St. Basil of Ostrog Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church in North, Central and South America
New Gracanica-Midwestern Diocese

 

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Welcome to St. Basil of Ostrog Serbian Orthodox Christian Church

St. Basil of Ostrog Serbian Orthodox Church invites you to come and worship with us, the One God revealed to us in the Holy Trinity as recognized and handed down to us in the One Holy Catholic (Whole/Universal) and Apostolic Church. We invite all those who may be traveling through the area or who are just interested in Orthodoxy and in seeing the worship and Traditions passed down to us from the Apostles of Christ. You will witness the rich, beautiful and mystical side of Christianity that has not changed since the time of the Apostles as we continue to "worship in Spirit and Truth".

Sunday Divine Liturgy: 10 AM

Saturday Verspers: 5 PM

All are welcome!

Fr. Dean Franck

Cell: (218) 969-5511

priest@stbasilofostrog.org

Bible Study Videos from the Diocese

                "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in Truth.” (John 4:24)

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The Dynamic Horologion & Psalter

A link to Orthodox Services


Daily Scripture Readings & Lives of the Saints
The Prologue of Ohrid by St. Nicholai Velimirovich
The Prologue from Ohrid: May 28

1. SAINT NICETAS, CONFESSOR AND BISHOP OF CHALCEDON

In his youth, he renounced the world and withdrew to a life of monastic asceticism. Shining with virtues as the sun, he was noticed by the elders of the Church and was elevated to the episcopal throne of Chalcedon. As a bishop, he was especially merciful toward the less fortunate and greatly concerned himself about orphans, widows and the poor. When the evil Leo the Armenian rose up against icons Nicetas courageously stood up in defense of icons denouncing the emperor and explaining the meaning of icons. Consequently, he endured great humiliation, calumny and imprisonment. Finally, he was banished into exile for his confession of faith and in his labors and sufferings presented himself to the Lord to receive the wreath of glory in the kingdom of God.

2. THE HOLY FEMALE MARTYR HELICONIS

Heliconis was born in Thessalonica and was educated in Christian piety. During the reign of Gordian and Philip, she moved to Corinth where she openly denounced all those who offered sacrifices to the idols. When Perinus the mayor counseled her to offer a sacrifice to the idol Aesculapius, this martyr of Christ said to him: "Hear me, I am a handmaiden of Christ and who Aesculapius is, I do not know. Do with me what you will." For this, she was brought to trial and endured terrible tortures. She was cast into fire and much blood poured from her body which extinguished the fire and she remained alive. She was cast before lions but the lions did not touch her but fawned around her. Admitted into the temple, allegedly to offer sacrifices to the idols, she destroyed the idols, and by this, embittered the torturer even more. Lying wounded in prison, the Lord Himself appeared to her with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. He healed her wounds, comforted and strengthened her. After that she was led to the scaffold to be beheaded. Before her beheading, Heliconis raised her arms high and prayed that God receive her and unite her with His lambs in the heavenly enclosure. When she completed her prayer, a voice was heard from heaven: "Come daughter, a wreath and a throne is prepared for you!" Finally, she was beheaded and received the wreath of glory from God to Whom, out of love, she sacrificed herself as an innocent and pure lamb.

3. SAINT IGNATIUS OF ROSTOV

As a hierarch, he governed the flock of Christ for twenty-six years with great love and compassion. When he died and as his body was being placed in church, some of those who were present witnessed as his body rose from the coffin into the air above the church and from the heights, he blessed the people and the town. Afterward his body returned to his coffin. Many other miracles appeared over his grave. He presented himself to the Lord on May 28, 1288 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT HELICONIS

Heliconis, courageous martyr,

Pure of soul, most beautiful countenance,

In Corinth, the city of idols

Proclaimed the word about the only God

Corinthians, by darkness deceived,

In demonical bonds, tied

You worship all and all things

But, not the One God Most High!

God is One, the idols are many,

God is One, the devils are many.

One God is the Creator, the Omnipotent,

Of all creation, the good Provider,

He created all, He sustains all

To everything living, He gave the breath of life,

He moves everything with power and wisdom,

Caresses all with divine mercy.

He is the Lord of earth and heaven,

Him only we should worship.

Corinthians wealthy and glorious

Why, in the faith, are you such a nothing?

