“Our religion is founded on spiritual experience, seen and heard as surely as any physical fact in this world. Not theory, not philosophy, not human emotions, but experience.”
—St. Nikolai Velimirovic
Acts 3:11-16 (Epistle)
11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed.
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.
14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
John 3:22-33 (Gospel)
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified – behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.
33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
Bright Saturday
The Artos, which was blessed after the Liturgy of Pascha, is cut and distributed after Liturgy on Bright Saturday.
The cutting and distribution of the Artos takes place after the Liturgy on Bright Saturday. In monasteries the cutting and distribution of the Artos is done in the trapeza.
The cutting of the Artos is done in this way: After the Divine Liturgy, the Artos is brought into the trapeza, as is customary, and "Christ is risen" is sung three times, with bows. After the "Our Father" has been said, and after the food has been blessed as usual, the Deacon says: "Let us pray to the Lord," and the brethren reply: "Lord, have mercy."
Then the Priest says the following prayer over the Artos:
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, the Angelic Bread, the Bread of eternal life Who came down from Heaven and nourished us on these most radiant days with the spiritual food of Your divine benefits for the sake of Your saving Resurrection on the third day, so now we humbly entreat You: "Look down upon our prayers and thanksgivings, and as You blessed the five loaves in the wilderness, so now bless this bread, that all who partake of it may be granted bodily and spiritual blessings and health, through the grace and compassion of Your love for mankind. For You are our sanctification, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Unoriginate Father, Your All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The People: Amen.
After cutting the Artos, as is customary, the Priest distributes it to everyone before the meal. He may also cut the Artos at the Liturgy after the Prayer before the Ambo, and distribute it to the faithful instead of the Antidoron. They should consume it right away. They may, however, bring some home for those who were not able to be in church.
The Artos Bread: an Experience of God’s Presence
By FR. GABRIEL BILAS
Christ is Risen! Can there be any doubt of that reality?! How incredible of a feeling it was to celebrate the Resurrection once again with a vast majority of our parish family! The paschal feeling, the special electricity in the air, the beautiful weather we were blessed with for just that one special day… It was all just PERFECT!
Pascha isn’t just another Holy day it is an experience. It brings about in all of a special change, that can only be brought on when God rises from the dead!
We read in the post crucifixion accounts of the Gospels of what happens to people after they experienced and came into the presence of the Risen Lord. Before Jesus made his appearance after His crucifixion St. Mary Magdalene was filled with grief and doubt that her master was dead.
Traveling on the road to Emmaus, two men were in complete despair as they were lamenting how the great deliverer had been arrested, tortured, and crucified.
In the Gospel for St. Thomas Sunday, we hear how the Disciples, our Lord’s most ardent followers, hid themselves in the upper room out of sadness and fear of the Jews. They thought to themselves…if the Jews were capable of doing these things to the master, imagine what kind of horrors they would inflict to His servants!
Yet what do we see happen to all of these men and women after they come to experience the Risen Christ and His presence among them? His presence transformed our weeping patroness St. Mary Magdalene into a disciple with unbounded joy, which eventually led her to shed all fear in life and proclaim the Risen Christ in the audience of Caesar Tiberias Himself!
Christ’s Risen presence transformed the hearts of the two travelers on the road to Emmaus. After not recognizing that it was Jesus who had appeared and spoke to them, they asked themselves: “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the scripture to us?”
Look what His presence did to the Disciples who were locked in and afraid to open the door! They went from broken and disheartened, to strong, confident, and bold lions of faith! Even after our Lord ascended into heaven, the disciples sang, rejoiced, healed, and taught the masses, and they did it not just for a few days after the resurrection, but for the rest of their lives! All of them (except one) joyfully went to their martyrdom, proclaiming this reality! Why? Because the presence, the experience, and the power of the Risen Lord would live through them for eternity.
Every year, we bless this large loaf of bread called the “Artos” towards the end of the Paschal Liturgy. It remains in the Church itself until after Bright Week, when we take it, break it amongst ourselves, and are reminded of the sweetness of Pascha once again. This tradition came about from the Apostles themselves, who after our Lord ascended into heaven would always leave a plate at the end of the table during their common meals. On the plate would be a piece of bread, reminding them of Christ’s Presence among them!
The Fathers of the Church carried on this tradition, and on the feast of feasts of Pascha, the Church made it the custom to put out this sweet bread to remind us all that the Lord who suffered, was buried, and rose again. We are reminded that Jesus is Himself the True Bread of Life and is always invisibly present with His Church, even to the end of the age! (as He promised!)
When we greet each other at the cross…what are we reminded of in those instances: “Christ is in our midst” and we exclaim: “He is and always will be!” Letting that reality sink into our minds and our hearts, changes everything for us!
“The Lord is my light and my salvation…whom shall I fear?” Nothing! Because the God of all Loves Us, died For Us, rose on the third day for us…that same God continues to be with us throughout all eternity!
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
This week’s calendar reminders:
Monday 4/21: Divine Liturgy w/procession 9:15 a.m.
Tuesday 4/22: no services or events
Wednesday 4/23: no services or events
Thursday 4/24: no services or events
Friday 4/25: no services or events
Saturday 4/26: Great Vespers 6 p.m.
Sunday 4/27: Thomas Sunday, Divine Liturgy 9:15 a.m.
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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