ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL AND THE CHAPEL OF SAINT THEODORE

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1 ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL AND THE CHAPEL OF SAINT THEODORE WEEKLY BULLETIN 7220 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA Phone: Fax: Web: Very Rev. Archimandrite, Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers, Dean Rev. Protopresbyter Constantine Rogakos, Priest Today is: Sunday, October 27, th Sunday of Luke Nestor of Thessaloniki / Kyriakos, Patriarch of Constantinople

2 ALTAR SERVERS Spiros Skenderis, Stephen Olivencia, Peter Milonas, Christopher Milonas, Dennis Leondaridis, Seth Douklias, A.J. Galiotos, Logan Galiotos, Teddy Zarpas EPISTLE READER Emilios Chrysostomides LITURGICAL SCHEDULE Friday, November 1 Ss. Cosmas and Damianos Orthros 8:30 am D. Liturgy 9:30 am Chapel TODAY OHI (OXI) DAY COMMEMORATION UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS ORTHODOX LIFE - ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION : Will meet on this Tuesday, October 29, at 6:30 pm, in the Bible Study room. The theme for this semester is The History of Ancient Christianity from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles to 1054, the time of the Great Schism. GOLDEN YEARS: Will meet on this Tuesday, October 29, in the Social Hall, at 11:00 pm. GOYA: Please support our annual GOYA Tournament and Fellowship Weekend by purchasing an ad in the program. Look for the insert in today's bulletin. There will be a table set up in the Social Hall. And, thank you for your continued support for our youth!

3 ANNUNCIATION HELLENIC DANCERS (Grades 9-12): Thank you for participating in the 2012 Christmas Card. We are planning ahead for the 2013 Christmas Card. Please submit completed forms to the office. CULTURAL COMMITTEE: Saturday December 14 at 7:00 pm. Christmas Concert by the Us Army Doctrine Band at Regent University Virginia Beach, VA. For your free tickets please contact Chris Bachas or Jane Williams Deadline November first. CULTURAL COMMITTEE MOVIE NIGHT: SATURDAY Nov.2, 4:00 pm in the Hellenic center. "GOD LOVES CAVIAR" The true story of Ioannis Varvakis the Greek pirate turned businessman and finally national Greek hero. Varvakis was the ear of Catherine the great and gave all his fortune to help the Greek revolution in In English with Greek subtitles. Admission $2, includes refreshments. FAREWELL COFFEE RECEPTION: The Parish Council would like to invite the community, especially our Youth, to join us in sending off our Youth Director, Chris Xanthos on November 1 from 7-10pm. Coffee and dessert will be served in the Social Hall. HWC: We are still baking every Wednesday at 9am in the Hellenic Center in preparation for the Christmas Craft Show/Bake Sale. Hope to see many hands in the kitchen! AGORA STORE: The Agora Store, sponsored by the Philoptochos Society of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, is opened every Sunday, following the Divine Liturgy, for all of your edible needs. Proceeds of the store support the needy and indigent people of the Tidewater Area.

4 THE EPISTLE READING 2nd Corinthians 9:6-11 Brethren, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

5 Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Πρός Κορινθίους Δευτέρας Ἐπιστολῆς Παῦλου 9:6-11 Άδελφοί, ὁ σπείρων φειδομένως φειδομένως καὶ θερίσει, καὶ ὁ σπείρων ἐπ' εὐλογίαις ἐπ' εὐλογίαις καὶ θερίσει. ἕκαστος καθὼς προαιρεῖται τῇ καρδίᾳ, μὴ ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός. δυνατὸς δὲ ὁ Θεὸς πᾶσαν χάριν περισσεῦσαι εἰς ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐν παντὶ πάντοτε πᾶσαν αὐτάρκειαν ἔχοντες περισσεύητε εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησιν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ὁ δὲ ἐπιχορηγῶν σπέρμα τῷ σπείροντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν χορηγήσαι καὶ πληθύναι τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν καὶ αὐξήσαι τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑμῶν ἐν παντὶ πλουτιζόμενοι εἰς πᾶσαν ἁπλότητα, ἥτις κατεργάζεται δι' ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίαν τῷ Θεῷ

6 THE GOSPEL READING 7th Sunday of Luke Luke 8:14-56 At that time, there came to Jesus a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus' feet he besought him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As he went, the people pressed round him. And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!" But Jesus said, "Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well." And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

