of the church acompletely different person.

Mary fulfilled her promise to change her life. From Jerusalem, she withdrew into theharsh and barren Jordanian Desert, and there spent almost half a century in complete soli-tude, in fasting and prayer. Thus, by severe ascetic feats, Mary of Egypt completely eradi-cated in herself all sinful desires and made her heart a pure temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Elder Zosima, who lived in the Jordanian Monastery of the Prophet John the Fore-runner, was deemed worthy, by God's providence, to meet Venerable Mary in the desert,when she was already an extremely old woman. He was struck by her holiness and gift ofclairvoyance. He saw her once during prayer as if raised up above the earth, and anothertime walking over the river Jordan, as if on dry land.

The St. George Choir will have theirSecond Rehearsal for the Holy Week onThursday March 25, 2010 @ 6:30 pm

In parting with Zosima, Venerable Mary asked him to come again to the desert in a yearto give her Communion. The Elder returned at the appointed time and gave Venerable MaryCommunion of the Holy Mysteries. Then, when he went into the desert after another year inthe hope of seeing the Saint, he did not find her among the living.

The Elder buried the remains of Venerable Mary there in the desert. In this a lion helpedhim, who dug a hole with his claws for burying the body of the righteous one. She died inthe year 521.

Thus, from a great sinner, Venerable Mary became, with God's help, a very great saintand left such a striking example of repentance. Her memory is marked on the 1st of April(according to the Church calendar) and on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent.

When chanters chant with the tongue and also with the mind, they greatly benefit not onlythemselves but also those who want to hear them. To recite the psalms with melody is notdone from a desire for pleasing sound, but it is a manifestation of harmony among thethoughts of the soul. And melodious reading is a sign of the well-ordered and tranquilcondition of the mind.—St. Athansius the Great (PG XXVII, 40)

Recite the words of psalmody as your very own, that you may utter the words of your sup-plication with insight and with discriminating compunction, like a man who truly under-stands his work.—St. Isaac the Syrian (Homily 54)

Holy Week and Pascha

Holy Week is the most important week of the year because it brings us to the gates ofGod's Kingdom. Christ's voluntary sacrifice on the Cross gives us access to the very pres-ence of God. As we remember the last days of Christ on earth, we relive the great momentsof His passion through a continuous liturgical drama. The saving events of the first centuryonce again become realities for us through the hymns, prayers and services of Holy Week.

On PALM SUNDAY we welcome Christ into our lives as King.From PALM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH HOLY TUESDAY EVENING (7pm)

we behold Him as the Bridegroom of the Church, One who bears a crown of thorns andother marks of suffering, yet One who prepares a paschal bridal chamber for His Bride, theChurch. Our meditations on these evenings includes the 10 maidens-5 wise and 5 foolish,Joseph sold in slavery, the fig tree with no fruit, and the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet

On HOLY WEDNESDAY (7pm) we are anointed with Holy Oil as soldiers of Christ inpreparation for the commemoration of His solemn passion.

On HOLY THURSDAY (5pm) we gather around the table of the Lord to celebrate theLast Supper with Him, and in the evening (7pm) we faithfully follow Him through the read-ing of the Twelve Gospels to the great moments of His agony in Gethsemane, His arrest,trial, mocking, scourging, march to Golgotha, crucifixion, and death on the Cross. Duringthis service, the Cross is brought in procession to the center of the church while the hymn,Today, He who hung the earth above the heavens is hung upon a tree... , is sung.

On HOLY FRIDAY, (10am) we stand in the morning at the foot of the Cross readingthe Service of the Hours and keeping a vigil watch at His side; in the afternoon (3pm) wewitness the descent of Christ's body from the Cross and His burial in a symbolic tomb, andin the evening (7pm) we gather with both sorrow and joy to sing the Lamentations to Himwho is symbolically buried in the tomb and yet whom we perceive by faith to be immortalLife. The tomb is then carried in procession outside of the church.

