St. Luke Altar Servers
Name:St. Luke Altar Servers |
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Leader:John Verderber, Captains: Mike Bauml/Joseph Bauml Altar Servers:Robbie Adamovich, Alexander Gay, Nicholas Lisowski, Michael Rizo, T. J. Rizo, Andrew Seper, Kyle Valaris, Nicholas Wassilkowsky, and Joshua Zubenko. Altar Serves HandbookAltar Server PledgeIn the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit I, name an altar server of St. Luke Orthodox Church, do solemnly promise to serve You faithfully, obediently and reverently. Let nothing separate me from You. If I am weak in my faith, strengthen me. Help me to devote myself to Your Holy Gifts. Guide me in the path that leads to Your Kingdom. Teach me to become a better Christian so that I may wear the altar server's robe worthily and in humility. My prayer is to serve You in all my thoughts, words and deeds and to become a better Orthodox Christian so that in all I do I may testify to Your glory. For blessed glorified is your Holy name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen! Rules1. Learn the order of the Divine Liturgy so that you know what comes next. 2. Memorize the Creed and Lord's Prayer 3. Servers must be vested at least 5 minutes before the beginning of the Liturgy. 4. No shorts. Shoes or sneakers should be dark. 5. No sitting behind the Altar. Stand in a neat and orderly manner 6. Washrooms should be used only when absolutely necessary. (Remove your robe before entering) 7. Sing & Pray along with the Priest and keep your mind on the service 8. Unnecessary talking and fooling around will be grounds for suspension. (Reinstatement will be made under the discretion of the priest). Eli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the LORD very angry. 1 Samuel 2:17 The Church YearThe Church Year of our Holy Orthodox Church begins on September first and continues through August 31st. It is divided into three seasons based upon Pascha (Easter), and all the seasons refer to it as their starting point. The three seasons are: (1)The Triodion, the ten weeks before Pascha (Easter) including Lent; (2) The Pentecostarion or Pentecost Season which begins with Pascha (Easter) and ends the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday which is All Saints Day; and (3) the Season of the Eight Tones (Octoechos) for the rest of the year. The TriodionThe first part, of the Triodion, begins just prior to Lent and runs through Holy Week. The Sundays of the Triodion are: The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Meat-fare Sunday, Cheese fare Sunday, and the Sundays of the Great and Holy Lent. the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas, the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross, the Sunday of St. John of the Ladder, the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt, and Palm Sunday, finally closing on Holy Saturday morning. PentecostarionThe second season is the Pentecostarion, the Paschal or Pentecost Season which begins on Pascha (Easter) Sunday and is followed by St. Thomas Sunday, Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women, the Sunday of the Paralytic, the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, the Sunday of the Man Born Blind, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council (325AD), Sunday of Pentecost and the Monday of the Holy Trinity, and ends with the Sunday of All Saints.- This period focuses around the Resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us. Eight tones Season (Octoechos)The third season, is the season of the Eight Tones, the Octoechos as it is called in Greek and deals with all the other Sundays of the Year. This season begins on the Sunday following All Saints Sunday and ends on the week before the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. The Octoechos is a liturgical book of the Orthodox Church and is also called the Parakletkie, and has the hymns for the divine services during that period from Pentecost to the beginning of the Triodion. Its hymns are sung consecutively in the eight tones of which were composed by the hymnographers from the very first days of our Church. Occasionally, an important Feast Day replaces the Octoechos when the feast falls on Sunday. VestmentsAs you may already know, there are three major orders of clergy in our Orthodox Church: The Deacon, the Priest and the Bishop and two minor orders, Reader and Sub-deacon. All have vestments that are common to them all. With each elevation, from Reader to Sub-deacon to deacon to Priest and from Priest to Bishop, there are some additions that occur in the vestments. Clergy usually vest in what is called the Sacristy, the room where the vestments are kept. Many times, the clergy vest in the Altar as there may not be a Sacristy for them. As they put on each vestment particular to their position, they recite certain prayers as appropriate for each item. Robe Or Sticharion (Reader, Deacon, Priest and Bishop)This