Sixth Sunday of Saint Luke the Evangelist

Transcript

1 Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 8306 NC HWY 751 Durham NC News & Announcements October 15, 2017 Sixth Sunday of Saint Luke the Evangelist Abercius, Equal-to-the-Apostles and Wonderworker of Hierapolis 10/22/2017 Seven Holy Martyred Youths of Ephesus 10/22/2017 Cecilia the Martyr 10/22/2017 NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy at 10:00 am To Our Visitors and Guests We welcome you to worship with us today, whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us. Although Holy Communion and other Sacraments are offered only to baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians in good standing with the Church, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The Antidoron is not a sacrament, but it is reminiscent of the agape feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. After the Divine Liturgy this morning please join us in the Church Hall for fellowship and refreshments. Please complete a Visitor s Card before you leave today and drop it in the offering tray, or give it to one of the parishioners after the service, or mail it to the Church Office. 1

2 Today s Readings: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Verse: What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has given me? The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 1:11-19 Brethren, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. Τίμιος ἐναντίον Κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. Τί ἀνταποδώσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων, ὧν ἀνταπέδωκεν ἡμῖν; Πρὸς Γαλάτας τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα (είναι απο 1:11-19) Ἀδελφοί, γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου παρέλαβον αὐτό, οὔτε ἐδιδάχθην, ἀλλὰ διʼ ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἠκούσατε γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει μου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων. Ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἵνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εὐθέως οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους, ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν, καὶ πάλιν ὑπέστρεψα εἰς Δαμασκόν. Ἔπειτα μετὰ ἔτη τρία ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Πέτρον, καὶ ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε. Ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου The Gospel According to Luke 8:26-39 At that time, as Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they 2

3 were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Λουκᾶν Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα 8:26-39 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐλθόντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀντίπερα τῆς Γαλιλαίας. ἐξελθόντι δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ἀνήρ τις ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, ὃς εἶχε δαιμόνια ἐκ χρόνων ἱκανῶν, καὶ ἱμάτιον οὐκ ἐνεδιδύσκετο καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔμενεν, ἀλλ ἐν τοῖς μνήμασιν. ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν Ιησοῦν καὶ ἀνακράξας προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἶπε τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, Ιησοῦ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου; δέομαί σου, μή με βασανίσῃς. παρήγγειλε γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. πολλοῖς γὰρ χρόνοις συνηρπάκει αὐτόν, καὶ ἐδεσμεῖτο ἁλύσεσι καὶ πέδαις φυλασσόμενος, καὶ διαρρήσσων τὰ δεσμὰ ἠλαύνετο ὑπὸ τοῦ δαίμονος εἰς τὰς ἐρήμους. ἐπηρώτησε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ιησοῦς λέγων τί σοί ἐστιν ὄνομα; ὁ δὲ εἶπε λεγεών ὅτι δαιμόνια πολλὰ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτόν καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν ἵνα μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἀπελθεῖν. ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ ἀγέλη χοίρων ἱκανῶν βοσκομένων ἐν τῷ ὄρει καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιτρέψῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς ἐκείνους εἰσελθεῖν καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς. ἐξελθόντα δὲ τὰ δαιμόνια ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰσῆλθον εἰς τοὺς χοίρους, καὶ ὥρμησεν ἡ ἀγέλη κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ εἰς τὴν λίμνην καὶ ἀπεπνίγη. ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ βόσκοντες τὸ γεγενημένον ἔφυγον, καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς. ἐξῆλθον δὲ ἰδεῖν τὸ γεγονός, καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς τὸν Ιησοῦν καὶ εὗρον καθήμενον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀφ οὗ τὰ δαιμόνια ἐξεληλύθει, ἱματισμένον καὶ σωφρονοῦντα παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ιησοῦ, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν. ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτοῖς οἱ ἰδόντες πῶς ἐσώθη ὁ δαιμονισθείς. καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς περιχώρου τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν ἀπελθεῖν ἀπ αὐτῶν, ὅτι φόβῳ μεγάλῳ συνείχοντο. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐμβὰς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ὑπέστρεψεν. ἐδέετο δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἀφ οὗ ἐξεληλύθει τὰ δαιμόνια, εἶναι σὺν αὐτῷ ἀπέλυσε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ιησοῦς λέγων ὑπόστρεφε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου καὶ διηγοῦ ὅσα ἐποίησέ σοι ὁ Θεός. καὶ ἀπῆλθε καθ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν κηρύσσων ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ιησοῦς. Celebration For Art Christakos Birthday Today s Events: Today s Coffee Hour: Hosted by the family of Art Christakos for his Birthday celebration Please Consider Hosting a Coffee Hour ATTENTION SAINT BARBARA PARISH! Celebrate with your Church Family your next special occasion! Consider sponsoring a coffee hour in the social hall after Liturgy on Sundays to commemorate a birthday, graduation, nameday, anniversary, or even for the pleasure of just hosting for your Parish. Signing up is easy... just place your name on the 'signup coffee hour' sheet located on the table in the hallway nearest the social hall. For details or questions, contact Helen Paliouras at: or elenipali@att.net 3

