Beloved brothers and sisters,
Christ is Risen! Tá Críost éirithe! Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! المسيح قام! Христос Воскресе!
This is Community Bulletin #37 of Saint Ignatius Parish in Belfast
Contents of this Bulletin:
- This Week in the Life of the Church: Pascha Continuous
- A Pastoral Word: Retaining Paschal Joy
- News and Announcements: Readers Service this Sunday
This Week in the Life of the Church
Although the Bright Week ended, the celebration of Pascha continuous. From saying Paschal Office we return to reading regular prayers (whatever your rule is) in the mornings and evenings, and resume saying pre-communion and post-communion prayers if we are to receive the Holy Mysteries in the Divine Liturgy. Still, the pascha is reflected in the order of those prayers until the Leavetaking of Pascha (39 days from Paschal day), which is 20th of May this year:
- in place of “O Heavenly King” at the beginning of prayers, of the “Lord’s prayer” before meals we say Apolytikion of Pascha “Christ is Risen from the dead…” three times
- In place of concluding prayer to the theotokos “It is truly meet to bless Thee” as well as after meals you can Megalynarion of Pascha “The angel cried unto her…” (text below)
And we continue to great each other in this period with “Christ is Risen!” and response “Truly He is Risen”
Saints and Feasts of the Week
*The saints named here accompany the days of the week as living witnesses of Christ. Only the principal saint or feast of each day is listed here, in keeping with the liturgical order of the Church.
- Sunday, 19th of April – Thomas Sunday (Anti-Pascha)
- Monday, 20th of April – St. Theodore Trichinas
- Tuesday, 21st of April – Hieromartyr Januarius and Those With Him
- Wednesday, 22nd of April – Apostles Nathaniel, Luke, and Clement
- Thursday, 23rd of April – Great Martyr George, the Trophy-Bearer
- Friday, 24th of April – Holy Martyr Sabbas Stratelates of Rome
- Saturday, 25th of April – Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark
- Sunday, 26th of April – Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Hymns of the Week
*The hymns listed here are those that shape the prayer of the Church for the week, following the liturgical order and hierarchy. They are offered as an aid to prayer and may be used, as each is able, in personal prayer or a simple prayer rule at home.
APOLYTIKION OF PASCHA IN TONE FIVE
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death; and upon those in the tombs bestowing life (thrice)https://saintignatiusbelfast.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/SaintIgnatiusChurchDocuments/IQDvdeRjciEXQIcCUpFc4kQyAQY5zSZ4gSRo8z0w2gNK74g?e=slY7CM
*From Pascha Sunday to the Sunday of Pentecost, the prayer “O Heavenly King…” is not said. And from Pascha Sunday to its leave-taking (Wednesday, 20th of May, 39 days after Paschal Sunday), instead of “Holy God,” “O come, let us worship and fall down…” in Orthros, the Hours, and Vespers; and “We have seen the true light” in the Divine Liturgy, we say “Christ is risen.” This also applies to morning and evening prayers, as well as to prayers before meals.
APOLYTIKION OF THE THOMAS SUNDAY IN TONE SEVEN
While the tomb was sealed, Thou didst shine forth from it, O Life. While the doors were closed, Thou didst come in to Thy Disciples, O Christ God, Resurrection of all, renewing in us through them an upright spirit, according to the greatness of Thy mercy
KONTAKION OF PASCHA IN TONE EIGHT
Though Thou didst descend into the grave, O Immortal One, yet didst Thou destroy the power of Hades, and didst arise as victor, O Christ God, calling to the myrrh-bearing women, Rejoice, and giving peace unto Thine Apostles, O Thou Who dost grant resurrection to the fallen.
MEGALYNARION OF PASCHA IN TONE ONE
The Angel cried unto her that is full of grace: O pure Virgin, rejoice, and again I say, rejoice; for thy Son hath arisen from the grave on the third day. Shine, shine, O new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord hath arisen upon thee; dance now and beglad, O Zion, and do thou exult, O pure Theotokos, in the arising of Him Whom thou didst bear.
*We say Paschal Megalynarion in place of “It is Truly meet to bless thee” at the conclusion of morning and evening prayers, as well as after the meals.