7 ΤΟ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ Ἐβδόμη Κυριακή τοῦ Λουκά Ἐκ τοῦ κατά Λουκάν 8:14-56 Τῶ καιρῶ ἐκείνω, ἰδοὺ ἦλθεν ἀνὴρ ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰάειρος, καὶ οὗτος ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς ὑπῆρχε καὶ πεσὼν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι θυγάτηρ μονογενὴς ἦν αὐτῷ ὡς ἐτῶν δώδεκα καὶ αὕτη ἀπέθνῃσκεν. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτὸν οἱ ὄχλοι συνέπνιγον αὐτόν. καὶ γυνὴ οὖσα ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος ἀπὸ ἐτῶν δώδεκα, ἥτις ἰατροῖς προσαναλώσασα ὅλον τὸν βίον οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὑπ' οὐδενὸς θεραπευθῆναι, προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς Τίς ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; ἀρνουμένων δὲ πάντων εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ Ἐπιστάτα, οἱ ὄχλοι συνέχουσί σε καὶ ἀποθλίβουσι καὶ λέγεις τίς ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Ἥψατό μού τις ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. ἰδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαθε, τρέμουσα ἦλθε καὶ προσπεσοῦσα αὐτῷ δι' ἣν αἰτίαν ἥψατο αὐτοῦ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ὡς ἰάθη παραχρῆμα. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Θάρσει, θύγατερ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην. Ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἔρχεταί τις παρὰ τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου λέγων αὐτῷ ὅτι Τέθνηκεν ἡ θυγάτηρ σου μὴ σκύλλε τὸν διδάσκαλον. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀκούσας ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ λέγων Μὴ φοβοῦ μόνον πίστευε, καὶ σωθήσεται. ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐκ ἀφῆκεν εἰσελθεῖν οὐδένα εἰ μὴ Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ τὸν πατέρα τῆς παιδὸς καὶ τὴν μητέρα. ἔκλαιον δὲ πάντες καὶ ἐκόπτοντο αὐτήν. ὁ δὲ εἶπε Μὴ κλαίετε οὐκ ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει. καὶ κατεγέλων αὐτοῦ, εἰδότες ὅτι ἀπέθανεν. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκβαλὼν ἔξω πάντας καὶ κρατήσας τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς ἐφώνησε λέγων Ἡ παῖς, ἐγείρου. καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀνέστη παραχρῆμα, καὶ διέταξεν αὐτῇ δοθῆναι φαγεῖν. καὶ ἐξέστησαν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτῆς ὁ δὲ παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν τὸ γεγονός.

8 SAINTS AND FEASTS COMMEMORATED Ss. Cosmas and Damianos, The Unmercenaries November 1 According to Christian traditions, Saints Cosmas and Damian, passed away by torture in the year of 287. They were twin brothers, physicians, and early Christian martyrs born in Cilicia, part of today's Turkey. They practiced their profession in the seaport of Ayas, Adana, then in the Roman province of Syria. Accepting no payment for their services led to them being named "Ανάργυροι" (Unmercenary); it has been said that, by this, they attracted many to the Christian faith. During the persecution under Diocletian, Cosmas and Damian were arrested by order of the Prefect of Cilicia, one Lysias who is otherwise unknown, who ordered them under torture to recant. However, they stayed true to their faith, enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by beheading. Anthimus, Leontius and Euprepius, their younger brothers, who were inseparable from them throughout life, shared in their martyrdom. Their most famous miraculous exploit was the grafting of a leg from a recently deceased Ethiopian to replace a patient's ulcered or cancerous leg, and was the subject of many paintings and illuminations APOLYTIKION of this Sunday Savior, Your tomb was sealed with a stone. Soldiers kept watch over Your sacred body. Yet, You rose on the third day giving life to the world. Wherefore the powers of heaven cried out, "O Giver of Life, glory to Your Resurrection O Christ; glory to Your Kingdom, glory to Your dispensation who alone are the Loving One." Τοῦ λίθου σφραγισθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ στρατιωτῶν φυλασσόντων τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα, ἀνέστης τριήμερος Σωτήρ, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ζωήν. Διὰ τοῦτο αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐβόων σοι Ζωοδότα Δόξα τῇ ἀναστάσει σου Χριστέ, δόξα τῇ Βασιλείᾳ σου, δόξα τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ σου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε.

9 WISDOM FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS He puts an end to the woman s fear... He sets her right, in respect of her thinking to be hid... He exhibits her faith to all, so as to provoke the rest also to emulation... St. John Chrysostom, Homily 31 on Matthew 9 4th Century At the same time both signifying that it is easy for Him to raise the dead... and also teaching us not to fear death; for that it is not death, but is henceforth become a sleep. St. John Chrysostom, Homily 31 on Matthew 9 4th Century For in a contest there is much labor needed--and after the contest victory falls to some, to others disgrace. Is the palm ever given or the crown granted before the course is finished?... Therefore no one can receive a reward, unless he has striven lawfully; nor is the victory a glorious one, unless the contest also has been toilsome. St. Ambrose of Milan, Chapter 15, Three Books on the Duties of the Clergy 4th century KONTAKION of this Sunday O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto you: Hasten to intercession and speed you to make supplication, O you who did ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor you. Προστασία τῶν Χριστιανῶν άκαταίσχυντε, μεσιτεία, πρός τόν Ποιητήν ἀμετάθετε, μή παρίδης, ἀμαρτωλῶν δεήσεων φωνάς, ἀλλά πρόφθασον, ὡς ἀγαθή εἰς τήν βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, τῶν πιστῶς κραυγαζόντων σοι. Τάχυνον εἰς πρεσβείαν, καί σπεύσον εἰς ἰκεσίαν, ἡ προστατεύουσα ἀεί, Θεοτόκε τῶν τιμώντων σε.

