The Sunday of All Saints and The Synaxis of The Holy Twelve Apostles

Services (etc.) This Week:

• Wednesday, June 26th, 5:30 p.m.: Little Compline and Akathist
• Thursday, June 27th, 6:00 p.m.: Choir Practice
• Friday, June 28th, 5:30 p.m.: Vesperal Liturgy, Patronal Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
• Saturday, June 29th, Great Vespers, 5:00  p.m.
• Sunday, June 30th, Third Hour, 9:45 a.m., followed by The Divine Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. Our parish Patronal Feast Picnic will follow at the Fox’s Campground! The annual parish picnic has been postponed.

During the regular Sundays of the Church year, we each Sunday move through a repeating cycle of eight Tones, with different music and hymns for each tone, which celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This Sunday falls on Tone 8. Here is the Sunday troparion (hymn) of the Resurrection for this Sunday:

From the heights thou didst descend O Compassionate One,

and thou didst submit to the three-day burial,

that thou might deliver us from passion.

Thou art our Life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee.

Click here to listen to this troparion being sung, and here for sheet music.

APOLYTIKION FOR THE SYNAXIS OF THE APOSTLES IN TONE THREE

O Holy Apostles, intercede with our merciful God, to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

APOLYTIKION FOR ALL SAINTS IN TONE FOUR

Thy Church, O Christ God, hath regaled herself in the blood of Thy Martyrs throughout the entire world, as in porphyry and purple. Through them she lifteth her voice crying: Turn with Thy compassion toward Thy people, and grant peace to Thy city, and to our souls the Great Mercy.

KONTAKION FOR ALL SAINTS IN TONE EIGHT

To Thee, O Lord and Author of all creation,

The universe offereth as first-fruits of nature the divinity-bearing Martyrs.

Wherefore, by their imploring, preserve Thou Thy Church in perfect safety,

for the sake of the Theotokos, O most Merciful.

THE EPISTLE

(For All Saints Sunday)

God is wonderful among His saints. Bless God in the congregations.

The Reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews. (11:33-12:2)

Brethren, all the saints through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfection of our faith.

THE GOSPEL

(For the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles)

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. (9:36-10:8)

At that time, when Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His Disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” And He called to Him His twelve Disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. The names of the twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.”