Sunday Before the Elevation of the Holy Cross

Transcript

1 Sunday Before the Elevation of the Holy Cross Κυριακή προ της Υψώσεως Όρθρος Κυριακής στις 8:45 π.μ. και Θ. Λειτουργία στις 10:00 π.μ. Sunday Orthros at 8:45 a.m. and D. Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. Ήχος γ Εωθινόν Α Tone: 3 rd Morning Gospel: 1 st 11 Σεπτεμβρίου September 2016

2 Την σημερινή Κυριακή εορτάζουμε την μνήμη τῆς Ὁσίας Μητρός ἡμῶν Θεοδώρας τῆς ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ, τοῦ Ὁσίου Πατρός ἡμῶν Εὐφροσύνου τοῦ μαγείρου καί τῆς Ἁγίας Μάρτυρος Εὐανθίας. This Sunday we celebrate the memory of our Holy Mother Theodora of Alexandria, of our Holy Father Euphrosinos the Cook and of the Holy Martyr Euvanthia. ΝΕΑ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/ NEWS OF THE DAY Επιμνημόσυνος δέησης υπέρ αναπαύσεως των σφαγιασθέντων δούλων του Θεού την 11 η Σεπτεμβρίου 2001 Memorial Service for the 15th Anniversary of The Barbaric Attack οn Our Nation by Terrorists Remember, O Lord, Your servants: Joanna, Anastasios, Katerina, Peter (Panagiotis), Anthony, Konstantinos, Peter, Vassilios, John, Danielle, George, Peter Constantine, James Nicholas, George, Theodore, Daphne, Anthony, Andrew, Michael, William, Prokopios (Paul) and all innocent victims of September 11th

3 ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΟΣ/ WORSHIP SERVICES Τρίτη 13 Σεπτεμβρίου 7:00 μ.μ.: Εσπερινός για την εορτή της Υψώσεως του Τιμίου Σταυρού στον Ι. Ν. Τιμίου Σταυρού Whitestone, NY Τετάρτη 14 Σεπτεμβρίου 8:00 π.μ.: Όρθρος & Θ. Λειτουργία για την εορτή της Υψώσεως του Τιμίου Σταυρού Tuesday, September 13 th - 7:00 p.m.: Vespers for the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross at Holy Cross Church, Whitestone, NY Wednesday, September 14 th - 8:00 a.m.: Orthros & D. Liturgy for the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross

4 Αναστάσιμον Απολυτίκιον. Ἦχος γ. Εὐφραινέσθω τὰ οὐράνια, ἀγαλλιάσθω τὰ ἐπίγεια, ὅτι ἐποίησε κράτος, ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, ὁ Κύριος, ἐπάτησε τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν ἐγένετο, ἐκ κοιλίας ᾅδου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς, καὶ παρέσχε κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Απολυτίκιον της Εορτής. Ἦχος δ. Η γέννησίς σου Θεοτόκε, χαράν εμήνυσε πάση τή οικουμένη, εκ σού γάρ ανέτειλεν ο ήλιος τής δικαιοσύνης, Χριστός ο Θεός ημών, καί λύσας τήν κατάραν, έδωκε τήν ευλογίαν, καί καταργήσας τόν θάνατον, εδωρήσατο ημίν ζωήν τήν αιώνιον. Απολυτίκιον Αγίου Γεωργίου, Hχος δ. Ὡς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐλευθερωτὴς καὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ὑπερασπιστής, ἀσθενούντων ἰατρός, βασιλέων ὑπέρμαχος, Τροπαιοφόρε Μεγαλομάρτυς Γεώργιε, πρεσβεῦε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τάς ψυχὰς ἠμῶν. Κοντάκιο, Ήχος δ Ἰωακεὶμ καὶ Ἄννα ὀνειδισμοῦ ἀτεκνίας, καὶ Ἀδὰμ καὶ Εὔα, ἐκ τῆς φθορᾶς τοῦ θανάτου, ἠλευθερώθησαν, Ἄχραντε, ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ γεννήσει σου αὐτὴν ἑορτάζει καὶ ὁ λαός σου, ἐνοχῆς τῶν πταισμάτων, λυτρωθεὶς ἐν τῷ κράζειν σοι Ἡ στεῖρα τίκτει τὴν Θεοτόκον, καὶ τροφὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν.

