of Washington, DC Second Sunday of Matthew June 18, 2017

Transcript

1 Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Churc h of Washington, DC Second Sunday of Matthew June 18, 2017 Are you: Actively attending church services? Participating in Holy Communion and Confession? Willing to work as a team? Willing to be trained in working with youth? Do you: Have a strong relationship with our Lord? Have the knowledge and desire to share Christ with our youth? Have a calling to work with our youth? If you've answered "YES" to any of these questions, please Father Michael fathermichael@schgocdc.org, stating which Ministry you would be interested in working as a volunteer and the reason why you feel you are called by God to serve His Church in this special way. CATECHITICAL Catechists (also known as Sunday School Teachers) YOUTH Senior High GOYA/Junior High GOYA H.O.P.E./J.O.Y. Vacation Bible Camp Greek Dance Each Ecclesiastical Year is a NEW start. We invite everyone who has always wanted to but was too? come forward and shine. See our ad on page..9

2 YMNOI THΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ HYMNS OF THE DAY Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἀναστάσιμον. Ἦχος αʹ. 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. Aπολυτίκιον Αγ. Κωνσταντίνου & Ελένης Τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου τὸν τύπον ἐν οὐρανῷ θεασάμενος, καὶ ὡς ὁ Παῦλος τὴν κλήσιν οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δεξάμενος, ὁ ἐν βασιλεύσιν, Ἀπόστολός σου Κύριε, Βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν τὴ χειρί σου παρέθετο ἣν περίσωζε διὰ παντὸς ἐν εἰρήνῃ, πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε. Aπολυτίκιον Αγ. Ανδρέα Ὡς τῶν Ἀποστόλων Πρωτόκλητος, καὶ τοῦ Κορυφαίου αὐτάδελφος, τὸν Δεσπότην τῶν ὅλων Ἀνδρέα ἱκέτευε, εἰρήνην τὴ οἰκουμένη δωρήσασθαι, καὶ ταὶς ψυχαὶς ἡ μῶν τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος βʹ. Προστασία τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀκαταίσχυντε, μεσιτεία, πρὸς τὸν Ποιητὴν ἀμετάθετε, μὴ παρίδῃς, ἁμαρτωλῶν δεήσεων φωνάς, ἀλλὰ πρόφθασον, ὡς ἀγαθή, εἰς τὴν βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, τῶν πιστῶς κραυγαζόντων σοι Τάχυνον εἰς πρεσβείαν, καὶ σπεῦσον εἰς ἱκεσίαν, ἡ προστατεύουσα ἀεί, Θεοτόκε, τῶν τιμώντων σε. Resurrectional Apolytikion. Mode 1. The stone had been secured with a seal by the Judeans, * and a guard of soldiers was watching Your immaculate body. * You rose on the third day, O Lord * and Savior, granting life unto the world. * For this reason were the powers of heaven crying out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; * glory to Your kingdom; * glory to Your dispensation, only One who loves mankind. Apolytikion of Sts. Constantine & Helen Having seen the image of Thy Cross in Heaven, and like Paul, having received the call not from men, Thine apostle among kings entrusted the commonwealth to Thy hand, O Lord. Keep us always in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, O only Friend of man. Apolytikion of St. Andrew As first of the Apostles to be called, O Andrew, brother of him (Peter) who was foremost, beseech the Master of all to grant the world peace and our souls great mercy. Kontakion. Mode 2. O Protection of Christians unshamable, mediation with the Creator immovable, we sinners beg you, do not despise the voices of our prayers, but anticipate, since you are good, and swiftly come unto our aid as we cry out to you with faith: Hurry to intercession, and hasten to supplication, O Theotokos who defend now and ever those who honor you. 2

