from the March 2007 newsletter

PLEASE NOTE some copies of the hardcopy newsletter went out with an incorrect date for the beginning of Daylight Saving Time.

PLEASE SET CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR THE NIGHT OF

SATURDAY MARCH 10TH

Lenten Lovingkindness for the Dead

In Ruth 2:20, Naomi exclaims to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “May he (Boaz, her kinsman) be blessed by Yahweh, who has not withdrawn His lovingkindness to the living or to the dead!” The word translated here “lovingkindness” is the Hebrew hesed (in the Greek it is translated eleos, mercy), and it means steadfast love, covenant loyalty. As we Orthodox know from the Resurrection of Christ, God’s covenant loyalty transcends death, and not even the grave can separate us from His love, His power and His kindness. That is why we pray for our Christian dead, commending them to that saving divine mercy.

We do this all the time (asking in our daily prayers, for example, for God’s lovingkindness to be shown to our loved ones), but especially in Great Lent. In our Orthodox calendar, every day of the week has its own special theological theme: Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, Monday commemorates the angels, Tuesday, John the Forerunner, Wednesday and Friday the Cross, Thursday the apostles and St. Nicholas. Saturday commemorates those who rest in the tomb, since Saturday (the Sabbath) was the day of rest. During the Lenten season, the Church sets asides these Saturdays as special memorials for the departed (sometimes called “Soul Saturdays”), and offers special prayers and services for the dead.

At St. Herman’s we also will offer these prayers. This Saturday March 3 and Saturday March 10, for example, we will pray the Trisagion for the Departed after Great Vespers. Please feel free to write on the paper provided the names of any departed loved ones you would like commemorated, and these will be offered to God during those special prayers.

The Fathers speak of our unending progress towards God and His joy. CS Lewis, in his book “The Last Battle”, refers to this journey as going ever “farther up and farther in”. This is what we ask for in these prayers: that those who are with the Lord may know ever more of His covenant love, His boundless lovingkindness, and that they may go ever farther up and farther in, roaming in the limitless fields of His joy, the endless pastures of His Presence. Lent is the time for prayer—for lovingkindness shown to the dead as well as to the living.

Yours in the Lord

Fr. Lawrence

March Events

PLEASE NOTE some copies of the hardcopy newsletter went out with an incorrect date for the beginning of Daylight Saving Time.

PLEASE SET CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR THE NIGHT OF SATURDAY MARCH 10TH

Wed. March 21, 7 pm: Great Canon & Life of St. Mary of Egypt

Fri. March 23, 7 pm: Akathist to the Theotokos

All other Wednesdays & Fridays this month:

7 pm Presanctified Liturgy with Lenten meal (please sign up to bring food)

Sat. March 31, 10 am: Lazarus Saturday Matins; clean-up day for adults; crafts for the children.

FASTING RULES MARCH 2007

Lenten fast all this month as on regular Wed/Fri—NO meat, dairy, eggs, fish, alcohol, olive oil. Allowed: shellfish and all non-animal product foods

Exceptions: FISH, wine & oil allowed on these great feasts:

Sunday Mar. 25 Annunciation

Sunday April 1 Palm Sunday

Remember to fast completely for communion from NOON on those Wednesdays and Fridays of the PreSanctified Liturgy

ORDINATION to the Diaconate

God willing, on Palm Sunday, April 1, HG Bishop SERAPHIM will ordain our own KURT JORDAN to the Holy Diaconate. Please keep Kurt and his family in your prayers as this blessed event approaches.

A BIG BIG Thank you!...to everyone who made the women’s retreat such a big success. Special thanks to Victoria & Julianna for the organizing, and to the wonderful kitchen saints who kept us so well fed all weekend!

Please sign up to bring soup on one of the Wednesdays or Fridays of the Presanctified Liturgy. If we all take a turn, it will make things easier. If you cannot bring a soup, please sign up for another item so we can have a fairly balanced meal. If you cannot sign up, any food you can bring to share will still be gratefully received!

The sign-up sheets are to be found on the bulletin board in the hallway.

NB: There is no page for Mar 21/23, as instead of Presanctified that week we will be serving the Canon & life of Mary of Egypt on Wed. 21^st and the Akathist to the Theotokos on Friday the 23rd

Pray for our catechumens:

Arlee Howell

Jennifer & Gabriel Ness

Peter Schultz

Edmund Buhler