5 Αpolytikion of Resurrection, Third Tone Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad, for the Lord has shown the power of his reign: he has conquered death by death, and become the first born of the dead. He has delivered us from the depths of Hades, and has granted the world great mercy. Αpolytikion of the Feast, Fourth Tone Your birth, O Theotokos, brought joy to the whole world, for from you dawned the sun of righteousness, Christ our God. Freeing us from the curse, He gave us His blessings. Abolishing death, He granted us eternal life. Αpolytikion for St. George, tone fourth As the one renowned for setting captives free, and for defending those in poverty, the physician of the sick and the champion of kings, do thou, o Victory-bearer and Great Martyr George, intercede to Christ our God for the salvation of our souls. Kontakion, Tone Second In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."

6 Αποστολικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ της προς Γαλάτας Επιστολής του Αποστόλου Παύλου 6:11-18 Ἀδελφοί, ἴδετε πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί. Ὅσοι θέλουσιν εὐπροσωπῆσαι ἐν σαρκί, οὗτοι ἀναγκάζουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι, μόνον ἵνα τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μὴ διώκωνται οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ περιτεμνόμενοι αὐτοὶ νόμον φυλάσσουσιν, ἀλλὰ θέλουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι ἵνα ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ σαρκὶ καυχήσωνται. Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶσθαι εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι οὗ ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται κἀγὼ κόσμῳ. Οὔτε γὰρ περιτομή τί ἐστιν οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, ἀλλὰ καινὴ κτίσις. Καὶ ὅσοι τῷ κανόνι τούτῳ στοιχήσουσιν, εἰρήνη ἐπ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔλεος, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραὴλ τοῦ θεοῦ. Τοῦ λοιποῦ κόπους μοι μηδεὶς παρεχέτω, ἐγὼ γὰρ τὰ στίγματα τοῦ Ιησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματί μου βαστάζω. Η χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί ἀμήν.

7 The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18 BRETHREN, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and not only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor un-circumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

8 Ευαγγελικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ του κατά Ιωάννην 3:13-17 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσεν τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον ἀλλ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι αὐτοῦ.

9 The Gospel Reading is from John 3: The Lord said, "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."

10 Sunday before the Elevation of the Holy Cross A week before the feast day of the Universal Elevation of the Holy Cross, the Orthodox Church prepares the faithful through Scriptural readings, prayer and acts of good deeds to celebrate the event of the finding of the precious and life-giving Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Among the many symbols of the Christian Faith the Holy Cross is considered the most important. It is the symbol of Christianity. It is the symbol of Christ s victory over death. It is the weapon against all evil forces. It is the power of the Saints. It is the flag under which the righteous fought against Satan. In the Old Testament we have prefigurations of the Holy Cross. In the Book of Genesis, the Tree of Life prefigures the Holy Cross (Gen. 2:9). As the Tree of Life had the power to grant eternal life to Adam, if he ever touched it (Gen. 3:22); likewise, the Holy Cross being the new Tree of Life offers eternal life to those who believe in Christ. Another prototype of the Holy Cross is found in the Book of Numbers (Num. 21:8-9). Moses, in order to save his people from the deadly bites of poisonous snakes received instructions from God to lift up a bronze serpent, and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one so bitten that looks upon it shall live (Num. 21:8). Christ himself uses this prefiguration as an example of Him being lifted up on the Cross. As all those Israelites who looked upon the bronze serpent were saved from the deadly bites of the viper snakes; likewise, whoever turns to Christ with faith as his own Savior and beholds His Crucifixion will be saved from the deadly bites of Satan. The bite of sin and death is cured through the wounds of Christ, as this was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah saying, He was a man in suffering, and acquainted with the bearing of sickness, for His face is turned from us: He was dishonored, and not esteemed. He bears our sins, and is pained for us: yet we accounted Him to be in trouble, and in suffering, and in affliction.

