MAR 26: CONFESSION – 08:45 AM, DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. BASIL – 09:00 AM (LIVE-STREAMED), DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. BASIL – 11:00 AM. NOTE: THE SYNAXIS OF THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL REPLACES THE USUAL COMMEMORATION OF THE HOLY MOTHER MARY OF EGYPT. (Information about the Holy Mother Mary of Egypt sited below and in God With Us On-line if you would like to learn about her, as well.)
PROPERS: 03-26-23_GF5_Sunday_DL
Streaming via Facebook Live. https://www.facebook.com/saintscyrilandmethodius/
Parishes live-streaming in the Diocese can be found here: https://www.eparchyofpassaic.com/livestream
SUNDAY OF THE MARY OF EGYPT (from God with Us On-Line): https://godwithusonline.org/reflections/the-sunday-of-st-mary-of-egypt-ruthenian/
On March 26th, the day after the Feast of the Annunciation, we commemorate the Lord’s messenger Gabriel. Gabriel’s name means “hero of God.” As a hero for God, Gabriel is remembered best for being the angel who announced to Mary that she would be the mother of God’s only Son. Thus, we remember Gabriel to help guide us in our journey to everlasting life with our Father and we can ask Gabriel to help us say “yes” to God as Mary did so many years ago.
This Sunday’s Gospel Reading, Mark 10:32-45, Jesus Teaches about His Passion and Resurrection for the Third Time, and then explains that the life of a disciple is a life of a servant. This is the 3rd time Jesus spoke to his disciples about His suffering, sacrifice and passion! But, as if they hadn’t heard a word, James and John came to Him wanting the privilege of sitting with Him in His glory. Jesus in turn asked them if they were able to “drink the cup [of suffering] I drink or be baptized with the baptism [of suffering] I am baptized with?” They said they could, but didn’t really know what this truly meant. The other disciples, learning of the request, quarreled about who was the greatest & who deserved the positions of greatest honor. Jesus settled the dispute by explaining that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” Even with Jesus’ impending suffering and death the disciples only cared about which of them might be considered “first, greatest or best!” Even though you know Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection for us – do you live as if you want to be first, best and greatest! What you do (and what you fail to do for others) demonstrates the sin of putting yourself first. Jesus died to forgive us for this sin and He gives Himself as our model for he cared for the “last and the least.”
On the Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast the Church usually commemorates our Righteous Mother Mary of Egypt. She is also commemorated on this Sunday due to her recognition by the Church as a model of repentance and to remind us that no one is so sinful that God cannot touch their hearts and bring them to repentance and salvation. St Mary of Egypt was converted from a life of sin to a life of holiness and repentance.
LIFE OF MARY OF EGYPT (from Metropolitan Cantor Institute): Life_of_Mary_of_Egypt
