Dear brothers and sisters!
We are happy to remind you that on Monday, April 7, the Holy Church celebrates one of the Twelve Great Feasts — the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos. This day is dedicated to the remembrance of that blessed moment when Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and announced the joyous news to her: She would become the mother of the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Annunciation is a feast that symbolizes the meeting of Heaven and Earth, when the fulfillment of God's promise of salvation for humanity began. This day marks a key moment in the history of our faith, a symbol of obedience and faith of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, who humbly accepted God's will, saying: "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
On this blessed day, we invite all of you to join the divine service in our church. The Divine Liturgy will begin at 9:00 AM. We invite each of you to experience the joy and grace of this feast.
We look forward to seeing you, to together offer prayers and thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for His immeasurable gifts and for His unceasing love for us. May this feast remind us of the greatness of God's plan and of our calling to be a light to this world.
5th Week of Great Lent
St. Mary of Egypt
The sinful woman, hearing that the Savior was in the house of Simon, came there with an alabaster flask of myrrh and, standing at the Lord's feet behind Him, began to weep and washed His feet with her tears, then wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with myrrh (Luke 7:36-39). She says nothing, but only acts and by her actions shows the most tender love for the Lord. For this reason it was said of her: "her many sins are forgiven, for she loved much" (Luke 7:47). Oh, if only we would speak less and act more, and by our actions bear witness to our love for the Lord! You might say: "If He Himself were here, I would be ready to do everything for Him right away." But He is here, invisibly in His own Person, but visibly in all Christians, and most of all in the needy. Anoint the invisible Lord with loving heart-mind prayer, and for the visible - do everything possible for the needy, and you will be doing for God.
St. Theophan the Recluse
