Sunday, March 19, 2023: Third Sunday of Great Lent; Veneration of the Cross
Ss Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church Ss Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church
An Orthodox Christian community on the campus of UW-Madison
1020 Regent St
(Lower Level)
Madison, WI 53715

Weekly Services:

Vespers: 5:00 PM Saturday
Divine Liturgy: 9:30 AM Sunday

Confessions: before and after Saturday Vespers or by appointment.

www.madisonorthodox.com

Click above to send names of those to be commemorated at Liturgy.

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Tone 6

Third Sunday of Great Lent

Veneration of the Cross

 

Third Sunday of Great Lent:

Veneration of the Holy Cross

(OCAThe Third Sunday of Lent is that of the Veneration of the Cross. The cross stands in the midst of the church in the middle of the lenten season not merely to remind men of Christ’s redemption and to keep before them the goal of their efforts, but also to be venerated as that reality by which man must live to be saved. “He who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt.10:38). For in the Cross of Christ Crucified lies both “the power of God and the wisdom of God” for those being saved (1 Cor.1:24).

Glory to Jesus Christ!

 

Thank you to everyone who made last week's Sunday Lenten Vespers a success: Katie and Gregg and the whole choir did a great job with the music. Thank you as well to Mtka Mary, Judith, Deb and Ginni for planning the reception afterward. 

 

We also raised $136 for the OCF. This will be a great help to the students as they prepare the the end of the semester!

 

The third of the Madison area pan-Orthodoxy Lenten Vespers, will be hosted by Assumption Greek Orthodox Church this coming Sunday (3/19) at 5 pm. If you can please attend.

 

In Christ,

 

Fr Gregory

This Week at Ss Cyril & Methodius

 

Wednesday, March 15

  • 3:45-5:45 PM Office Hours/Confessions
  • 6:00 PM: Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

Thursday, March 16

  • 3:45-4:45 PM Office Hours/Confessions
  • 5:00 PM: Akathist to the Queen of Heaven

Friday, March 17

  • 7:00 AM: Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
  • 6:00 PM: Akathist [canceled]

Saturday, March 18

  • 3:30-4:30 PM: Inquirers/Catechumen Class
  • 4:30 PM: Confessions 
  • 5:00 PM: Vespers
  • 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, March 19 (Sunday of the Holy Cross)

  • 9:00 AM: Hours/Pre-Communion Prayers
  • 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy
  • 5:00 PM: Pan-Orthodox Lenten Vespers (Assumption Greek Orthodox Church)

Looking Ahead

 

Wednesday, March 22

  • 3:45-5:45 PM Office Hours/Confessions
  • 6:00 PM: Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

Thursday, March 23

  • 3:45-5:45 PM Office Hours/Confessions
  • 6:00 PM: OCF Meeting

Friday, March 24

  • 7:00 AM: Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

Saturday, March 25

  • 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy (Feast of the Annunciation)
  • 4:30 PM: Confessions 
  • 5:00 PM: Vespers
  • 6:00 PM: Confessions

Sunday, March 26 (Sunday of St John Climacus)

  • 9:00 AM: Hours/Pre-Communion Prayers
  • 9:30 AM: Divine Liturgy
  • 5:00 PM: Pan-Orthodox Lenten Vespers (St John the Wonderworker, Portage)

PAN-ORTHODOX LENTEN VESPERS

5 PM

Date

Location

March 5 (Sunday of Orthodoxy)

St Ignatius, Fitchburg

March 12 (Sunday of St Gregory Palamas)

Ss Cyril & Methodius, Madison

March 19 (Sunday of the Cross)

Assumption, Madison

March 26 (Sunday of St John Climacus)

St John, Portage

Hymns After the Small Entrance

 

Tone 7 Troparion (Resurrection)

By Thy Cross Thou didst destroy deathTo the thief Thou didst open Paradise. For the Myrrhbearers Thou didst change weeping into joyand Thou didst command Thy disciples, O Christ God,to proclaim that Thou art risen,//granting the world great mercy.

 

Tone 1 Troparion of the Cross

O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance! Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries; and by virtue of Thy Cross,//preserve Thy habitation!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 7 Kontakion (Cross)

Now the flaming sword no longer guards the gates of Eden; it has been mysteriously quenched by the wood of the Cross. The sting of death and the victory of hell have been vanquished; for Thou, O my Savior, hast come and cried to those in hell://“Enter again into Paradise!”

 

(Instead of the Trisagion, we sing:)

 

Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.

Sunday Readings


Epistle: Hebrews 4:14-5:6

 

Brethren, Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

 

So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

 

“You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.”

 

As He also says in another place:

 

“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek.”

 

Gospel: Mark 8:34-9:1

 

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

 

And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”

 

++++++++++++++++++++++ 
 

(Instead of “It is truly meet…,” we sing the following)


Hymn to the Theotokos


All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace:

the assembly of angels and the race of men.

O sanctified temple and spiritual paradise,

the glory of virgins,

from whom God was incarnate and became a Child:

our God before the ages.

He made thy body into a throne,

and thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens.

All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace.//

Glory to thee!


Communion Hymn

The light of Thy countenance has shone on us, O Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

By the age of 25, about 60% of those baptized as infants will no longer consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. A parish on a university campus is an important witness not only to the surrounding community but also to high school age and younger parishioner. Establishing a parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison helps remind young people that graduating high school doesn't mean "graduating" from the Church. Please consider joining those who have committed their time, treasure and talent in establishing an Orthodox community on the Isthmus. Help us reach your children and grandchildren with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

By the age of 25, about 60% of those baptized as infants will no longer consider themselves members of the Orthodox Church. A parish on a university campus is an important witness not only to the surrounding community but also to high school age and younger parishioner. Establishing a parish on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison helps remind young people that graduating high school doesn't mean "graduating" from the Church. Please consider joining those who have committed their time, treasure and talent in establishing an Orthodox community on the Isthmus. Help us reach your children and grandchildren with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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