10 SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS The Daughter of Jairus and the Woman with the Issue of Blood When Jesus returned from the country of the Gerasenes where the episode with the demoniac and the herd of swine took place a crowd welcomed him. He had been teaching and working miracles all around Galilee so, of course, people thronged to see him wherever he went. All of these wonderful things began to happen right after Jesus was baptized and was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for forty days. Luke writes that he returned to Galilee from the desert in the power of the Spirit and the fruit of that power is what we see in today s Gospel reading. Jairus, an official of the synagogue, approached the Lord in great distress. His only daughter, a young twelve years old, was dying. He fell to his knees before Jesus begging him to come save her. The pathos of this scene is palpable. Of course, Jesus, the All-Compassionate One, responds immediately and begins to go with Jairus to his home. Luke comments that the crowd was so large it nearly crushed him. In the midst of this, Luke writes that a woman who had suffered from an hemorrhage for twelve years stole her way through the massive crowd and managed to touch the hem of the Lord s garment and was healed. This woman, unclean by the standards of the Mosaic law and liable for stoning should she be discovered, throws all caution to the wind in her desperation and reaches out in all-consuming faith, to touch his garment. Then (can you not imagine this scene) Jesus comes to a halt and exclaims, Who touched me? He must have used a loud voice since the crowd was certainly noisy and otherwise he couldn t have been heard. Peter, as is so often the case, is perplexed by the question, What do mean, Who touched me, the crowds are pressing all around you. Many people are touching you! No, Jesus, replied, someone has touched me; for I know that power has gone out from me. Remarkable, isn t it? There was something different about this woman s touch. There was intent behind it, there was faith behind it, there was rich content in her touch that made her contact significant, so significant that it coaxed power to proceed from him! Why? One, I believe it was because she was focused on her goal, undistracted by the crowd, its noise and size, the pushing and shoving, or from the fear of being discovered (an unclean woman was forbidden to be in contact with the ritually pure), undistracted even by her own suffering. Her mind was simple and clear: touch his garment and you will be healed. Secondly, I believe it was her faith. Jesus tells us that her faith was what made her whole. She believed even after twelve years of physical suffering and of enduring the label of social pariah that the Lord

11 would heal her. In fact, it may well have been her suffering that gave birth to the rich faith she brought to the scene. Suffering can inspire the deepest kinds of faith. Thirdly, she was uniquely prepared for the encounter; her long suffering had prepared her to meet the Incarnate God. She literally had nothing to lose. She had abandoned all feelings of shame, of fear, even of being and non-being as Dionysios the Areopagite writes in mystical language. She passed beyond everything, including herself, with singleminded purpose to touch the hem of His garment. So, she becomes a model of the spiritual life for all of us. She fully incorporated in herself the essential mystical elements of renunciation of self and the world and detachment from everything in them. Many scriptures point to the need for single-minded faith and undistracted focus. Whatever you ask in my Name, not doubting will be done, Jesus says in one place. Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened. Did this woman not ask; did she not seek; did she not approach the door herself and knock; did she not deny herself radically as Jesus asks all of us to do? Whatever else she may have offered Christ that day, she at least offered three things, clarity of focus, courageous faith and utter selfdenial. She had little else to give than these natural things developed in her through suffering, which are also available to all of us through the gift of God s image and of the Holy Spirit within. The wedding of her offering and the divine grace in Christ brought forth a miracle, as it does whenever a person hones and develops their natural God-given attributes and calls upon His Name. The combination of divine grace and human will is explosive. It is what St. Paul meant when he wrote that we are co-workers with Christ (synergy) and that we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We have a contribution to make to our own salvation. Perhaps this is a key to understanding the emptiness of our own spiritual lives and practice. We are too scattered, too distracted and too burdened with the cares and pleasures of life. Faith has no time and place to take root and grow in us. We are far from renunciation and detachment. But without these things we will always be adrift spiritually. The element most unsettling to us in the teaching of Christ is the commandment to Take up your cross and follow me. There is training that must be done, training of our minds and hearts and bodies. Meditation, prayer, vigilance, self-denial. The image of the spiritual athlete in St. Paul s writings is the image we need to take away from the Gospel today. The Woman with the issue of blood is to me an image of the spiritual athlete. Her life of renunciation and detachment is something every one of us needs to seriously contemplate and embrace.

12 We extend to you a warm and heartfelt Orthodox Christian welcome. Our Greek Orthodox Cathedral is dedicated to imitating the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel with our words and living it with our lives. It exists to lead the faithful to the worship of the Holy Trinity according to the Faith and Tradition of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Our witnessing to our Faith is accomplished through the Sacramental life of the Church, its values and traditions, stewardship, fellowship, service, and Christian education. Published by: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral 7220 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA Contact Information: Elizabeth Miller Tel: Fax: churchadmin@agoc.hrcoxmail.com