Today is the beginning of our salvation * and the manifestation of the mystery which is from eternity. * The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin, * and Gabriel announces grace. * So with him let us also cry to the Mother of God: * Rejoice, thou who art full of grace! * The Lord is with thee.
— Troparion for the Feast of the Annunciation
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Please join us on Monday, 24 March 2025, at 6PM as we celebrate Vespers for the Feast of the Annunciation (25 March), one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church.
Today is the beginning of our salvation, / the revelation of the eternal mystery! / The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin / as Gabriel announces the coming of Grace. / Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos: / Hail, O Full of Grace, / the Lord is with You!
— Troparion for the Feast of the Annunciation
Glory to Jesus Christ!
This coming Sunday, 23 March 2025, is the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent and the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross.
The commemoration and ceremonies of the Third Sunday of Lent are closely parallel to the feasts of the Veneration of the Cross (September 14) and the Procession of the Cross (August 1). Not only does the Sunday of the Holy Cross prepare us for commemoration of the Crucifixion, but it also reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ.1
The readings for this Sunday are:
This evening, Tuesday, 18 March 2025, there will be choir practice at the church at 6:30 PM, followed by a parish council meeting at 7 PM.
Upcoming services during Great Lent:
Access our full Lent, Passion Week, and Pascha calendar here.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
This coming Sunday, 16 March 2025, is the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent and the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas.
Often called the “second triumph of Orthodoxy”, the Church remembers St. Gregory on this day because of his clear explanation and defense of the Orthodox Faith. St. Gregory taught that we cannot experience God through education, philosophy, intellectual discussion and debates. God is a person with whom we are to be in a relationship, not a topic to be discussed or facts to memorize. He taught that God desires us to know Him, to experience Him, to share His life, to become one with Him.1
The readings for this Sunday are:
Upcoming services during Great Lent:
Access our full Lent, Passion Week, and Pascha calendar here.
Come out on Sunday, 16 March 2025, at 3pm, to hear a concert to support peace in Ukraine, featuring our own Dr. Andrew Nowakowski.
St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 1200 E. Churchville Rd., Bel Air, Maryland 21014
Admission is FREE. Details below.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Come out on Sunday, 16 March 2025, at 3pm, to hear a concert to support peace in Ukraine, featuring our own Dr. Andrew Nowakowski.
St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 1200 E. Churchville Rd., Bel Air, Maryland 21014
Admission is FREE. Details below.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
This coming Sunday, 09 March 2025, is the 1st Sunday of Great Lent and the Sunday of Orthodoxy. All are invited to bring an icon from home or to use one available in the church for the Rite of Orthodoxy following the Divine Liturgy.
What is the Sunday of Orthodoxy and the Rite of Orthodoxy?
You might have heard this day also referred to as the “Triumph of Orthodoxy”. Any Sunday of… or Triumph of… language should never be understood in a prideful, triumphant manner. The day also does not understand the word Orthodoxy in a modern sense of denomination or jurisdiction or group over and against another group. That would anachronistically limit the term. Orthodoxy here is understood in a much fuller sense, the “faith that has established the universe”.
The day commemorates the restoration of icons in 843 under the Empress Theodora and reflects the great significance which icons possess for the Orthodox Church. They are not optional devotional extras, but an integral part of Orthodox faith and devotion. The “triumph of Orthodoxy” over the iconoclasts involved important issues (and still important issues!) such as the character of Christ’s human nature, the Christian attitude towards matter, and the true meaning of Christian redemption. Icons are a necessary consequence of the Incarnation of the Word (John 1.14), Jesus Christ.1
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a brief service is conducted in commemoration of the affirmations of the Seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 and the restoration of the use of icons in 843. Orthodox faithful carry icons in procession, while the clergy offer petitions for the people, civil authorities, and those who have reposed in the faith. Following is a recitation of excerpts from the Affirmation of Faith of the Seventh Ecumenical Council and the singing of the Great Prokeimenon.2
The readings for this Sunday are:
Upcoming services during Great Lent:
Access our full Lent, Passion Week, and Pascha calendar here.
