GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ZOODOHOS PEGHE PELHAM BAY, BRONX, NEW YORK

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1 GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ZOODOHOS PEGHE PELHAM BAY, BRONX, NEW YORK Sunday,November 13, Κυριακή, Νοεμβρίου 13, 2016 ORTHROS 9:30 a.m. DIVINE LITURGY 10:00-11:30 a.m. Welcome Visitor! We are honored that you have chosen to join us for worship today. Our hope is that your visit with us has blessed you in some way. If you belong to another Church, please take our best wishes home with you. If you do not have a parish home, we would be delighted to make you welcome here. 8th Sunday of Luke Today s Appointed Pericope: Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 7:26-28, 8:1-2 Τὸ στόμα μου λαλήσει σοφίαν καὶ ἡ μελέτη τῆς καρδίας μου σύνεσιν. Στίχ. Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Ἀδελφοί, τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος ὃς οὐκ ἔχει καθʼ ἡμέραν ἀνάγκην, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν θυσίας ἀναφέρειν, ἔπειτα τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἐφάπαξ, ἑαυτὸν ἀνενέγκας. Ὁ νόμος γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καθίστησιν ἀρχιερεῖς, ἔχοντας ἀσθένειαν ὁ λόγος δὲ τῆς ὁρκωμοσίας τῆς μετὰ τὸν νόμον, υἱὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετελειωμένον. Κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις τοιοῦτον ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα, ὃς ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, τῶν ἁγίων λειτουργός, καὶ τῆς σκηνῆς τῆς ἀληθινῆς, ἣν ἔπηξεν ὁ κύριος, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 7:26-28; 8:1-2 My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall bring forth understanding. Verse: Hear this all you nations. Brethren, it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for

2 ever. Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord. Today s Gospel Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 10:25-37 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, νομικός τις ἀνέστη ἐκπειράζων αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων διδάσκαλε, τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω; ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τί γέγραπται; πῶς ἀναγινώσκεις; ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου, καὶ τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὀρθῶς ἀπεκρίθης τοῦτο ποίει καὶ ζήσῃ. ὁ δὲ θέλων δικαιοῦν ἑαυτὸν εἶπε πρὸς τὸν Ιησοῦν καὶ τίς ἐστί μου πλησίον; ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ὁ Ιησοῦς εἶπεν ἄνθρωπός τις κατέβαινεν ἀπὸ Ιερουσαλὴμ εἰς Ιεριχώ, καὶ λῃσταῖς περιέπεσεν οἳ καὶ ἐκδύσαντες αὐτὸν καὶ πληγὰς ἐπιθέντες ἀπῆλθον ἀφέντες ἡμιθανῆ τυγχάνοντα. κατὰ συγκυρίαν δὲ ἱερεύς τις κατέβαινεν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἀντιπαρῆλθεν. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Λευΐτης γενόμενος κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ἐλθὼν καὶ ἰδὼν ἀντιπαρῆλθε. Σαμαρείτης δέ τις ὁδεύων ἦλθε κατ αὐτόν, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, καὶ προσελθὼν κατέδησε τὰ τραύματα αὐτοῦ ἐπιχέων ἔλαιον καὶ οἶνον, ἐπιβιβάσας δὲ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἴδιον κτῆνος ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς πανδοχεῖον καὶ ἐπεμελήθη αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον ἐξελθών, ἐκβαλὼν δύο δηνάρια ἔδωκε τῷ πανδοχεῖ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἐπιμελήθητι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅ τι ἂν προσδαπανήσῃς, ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ ἐπανέρχεσθαί με ἀποδώσω σοι. τίς οὖν τούτων τῶν τριῶν πλησίον δοκεῖ σοι γεγονέναι τοῦ ἐμπεσόντος εἰς τοὺς λῃστάς; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν ὁ ποιήσας τὸ ἔλεος μετ αὐτοῦ. εἶπεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Ιησοῦς πορεύου καὶ σὺ ποίει ὁμοίως. The Gospel according to Luke 10:25-37 At that time, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." The Memorias today are offered in loving memory of +George Tsahalis + Constantine Thompson Kotlarich Demas May their memory be eternal! Αιωνία τους η μνήμη!

