The Holy Apostle Mark the Evangelist

Mark, or John-Mark, was a cousin of Barnabas. He belonged to the tribe of Levi and went to Antioch with St. Paul in the year 44. He also accompanied St. Peter to Rome. At the request of the Christians of Rome, he wrote in Greek the Gospel that bears his name. Later, he founded the church in Alexandria in Egypt. He is symbolized by the lion the second beat of the Vision of Ezekiel (1:10). St. Mark’s feast day is on April 25th.

Kontakion
You were granted from on high the grace to solve the philosophers’ problems, to triumph by preaching the divine Gospel to the Gentiles, and to lead them to your Master, O Apostle Mark worthy of all praises!

The Holy Apostle James the Greater

Since two of the 12 apostles bore the name James, it became necessary to distinguish one from the other by calling one the Less and the other the Greater – a distinction based solely on physical stature. James the Less, whose feast day is celebrated on October 9, is also referred to as the “son of Alphaeus.” James the Greater was the “son of Zebedee” and the brother of the Apostle John. See Matt 4:21-22. Jesus called James and John “sons of thunder” because of their sometime violent eagerness to conquer souls for Christ. His martyrdom is mentioned in Acts 12:1-2.

 

Kontakion

O glorious James, when you heard the Divine Word calling you, you put aside your love for your father and hurried to Christ with John your brother, wherefore you were made worthy to see the divine Transfiguration of the Lord.

Pascha: The Glorious Feast of the Resurrection

Of all the meaningful feast days on our Church Calendar, everything pales in comparison to Pascha, which is rightfully proclaimed to be the "Feast of Feasts" in the eighth ode of the Canon of Resurrection Matins. Many of the early Church Fathers wrote of the special significance of this Holy day. In his Paschal sermon, St. Gregory the Theologian writes: 'The Resurrection is the feast that surpasses all others, just as the sun surpasses the stars." St. John Chrysostom extols Pascha with these words: "0 Death, where is your sting? 0 Hades, where is your victory? Christ is risen, and you have fallen! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of the dead!"

The word "Pascha" is derived from the Hebrew word "pasach" which means "Passover." For the Apostles and the early Christians, our Lord's Resurrection was viewed as a victory over death - when Christ indeed "passed over" from death to life, thus opening the gates to the kingdom of heaven for all of His faithful followers.

Through its rich symbolism, the icon of the Resurrection beautifully portrays this victory. It depicts our Lord entering into the realm of death, breaking the bonds that had imprisoned mankind since the fall from grace of Adam and Eve. The icon shows Christ reaching out to our first parents, freeing them from the curse of sin. He is surrounded by John the Baptist and other righteous figures from the Old Testament, who lived their lives in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. Christ's brilliant white robes further emphasize the radiance of this Feast.

May the light shining forth from the empty tomb illumine our path and ultimately lead us to our heavenly home. Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
Orthodox Weekly Bulletin ......... Vestal, Cliffwood, NewJersey ......... Litho in USA

St. George the Great Martyr

The life of St. George is a prime example of the life that each Christian should follow to obtain salvation. St. George the Great-martyr, was raised a Christian. His father was martyred for the faith. After his father's death, his mother took him to Palestine, where she had farm land. At a young age, he served in the Roman army under Emperor Diocletian and was commended many times for his service to the Empire. From the rule of the Emperor Decian until 284 A.D., when Diocletian became emperor, the Church went through a period of peace and prosperity. Christians obtained important positions in the government during that time; many built churches and schools and organized the authoritative structure of the Church. Diocletian gave many of his loyal officers political positions so that he could have the military strength of his Empire on his side. After Diocletian had suppressed the barbarian tribes which were attacking the Empire and after he had secured its borders, he began to concentrate on the Empire's internal affairs. Diocletian believed that a state religion could keep the empire united. Since paganism was the state religion, Diocletian focused his efforts toward the suppression of Christianity. In the year 303 A.D., Diocletian summoned his aides to meet in the city of Caesarea. He held three general meetings with his aides, instructing them to persecute the Christians. Since St. George had shown his excellence while serving in the army, he was among these aides. Diocletian asked them to pledge their allegiance to this cause by making pagan sacrifices as proof of their loyalty. All the aides pledged their loyalty except St. George. He stood in front of Diocletain and admitted his belief in Christianity, telling the monarch of the Christian teachings and the Godliness of the crucified Nazarene. The emperor ordered this Christian be taken to prison and that a boulder be placed on his chest as a form of torture. The next morning Diocletian ordered that the prisoner be brought before him for questioning. George stood steadfast and told Diocletian of his belief in the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven. The emperor then summoned the executioners to take the saint and have him bound to the rim of a wheel set with sharp spikes. Before being taken away, Diocletian asked him to sacrifice to the gods to save himself. He refused Diocletian's request and welcomed the chance to be a martyr for Christ, as his father had done. After praying to God, he heard a voice from heaven say, "Do not fear, George, I am with you." With the help of Christ, the spiked wheel had no effect on St. George. When the saint appeared again before Diocletian not only was he unharmed, but an angelic aura had settled about him. Suddenly, two officers of the Roman army, Anatolios and Protoeon, appeared before Diocletian with two thousand soldiers. They admitted their belief in Christ and Diocletian had them all executed.

In the above icon, George battles the devil, symbolized by the dragon, and saves the Holy Church. He rides a white horse that indicates God's grace carrying him to the heroism of martyrdom. Constantine the Great built a great church over his tomb in Lyda of Palestine. The name George means “Tiller of the Earth.”

Troparion of St. George (Tone 4)
As the deliverer of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm and champion of Kings, victorious great martyr George, intercede with Christ our God for our souls' salvation