4 Upcoming Youth Event Youth Day at Hill Ridge Farms Saturday November 4th 703 Tarboro Road Youngsville, NC (919)

5 Blessings to everyone! First Saint Barbara Community Night Friday November 3 We are so excited to announce our first Religious Education Parish Family Night at St. Barbara. We are going to have this event every 4-6 weeks as an educational and parish building activity. Our first event is going to be held at the church Friday evening, November 3rd, from 6pm-7:30pm. It is open to everyone of any age. The format will be as follows: All gather together in reception hall for a pot-luck dinner that will open with Father Stavroforos giving an overview of the lesson topic that we will be discussing in your groups (participant families will be contacted to bring a pot-luck food item) We then will split into groups according to age where we go through the entire lesson Groupings as Envisioned Before RSVP Preschool (0-4years) Kindergarten & 1st grade: 2nd -4th grade 5th & 6th grade 7th - 12th grade Single Adults Married Couples Seniors (We will provide child care services for parents of babies) We will reconvene as a group, following the lesson, where Father will again address the group and open the room for questions and answers after reporting the groups findings. Close with prayer. The topic for our first Religious Education Parish Family Night is How to be a Christian Role Model ***Please RSVP to this if you plan to attend using the space below. Thank you!*** Name(s) of participants: Total number of participants: Group Preference In His service, Michelle Claypoole 5

6 October 2017 Religious Calendar 1-2nd Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am 8-3rd Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am 15 - Sunday of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council - 9:00 am 22-6th Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am 26 - Thursday - St. Demetrios - 9:00 am 29-5th Sunday of Luke - 9:00 am Save the Date General assembly November 19 th Saint Barbara Philoptochos News Holy Cross/Hellenic College Collection- thanks to your generosity $295 was collected Sunday September 10. Our Philoptochos chapter voted to send a total of $400 dollars to HC/HC. Fanouropita Event- Sunday September 17 marked the third year the Philoptochos has held a Fanouropita Event to benefit Youth Ministry- Metropolis of Atlanta. $159 was collected and our Philoptochos chapter voted to send 200 to the metropolis for youth ministries. Coffee Fellowship - Please join us for a morning of fellowship -Tuesday October am- Panera's (South Point) 1680 in North Carolina For directions call them at Saturday October 28@11am-Bean Trader's (Durham) 105 W Nc 54 Hwy #249, Durham, NC For directions you can call them at Our chapter also contributed to the WRAL sponsored food drive through Central Carolina Food Bank (September 20) to assist victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. We purchased and delivered $100 worth of paper towels and case of Peanut butter. Thank you for the books given to the Yard Sale that were delivered to the Book Harvest to fulfill our October Book Drive Needs for this year. Please consider joining St Barbara's Philoptochos. Our next General Membership Meeting is October 22 after Church Services. You re are welcomed to attend to Come and see what we are all about! From the Desk of President Catherine Mariakakis 6

7 . The Sunday School class breakdown is as follows: Preschool (0-4years): Summer Kinard & Nataliya Fedorovska (held in the room across from the conference room) Kindergarten & 1st grade: Elena Dufault & Cleopatra Papanikas (held in the room next to the kitchen) 2nd -4th grade: Chris & Michelle Claypoole (room next to K-1 room) \ 5th & 6th grade: Maria Easton (conference room) 7th - 12th grade: Robert & Robbie Wippich (Father Stavroforos' office) WE THANK OUR TEACHERS & ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR CHILDREN TO ATTEND CLASSES. Michelle Claypoole SATURDAY GREEK SCHOOL AT SAINT BARBARA Evy is teaching in the conference room from 1 to 2 pm and will have the following students: Dean Costas, Andrea Stoney, Matthew and Vickie Amos. Pakis is teaching in the conference room from 2 to 3 pm with the following students: Toni, George Heath and Mariette Simopoulos (2nd semester) Alexandra is teaching the youngest class of kids from 2 to 3 pm and will have this first class in the Sunday School classroom next to the kitchen--her students are: Henry Wilson, Anastasia Mangum, Dimitrios Glekas, and Jon Michael Constantinou. Dimitra is teaching the older kids from 2 to 3 pm in the far Sunday School classroom next to the storage room and her students are: Maria Papanikas, Athanasios Mangum, and Alexandra Easton. We thank our devoted teachers, and invite those who want to learn modern Greek to join our program 7