3 How Do We Respond? Our Sunday gospel passages have offered ways to respond both individually and as a Christian community. Today, we heard the parable of the Good Samaritan who had compassion on the stranger lying on the side of the road. At some point, you have experienced the compassion of a Good Samaritan. It is likely that experience of compassion was a defining spiritual moment in your life. Compassion draws up closer to God. We know this because scripture tells us of God s compassion and mercy: God is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great kindness (Psalm 86:15, 103:8, and 145:8). God is full of compassion and we see this in the person of Jesus Christ, who extends compassion throughout his ministry. Jesus Christ and the Good Samaritan extend compassion to those on the other side of the road. As Christians, Jesus calls us to go and do likewise. Practicing compassion to our neighbors might be one of the most effective ways to move the needle of progress forward. So, be intentional about practicing compassion at home, work, and in our social circles. Now, how should Christian communities respond? I have three words that I continually emphasize grace, excellence, and hospitality. Communities that emphasize grace, excellence, and hospitality have been agents of change. For example, the apostles used these values to create koinonia, holy community (Acts 2: 43-47). Martin Luther King, Jr. used these to cast a vision for beloved community. These values create a holy community that can change the world around us. So, here are two ways to respond: 1. Practice compassion, and 2. create communities of grace, excellence, and hospitality. Zoodohos Peghe strives to be a community of grace, excellence, and hospitality. We invite you to participate in this community, to help us spread these values to our city and the world. Πήγαινε και κάνε κι εσύ το ίδιο. Αυτή την προσταγή δίνει και σε μας ο Κύριος. Μας ζητά δηλαδή να δείχνουμε αγάπη σε κάθε άνθρωπο που πάσχει, χωρίς να εξετάζουμε αν αυτός είναι δικός μας, ξένος ή εχθρός μας, και χωρίς να υπολογίζουμε θυσίες και κόπους και δαπάνες. Αυτό μας το δίδαξε ο Κύριος όχι μόνο μέσα από την παραβολή αυτή αλλά πολύ περισσότερο μέσα από τη ζωή του. Διότι ο ίδιος έγινε ο καλός Σαμαρείτης για μας. Αγάπησε τους ανθρώπους μέχρι θανάτου. Η αγάπη του κορυφώθηκε και έλαμψε σε όλο το μεγαλείο επάνω στο Σταυρό. Και μας ζητά να μάθουμε κι εμείς να αγαπάμε, να γινόμαστε καλοί Σαμαρείτες στους γύρω μας. Δυστυχώς όμως στην εποχή μας, ενώ όλοι μιλούμε για αγάπη, πραγματική αγάπη δεν έχουμε. Κι αυτό φαίνεται περισσότερο στις σχέσεις μας με τα δικά μας πρόσωπα. Πώς τους μιλάμε, πώς τους φερόμαστε; Αλλά αν δυσκολευόμαστε να αγαπήσουμε τους δικούς μας, πόσο μάλλον τους ξένους; Γι αυτό υποφέρουμε. Διότι αγάπη σημαίνει θυσία, σημαίνει να δίνουμε κι όχι να απαιτούμε να γίνουν οι άλλοι καλοί για να τους αγαπήσουμε. Αγάπη σημαίνει να γίνει πλατιά η καρδιά μας όπως των αγίων για να χωράει όλους, ακόμη κι αυτούς που μας δυσκολεύουν. Να τους προσφέρουμε την αγάπη μας με απαλό τρόπο, χωρίς να έχουν την αίσθηση ότι κάνουμε προσπάθεια για να τους αγαπήσουμε. Να ακούμε με πόνο τον πόνο τους, να τους ανακουφίζουμε στο πρόβλημά τους. Κατανοώντας το χαρακτήρα τους, να διαισθανόμαστε την κούρασή τους, τις δυσκολίες τους, τις επιθυμίες τους. Και να τους προσφέρουμε την αγάπη μας άλλοτε μ ένα στοργικό λόγο κι άλλοτε με τη σιωπή μας άλλοτε με τη διακονία μας κι άλλοτε με θυσίες που κοστίζουν ίσως πολύ. Έτσι θα γίνουμε καλοί Σαμαρείτες. Έτσι θα δούμε πρόσωπο Θεού.

