WHICH PATH?

his past week in the Hernando Times there was an article discussing a recently published novel, Downers Grove, written by Michael Hornburg. It is the story of a teenage high school senior, Chrissie Swanson, and the world-weary, bored, disconnected and fear-filled life she leads. Regarding religion, she is totally antagonistic. Her teenage “wisdom” holds that “churches seem like another stop on the consumer highway, the crucifix a groovy logo for mystical life insurance.” For her, religion is a business – nothing more.

   But behind the sex, drinking, and deep and inescapable boredom of her life is a way of thinking that permeates 21st century attitudes about religious faith. For such persons, life has no real meaning - life is a hideous joke without purpose or significance. The author has Chrissie say about religion, “It really shows how desperate people are to have acceptable delusions of paranormal experience, of life after death in a world full of angels far beyond the clouds.”

   Jim Ross, the author of the Times column, notes that “Christianity has suffered worse descriptions, in literature and elsewhere. And, he says, “there’s no sense in stewing over a fictional character who trashes a fictional church.”  According to Amazon.com 37 reader reviews of the book are evenly split – roughly half thought it was a terrible book, and half gave it high scores, which seems to mirror the division in our country regarding religion.

   The tragedy is that many young people reflect this hopeless, disoriented, fearful attitude toward life. They are what Mary of Egypt was before her life-changing trip to Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulcher: a bored with life woman, living a life of immorality, without a sense of purpose and confidence in her future. In the 5th century she joined a shipload of Christian pilgrims to go to the Holy Land. When she tried to enter the Church, an invisible hand seemed to push her back. Her ungodliness encountered holiness at the temple of our Lord’s Death and Resurrection. She could not enter.

   Realizing that it was her lack of faith, her commitment to a meaningless life style, and her disregard for the well-being of her inner spirit, unlike the Chrissies among us, she changed her way of thinking. Approaching a priest by the name of Zosima, she confessed her sins and committed her life to Christ.

  Then, she was able to enter the holy Church of the Sepulcher of Christ without hindrance. She came into the presence of the Lord and her life was totally renewed.

   So the choice is ours. The path of Chrissie, or the path of St. Mary of Egypt?

.    Service Hours: Sundays and Feast Days: Orthros at 9:30 am; Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am

5th SUNDAY OF LENT- ST. MARY OF EGYPT

GOSPEL ENTRANCE AND OTHER HYMNS

DIVINE LITURGY OF SAINT BASIL

Dismissal Hymn of the Resurrection - 1st  Tone

   (Sing in Greek before the Entrance) ("Tou lithou sfragisthenos"). Hymnal,  80-81.

   (Sing in English after the Entrance) ("The stone was sealed"). (Same)

Dismissal Hymn of St. Mary of Egypt

    Sung in Greek by the leaders “En si Miter akrivos”

   (Read) In you, / O Mother Mary, / the faithful image of God  shone forth, / for you carried your cross and followed Christ. / You taught by your deeds / how to spurn the body, / for it passes away, / and how to value the soul, for it is immortal. / Wherefore you soul is forever in happiness / with the angels.

Dismissal Hymn of the Presentation of Christ (See paper in the pews)

Turn to pp. 26-27 of the Hymnal, for “Holy God . . . .”

EPISTLE – Hebrews 9:11-14 (5th Lent - St. Mary of Egypt)

rethren, 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 creation) he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

GOSPEL – Mark 10:32-45 (5th Lent - St. Mary of Egypt)

t that time, Jesus taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant of 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 their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

   CONGRATULATIONS to Fr. Jerry Murphy who is celebrating the 39th Anniversary of his Ordination today. He will be the celebrant and preacher at the Divine Liturgy for this Sunday. We express our best wishes and “Many Years!”

   FOR THE RECORD: April 2 – Attendance 50; Stewardship $857; Candles $104; Visitors’ Offering $42; Building Fund $79. Thank you for your support!

   HOSPITALIZED: Oak Hill:  John Poll, Carmen Moshonisiotis. Rapid Recovery!

   MANY THANKS TO MR. & MRS. CHARLES AFTOSMES, MR. & MRS. GEORGE CONSTANTINIDES AND MR. & MRS. MICHAEL MAYEW FOR THEIR GIFTS TO THE BUILDING FUND IN HONOR OF FR. HARAKAS’ 50TH ORDINATION ANNIVERSARY. THE TOTAL GIVEN TO DATE IS $2990. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

  MEMORIAL SERVICES: Today, a one year Memorial Service with Kolyva will be conducted at Christ the Savior Church for the rest of the soul of the late Archbishop Iakovos of our Archdiocese. In addition, Fr. Stanley & Presbytera Emily Harakas are offering a seven year Memorial Service with Kolyva for the rest of the soul of their daughter Katherine Mary Harakas DeFilippo. May their memories be eternal!

  telephone Directory: So far, $1550 has been collected for ads for our 2006-2007 Telephone Directory. You can add to this by soliciting just one advertisement for the Directory. This is an important fund-raiser for our church and also serves as a link connecting us all together. PLEASE HELP! Call Cathy at 684-4082!

  MANY THANKS to the St. Katherine’s Ladies Society, and to Venice Cosmadelis, Speakers’ Chairperson, for arranging for the enlightening Heart Health talk last week following the Liturgy by Karen Gidden and associates. All in attendance greatly benefited from her talk. We hope to have more of these presentations in the future.

   THE PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY will be conducted this coming Friday, April 14 in the Church at 4:00 p.m. There will be no P.E.P. prior to the D. Liturgy. To receive Holy Communion at this service eat lightly during the day, and take a short nap early in the afternoon, not eating anything afterward. Please bring a Lenten dish for the Lenten Covered Dish Supper after the service.

   FUNERAL: Funeral Services were conducted from Christ the Savior Church on Thursday, April 6, 2006 for the late Helen Ratkovich, a Serbian Orthodox lady residing at a Spring Hill Nursing Home. May her memory be eternal! 

   PROSFORON BAKERS: Bette Ferriero 4/9, Venice Cosmadelis 4/14 (Pre-Sanctified Liturgy); Presbytera Emily Harakas 4/15 (Saturday of Lazarus); George Nikas 4/16; Connie Mourgides 4/20 (Holy Thursday); Fran Mather 4/22 (Holy Saturday); Argiris & Carol Gymnaos 4/23 (PASCHA); Fran Triantafilon 4/30; Helen Nicolelis  5/7. Gloria Vardakis 5/14; George Nikas is Prosforon Chairman -597-1375.

   THE LADIES SOCIETY BAKE SALE will be held this Friday and Saturday this week (April 14 & 15) at the Walmart on Route 19 near Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. You can still sign up today in the Hall, to volunteer some time to sell the pastries. See you there!

CHRIST THE SAVIOR

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

P.O. BOX 5566

SPRING HILL, FL 34611

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