3 Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Πρὸς Ρωμαίους 2:10-16 Ἀδελφοί, δόξα δὲ καὶ τιμὴ καὶ εἰρήνη παντὶ τῷ ἐργαζομένῳ τὸ ἀγαθόν, Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι οὐ γάρ ἐστιν προσωποληψία παρὰ τῷ θεῷ. Ὅσοι γὰρ ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον, ἀνόμως καὶ ἀπολοῦνται καὶ ὅσοι ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον, διὰ νόμου κριθήσονται οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ τῷ θεῷ, ἀλλʼ οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται. Ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῇ, οὗτοι, νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες, ἑαυτοῖς εἰσιν νόμος οἵτινες ἐνδείκνυνται τὸ ἔργον τοῦ νόμου γραπτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως, καὶ μεταξὺ ἀλλήλων τῶν λογισμῶν κατηγορούντων ἢ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὅτε κρινεῖ ὁ θεὸς τὰ κρυπτὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου, διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ΤΗΕ EPISTLE St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 2:10-16 Brethren, glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. ΤΟ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ- Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 4:18-23 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, περιπατῶν δὲ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶδε δύο ἀδελφούς, Σίμωνα τὸν λεγόμενον Πέτρον καὶ Ανδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, βάλλοντας ἀμφίβληστρον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλιεῖς καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων. οἱ δὲ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. Καὶ προβὰς ἐκεῖθεν εἶδεν ἄλλους δύο ἀδελφούς, Ιάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ιωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ Ζεβεδαίου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς. οἱ δὲ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὸ πλοῖον καὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. Καὶ περιῆγεν ὅλην τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ὁ Ιησοῦς διδάσκων ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν καὶ κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας καὶ θεραπεύων πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ πᾶσαν μαλακίαν ἐν τῷ λαῷ. THE GOSPEL Matthew 4:18-23 At that time, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left their boat and their father, and followed him. And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. 3

4 40-DAYS BABY BLESSING For your convenience we are letting you know that you can make an appointment to church your baby on the 40th day after its birth, no matter what day that might be. There is no reason that you have to inconvenience the mom and the baby, waiting in the back of the Narthex until the priest is available on a Sunday ONLY. Make an appointment to come to church when it is convenient for you at a time that will not disrupt the baby's routine. ANY day you would like. 9am through 6pm by appointment. Bring the entire family or come just with your husband and the baby. Whatever you want. No waiting no inconvenience. More private time with the priest to talk about the future baptism if you wish. Call, /7 ARTOKLASIA The Blessing of Five Loaves of Bread is a brief service of thanksgiving through which we express our gratitude for all the blessings of life. Oil, wine, wheat, and the loaves of bread which are used in the service, are viewed as the most basic elements necessary for life. The Blessing reminds us of the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish by which Christ fed the multitude. MEMORIAL Please call the church office at to schedule a memorial service. Memorial Services may not be chanted from the Saturday of Lazarus through the Sunday of Thomas, on any Feastday of the Lord or any Feastday of the Theotokos. PRAYER LIST If you would like us to remember you or your loved one in our prayers, please contact the church office. Aliyah, Kostas, Irene, Michael, Panagiota, Jennifer, Panayiotis, Vicky, Andrianna, Louis, Maria, Aspasia, Irene, Panagiota, Elias, Eleftheria, Ames, Demetra, Anastasia, Paraskevi, Constantinos, George, Stelios, Agapi, Charlotte and John. PRAYER FOR A SICK PERSON Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal me Your servant from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant me patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed. I pray that You heal me as Your servant and grant me the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. 4

