Categories: hymns, parish-life, feast-days
Date: 24 March 2007 20:57:34
Today is the beginning of our salvation, and the manifestation of the mystery from the ages; for the Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaims grace. Wherefore, do we shout with him to the Theotokos, Hail, O full of grace. The Lord is with you.
Troparion for the Feast of the AnnunciationThe image of God was truly preserved in you, mother, for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away, but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal. Therefore your spirit, holy mother Mary, rejoices with the angels!
Troparion for the Feast of the St Mary of Egypt
A blessed Name Day feast to Unordered, and to any Marys out there named after St Mary of Egypt. We commemorate St Mary of Egypt on the fifth Sunday of Great Lent and today being March 25 (on the New Calendar), 9 months before Christmas, we commemorated the Feast of the Annunciation also. Father's sermon focused on the Annunciation, and the Theotokos' comment to the angel, which is so prevalent in Orthodoxy hymnography: "Be it done to me according to your word." Do we follow Mary in submitting ourselves to God's will? Do we cultivate that attitude within us? And through quotes from Oscar Wilde ("I could die a Catholic...but I couldn't possibly live as one.") and St Augustine ("Lord, make me chaste; but not yet."), we were asked are we putting off the struggle of the Christian life because we find it too difficult. I found it a very practical sermon, that did not shrink away from mentioning doubts or struggles -- which we all go through at various times -- and the hard path Christianity calls us to walk; but it also encouraged us to be like our lady Mary and say, "Be it done to me according to your word."
I bought one of our parish-produced Holy Week Service books today: containing all the services for Holy Week, it will, God willing, be of great benefit to me, as I am able to reflect on the wonderful services of Holy Week at any time. And if I am unable to make any of the services, I can read them myself.