“In the heavens there is the bright Sun of righteousness—everlasting, not created by anyone, self-illuminating, and ever pouring forth eternal light. This Sun is the Father. From this Sun radiates the most luminous Divine Ray, Who together with the Sun is eternal and beginningless, and the Creator and Sustainer of all things. This Ray is the Son of God. It is this Ray, this Ray of light most glorious, that lit a miraculous lamp on earth. This lamp He has fueled not with oil but with His ever-filling Divine and Pure Blood. This lamp, my dear ones, is the Divine Liturgy. This lamp has been lit by the very Son of God, the beginningless Ray from the beginningless Sun—the Father.”
- Saint Seraphim, Bishop of Dmitrovsky
Isaiah 48:17-49:4 (6th Hour)
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.
18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants also would have been like the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; his name would not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me.”
20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, declare, proclaim this, utter it to the end of the earth; say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant, Jacob!”
21 And they did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.
22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
1 “Listen, O coastlands, to me, and take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called me from the womb; from the matrix of my mother he has made mention of my name.
2 And He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver He has hidden me.”
3 “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, and my work with my God.’”
John 10:1-9 (Matins Gospel)
1 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Repose of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and Enlightener of North America (1925—March 25 O.S.)
Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Apostle to America was born as Vasily Ivanovich Belavin on January 19, 1865 into the family of Ioann Belavin, a rural priest of the Toropetz district of the Pskov diocese. His childhood and adolescence were spent in the village in direct contact with peasants and their labor. From his early years he displayed a particular religious disposition, love for the Church as well as rare meekness and humility.
When Vasily was still a boy, his father had a revelation about each of his children. One night, when he and his three sons slept in the hayloft, he suddenly woke up and roused them. He had seen his dead mother in a dream, who foretold to him his imminent death, and the fate of his three sons. She said that one would be unfortunate throughout his entire life, another would die young, while the third, Vasily, would be a great man. The prophecy of the dead woman proved to be entirely accurate in regard to all three brothers.
From 1878 to 1883, Vasily studied at the Pskov Theological Seminary. The modest seminarian was tender and affectionate by nature. He was fair-haired and tall of stature. His fellow students liked and respected him for his piety, brilliant progress in studies, and constant readiness to help comrades, who often turned to him for explanations of lessons, especially for help in drawing up and correcting numerous compositions. Vasily was called “bishop” and “patriarch” by his classmates.
In 1888, at the age of 23, Vasily Belavin graduated from the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy as a layman, and returned to the Pskov Seminary as an instructor of Moral and Dogmatic Theology. The whole seminary and the town of Pskov became very fond of him. He led an austere and chaste life, and in 1891, when he turned 26, he took monastic vows. Nearly the whole town gathered for the ceremony. He embarked on this new way of life consciously and deliberately, desiring to dedicate himself entirely to the service of the Church. The meek and humble young man was given the name Tikhon in honor of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.
He was transferred from the Pskov Seminary to the Kholm Theological Seminary in 1892, and was raised to the rank of archimandrite. Archimandrite Tikhon was consecrated Bishop of Lublin on October 19, 1897, and returned to Kholm for a year as Vicar Bishop of the Kholm Diocese. Bishop Tikhon zealously devoted his energy to the establishment of the new vicariate. His attractive moral make-up won the general affection, of not only the Russian population, but also of the Lithuanians and Poles. On September 14, 1898, Bishop Tikhon was made Bishop of the Aleutians and Alaska. As head of the Orthodox Church in America, Bishop Tikhon was a zealous laborer in the Lord’s vineyard.
He did much to promote the spread of Orthodoxy, and to improve his vast diocese. He reorganized the diocesan structure, and changed its name from “Diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska” to “Diocese of the Aleutians and North America” in 1900. Both clergy and laity loved their archpastor, and held him in such esteem that the Americans made Archbishop Tikhon an honorary citizen of the United States.
