CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!
PASCHA-RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
April 5, 2026 A. D.
Saturday, April 4 HOLY SATURDAY *Abstinence from Meat *
1:00 PM Blessing of Food
Sunday, April 5 PASCHA-EASTER SUNDAY (w/Myrovania)
7:30 AM Resurrection Matins, Divine Liturgy, Blessing of Artos
God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners
Myrovania, Blessing of Paschal Food
Monday, April 7 BRIGHT MONDAY (w/Myrovania)
8:30 AM God’s Blessings on Gary & Jacinta Poullard- Poullard Family
Tuesday, April 7 BRIGHT TUESDAY (w/Myrovania)
8:30 AM God’s Blessings on Brent, Allison W., Allison P., Matthew,
Cameron, Blaise & Jayce Alexander – Poullard Family
Saturday, April 11 THOMAS SUNDAY
4:00 PM Helene Sirak- Stephen & Gloria Udiski
Distribution of Artos
Sunday, April 12 THOMAS SUNDAY
8:30 AM Divine Liturgy, Distribution of Artos
God’s Blessings & Good Health for All Parishioners
Ancient Holy Saturday Homily
(REPRINTED WWW.ROYAL DOORS.NET)
Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all”. Christ answered him: “And with your spirit”. He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light”. I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden. See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree. I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you. Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity. Written by an unknown author in Greek in the fourth century (PG 43, 439, 462f).
Petitions & Prayers for Our Parishioners: John Ostrum, Donna Winsock, Sonia Dempsey, Catherine Halloway, Charles Hallaway, Louise Hubiack, Frank Udiski, Paul Hoover & James Bencho. Keep them in your prayers. If anyone would like to be included in the prayer list drop a note in the basket, email the church or text Michalene Ostrum at 570-704-7079.
ASK FATHER A QUESTION? Father, why are the Royal Doors open during Bright Week? The Royal Doors are kept open as a sign to us that Christ came to restore access to the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Eternal Life for us, which we lost access to when we sinned as we read in the First Week of Lent.
Ask Father a question, Father, I noticed that when the “women” return to the grave, there is Mary, the mother of God, and the “other” Mary is with her. Who is the other Mary? It seems to me that there are many Mary’s…. wasn’t there Saint Mary of Egypt that we commemorated on the Fifth Week of Lent? I get confused. Yes, there are many Mary’s. Depending on which Gospel you read, it may be difficult to understand which Mary is being spoken about at times. A few of the Mary’s we know; are Mary the Mother of God, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister to Lazarus and Martha, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary the mother of James, Joseph and Salome, among others. Mary is the Greek translation from Jewish, Mariam. At the grave, Luke and Mark, specify that Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph are at the grave looking for Jesus on the morning of the first day of the week.
Why did Mary, the Mother of Jesus not go to the sepulcher on first day of the week with the other Mary’s? Church tradition orally passed on from the apostles, and some common sense, tells us that Jesus having risen from the dead, went to visit His mother first.
Yes, there was a Saint Mary of Egypt that we remember the Fifth Week of Lent, who lived in the late fourth to early fifth century. We do not read about Saint Mary of Egypt in the Holy Scriptures.
Christ is Risen! Indeed He Is Risen! ХРИСТОС ВОСКРЕСЕ !
May everyone have a most Blessed Easter and Bright Week! Christos Voskes!
The Altar candles for April are requested by Michaelene Ostrum IMO father Michael Sirak.
The Sanctuary Light for this week is requested by Michaelene Ostrum IMO father Michael Sirak.
SVIACHENNE: The Family Sviachenne will be on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 12:15PM. Plans are being constructed to have a Covered Dish Sviachenne between Transfiguration of Our Lord Church & Ss. Peter & Paul Church! We have hams donated. We will put out a list for other items and attendees. There is no charge for the Sviachenne Dinner and it will be held at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church basement. Covered dishes and help is needed.
CONFESSION: Reminder, the Church decrees that you make at least one good confession a year before Easter.
FLEA MARKET: Transfiguration of Our Lord Church will be having a Flea Market on Saturday, April 11 from 9am to 2pm and Saturday, April 18 from 9am to 2pm (1/2 Price Sale) due to the contribution of additional new and used merchandise.
Tackle your Fears Head-On
Fear is a childish feeling of the adult but empty soul. Fear is really a lack of faith that becomes obvious when we think of what unforeseen things might happen. It is lack of trust in God. The proud soul is a slave to fear precisely because it trusts in itself and so shudders at any noise or any shadow. Those who are contrite for their sins have no fear. So if there are places where you are normally afraid to go, do not hesitate to frequent them even at dead of night, armed with prayer. Your fear is a childish and ridiculous thing, but if you give way to it only a little, it will take root in your heart and stay with you. So arm yourself with prayer and when you reach the spot lambaste the enemy in the name of Jesus. There is no stronger weapon in earth or heaven than that. And when you are cured of your fear, sing the praises of the One who has freed you. If you thank him, he will always protect you. Sometimes only the body is afraid and the fear has not spread to the soul, then you are nearly cured. The one who serves God, fears his Lord and no other. The one who does not fear his Lord is scared even of his own shadow. – By St. John Climacus Stairway to Paradise 21 (PG88, 945)
GUARDIAN ANGELS: Angels do exist! Besides our visible universe God has created another, invisible, corporeal spiritual world. Though angels are superior to us in dignity, we are created more perfectly in God’s image. The Holy Spirit attests to their creation before the universe to their great numbers, and to their primary ministry, which is to ‘present the prayers of the Saints’ to God, and to behold His glory. The Lord said, “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven” and glorify Him incessantly. The angels are assigned to many ‘orders’ usually grouped in nine, although we know nothing definite about this. God has assigned angels to protect us, from different scriptural passages we are taught the angels are assigned by God to protect entire nations and individuals. Certain angels are assigned to minister to us, by being God’s messengers, and attend to the spiritual progress and perfection of human beings. They are placed in the service of God’s plan of salvation for man. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to salvation? “We pray for the guardian angel, (not that one may be given us), since each of us has one from the moment of his birth, but that he may be active and may fulfill his task, that he may protect us and lead us in the right way, and may not, angered by our sins, desert us.” Several of the Fathers of the Church teach that only baptized Christians have a guardian angel. According to certain Fathers, we are assigned two angels a good one, our guardian angel, and an evil one. Guardian angels guide human beings and steer them in the path of goodness without interfering with their free will or forcing them to follow it. When we fall into serious sin, however, the guardian angel departs. At the hour of death the guardian angel will carry the soul to heaven. In the prayer “You who in all times.” Recited during Hours, we pray, “Surround us with your holy angels, so that guarded and guided by their host, we may attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of Your unapproachable glory.”
Prayer to Our Guardian Angel: O Holy Angel of God, guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me everything in which I have grieved you all the days of my life, and in which I sinned in the day just past. Protect me during the coming night and keep me from every influence of the enemy, that I may not anger God by any sin. Intercede for me to the Lord that He may strengthen me in His fear and make me worthy to be a servant of His goodness. Amen.
SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church 