4 Upcoming Liturgies Month of November 2016 Monday, November 21, 2016 The Presentation of the Virgin Mary Δευτέρα, Νοεμβρίου 21, 2016 Τά Εισόδια τής Θεοτόκου Friday, November 25, 2016 Feast of St. Catherine Παρασκευή, Νοεμβρίου 25, 2016 Εορτή τής Αγίας Αικατερίνης Wednesday, November 30, 2016 Feast of Apostle Andrew Τετάρτη, Νοεμβρίου 30, 2016 Εορτή τού Αποστόλου Ανδρέα Month of December 2016 Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 Feast of St. Nicholas Του Αγίου Νικολάου Friday, Dec. 9, 2016 Feast of St. Anna Τής Αγίας Αννης Monday, Dec. 12, 2016 Feast of St. Spyridon Τού Αγίου Σπυρίδωνος Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016 Feast of St. Eleftherios Τού Αγίου Ελευθερίου Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 Feast of St. Anastasia Τής Αγίας Αναστασία

5 The Hellenic Community of Zoodohos Peghe and The Greek American Institute Invites you to a Service Award Luncheon Honoring Anne Prokop, 40 years of service and Stamatios Ghikas, 25 years of service Sunday, December 4, 2016 At the Community Center 3573 Bruckner Blvd. Bronx, NY 12:30-5:30 p.m. $60.00 per person $40.00 per child (12 years or younger) For more information or reservations, please call, Sophia Zarvos at or the Office at /2393 You can also , secretary@gai-edu.org or secretary@zoodohospeghe.org RSVP by November 20, 2016 *When making reservation please let us know if you are fasting.

6 The children's choir at Zoodohos Peghe Church provides spiritual formation and nurturing through integrated instruction of choral technique and worship leadership in the Orthodox Christian tradition. Participation is free and open to the community. To join, please see Fr. Sylvester or Thanos Kokkalas, our choir director. The Choir is now accepting new members. We invite new members to join us in fellowship as we use our God-given talents to lead and spiritually inspire during worship! To join, please see Fr. Sylvester. Sunday School Did you register your children to Sunday School? To those who registered your children to our Sunday School, we Thank you for sharing your children with us to learn about God and our faith. To those who did not do so as of yet, please weave faith into the lives of your children! Register them to our Sunday School today! Registration is free! Sunday School Teacher/Helper sign up Sunday School is always looking for eager and able people to teach the word God. To join, please see Fr. Sylvester or the Sunday School Director, Mrs. Olympia Daskalakis.

7 PHILOPTOHOS THANKSGIVING BRUNCH Today, Sunday, November 13, 2016 Join us in the Community Center after the Divine Liturgy PTO- PASTA & MOVIE NIGHT Friday, December 2, 2016 PARISH ELECTIONS Sunday, December 18, 2016 CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY Friday, December 16, 2016 BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Sunday, December 18, 2016

8 OF ZOODOHOS PEGHE YEAR 2016 SUNDAYS OF November : 6th, 13th, and 20th Dry and Canned Foods Only! Bring them to church and drop them at the collection baskets marked as * Food will be delivered to the "LOVE KITCHEN & PANTRY" at 2500 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, NY and will be distributed to those who are struggling to put food on the table.