11 But he was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities (Is. 53:3-5). And He, because of His affliction, opens not His mouth: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away: who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people He was led to death He was numbered among the transgressors; and He bore the sins of many, and was delivered because of their iniquities (Is. 53:7-8, 12). The moment of Christ s greatest humiliation becomes the moment of exaltation for completing His redeeming work. Through our Lord s death, death has been conquered and life has been granted to the world. Man becomes righteous before God the Father only through His Son and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Justification by faith in God is part of being brought into the New Covenant, through Jesus Christ, and the new relationship with Him who offered Himself for the life of the world is established. Elevation of the Holy Cross, Monastery of Gracanica, fresco, 14th Century

12 In the Book of Genesis, the Tree of Life prefigures the Holy Cross (Gen. 2:9). As the Tree of Life had the power to grant eternal life to Adam, if he ever touched it (Gen. 3:22); likewise, the Holy Cross being the new Tree of Life offers eternal life to those who believe in Christ.

13 Another prototype of the Holy Cross is found in the Book of Numbers (Num. 21:8-9). Moses, in order to save his people from the deadly bites of poisonous snakes received instructions from God to lift up a bronze serpent, and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one so bitten that looks upon it shall live (Num. 21:8).

14 Why Did Jesus Have To Die? We are told that Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself. That is the formula. That is Christianity. That is what has to be believed. Any theories we build up as to how Christ's death did all this are, in my view, quite secondary: mere plans or diagrams to be left alone if they do not help us, and, even if they do help us, not to be confused with the thing itself. All the same, some of these theories are worth looking at. The one most people have heard is the one about our being let off because Christ volunteered to bear a punishment instead of us. Now on the face of it that is a very silly theory. If God was prepared to let us off, why on earth did He not do so? And what possible point could there be in punishing an innocent person instead? None at all that I can see, if you are thinking of punishment in the police-court sense. On the other hand, if you think of a debt, there is plenty of point in a person who has some assets paying it on behalf of someone who has not. Or if you take "paying the penalty," not in the sense of being punished, but in the more general sense of "footing the bill," then, of course, it is a matter of common experience that, when one person has got himself into a hole, the trouble of getting him out usually falls on a kind friend. Now what was the sort of "hole" man had gotten himself into? He had tried to set up on his own, to behave as if he belonged to himself. In other words, fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realising that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor - that is the only way out of a "hole." This process of surrender - this movement full speed astern - is what Christians call repentance. Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the selfconceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. In fact, it needs a good man to repent. And here's the catch. Only a bad person needs to repent: only a good person can repent perfectly. The worse

15 you are the more you need it and the less you can do it. The only person who could do it perfectly would be a perfect person - and he would not need it. Remember, this repentance, this willing submission to humiliation and a kind of death, is not something God demands of you before He will take you back and which He could let you off of if He chose: it is simply a description of what going back to Him is like. If you ask God to take you back without it, you are really asking Him to let you go back without going back. It cannot happen. Very well, then, we must go through with it. But the same badness which makes us need it, makes us unable to do it. Can we do it if God helps us? Yes, but what do we mean when we talk of God helping us? We mean God putting into us a bit of Himself, so to speak. He lends us a little of His reasoning powers and that is how we think: He puts a little of His love into us and that is how we love one another. When you teach a child writing, you hold its hand while it forms the letters: that is, it forms the letters because you are forming them. We love and reason because God loves and reasons and holds our hand while we do it. Now if we had not fallen, that would all be plain sailing. But unfortunately we now need God's help in order to do something which God, in His own nature, never does at all - to surrender, to suffer, to submit, to die. Nothing in God's nature corresponds to this process at all. So that the one road for which we now need God's leadership most of all is a road God, in His own nature, has never walked. God can share only what He has: this thing, in His own nature, He has not. But supposing God became a man - suppose our human nature which can suffer and die was amalgamated with God's nature in one person - then that person could help us. He could surrender His will, and suffer and die, because He was man; and He could do it perfectly because He was God. You and I can go through this process only if God does it in us; but God can do it only if He becomes man. Our attempts at this dying will succeed only if we men share in God's dying, just as our thinking can succeed only because it is a drop out of the ocean of His intelligence: but we cannot share God's dying unless God dies; and he cannot die except by being a man. That is the sense in which He pays our debt, and suffers for us what He Himself need not suffer at all. From CS Lewis' Mere Christianity, Chapter 4, The Perfect Penitent

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life