Sunday Epistle and Gospel
*The Epistle and Gospel of the Sunday that begins the current liturgical week
- Epistle: Acts 5:12-20
- Gospel: John 20:19-31
The Sunday and daily Scripture readings may be read online via the Archdiocesan website: https://www.antiochian-orthodox.com/calendar
A Pastoral Word: Retaining Paschal Joy
Christ is Risen!
The Bright Week has ended, yet the Paschal season continues. And still, we may find ourselves growing tired, returning to our usual concerns, our troubles. As the Sunday of Pascha moves further back in the calendar, do we begin to lose that sincere, childlike joy, the joy of proclaiming Christ is Risen with a full and radiant heart?
Yet just as Great Lent lasted for six weeks, followed by Holy Week, so also the Paschal celebration extends for seven full weeks, from Pascha to Pentecost. If we were able to keep our focus on repentance throughout Lent, is it not also possible to preserve this Paschal joy?
Yes, it is possible. But we must understand what this joy truly is.
Paschal joy is not simply a passing feeling or emotional uplift that we try to hold on to. It is a deeper joy, rooted in the Resurrection of Christ. It can remain even when we are tired, even when we struggle, even when we are aware of our sins. In the Orthodox life, joy and repentance are not opposed to one another. They belong together. The Resurrection does not remove our struggles, but it transforms how we live through them.
The Church encourages us in this already on the Sunday after Pascha, known as Anti-Pascha, or Thomas Sunday. The word “Anti” here does not mean against, but instead, another Paschal celebration given to us so that we may continue to rejoice.
Let us look at the Gospel reading from the Gospel of John 20:19 to 31. The disciples are gathered with the doors shut for fear. They are uncertain, troubled, and hidden. Yet Christ comes to them, stands in their midst, and brings them peace.
Now compare this with the reading from the Acts of the Apostles assigned to the past Sunday too (Acts 5:12-20). After the Resurrection, and especially after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, everything has changed. The disciples are no longer hiding. They are out in the open. They gather, they teach, they heal, they proclaim the good news. The change is not from their own strength, but from the grace of God at work in them.
This is what we must remind ourselves of. Paschal joy is not something we produce by effort. It is given to us as we remain in Christ and continue to live the life of the Church.
And this joy cannot remain hidden.
Our witness is not first and foremost in words, but in life. When we remain faithful to the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church, when we live with peace, patience, and quiet joy, this becomes visible to others. In a world that is often burdened and troubled, such a life already speaks.
At the same time, we should not hide our faith. When people around us struggle, we can offer them hope. When they ask what we do on Sundays, we can answer simply that we go to church to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. Not with pressure, not with force, but with sincerity and peace.
In this way, the joy of Pascha remains with us. Not only for a week, not only for a season, but as a steady light in our lives. Amen!
News and Announcements
- Readers Service in Church this Sunday (Sunday of Myrrh-Bearing Women), 26th of April, 11:00 am – Please join us at the church for the monthly Readers service of Hours and Typika (without priest) this Sunday, 26th of April. Come to pray together, to hear the Word of God and to have fellowship afterwards. Address: Cullen Memorial Hall, Methodist Complex, 381 Donegall Road, Belfast, BT12 6GR
- Faith & Fellowship Meeting this week on Thursday, 23rd of April, 7:00 PM – Join us on Zoom this Thrusday for our Faith & Fellowship Meeting. We will pray Little Compline and have spiritual conversation about St George the Great Martyr and St Mark the Apostle, whose memory we celebrate this week. Link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/93643306643.
- Have you visited our Parish Library yet? Our library offers a growing collection of Orthodox books for adults and children: spiritual classics, lives of the saints, theology, Church history, and books for young readers. A good spiritual book can deepen our understanding of the faith and accompany us in our spiritual life.
You can browse the catalogue and request books online through the parish website. All the information about borrowing books, together with the online request form, can be found here: https://saintignatiusbelfast.org/library
Our librarians, Michael and Porphyrios, will be happy to help if you are looking for something to read. You can contact them at: library@saintignatiusbelfast.org
Christ is Risen! Glory to His Holy Third-day Resurrection! We adore His Holy Third-day Resurrection!