REFLECTION

Only a proud man is always prepared to equate Christ with other great men. Even though it is obvious at first glance, that great men are one thing and the Lord Christ another, just as creation is one thing and the Creator is another. Christ is not only great but He is the Creator and Source and Inspirer of every true greatness in the history of mankind. Napoleon, one of the transient great men in exile and misery on the island of St. Helena, uttered these words: "Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal, Louis XIV, with all their genius, are nothing. They have conquered the world and were unable to gain one friend. And behold, Christ calls and instantly entire generations are united in a bond closer and stronger than the bond of blood. Christ ignites the fire of love which consumes all egoism and surpasses whatever kind of love you desire."

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Grace of God the Holy Spirit in the Mystery [Sacrament] of Holy Matrimony:

1. How that Grace, during marriage, lawfully sanctifies the physical bond of two human beings for the sake of the procreation of children;

2. How It unites, illumines and strengthens, through love, the union of two souls: husband and wife.

HOMILY

About the power of the Mystery [Sacrament] of Matrimony

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cling to his wife and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

It is God's will that the human race multiply; it is God's artful manner how the human race is being multiplied. It is God's mystery how man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife. To leave your parents does not mean to abandon your parents but rather to become parents yourself. When children become parents, they are no longer only children, but are companions of their parents. When wedded sons learn of the mystery and pain of childbirth, they then respect their parents even more. The marital union can never free a man from having respect and obedience toward his parents. The original commandment of God to honor your parents must be fulfilled. But, according to the natural cycle of things, a man leaves his parents and becomes a parent himself; he becomes a founder of a new future while his parents depart, having completed their role in the world. However, everything is not in "leaving" the parents. By a certain incomprehensible mystery, man clings to his wife and detaches himself from his parents. St. Theodoretus writes: "Christ Himself left his Father on high and united Himself to the Church."

My brethren, matrimony is a great and miraculous mystery, one of the greatest mysteries of God's plan. A pure and honorable marriage is overly replete with sublimeless. A pure and honorable marriage, in the fear of God, is a vessel of the Grace of the Holy Spirit. Whoever disdains marriage disdains the Spirit of God. Whoever defiles marriage with impurity, blasphemes against the Spirit of God. Whoever abstains from marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God must, in a different manner, prepare himself as a vessel of the Holy Spirit and, in the spiritual realm, make himself fruitful in order not to be cut down as the barren fig tree.

O God, Holy Spirit Almighty, assist those who are in the state of matrimony, that in purity, fear and mutual love be as the Church of God in which You joyfully abide and govern all things for good.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

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This Week's Events
  • Tuesday: 6:00 PM Family Night

  • Wednesday: 6:30PM Choir Practice in church hall

  • Thursday: 3:45PM - 5:00PM serving Salvation Army soup kitchen downtown Hibbing

  • Saturday: Vespers 5:00PM

Service Schedule

Bright Week

Bright Monday April 17th to Bright Saturday April 22nd
Bright Week Divine Liturgies 9:00 AM

Saturday April 22nd
Vespers 5:00 PM

Sunday April 23rd
Matins 8:30 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

Saturday April 29th
Vespers 5:00 PM

Sunday April 30th
Matins 8:30 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

Saturday May 6th
Divine Liturgy 9:00 AM
Great Martyr George
Vigil 5:00 PM

Sunday May 7th
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM
Service at St. George in Duluth.
No service in Chisholm

Thursday May 11th
Vigil 5:00 PM
St. Basil of Ostrog
(Our patron)

Friday May 12th
Divine Liturgy 9:00 AM
St. Basil of Ostrog

Saturday May 13th
Vespers 5:00 PM

Sunday May 14th
Matins 8:30 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM
Slava Celebration
Service in Chisholm
No service at St. George in Duluth

Saturday May 20th
Vespers 5:00 PM

Sunday May 21st
Matins 8:30 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM

Tuesday May 23rd
Vespers 5:00 PM
Leavetaking of Pascha/
Sts. Cyril and Methodius

Wednesday May 24th
Matins 8:00 AM
Divine Liturgy 9:00 AM
Leavetaking of Pascha/
Sts. Cyril and Methodius
Vigil 5:00 PM
The Ascension of Jesus Christ

Thursday May 25th
Divine Liturgy 9:00 AM
The Ascension of Jesus Christ

Saturday May 27th
Vespers 5:00  PM

Sunday May 28th
Matins 8:30 AM
Divine Liturgy 10:00 AM