Sunday Bulletin. Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral. 10 th of June 2012 All Saints Sunday. God s people, serving God s people

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1 Sunday Bulletin 10 th of June 2012 All Saints Sunday God s people, serving God s people Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral 1324 South Normandie Avenue, Los Angeles, Office: Fax: Very Reverend Father John S. Bakas, Dean Reverend Father Allan Boyd, Assistant Priest

2 CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK Sunday, June 10 th Orthros :15am Studies in the Faith..9:15am Memorials..9:45am Divine Liturgy :00am Monday, June 11 th Saint Bartholomew Orthros :15am Liturgy.....9:15am Bible Studies with Father John: (last classes for summer) Women s Bible Study... 10:30am Men s Bible Study 12:30pm Bible Study in the Faith :30pm Wednesday, June 13 th Hellenic Academy (Adults) (last class).....7:00pm Bible Study with Father Allan (last class for summer) 7:30pm Thursday, June 14 th Catechism with Father Allan (last class for summer). 7:30pm Saturday, June 16 th Hellenic Academy (Adults) (last class) :30pm Coffee hour in the Huffington Center Maniatakos Fellowship Hall EPISTLE READER... Zafiris Tsimahides 2

3 DAILY VITAMINS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH 3

4 MEMORIALS Georg Fenady (4 years), Shannon Fenady (4 years), John, Marika, Andreas, Eugenia, Panagiota, William, George, Deloris, Dorothy, Dimitrios, Basili, Stephen, Stavro, Elanie, George, Elizabeth, Gabriel, Basili, Christo, Moskos, Vasiliki, Harris, Anthepe, Dimitrios, George, John, Panagioti, Mary, Katherine, Adeeb, Father Elias, John, John, Betty, Peter, Goldie, Igor, Angelo, Luan, Zafera, Alex, Helen Cappos (3 years), Mary Katsapis, Gregory Pappas, Virginia Pappas Musey, Margaret Otis (40 days), Polyxene (Jennie) George (25 years), Stavros Koutis (1 year), Polyxene Koutis, Panagiotis Anagnos, Nicholas Balanis, Maria Traganoudakis, Chrysoula Karalis, Paraskevou Loezithou, Christina Panagyi, Father Anthony Kosturos, Kostas Kalkanis (3 years) ALTAR CANDLES Both sides offered in loving memory of Helen Cappos by her husband and family ALTAR TABLE CANDLES One side offered in loving memory of Shannon Fenady by his aunt Katherine Fenady One side offered in loving memory of Georg Fenady by his wife Katherine, son John, daughter Georgea, grandsons Shamus and Clayton PERPETUAL LIGHT Offered in loving memory of Gregory Pappas by his grandsons Gregory & Michael Pappas May their memory be eternal 4

5 Υμνος ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟΝ Ηχος πλ δ Ηχος δ Τροπαριον του Ναου, Ηχος πλ δ Ευλογητος ει Χριστε ο Θεος ημων, ο πανσοφους του αλιεις αναδειξας, καταπεμψας αυτοις το Πνευμα το Αγιον, και δι αυτων την οικουμενην σαγηνευσας, φιλανθρωπε, δοξα σοι. Αυτομελον Ηχος πλ δ 5

6 HYMNS OF THE DAY Apolytikion 3 rd Antiphon of the Feast Eighth Tone O Merciful One, You came from o high, and condescended to Your three-day burial to save us from suffering. You are our Life and our Resurrection. Glory to You. Festal Apolotikion Fourth Tone Your Church, O Christ our God, clothed itself in the blood of Your martyrs from throughout the world, as though it were a robe of linen and purple; through them, she cries out to You, Send down upon Your people compassion, grant peace to Your commonwealth, and to our souls, great mercy. Troparion of Saint Sophia (Holy Wisdom)- Eighth Tone Blessed are You O Christ our God, Who as all wise the fishermen You showed forth; By sending your Holy Spirit down upon them and through them the universe You drew unto your net. O lover of mankind Glory to You. Kondakion The world offers You, the author of all creation, as the first-fruits of nature, the God-bearing martyrs. O most merciful, by their intercessions, through the Theotokos, maintain Your Church in perfect peace. 6

