April 2025
For two weeks in April we will be immersed in The Great Fast, and then we will enter into Holy Week. These next few weeks will help us Orthodox Christians prepare for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha or, as it is more commonly known, as The Resurrection of Christ.
The Great Fast prepares us to not only commemorate the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus, but to relive it and to participate in His journey to the Cross. We have to understand that as Orthodox Christians, we are to live our life with Christ at the center; that we are to fulfill His Holy will in all that we do.
One thing that happens quite often is that after Pascha we relax, the strictness of the fast and all the services come to an end. We relax so much that we forget all that we went through and all that Christ went through for our salvation. Pascha is not a one day feast in the Orthodox Church. The Paschal Festal season lasts 40 days until the day before the Ascension of Christ. All the services begin with the Tropar Christ is risen, the greetings we say to one another throughout the Paschal time is “Christ is risen!”, with the response being “Indeed He is risen!”
When we leave the church on Pascha we should not return to our normal routine but we should try to keep the feast alive in all that we do, especially in our homes. Singing the Troparion of the feast at our morning and evening prayers, maybe saying the Paschal Hours, reading Holy Scripture on all 40 days of the feast so that we will understand all that took place after Christ resurrection, reading the church Fathers on the Resurrection of Christ, are all good ways to keep Pascha alive in our hearts.
Everything centers around this Feast of Feasts, the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We should not think of this feast as a one day feast, but we should bask in the joy of all that Christ has done for us. We should make the best of the 2 weeks of the Great fast and try to fully participate in Holy Week so that we all will have a blessed Pascha.
Fr. Mikel
Sat Apr 19th 840am 9th Hour/Vesperal Liturgy 1130pm Nocturns/Procession/Matins/Liturgy
Sun Apr 20th 1pm Paschal Vespers
Mon Apr 21st 850am Paschal Hours/Divine Liturgy/Procession
Tue Apr 22nd 6pm Vespers
Weds Apr 23rd 850 Paschal Hours/Divine Liturgy
Sat Apr 26th 5pm Vespers
Sun Apr 27th 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Weds Apr 30th 6pm Bible study/class
Sat May 3rd 5pm Vespers
Sun May 4th 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Weds May 7th 5pm Vespers 6pm Bible study/class
Thurs May 8th 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Sat May 10th 5pm Vespers
Sun May 11th 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Weds May 14th 6pm Bible study/class
Sat May 17th 415pm Panikhida 5pm Vespers
Sun May 18th 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Weds May 21st 6pm Bible study/class
Sat May 24th 5pm Vespers
Sun May 25th 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Weds May 28th 6pm Vespers NO CLASS
Thurs May 29th 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Sat May 31st 5pm Vespers
Sun June 1st 840am Hours/Divine Liturgy
Regular Services
Saturday: Vespers, 5:00 pm
Sunday: Divine Liturgy, 9:00 am
Address
1614 E. Monte Vista Rd.
Phoenix, Az 85006
Phone / Email
Fr. Mikel: 907-444-8545
Church: 602-253-9515
Directions To Saints Peter & Paul
This Week...
April 12, 2025
As we head towards Pascha we should be sure to have our Confession heard if we wish to participate in the Holy Eucharist. OCA policy is once every 4 weeks. Please try to have your Confession done before Holy Wednesday, please do not wait until Holy Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
The next Class/Bible study will be Weds April 30th at 6pm in the Hall.
If you would like to bring red eggs to church on Pascha please see Judy Bushko so there is an accurate count.
If you wish to donate towards Pascha flowers, please mark that on your envelope or check.
Donation slips for the Pascha Cards are on the table in the hall.
A potluck luncheon will be held after Vespers on Pascha. Please see Mat. Elizabeth Pfeiffer to sign up to bring an item or if you would like to volunteer to help with the potluck.
For those who will attend Bright Monday services there will be a potluck coffee hour after the Liturgy/Procession.
Collections for Project Mexico are usually on the 1st Sunday of the month,but there was no collection last week so there will be a collection tomorrow Sunday April 13th.
Here is the website for the AAC which will be held here in Phoenix in July. https://www.oca.org/aac Parents, if you wish to have your child participate in the youth activities, you must register as an Observer and be onsite.
Volunteers will be needed after Divine Liturgy on Lazarus Saturday April 12th to tie the palms and pussy willows together for the Vespers of Palm Sunday.
We should always remember to tithe, as this is very important to keep the church running, and it is also an offering to God. For the month of March our income was more than our expenses by $4,035. Which helps us prepare for the $8000. Insurance bill in May.
Whoever does not want to know the will of God is mentally walking a path next to a cliff, and easily falls with any wind. If he is praised, he is proud. If he is rebuked he is angry. If he eats pleasant food, he is drawn into bodily passions. When he suffers he weeps. When he knows something, he wants to show that he knows. When he doesn't understand, he pretends to understand. When he is rich he puts on airs. When he is poor, he is a hypocrite. When he is full, he is bold. When he fasts he is vainglorious. When he is denounced he loves to argue, while he looks on those who forgive him as fools. St. Mark the Ascetic
