The Myrrh Bearers are our example of service.  Would that we all could see to our work with the same humility and diligence shown by Sts. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and the holy women.  They had all loved, lived with and heard the Lord, but the work they did was the reverent and dutiful following of custom.  They saw to His taking down and provision for His burial.  They did not anticipate the Resurrection.

The women showed the least fear and hesitancy in their attendance to these duties.  They did not know what the soldiers and guards would do, neither did they know how they were going to open the tomb.  The women were rewarded for their diligence by being the first to know of the Resurrection and being the first to encounter the risen Lord.  We do not know what exactly will be the result of our own humility and diligence.  But unlike those myrrh bearers, we know of the Resurrection in advance.  We do know that we strive for salvation and we need that striving and the greater knowledge of the goal into every department of life.  God give us the ability to clear our eyes to see the goal and press toward it, no matter the obstacles.

The 5^th Sunday of Pascha – The Samaritan Woman – May 26^th, 2013

A New Monastic – Olga Prisekin was tonsured as Mother Taisia, this past Tuesday morning.  God be praised that her long-time desire was at last fulfilled.  With Metropollitan Hilarions’s blessing, Metropolitan Jonah performed the rite with help from monastics from St. Nina’s monastery to act as sponsor and to help Olga through the service.  So many of you came, as well as Olga’s old friends from St. John’s, especially those who were with her in the Russian Scouts program there.  Her daughter Elena also was there and rejoiced with us all.  It was a spiritually triumphant and greatly moving occasion.  There is a video which matushka Deborah sent out.  Please take the time to see it.  It is rare for a monastic tonsuring to take place in a parish context.

 More Congratulations are in order for Justin and Ruth Loss on the occasion of their wedding last Sunday evening at St. John the Baptist Cathedral.  We rejoiced together in the opportunity to meet with relatives and friends and show to some of them an Orthodox wedding for the first time.  God bless and keep Justin and Ruth.  God willing, they will be back from their honeymoon next week.

Pray For and Visit the Aged – "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." (James 1:27)  Besides Mother Taisia, are Betty Chisholm, Rosalie Belida and Dorothy Dague.  Through the good offices of her children, Father Deacon John and Joannikia Dean, Dorothy is still able to be with us here on a regular basis.

 Betty Chisholm has moved from her the apartment where she and Don have lived since they came here from Massachusetts.  She is now in the Arbor Ridge facility in room 3322, just around the corner from Olga.  Don is also in Arbor Ridge, one floor down from Betty in room 3201.  Rosalie, also in Arbor Ridge, would appreciate visits from us.

Pray for Matushka Maria Potapov, who is in a difficult recovery from a broken vertebra, and the grievously ill Matushka Tatiana Vass, who is battling an advanced stage of cancer.

Support of our Property Grant – We have received a grant from the Prince George’s county Planning Board of $50,262.66.  The condition of the grant is that the parish has to front the money to get the work done, and then the grant will be used to reimburse the parish.  A donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, quickly responded to our appeal and will lend the parish the money.

 From this it seems apparent that God is supporting our move.  However, we need to stay in existence until we get there.  Ergo, the next items.

Needs for Funds to Support the Parish – Our budget deficit is becoming more crucial as each month passes. It is incumbent upon us to do all we can.  If you are now doing all you can, thank God for you and God bless you exceedingly.

 The standard for giving is the tithe, or 10%.  Some Orthodox Christians think that tithing, or any kind of regular giving, is a Protestant practice and therefore it is not incumbent upon Orthodox people to tithe.  This is not true.  Joachim and Anna, who gave a third of their income to the temple, a third to the poor, and lived on a third, certainly could not be accused of being Protestants, nor could Zacchaeus who gave half nor could St. Vladimir who set by 10% of his goods to build the first Church of the Dormition in Kiev, called ever after the “Tithe Church.”  In any case, the three pillars of the Orthodox life are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  Almsgiving includes both the poor and the temple.

 Significant giving should be as regular as our prayer and fasting, which are specifically regulated and provided for by the Church.  Giving should not be an emotional response.  Since no one would dream of restricting praying or fasting to when one “feels like it,” neither should one give on that basis.

 Our parish needs are as real and as regular as your own.  We are not taking in enough to pay all of our monthly expenses.  We need to respond accordingly.  God bless you for your generous consideration and response to this appeal.

 A New “Loaves and Fishes” Campaign – When we first received the gift of the property, we entered into an effort to fundraising based on multiplying our giving by reaching out to, if not 5,000, as many people as we could to ask them for financial support.  We are going to start another effort now.  More information will come out shortly.  Be ready to help with this.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship at College Park has concluded its meetings for this season with the close of the semester.  Please keep the Students in your prayers.

Service Opportunities

Meal Signups – Add your name to the list to offer a meal in the upcoming weeks.

Nick’s Place – We give non-perishable goods to this halfway house for young men recovering from substance abuse.  See Monica Pelt or Thomas Hurlock.

Holy Apostles Chariots is our “ride-to-church” service.  See Kyrill Shillen.

The Choir– Rehearsals are from 7 to 9 PM on Thursdays.  New members are always welcome.  See Nicholas Baumann

The St. Juliana of Lazarevo Sisterhood sees to various needs of the parish.  See Olga Postnikova.

Medallion Copies of the Iveron Icon of Hawaii are available from the Eastern American Diocese, left over from the diocesan conference last October.  The cost is $30.  This is the actual cost of to the diocese.  There is no profit involved.  We need to collect your pre-orders today and send them along with a check for the total, so we will need your check or cash for this purpose to us as well.

A Holy Apostles Commemorative Tile, fashioned by John Hume of Sligo Creek Tile, contains our name, the psalm verse, “I was glad when they said unto me: Let us go into the house of the Lord,” and a lovely view of our new-old church.  Copies are available for sale for support of the parish for $45.  Let it remind us to pray for each other and for God’s will to be followed in the use of His gifts.

Other Ways to Support the Parish – We accept credit cards!  We have a card reader that works with smart phones, so, outside of services, get together with Matushka Dorothy, to make any donations or purchases.

We have an on-line mall service from the eScrip program. The Building Fund page of our web site has a link and instructions for use.  For a purchase made through eScrip, the merchant donates a small referral bonus to our building fund.  Please use this method for your on-line shopping. Please see our treasurer, Mariya Petrenko for more information.

Visitors and Guests please sign the guest book to the right of the church-shaped donation box, including contact information such as address, telephone and email.