7 ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 11:33-40; 12:1-2 Ἀδελφοί, οἱ Ἅγιοι πάντες διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας, εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην, ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν, ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων, ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρός, ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρας, ἐνεδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας, ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, παρεμβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων. Ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν, οὐ προσδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἵνα κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσιν καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες, μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως, οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς, τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, δι ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν. 7

8 EPISTLE READING Let Us Attend.. Verse: God is wonderful among His saints. Bless God in the congregations. Wisdom.. The Reading is from Saint Paul s Letter to Hebrews 11:33-40 and 12:1-2 Let us be Attentive.. BRETHREN, all the saints through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, illtreated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfection of our faith. 8

9 GOSPEL READING The Reading is from Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30 The Lord said to his disciples, "Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first." 9

10 MINISTRY NEWS SAINT SOPHIA BOOKSTORE Stop by the St Sophia Book Store and Gift Shop to find the perfect gift for that special occasion, or to thoughtfully offer encouragement to someone struggling. We have gifts for Wedding presents, new Mothers, a child's Baptism, a Housewarming, honoring someone's loving Christ like leadership, someone commuting long distance, someone sick or recovering in the hospital, someone struggling through difficult times, or for someone who has found their way back to the church. Talk to Bill Striglos, or any of the other volunteers working behind the counter, for gift suggestions. ******************************************* STEWARDSHIP The Blessing of the Five Loaves and the Two Fish The miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude of five thousand with two fish and five loaves of bread is recorded in all four Gospels of the Bible. It is a miracle by which we are reminded of two things: 1) God gives us blessings; 2) we distribute them to others. Stewardship is not a matter of simply being a member in good standing in the sense that, by virtue of our contributions, we now have purchased certain rights and privileges - although that is how it must seem at times when we are dealing with the business of the Church. This perception, however, is the result of a tremendous misunderstanding about our role as members of Christ s Royal Priesthood. Christian Stewardship involves everything that we do in our lives. Being good parents for our children is Christian Stewardship. Showing care and concern for those in need; praying for others around us; preaching the Gospel to old and young these are ways by which one participates in Christian Stewardship. However, Christian Stewardship involves much more than what we can do as individuals. Ideally, each of us should be able to reach out to meet the needs of everyone all the time and in every place. The fact is, we as individuals cannot do all things in all places. That is why we need others to be a part of the Church s work and we need to work with others in order to accomplish those things that require the collective efforts of others. With the collective efforts of many, more can be done for the glory of God and for the preaching of our Orthodox Faith than what can be done by individuals working alone. When we give funds for others to do collectively what we cannot do individually, we practice a wide-range version of our Christian Stewardship. 10