Late on HOLY SATURDAY, (10:30pm) we begin the celebration the glorious resur-rection of Christ, the breaking of the bonds of Hades and the opening of the gates ofHeaven, the dawn of the new age of salvation. This is perhaps the most powerful service ofthe Christian year. The service begins with the offering of the new light, Christ, to those indarkness. After processing outside, a service remembering Christ’s victory of Hades is en-acted using Psalm 24. We enter the Church, now bright and joyful with the hymns of theResurrection! Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen! Together we celebrate the Liturgy andreceive Communion in the unity of the faith of the resurrected Lord. Easter baskets with redeggs and foods that we have been abstaining from throughout the Great Lent are blessedfollowing the service. Early in the morning, we break the fast together and have a Paschalbreakfast.

OFFERINGS FOR LENT AND HOLY PASCHA

Dear Father John,

It would be a great joy for me (for us) to offer a donation of $___________towards the

following:

________Flowers _________Bread _________Easter Lillies

________Wine _________Oil _________Palms

________Eggs _________Votive Candles

For the health of: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

in memory of: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Given by: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Holy Week is the foremost liturgical treasure of the Orthodox Church. Throughmagnificent liturgical forms we are called to become part of the sacred drama of Christ's deathand resurrection, to share His sufferings, to help Him carry the Cross, to witness Hiscrucifixion, to die with Him, to follow Him in His burial, and to be lifted up to a life of newnessfilled with the Holy Spirit. The supreme gift we receive during Holy Week is the incarnate loveof God "who did not spare his own Son but gave him up us all" (Rom. 8:39). "If God is for us,who can be against us?. . Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ?. . . For I am cer-tain that nothing can separate us from His love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor otherheavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future. . . - there is nothing in all creationthat will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus ourLord" (Rom. 8:31-39).On Sunday, the Vespers, the Agape Vespers, reminds us that the Good News – the Resurrectionof Christ – is a universal message and is to be proclaimed to all people.

Teens News

Dear Awesome SOYOans and the parents of Awesome SOYOans,

Christ is in our midst!

You know, Pascha is such a beautiful time. Think about it: nothing can be more amaz-ing than celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, after Hisdeath and suffering to free us from our own permanent deaths. It’s the final exam, ifyou will, of a year of observances and celebrations in the Orthodox faith. In that way,Lent’s like the crazy weeks before a final: reading, outlining, and figuring out all thebig concepts we should’ve learned all semester. Lent gives us the time for self-reflection, extra prayers, and cutting out the stuff we should’ve been cutting out allyear. Like pre-finals season, Lent is a time to get things right before we take on theBig Day.

This Good Friday – April 2 – Teen SOYO is going to have one final ‘cramming’session before Pascha. Starting after the evening service and through the Saturdaymorning service, we’re having an overnight retreat to keep vigil over the body ofChrist, as well as clean the church in preparation for the Pascha service on Saturdaynight. This is such a HUGE blessing, but a HUGE responsibility; and we need every-body’s help to contribute to this amazing night!

Awesome SOYOans: Before the service on Good Friday, take your sleeping bags andovernight gear (don’t forget your Bibles!) to the SOYO room. After church, we’llchange, pick up our bags, and head into the church to start the program.

Parents: Please make this event a priority!! Bring your teens to church on time. Makesure they have their stuff. If you’d like to volunteer for any aspect of this – cleaning,reading, chaperoning – we’d LOVE your help.

If you have any questions, or if you can’t make it (and not to be harsh, but the onlyvalid reason to miss it is if you’re out of town), please let me know.

In Christ’s love,Priscilla

mobile: 614 570 2037email: office@stgeorgecleveland.com

ATTENTION

GRADUATING HIGHSCHOOL SENIORS

AND COLLEGE

STUDENTS

The Lebanese SyrianAmerican Junior Leaguewill again be awardingscholarships to young

men and women of Leba-nese and Syrian Descentresiding in the GreaterCleveland area. High

school seniors should re-quest applications from

their guidance counselors.College students can re-

quest applications by con-tacting Scholarship Chair

Antoinette Wendzickiat LSAJLscholarship@g

mail.com or 330-225-1575. All applicationsMUST be received by

March 31st.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Diocese of Toledo & the Midwest

63rd Annual Parish Life Conference

June 30-July 4, 2010

Hilton Garden Inn

Perrysburg, Ohio

Hosted by the Cathedral of Saint George

Please visit our official Conference site at www.midwestplc2010.org