is the basic vestment of the clergy and must be worn for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy and Baptism. This is usually along straight robe with wide sleeves and is called" a robe of salvation and a tunic of happiness." It symbolizes a pure and peaceful conscience and spiritual joy. Stole Or Orarion (Sub Deacon and Deacon).This is a wide and long band of material that is the distinctive vestment of the Deacon and Sub-deacon. It is crossed over the back or falls over the left shoulder. As the deacon prays, he holds the front part of it while the back part hangs behind his back. . During the Lords prayer it is crossed over the back. It symbolizes the wings of angels. The Sub-deacon wares the stole crossed over the back always. Cuffs Or Epimanika (Deacon, Priest and Bishop)These are the cuffs, one for the right hand and one for the left which are worn by the Deacon, the Priest and the Bishop. Thus, they are common to all the major clergy. They symbolize the tying of Christ's hands and wrists at the time He was flogged, and also serve to remind us that all things that we do with our hands, we should do for the glory of God. They also have a practical purpose; to hold the wide sleeves of the Sticharion in place. Stole or Epitrachelion (Priest and Bishop)This is the distinctive sign of the Priesthood and is worn on the shoulders and hangs down in front. It symbolizes the grace of the Priesthood that the Priest receives on the day of his ordination. Thus it is worn by Priests and Bishops. In effect it is a development of the Orarion, actually being an Orarion doubled with both ends handing in front and reaching the full length of the tunic or Sticharion. Belt or Zoni (Priest and Bishop)This is ceremonial belt that ties at the back. The Zone is worn by the Priest and the Bishop. It Symbolizes the power of the grace of the Priesthood and has the practical function pf holding the epitrachelion or stole in place against the sticharion or tunic. Award or Epigonateon (Priest and Bishop)The square or diamond shaped Epigonateon is suspended, hanging over the right knee. It is Worn by Priests who have received the privilege to wear it and by Bishops always. It symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the power of the angels. It denotes that the Priest wearing it has the title of distinction given to him by the Church. Cape or Phelonion, (Priest only)Resembling a cape, the Phelonion rests on the shoulders of the Priest and is put on through a head opening. It is about arms length in the front and reaches the edge of the tunic or Sticarion in the back. On the back is usually an embroidered Cross or an icon. Symbolizing the seamless robe of Christ it stands for righteousness. With the Phelonion, the Priest's liturgical attire is completed. Pectoral Cross, (Priest)A Priest wears a cross according to the rank bestowed on him by the Bishop beginning with silver then the gold then to an ornately decorated Arch-priest cross. Sakkos, (Bishop only)The Sakkos is a richly embroidered liturgical vestment. It is one of the principal vestment's worn by a Bishop and replaces the Phelonion of the Priest yet it carries the same meaning: the seamless robe of Christ. Omophorion, (Bishop only)This scarf-like article worn by the Bishop is symbolic of the wayward lamb carried on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. It falls over the shoulders and hangs in front and the back. There is a shorter one that hangs only in front and is worn after the reading of the Gospel. Mitre,(Bishop only)A Mitre is the Bishops ceremonial crown. It denotes his apostolic sovereignty Pectoral Cross and Panaghia(MEDALLION Bishop only)The pectoral cross and the Panaghia are worm by the Bishop during the Divine Liturgy. The cross denotes the self-denial of the Shepherd of the flock. The Panaghia is the distinctive sign of the office of the Bishop and is usually oval in shape and suspended from a chain. Pastoral Staff or Pateritsa (Bishop only)This, made of a precious metal and having at the top a cross with serpents turned inward towards it, denotes the power of the Holy Spirit and especially the Cross as an instrument of support for all the faithful. It is pastoral in nature and is there for all the people to see and to know that the Cross can lead them, chastise the disorderly, and gather the dispersed. It reminds us of Moses who held up the staff in the wilderness as the snakes came to bite the people. As long as they looked at his staff, they suffered no harm. The serpents on top, turn inwardly toward the Cross as reminders of the Lord saying-. "Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Kalimafkion(Priest and Bishop)The Kalimafkion is the black cyclindrical head covering or hat worn by the Bishop or Archmandrite Priests. It is tall and has a flat top and is covered with a black veil. The Sacred Vestments Of Orthodox ClergyBishop
Priest
Deacon
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