5 SAINTS AND FEASTS Methodios the Martyr, Bishop of Olympus Because of his wisdom and virtue, this Saint was surnamed Eubulus ("of good counsel"). He was an eminent theologian and one of the first to oppose and refute the heretical writings of Origen. According to Jerome (De vir. ill., 83) and Socrates the historian (Eccl. Hist., 6:13), he was bishop, not of Patara (as a sixth century work by Leontius the Byzantine wrongly asserts), but of Olympus in Lycia, and later, of Tyre in Phoenicia. It appears he was called Bishop of Patara by later writers because his famous dialogue concerning the resurrection takes place in that city. He underwent a glorious death as a martyr in Chalkis of Greece in the year 311, under Emperor Maximinus. Among his extant writings is one called Symposium of Virgins. Ο ΑΓΙΟΣ ΜΕΘΟΔΙΟΣ - ο Ιερομάρτυρας επίσκοπος Πατάρων Ό Άγιος Μεθόδιος έζησε κατά τον 6ο αιώνα μετά Χριστόν. Ή σπάνια αρετή του και ή μεγάλη μόρφωση πού τον διέκρινε τον ανέβασαν στον επισκοπικό θρόνο των Πατάρων. Σαν επίσκοπος, επεδίωκε να επιτελεί τέλεια τα καθήκοντα του. ο φωτιστικός λόγος του, σε συνδυασμό με το άγιο παράδειγμα του, έτρεφε τις ψυχές των ανθρώπων του ποιμνίου του. Ήταν ακοίμητος φρουρός του ορθοδόξου δόγματος και αποφασισμένος σε όλη του τη ζωή "φυλάσσειν τα δόγματα τα κεκριμένα υπό των αποστόλων"1. Να φυλάττει, δηλαδή, τις αποφάσεις, πού είχαν οριστικά κριθεί σαν μόνες ορθές από τους Αποστόλους. Γι' αυτό και πέτυχε μετά από συστηματικό αγώνα να περιορίσει σημαντικά στην επαρχία του τους οπαδούς των λανθασμένων δοξασιών του Ώριγένη. Όμως, αυτοί οι λίγοι πού έμειναν, για να εκδικηθούν, κατάφεραν να βάλουν δικό τους υπηρέτη κοντά στο Μεθόδιο. Και κάποια μέρα πού ο επίσκοπος αρρώστησε, τον σκότωσε με μαχαίρι. Άλλα ενώ τον μαχαίρωνε, ο Μεθόδιος άκουσε το δολοφόνο να λέει: "έτσι σκοτώνουν οι Ώριγενιστές". Τότε μειδίασε ελαφρά και έγειρε το κεφάλι του ευχαριστημένος, παραδίδοντας το πνεύμα του στον Κύριο. Ήταν ή χαρά, διότι έπεφτε θύμα του καθήκοντος του να διαφυλάττει τα ορθά δόγματα της Εκκλησίας. ο Σ. Εύστρατιάδης όμως, στο Αγιολόγιο του, έχει άλλη γνώμη περί των βιογραφικών στοιχείων του Αγίου αυτού και την παραθέτουμε ως έχει: Ήκμασε περί τα τέλη του γ' και τας αρχάς του δ' αιώνος κατά τον Ίερώνυμον (De Vir. ill. 83) και τον Ιστορικόν Σωκράτην (Έκκλ. Ίστ. 6,13) ην ουχί Πατάρων επίσκοπος, αλλά Ολύμπου του εν Λυκία και είτα επίσκοπος Τύρου (της Φοινίκης), κατ' άλλην δε γνώμην, επίσκοπος Φιλίππων της Μακεδονίας. Ή τοιαύτη πλάνη, του να λέγεται Πατάρων επίσκοπος προήλθεν εκ του ότι ο περί αναστάσεως διάλογος αυτού εκτυλίσσεται εις τα Πάταρα. ο Μεθόδιος ην διαπρεπής άρχιερεύς και πλατωνικός φιλόσοφος, αντίπαλος σφοδρός των Ώριγενιστών και ποιητής δόκιμος, ως φαίνεται εκ του περισωθέντος έργου αύτοϋ "Συμπόσιον των δέκα παρθένων ή περί άγνείας". Κατά τον επί Διολητιανού διωγμόν υπέστη τον μαρτυρικόν θάνατον εν Χαλκίδι (της Συρίας). Julian the Martyr of Tarsus This Martyr, who was born to a pagan father and a Christian mother, was from Cilicia, confessed the Christian Faith before the Proconsul Marcian, and was perfected in martyrdom at the age of eighteen, when he was put into a sack with sand and venomous serpents and cast into the sea. Saint John Chrysostom has a homily in his honour. 5

6 WEBSITE OF THE WEEK Life in Christ: A Fount of Joy (Fr. Stephen Freeman) **************************************************************************** Bible Answer Man Hank Hanegraaff joins Orthodox Church Moscow, April 10, Known to millions as the Bible Answer Man, 67-year-old Hank Hanegraaff and his wife were received into the Orthodox Church this year on the great feast of Palm Sunday, at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, NC. Mr. Hanegraaff can be seen kneeling with a lit candle under a priest s epitrachelion in the picture to the right. His wife s hands can be seen as well. The picture originates from the Facebook page of the parish, but has been removed after an influx of comments, including negative remarks from those who appreciated Hanegraaff s work as a Protestant. The Bible Answer Man addressed his conversion to the Orthodox faith on his program yesterday, in response to a caller who had seen remarks claiming that, in becoming Orthodox, Mr. Hanegraaff had left the Christian faith. He responded: I am now a member of an Orthodox Church, but nothing has changed in my faith. I have been attending an Orthodox church for a long time for over two years, really, as a result of what happened when I went to China, many years ago. I saw Chinese Christians who were deeply in love with the Lord, and I learned that while they may not have had as much intellectual acumen or knowledge as I did, they had life. And so I learned that while truth matters, life matters more, and I remember flying back from China after spending time with just common people who had a deep, intense love for the Lord, and wondering, Was I even a Christian? I was comparing my ability to communicate truth with their deep and abiding love for the Lord Jesus Christ One man, by the way, said to me, truth matters but life matters more. In other words, it is not just knowing about Jesus Christ, it is experiencing the Resurrected Christ. As a result of that I started studying what was communicated by the progeny of Watchman Nee with respect to theosis and that drove me back to the early Christian Church. And I suppose over that period of time I have fallen ever more in love with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It s sort of like my wife I have never been more in love with my wife than I am today, and I ve never been more in love with my Lord Jesus Christ than I am today. I ve been impacted by the whole idea of knowing Jesus Christ, experiencing Jesus Christ, and partaking of the graces of Jesus Christ through the Eucharist or the Lord s Table. And that has become so central in my life, but as far as the statement that you mentioned, that I ve left the Christian faith nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact I believe what I have always believed, as codified in the Nicene Creed, and as championed by mere Christianity. 6

