In March we are fully into the Lenten season as we prepare for Pascha. There are five Sunday Divine Liturgy Services, plus we celebrate the announcement by Archangel Gabriel to Virgin Mary that she has been chosen to give birth to Our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is also a service each Friday evening in March for Heretismi and the recital of the full Akathist Hymn on 27th March. The first Heretismi service is actually this Friday 27th February at 19.00.
| Day | Date | Start | End | Details | Scripture Readings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | 27th Feb | 19.00 | 21.00 | First Salutations (Heretesmi) | Isaiah 3:1-14, Genesis 2:20-3:20, Proverbs 3:19-34 | |
| Sunday | 1st | 9.30 | 12.45 | Sunday of Orthodoxy | Luke 24:12-35, Hebrews 11:24-26,32-40, John 1:43-51 | |
| Friday | 6th | 19.00 | 21.00 | Second Salutations (Heretesmi) | Isaiah 7:1-14, Genesis 5:32-6:8, Proverbs 6:20-7:1 | |
| Sunday | 8th | 9.30 | 12.45 | Sunday of St Gregory Palamas | Luke 24:36-53, Hebrews 1:10-14;2:1-3, Mark 2:1-12 | |
| Friday | 13th | 19.00 | 21.00 | Third Salutations (Heretesmi) | Isaiah 13:2-13, Genesis 8:4-21, Proverbs 10:31-11:12 | |
| Sunday | 15th | 9.30 | 12.45 | Sunday of the Holy Cross | John 20:1-10, Hebrews 4:14-16;5:1-6, Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 | |
| Wednesday | 18th | 8.00 | 9.00 | Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts | ||
| Friday | 20th | 8.00 | 9.00 | Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts | ||
| Friday | 20th | 18.30 | 19.30 | Fourth Salutations (Heretesmi) | Isaiah 29:13-23, Genesis 12:1-7, Proverbs 14:15-26 | |
| Sunday | 22nd | 9.30 | 12.45 | Sunday of St John Climacus | John 20:11-18, Hebrews 6:13-20, Mark 9:17-31 | |
| Wednesday | 25th | 9.30 | 11.30 | Annunciation of the Theotokos | Luke 1:39-49, 56, Hebrews 2:11-18, Luke 1:24-38 | |
| Friday | 27th | 8.00 | 9.00 | Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts | ||
| Friday | 27th | 18.00 | 20.30 | Akathist Hymn Service (5th Friday of Lent) | Isaiah 45:11-17, Genesis 22:1-18, Proverbs 17:17-18:5 | |
| Sunday | 29th | 9.30 | 12.45 | Sunday of St Mary of Egypt | John 20:19-31, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 10:32-45 |
Sunday of Orthodoxy
For more than one hundred years the Church of Christ was troubled by the persecution of the Iconoclasts of evil belief, beginning in the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741) and ending in the reign of Theophilus (829-842).
After Theophilus’s death, his widow the Empress Theodora (celebrated Feb. 11), together with the Patriarch Methodius (June 14), established Orthodoxy anew. This ever-memorable Queen venerated the icon of the Mother of God in the presence of the Patriarch Methodius and the other confessors and righteous men, and openly cried out these holy words: “If anyone does not offer relative worship to the holy icons, not adoring them as though they were gods, but venerating them out of love as images of the archetype, let him be anathema.”
Then with common prayer and fasting during the whole first week of the Forty-day Fast, she asked God’s forgiveness for her husband. After this, on the first Sunday of the Fast, she and her son, Michael the Emperor, made a procession with all the clergy and people and restored the holy icons, and again adorned the Church of Christ with them.
This is the holy deed that all we the Orthodox commemorate today, and we call this radiant and venerable day the Sunday of Orthodoxy, that is, the triumph of true doctrine over heresy.
Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
This divine Father, who was from Asia Minor, was from childhood reared in the royal court of Constantinople, where he was instructed in both religious and secular wisdom. Later, while still a youth, he left the imperial court and struggled in asceticism on Mount Athos, and in the Skete at Beroea. He spent some time in Thessalonica being treated for an illness that came from his harsh manner of life.
He was present in Constantinople at the Council that was convened in 1341 against Barlaam of Calabria, and at the Council of 1347 against Acindynus, who was of like mind with Barlaam; Barlaam and Acindynus claimed that the grace of God is created. At both these Councils, the Saint contended courageously for the true dogmas of the Church of Christ, teaching in particular that divine grace is not created, but is the uncreated energies of God which are poured forth throughout creation: otherwise it would be impossible, if grace were created, for man to have genuine communion with the uncreated God.
In 1347 he was appointed Metropolitan of Thessalonica. He tended his flock in an apostolic manner for some twelve years, and wrote many books and treatises on the most exalted doctrines of our Faith; and having lived for a total of sixty-three years, he reposed in the Lord in 1359.
His holy relics are kept in the Cathedral of Thessalonica. A full service was composed for his feast day by the Patriarch Philotheus in 1368, when it was established that his feast be celebrated on this day. Since works without right faith avail nothing, we set Orthodoxy of faith as the foundation of all that we accomplish during the Fast, by celebrating the Triumph of Orthodoxy the Sunday before, and the great defender of the teachings of the holy Fathers today.
Sunday of the Holy Cross
With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes apparent. Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings to our help the all-holy Cross, the joy of the world, the strength of the faithful, the staff of the just, and the hope of sinners, so that by venerating it reverently, we might receive strength and grace to complete the divine struggle of the Fast.
Sunday of St. John Climacus
St John Climacus is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.
Annunciation of the Theotokos
Six months after John the Forerunner’s conception, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth, a town of Galilee, unto Mary the Virgin, who had come forth from the Temple a mature maiden.
According to the tradition handed down by the Fathers, she had been betrothed to Joseph four months. On coming to Joseph’s house, the Archangel declared: “Rejoice, thou Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”
After some consideration, and turmoil of soul, and fear because of this greeting, the Virgin, when she had finally obtained full assurance concerning God’s unsearchable condescension and the ineffable dispensation that was to take place through her, and believing that all things are possible to the Most High, answered in humility: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” And at this, the Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her all-blameless womb, and the Son and Word of God, Who existed before the ages, was conceived past speech and understanding, and became flesh in her immaculate body (Luke 1:26-38).
Bearing in her womb the Uncontainable One, the blessed Virgin went with haste from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea, where Zacharias had his dwelling; for she desired to find Elizabeth her kinswoman and rejoice together with her, because, as she had learned from the Archangel, Elizabeth had conceived in her old age.
Furthermore, she wished to tell her of the great things that the Mighty One had been well-pleased to bring to pass in her, and she greeted Elizabeth and drew nigh to her. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, she felt her six-month-old babe, Saint John the Baptist, prophesied of the dawning of the spiritual Sun. Immediately, the aged Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognised her as the Mother of her Lord, and with a great voice blessed her and the Fruit that she held within herself.
The Virgin also, moved by a supernatural rejoicing in the spirit, glorified her God and Savior, saying: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour,” and the rest, as the divine Luke hath recorded (1:39-55).
Today marks the crowning of our salvation and the revelation of the mystery before all ages. For the Son of God becomes the son of the Virgin, and Gabriel proclaims the grace. Wherefore, we also cry out with him, “Hail, O full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
The memory of this Saint is celebrated on April 1, where her life is recorded. Since the end of the holy Forty Days is drawing nigh, it has been appointed for this day also, so that if we think it hard to practice a little abstinence forty days, we might be roused by the heroism of her who fasted in the wilderness forty-seven years; and also that the great loving-kindness of God, and His readiness to receive the repentant, might be demonstrated in very deed.
Although these services are each sunday it would still be helpful dates and especially times were stated just in case there are any adjustments to times of services.