Great Vespers for Sunday Divine Liturgy - God can heal a broken heart, but He has to have all the pieces. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…” (Mark 7:6)

Sunday Divine Liturgy - "I will sing of Thy mercies, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Thy truth from generation to generation."  (Allelua Verses - Tone 5)

Vespers with Litiya Vespers with Litiya for the Feast of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers - The Synaxis of the Chief of the Heavenly Hosts, Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers: Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel was established at the beginning of the fourth century at the Council of Laodicea, which met several years before the First Ecumenical Council. The 35th Canon of the Council of Laodicea condemned and denounced as heretical the worship of angels as gods and rulers of the world, but affirmed their proper veneration. The Highest Hierarchy includes the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. The Middle Angelic Hierarchy consists of three Ranks, Dominioins, Powers and Authorities. The Lowest Hierarchy includes the three Ranks, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. Over all the Nine Ranks, the Lord appointed the Holy Archangel Michael (his name in Hebrew means “who is like unto God”), the faithful servitor of God, as Chief Commander.

Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers - “Commanders of the heavenly hosts, we who are unworthy beseech you, by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory, and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you: “Deliver us from all harm, for you are the commanders of the powers on high!” (Troparion – Tone 4)

Great Vespers for Sunday Divine Liturgy

Sunday Divine Liturgy

Great Vespers for Sunday Divine Liturgy

Sunday Divine Liturgy

Vespers with Litiya for the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. Joachim and Anna, a pious elderly couple, prayed fervently to God to give them a child, they, in turn, would give that child back to Him. They prayed earnestly for God to remove the reproach of childlessness from them. God heard the prayer of Joachim and Anna and blessed them with a child, Mary. When Mary reached the age of three, they took her to the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill their promise to God. In time of crisis or need in our lives, it is common for us to make promises to God. If our prayers are answered by Him, then we promise to do all sorts of good and noble things! Joachim and Anna are our example of a promise being kept!

Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.   Joachim and Anna took Mary to the Temple at the age of three, and placed her under the care of the high priest Zacharias. There she would remain until it was time for her to become God’s main instrument in His plan of salvation for mankind. They placed her on the first step of the 15-step staircase that led to the entrance of the Temple and it is said that Mary climbed the steps without any assistance. Upon reaching the top, the chief priest, inspired by God, led her into the “Holy of Holies”, the most sacred part of the Temple. Mary spent her childhood in prayer and in the studying of the Holy Scriptures. Unknowingly, she was preparing herself for the great task that awaited her: becoming the Mother of God.

Thanksgiving - Almighty and merciful God, I most humbly and heartily thank Thy divine majesty for Thy loving kindness and tender mercies, that Thou hast heard my humble prayers, and graciously vouchsafed to deliver me from my trouble and misery.  Grant me, I beseech Thee, Thy helping grace, that I may obediently walk in Thy Holy Commandments, and lead a sober, righteous and godly life, ever remembering Thy mercies, and the blessings Thou hast undeservedly bestowed upon me, that I may continually offer to Thee the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,  Amen.

Great Vespers for Sunday Divine LIturgy.  Preparing for the Coming of Christ - The fall does not lie in the evil nature of the forbidden fruit, but rather in the act of disobedience. Transgression of the Divine will is the essence of the fall. In the sin of our first parents we find the origin of all sin: Opposition to the Divine will under the seduction of Satan. As a result of the disobedience of our first parents, the will of God to create man in His “image and likeness” was not fulfilled until the coming of the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

Sunday Divine Liturgy - Preparing for the Coming of Christ - Immediately after Satan’s seduction to which Eve fell prey and the banishment of man from paradise, God announced His promise to redeem man by destroying the power of Satan. God founded a new divinely established society of people upon Abraham who became the father of the Jewish nation (Gen. 12:1-5) To the Jewish race, God revealed His purpose to redeem man from the bondage of Satan. A covenant between God and the Jews was established and God promised that the Redeemer (Messiah) would arise out of the Jews. God directly intervened in the history of the Jews whom He chose as His select people. He directed the course of events in the direction of preparing them for the coming of the Messiah. He raised among them Judges, Kings, and finally Prophets who received special endowments of the Holy Spirit, as leaders and heralds of God’s will, and prophesied the coming of the Messiah.