On May 22, 1901, he blessed the cornerstone for Saint Nicholas Cathedral in New York, and was also involved in establishing other churches. On November 9, 1902, he consecrated the church of Saint Nicholas in Brooklyn for the Syrian Orthodox immigrants. Two weeks later, he consecrated Saint Nicholas Cathedral in NY.
In 1905, the American Mission was made an Archdiocese, and Saint Tikhon was elevated to the rank of Archbishop. He had two vicar bishops: Bishop Innocent (Pustynsky) in Alaska, and Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny) in Brooklyn to assist him in administering his large, ethnically diverse diocese. In June of 1905, Saint Tikhon gave his blessing for the establishment of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery.
Schedule Now Available for 2025 Memorial Day Pilgrimage to St. Tikhon’s Monastery
SOUTH CANAAN, PA [STM Communications]
The monastic brotherhood of the Monastery of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk has announced the 121st annual Memorial Day Pilgrimage to take place from May 23 to May 26, 2025. This year we honor and commemorate the special occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Repose of St. Tikhon of Moscow. We will also welcome the visitation of the Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
Pilgrimage events include Memorial Day Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, a healing service to the Mother of God, and the St. Tikhon Choir in Concert on Sunday afternoon celebrating the 100th anniversary of the repose of St. Tikhon of Moscow. More info & tickets for the Sunday concert can be found here.
We also invite all singers to come join the St. Tikhon’s Festival Choir for the weekend! Our Festival Choir will enjoy two days of rehearsals and singing for the Memorial Day Hierarchical Liturgy Monday morning. Full details and registration for the festival choir can be found here.
All are welcome to join us for this wonderful, celebratory pilgrimage weekend!
FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2025
4:15 PM Official Opening of the 121st Pilgrimage with Greeting of the Hawaiian
Iveron Icon of the Mother of God with Moleiben & Vespers & Matins – Monastery Church
All pilgrims are invited to dinner in the monastery dining hall.
7:00 PM Commencement Speaker at the Seminary Convocation Center
SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2025
9:00 AM Hierarchical Divine Liturgy – Monastery Church
A meal for all pilgrims in the monastery dining hall to follow.
1:00 PM 83rd Commencement of St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
4:00 PM Resurrection Vigil – Monastery Church
Dinner for all pilgrims in the monastery dining hall to follow.
SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2025
9:00 AM Hierarchical Divine Liturgy –Monastery Church
A meal for all pilgrims in the monastery dining hall to follow.
1:30 PM Pre-concert Talk – Music Center
2:00 PM 100th anniversary of Repose of St.Tikhon of Moscow Concert – Music Center
Wine Reception to follow.
4:30 PM Vespers and Matins – Monastery Church
MONDAY, MAY 26, 2025 — MEMORIAL DAY
7:30 AM Hours & early Divine Liturgy – Monastery Church
10:00 AM Hierarchical Divine Liturgy – All Saints Church
2:30 PM Healing service to the Mother of God – All Saints Church
4:30 PM Vespers and Matins and closing of Pilgrimage – Monastery Church
**Food vendors will be onsite all day Monday in the Bookstore parking lot.
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 4/7: Lenten Matins 8:30 a.m.
Tuesday 4/8: no services or events
Wednesday 4/9: Presanctified Liturgy 6:30 pm (potluck meal to follow)
Thursday 4/10: Lenten Matins 8:30 a.m.
Friday 4/11: no matins; Vespers of Lazarus Saturday 7 p.m.
Saturday 4/12: Lazarus Saturday Liturgy 9:15 a.m.; Vigil for Palm Sunday 6 p.m.
Sunday 4/13: Divine Liturgy 9:15am
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Christ the Savior Orthodox Church is located in Southbury, Connecticut, and is part of the New England Diocese of the Orthodox Church of America.
Mailing address: Christ the Savior Church, 1070 Roxbury Road, Southbury, CT 06488
PLEASE DONATE to help our parish do the work of the Lord, thrive and grow, and extend the Kingdom of God. May the Lord bless your generosity!
Fr. Moses Locke can be reached at frmoseslocke@gmail.com