7 After reciting the entire Nicene Creed, he concluded, In other words, I am as deeply committed to championing mere Christianity and the essentials of the historic Christian faith as I have ever been. Hank Hanegraaff has served as the president and chairman of the board of the North Carolina-based Christian Research Institute (CRI) since 1989, when he also took over previous-president s radio talk-show The Bible Answer Man. The show includes answering questions about matters of Christian doctrine and history and Biblical interpretation, and denominational particularities. He has been an outspoken critic of non-christian religions, new religious movements and cults, and heresies within conservative Christianity. He is also the author of over twenty books. His The Complete Bible Answer Book Collector s Edition is a compendium of the most common, and the most difficult, questions regarding Christianity, culture, and cults that Hank has received over the past three decades. It has been noted that Hank has been speaking about the Orthodox Church more on his show lately, referring to it as fantastic, and the early Church. In 2016, Hank interviewed Fr. Themistoclos (Adamopoulos), a Greek Orthodox priest, to discuss his journey from Marxist rock star to Orthodox monk. Fr. Themi works tirelessly with the poor and suffering in Sierra Leone, where people are still suffering from the effects of a recent Ebola epidemic. The interview can be listened to here. In March, Mr. Hanegraaff answered a caller s question about the Orthodox teaching of theosis, ably explaining the doctrine of man s sanctification on both a Biblical and Patristic basis. We become Christ-bearers since His Body and Blood are distributed throughout our limbs, as Cyril of Jerusalem said The whole idea being that we become by grace what God is by nature We become, as Peter put it, partakers in the divine nature, the Bible Answer Man explained. ***************************************************************************** 7

8 Please contact Pauline Rakis 8

9 Immediate Attention Required!! CATECHITICAL Catechists (also known as Sunday School Teachers) YOUTH Senior High GOYA Junior High GOYA H.O.P.E. J.O.Y. Vacation Bible Camp Greek Dance Requests for consideration must be submitted to Father Michael at 9

10 Office Volunteers Needed My brothers and sisters, A wonderful opportunity of Stewardship is available. We will soon be in our new building with various ministries exploding with excitement. We would be honored and greatly blessed to have you join in serving the Lord through your stewardship of time, talent, treasure and commitment. Various forms of volunteering are available. Please contact me personally so that we might share a cup of coffee and find what special gift of yours you would like to share in volunteering. Volunteering is saying, I love YOU Lord and I commit myself to YOU! Here I am. Call me, Father Michael

11 Directory of Ministries Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Churc h of Washington, DC Office Address: 701 Norwood Road, Silver Spring, MD Phone: (240) admin@schgocdc.org Website: Reverend Father Michael J. Eaccarino, Presiding Priest Cell Phone: (301) & fathermichael@schgocdc.org ALTAR BOY Liaisons Spyros & Eleni Loukas (240) **************** ORTHODOX FINE ARTS & CRAFTS Liaison CHOIR Choir Director Dr. Theodore Papaloizos (301) CATECHETICAL Liaisons Tara Kavadias (240) STEWARSHIP Liaison Sotirios Nasios (240) YOUTH Sr. High School GOYA Liaison Alexandra Stathes (301) ***************** Jr. High School GOYA Liaison Georgia Ferentinos (301) Pauline Rakis (301) ***************** HOPE/JOY Liaison Irene Murshed murshed@msn.com (240) & Georgia Nasios (301) GREEK LANGUAGE Liaison Lena Petropoulou & (Director) Ifigenia Kambanis (240) GREEK DANCE Liaison Kristina-Maria Paspalis (240) PHILOPTOCHOS Nikki Pappas (President) npgreekschool@ hotmail.com (301) YOUNG AT HEART Liaisons Helen Thornberg & Christina Clifton OUTREACH & EVANGELISM Liaison Barbara Frangou barbarafrangou@ gmail.com

12 CHURCH SERVICE SCHEDULE: 06/19/17 06/25/17 Sunday/Κυριακή 06/25/17 3rd Sunday of Matthew Orthros 7:00am & Divine Liturgy Only 8:15am Sts. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral +PLEASE REMEMBER OUR CHURCH IN YOUR WILL+ 12