11 STEWARDSHIP (continued) MINISTRY NEWS (continued) Giving to a parish allows the faithful to collectively build and maintain a place of worship for individuals to participate in the Holy Sacraments. Giving to our ministries allows the Church collectively to do what individuals by themselves are unable to do. Let s go back to the miracle of the five loaves and the two fish. Our Lord blessed them and gave them to His Disciples so that they could distribute them to others. The Disciples worked together collectively in order to serve the multitude. They did not work as individuals. What is critical in understanding this miracle is that the real blessing was not that five thousand people were fed with only two fish and five loaves, but that the Disciples were given the opportunity to serve in this miracle. The Disciples were blessed by our Lord to have the privilege of serving this food to the multitude. The real blessing is not in the eating, but in the opportunity to serve and to give. Parents are blessed with the opportunity to bless their children; priests are blessed with the opportunity to bless the faithful; we are all blessed with opportunities to bless many others with our good works. The fact that we do not see Christian Stewardship in this way is sad. We are all to blame. Yet, we are all given a second chance to correct our perceptions and do things right. The opportunity to serve and to give cannot be measured as a cost. If parents regard their children as cost items, their efforts to raise them right will fail. We all agree that children are blessings, because they give us the opportunity to glorify God more. How much does it cost to glorify God? Any good parent would say that is costs a lifetime. By extension, the same is true with regard to our Church. How much is it worth for our children or grandchildren to be baptized or to have the blessings of Holy Marriage? Who wants to put a price tag on things that are priceless? If there is an answer to such questions, I would like to share this: Whenever I officiate at a Sacrament of Marriage or Baptism, I am often asked, Father, what do we owe? My answer: You owe your children to grow up in the Faith. How much that will cost depends on how much is needed. Every masterpiece is created without regard to cost. Attention is given only to the effort. Did Michelangelo ask how much it cost to do the Sistine Chapel? Did the Ancient Greeks ask how much it cost to build the Parthenon? However much it costs, it costs. To begin with, the cost of the schools in which your children will be educated is in the millions and will be made possible by the collective efforts of people like you. The costs of construction and maintenance of the church in which your children are blessed is in the millions and is made possible by the collective efforts of people like you. Let us all do our part to be good Christians and participate in Christian Stewardship.. 11

12 PHILANTHROPIA NEWS MINISTRY NEWS (continued) USED CLOTHING and CANNED GOODS: This is a year-long project, so please continue your donations as there are still many we need to reach. Please identify all clothing donations on the outside of the bags by indicating whether they are for men, women or children. The receptacles for "used clothing" and "canned goods" are located side by side, near the chapel. Thank you! PHILANTHROPIA WEBSITE: God bless you! Father Peter ******************************************* SAINT SOPHIA CAMP NEWS SAVE THE DATE FOR SUMMER CAMP!! July 29 th August 11 th Camper Registration for both sessions is now open at the camp website: Session I - July 29 - August 4 Session II - August 4 - August 11 $450 per camper / per session. Contact Whitney O Regan at ******************************************* Got Magazines? The AMNOS Ministry is collecting magazines for the Auxiliary of California Hospital Medical Center. These are for hospitalized patients and their families to help pass the time. Old magazines can be brought to the collection bin labeled 'Magazines', next to the chapel on Sundays. Please make sure to remove address labels before donating. Thank you. 12

13 COMMUNITY NEWS June Festivals Saint Elias TODAY Saint Demetrios June Inland Center Drive 400 Skyway Drive San Bernardino Camarillo Noon 9pm 5-10pm 11-9pm 11-7pm Saint Spiridon TODAY Saint Paul s June Park Blvd 4949 Alton Parkway San Diego Irvine 6-10pm 11-10pm 11-9pm 5-10pm 12-10pm 12-9pm ******************************************* UCLA STUDENT looking for a ride to church on Sundays.. If you can help, please call the church office. ******************************************* Become an active Steward at Saint Sophia! Join a Ministry!! Altar Service Festival Parish Council Basketball Foundation Philanthropia Bookstore/Gift Shop GOYA, JR.GOYA Philoptohos Society Bible Studies Greek Folk Dancing Philoptohos VIP BLQ Hellenic Academy Stewardship Program Camp Zoe Hospitality - Coffee Hour Summer Camp Childcare Hospitality Welcome - Golf Choir Mr. & Mrs. Club - Tennis Docents Narthex Service Sunday School Program Easter Picnic Parenting Support Fellowship 13

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15 For those who are sick or suffering St. James advises us, If anyone among you is sick, let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (James 5:13-14) Ensuring that St Sophia s parishioners continue to be cared-for and prayed-for, please list names below of those in our midst that need prayer. Feel free to request the personal prayer of one of our priests after services, or to schedule this with one our priests during St Sophia Cathedral s office hours. As you request prayer, you may also wish to make an offering to Saint Sophia s Altar Fund. Label: For the health of PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY: Please submit this form to: Saint Sophia Cathedral Office 1324 S Normandie Ave. Los Angeles CA

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