Services and upcoming events

Welcome to the Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross

Here are some features of our liturgical life that we hope will help you understand what the Orthodox Church offers in its worship and spiritual life, and how you can participate more comfortably.

1) JESUS – REVEALED IN THE SCRIPTURES AND IN THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD: In entering our church you passed under the iconographic description of the encounter Jesus had after His resurrection with his disciples on the “Way to Emmaus” (Luke 24:13-35). Everything we have to offer you is summarized in this encounter: It is all about Jesus, revealed in the Scriptures, in the breaking of the bread, and how this experience is shared with one another “on the way,” the path of life.

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“Strengthen me for this Your appointed service”:

A Daily Program for Living from St. John Chrysostom

During the Explanatory Liturgy which was served on Sunday, September 13, I emphasized the importance – at least for me – of a line in one of clergy Entrance Prayers:

“Strengthen me for this Your appointed service.”

The word, “appointed,” (prokeimenen) literally means “that which is before you,” that which “you have to do.” We’ll see it again in the Prokeimenon, the Psalm verses that are used before the reading of the Scriptures.

This has a particular meaning obviously for the clergy serving the Divine Liturgy, but it can also be important for all of us as we move through our day, trying to figure out and do the things “which are before us.”

In a sermon to those who were newly baptized St. John Chrysostom presents a plan for Christian living both for them and for those who have already been baptized: beginning each day taking seriously what they must do and then considering at the end of the day what actually happened. Let them visit the church in the morning before work; let them return there in the evening to examine their consciences and to ask pardon for their sins. Let them be faithful to the services and not let themselves become involved in the cares of this material life. Let them always deserve the grace of the Holy Spirit and guard until the Day of Judgment the luster of their baptism.

We talked during the Explanatory Liturgy about the historical significance of serving the Liturgy over the relics of the saints and that the Antimens, the liturgical cloth document that rests on the altar, contains within it the relics of saints, often martyrs. St. John will speak about this connection to the examples of life presented by martyrs.

This section on a Christian’s “Daily Program” for living comes from his Eighth Baptismal Instruction/Homily, sections 16-18.

(16). I exhort you, therefore: let us seek the things which abide forever and never change. It was fitting, therefore, that I brought up this matter and that I exhorted all of you together, both those who have been baptized in the past and those who have just deserved this gift. On the days when were were continuously present at the tombs of the holy martyrs, we received an abundant blessing from those holy ones and enjoyed the rich benefit of their instruction. From now on, the continuity of our meetings will be broken off (this is the last one); hence, I must remind your loving assembly to keep ever ringing in your ears the memory of the important instruction those holy martyrs gave, and to hold spiritual things of greater importance than all the goods of this life.

(17). And I urge you to show great zeal by gathering here in the church at dawn to make your prayers and confessions to the God of all things, and to thank Him for the gifts He has already given. Beseech Him to deign to lend you from now on His powerful aid in guarding this treasure; strengthened with this aid, let each one leave the church to take up his daily tasks, one hastening to work with his hands, another hurrying to his military post, and still another to his post in the government. However, let each one approach his daily task with fear and anguish, and spend his working hours in the knowledge that at evening he should return here to the church, render an account to the Master of his whole day, and beg forgiveness for his falls. For even if we are on our guard ten thousand times a day, we cannot avoid making ourselves accountable for many and different faults. Either we say something at the wrong time, or we listen to idle talk, or we think indecent thoughts, or we fail to control our eyes, or we spend time in vain and idle things that have no connection with what we should be doing.

(18). This is the reason why each evening we must beg pardon from the Master for all these faults. This is why we must flee to the loving-kindness of God and make our appeal to Him. Then we must spend the hours of the night soberly, and in this way meet the confessions of the dawn. If each of us manages his own life in this way, he will be able to cross the sea of this life without danger and to deserve the loving-kindness of the Master. And when the hour for gathering in church summons him, let him hold this gathering and all spiritual things in higher regard than anything else. In this way we shall manage the goods we have in our hands and keep them secure.

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR:

CROSSROADS – our weekly bulletin

SEPTEMBER SERVICE SCHEDULE:

– Saturday, September 12 – Great Vespers – 5 PM

– Sunday, September 13 – Divine Liturgy – 9:30 AM

– Monday, September 14, Divine Liturgy for the Elevation of the Cross, 9 AM

– Saturday, September 19 – Healing Service led by our Diocesan Hierarch, Archbishop Michael – 5 PM – Everyone is welcome to participate and be annointed!

– Sunday, September 20 – Hierarchical Divine Liturgy served by Archbishop Michael – 9:30 AM

– Saturday, September 26 – Great Vespers – 5 PM

– Sunday, September 27 – Divine Liturgy – 10 AM

The Liturgical and Educational Opportunities of the New Liturgical Year

Setting A Foundation: The Creed

This year our Catechetical Program is focused on the Creed and the mage that we’ll be keeping in mind is the establishment of a “life-giving” foundation, thinking about the Trinity Church in Vincentown, shown above.

For more information about our parish and activities and to receive preparatory materials about the Orthodox Faith and our parish, contact Fr. John at:

holycrossmedford@gmail.com

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A Review of the Retreat with Dr. Peter Bouteneff held on Saturday, November 9, 2024

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BELOW is the final entry for our Daily Paschal Reader:

You can find complete archived copies of our past Lenten and Paschal readers by clicking here.

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SEE OUR:

50TH ANNIVERSARY VIDEO:

50TH ANNIVERSARY SLIDESHOW:

50TH ANNIVERSARY SERMON COLLECTION

NOTES AND SERMONS ON ATTENDING THE 2023 R.S. THOMAS FESTIVAL IN WALES

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Donate Now

The life of our parish ministry depends on the stewardship of parishioners as well as the generous contributions of those benefactors who support our parish and have been blessed by our ministry. To make donating easier we have created a safe method of online donation through a secure portal.

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