Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast Commemoration of Mary of Egypt

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
5th Sunday of the Great Fast; St. Mary of Egypt
March 22, 2026

Sat   3/21/26 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy +In Memory of Prokopchak Family by Maria and Michael Streitman
Sun   3/22/26 9:30am Liturgy +Judy Mawhinney by Scott & Becky Fizer
Tue   3/24/26 7:00pm Vigil Liturgy +Rosetta Fantozzi by Pocchiari Family
Wed   3/25/26 9:30am   Liturgy +David, Glenda Schaffner by Hans Bergh
Fri   3/27/26 7:00pm Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts
Sat   3/28/26 4:00pm Vigil Liturgy +Abbot Leo by Valerie Rodenbucher
Sun   3/29/26 9:30am Palm Sunday Liturgy +Paul Dimun by Patty Nastasi
Mon   3/30/26 7:00pm Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts- 5-7pm-Confession
Tue   3/31/26 7:00pm Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts- 5-7pm-Confession
Wed   4/1/26     7:00pm Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts & Anointing of the Sick
Thu   4/2/26     7:00pm Divine Liturgy
Fri   4/3/26 9:30am Good Friday Matins with 12 Gospel
Fri   4/3/26 5:00pm Good Friday Vespers
Sat   4/4/26 7:00 pm Ressurection matins + blessing of the food
Sat   4/4/26 8:00pm Divine Liturgy

Variable Parts: Tone 8 - Pgs 161-162; 5th Sunday — Pgs 230 — 23
Epistle    Hebrews 9:11-14
Gospel Mark 10:32-45

Memorial Candle Request: +Mark Simko by David and Lisa Simko

Epistle Readers 21-Mar Mary Troyan 22-Mar Eva Babick 28-Mar John Baycura/Mary Motko     29-Mar Liz/John Pocchiar

Please Pray for: Mike Oshlick, Kathy Moyta, Dorothy Moyta, Brian Buchkovich, Lejen Warner, Sharon King, Ole J. Bergh, Liz Moyta, Fr. Michael Huszti, Fr. Laska, Susie Curcio, Teresa Milkovich, Robert Saper, Anna Habil, Mike Dancisin, Diane Sotak, Anna Pocchiari, Larry Hamil, Beverly Jones, Maryann Russin Schyvers, Nick Russin and Ken Konchan

Attendance: 3/ 11 — 28; 3/14— 18; 3/15 — 83;  Collection: 3/14 & 3/15  $2,177.00

Gibsonia Schedule
Sun   3/22/26 11:30am  Divine Liturgy 5th Sunday of Great Lent:
Wed   3/25/26 7:00pm   Divine Liturgy
Thu   3/26/26 7:00pm   Liturgy of presanctified gifts - with a meal after the liturgy

Student Food Pantry: March's school donation drive is Mac N Cheese. Any questions, see Pam Gagen. Upcoming Events: April 11th — Salad Bingo.

Paska Bread: We are baking Paska Bread on March 26th and 27th. Paska Bread orders are restricted to parishioners. Please be sure to pick up your Paska order on the 28th. If unable to pick up, please pre-pay and your Paska order will be put in the freezer.

Salad Bingo: Signup sheets for donations of prizes for the bingo are on the bulletin board. Donations from local businesses would also be appreciated. We need donations of salads for the bingo. Parishioners arc asked to please donate at least one salad. These may be Jello, pasta, etc.

Youth Group Fundraiser: The St. John's teens will be selling milk chocolate Byzantine three-bar crosses as a fundraiser to support youth group programs and events. Crosses will be available for purchase after liturgies on March 15, 22, and 29. If you attend Saturday liturgy and would like to purchase crosses or would like to order 10 or more, please contact Amanda Stavish at 724-272-2963. The cost is $5 per chocolate cross. Thank you for supporting our youth group!

Mary of Egypt lived during the sixth century, and passed away in a remarkable manner in 522. She began her life as a young woman who followed the passions of the body, running away from her parents at age 12 for Alexandria. There she lived as a harlot for 17 years. One day, however, she met a group of young men heading toward the sea to sail to Jerusalem for the veneration of the Holy Cross. Mary went along for the ride, seducing the men as they traveled for the fun of it. But when the group reached Jerusalem and actually went towards the church, Mary was prohibited from entering by an unseen force. After three such attempts, she remained outside on the church patio, where she looked up and saw an icon of the Theotokos. She began to weep and prayed with all her might that the Theotokos might allow her to see the True Cross; afterwards, she promised, she would renounce her worldly desires and go wherever the Theotokos may lead her. After this heart-felt conversion at the doors of the church, she fled into the desert to live as an ascetic. For another 17 years, Mary was tormented by "wild beasts—mad desires and passions."

After these years of temptation, however, she overcame the passions and was led by the Theotokos in all things. Following 47 years in solitude, she met the priest St. Zosima in the desert, who pleaded with her to tell him of her life. She recounted her story with great humility while also demonstrating her gift of clairvoyance; she knew who Zosima was and his life story despite never having met him before. Finally, she asked Zosima to meet her again the following year at sunset on Holy Thursday by the banks of the Jordan. Zosima did exactly this, though he began to doubt his experience as the sun began to set that night. Then Mary appeared on the opposite side of the Jordan; crossing herself, she miraculously walked across the water and met Zosima. When he attempted to bow, she rebuked him, saying that as a priest he was far superior, and furthermore, he was holding the Holy Mysteries. Mary then received communion and walked back across the Jordan after giving Zosima instructions about his monastery and that he should return to where they first met exactly a year later. When he did so, he found Mary's body with a message written on the sand asking him for burial and revealing that she had died immediately after receiving the Holy Mysteries the year before.

Akathist: One of the greatest Marian hymns is called the "Akathist to the Mother of God." Though the authorship is disputed by scholars, it is traditionally attributed to Romanos the Melodist, a prolific 6th-century hymn writer. Some modern scholars think the Akathist is much older— dating to the 4th century. The Akathist is so called because it is a hymn that is sung while standing. The "a" means "not" and the "kath" refers to a seat; you can hear that root in the word "cathedral" which designates the church where the bishop's chair is. The Akathist to the Mother of God, which is the model for all other Akathist hymns, was apparently written for the celebration of the Annunciation. What is significant about the hymn? The four parts are dedicated to four different themes: the Annunciation, Christ's Nativity, Christ, and the Mother of God herself. The four parts are spread out over twenty-four smaller parts ("oikoi"), each of which begins with a different letter of the Greek alphabet and includes a seven-line stanza followed by six couplets. The longer stanzas conclude with the line, "Rejoice, thou unwedded bride!" The shorter stanzas begin with Gabriel's greeting, "Hail!" and end with "Alleluia!"

The themes covered are many. Since they dwell on the whole mystery of the Incarnation, many of them are focused on the remarkable humility and love of God who came down to live among us and take away all of our spiritual debts and pride. They do indeed dwell on the blessedness and wonder of a woman becoming the mother of God—what the title "Theotokos" means. But they also dwell on that greater blessedness of her giving birth to God in her heart and doing what St. Paul says is the Christian task: "We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor 10:5). In the hymn, Mary is the teacher because she is the one who receives the word and keeps it. The hymn addresses her as "sweet-sounding echo of the voice of the prophets." One verse reads, "Hail, 0 you who exceed the knowledge of the wise; 0 Hail, 0 you who illumine the minds of the faithful!" Another: "Hail, 0 you who deliver us from pagan doctrine; Hail, 0 you who rescue us from the flames of passion." The Akathist to the Mother of God may is known in the East, but it belongs to the whole Church. St. John Paul II knew this. He prayed it in public on several occasions.