The sixth Sunday of Pascha, May 28,2023 is dedicated to the memory of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, which was held in the year 325 AD. Through these Fathers, God has given us the Symbol of our Faith, The Nicene Creed.
Throughout the Season of Pascha, the priest uses the Three-Branched Candlestick symbolizing the Light of the Resurrection. The theme of Light is echoed in all the hymns of the season along with brightness, radiance and splendor.
Established many years ago this Sunday in our country we celebrate in the afterglow of Pascha, Mother’s Day. This is a very important day in the life of our country where we pay homage and thankfulness to our mothers, grandmothers, etc., for their many sacrifices on our behalf.
The Gospel for May 7, 2023 is the Gospel reading of the Paralytic. Some of the most beautiful hymns of the Orthodox Church dramatize Jesus’s encounter with the paralyzed man. The Vesperal Hymn of that day sings, “the paralytic, an unburied dead man, upon seeing You cried out; Lord have mercy on me! My bed has become my grave. Of what use is my life? But I come to You, the fountain of healing, that I may say together with all Almighty Lord, glory to You!” It further sings, “Lord it was not the pool that healed the paralytic but your word”.
© 2023 St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church. All Rights Reserved.