8 Choir News: We will be having choir rehearsal for all members and new members on Saturday, Oct 21, and Saturday, Nov 4, at 10:30 until noon. We will be working on music for the fall, including old favorites and some new items. If you would like to join the choir and love to sing but have questions, please feel free to contact Donna Trohanis at Plan to come and raise your voice in song and praise to God and enjoy the fellowship of singing together. Blessings, Donna "Music gives a soul to the Universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and Life to everything!" -Plato- Along with our sister church and the Saint John the Merciful Outreach Ministry headed by Deacon Gavrilo ( ) of Holy Trinity, in Raleigh, we are collecting new packs of socks and underwear! At the end of this month, we will give our collections to our partner agencies - Lost Sheep Outreach Ministry - Haven House Services - Families Together - and Interact Domestic Violence against women. Please bring in new packs of socks and underwear to church to donate toward these wonderful causes. We will be collecting through the month of October! Thank you so much, and please contact me if you have any questions! Blessings, Michelle Claypoole " Know that we must serve, not the times, but God!" (St. Athanasius the Great) To the Parishioners of St. Barbara Church: A big thank you to the faithful volunteers who gave their time, energies and efforts to put the October 7 Chicken Dinner fundraiser together for the benefit of our beloved St. Barbara Church building fund. We also thank those parishioners who came and supported the event, taking home several orders of chicken dinners for their families. Approximately $6,315 was raised a figure that includes the dinners and the pastry sales. The number of dinners served this year was 366, compared to 384 last year, so sales were not quite as robust as expected. Our customers were mostly folks living in surrounding neighborhoods who support and attend our festival as well. The comments were complimentary about the dinner, which was rewarding to all of us who worked so hard to put this dinner together! May God continue to bless our community and its members..helen Paliouras, chairperson 8

9 Thursday Services for Saint Demetrios Matins and Divine Liturgy - 9:00 am On the 26h October we commemorate St Demetrios. This saint was born in Thessalonika in 280 AD and is considered the patron saint of Thessalonika. He came from a wealthy family and at a very young age undertook senior responsibilities as an officer in the Roman Army. He became a Christian during this time and also a devout missionary, preaching at secret meetings that he organised. At one such assembly he was captured and placed in front of Maximineos, who ordered his imprisonment. Demetrios had confessed his faith saying "that only in Christ do I believe ". Even though Demetrios was imprisoned, he did not stop preaching the gospel to those that came to see him. In the jail he was visited by his follower Nestoras, a man of small stature. He had come to ask for his beloved teacher's blessing in order that he could confront the pagan gladiator Leo. Miraculously, as small as he was, with the blessing of Saint Demetrios, Nestoras was able to overcome the mighty gladiator. Maximineos was greatly an gered by the loss of his favourite gladiator and at the hands of a small Christian at that. He immediately ordered that Nestoras be beheaded and that Demetrios be executed by spear (306 AD). The Christians buried the body of Demetrios at the place of execution and because of the beautiful scent that emanated from the tomb, Saint Demetrios was called the Myrrh gusher. Many Christians have been healed by this miraculous myrrh and by calling upon the Saint for assistance. In ancient times this commemoration was a very festive occasion with celebrations lasting for a month. During the festivities there were many associated events such as the famous market named "Demetria". Many traders and business people of the time came from Europe, Egypt, Arabia, Libya to deal and trade. In addition many philosophers, learned men of the time, and artists attended the festivities during the month. Today, in Thessalonika, the largest international exhibition that has been organised by Greece was opened for the month leading up to the 26h October. Saint Demetrios was confirmed as the patron saint of Thessalonika, not only because of his birth and death within this city, but also due to his intervention on many occasions when the city was being attacked by the Slavic nations, the Bulgarians, the Arabs, the Sarracens and others. The liberation of Thessalonika during the Balkan wars of 1912 coincided with the day of celebration of Saint Demetrios. Saint Demetrios is often portrayed in Byzantine icons as a Saint in military dress, either standing or as a horseman. The most ancient depictions of the Saint may be found in the temple of Saint Demetrios in Thessalonika. The Church remained intact until when a large fire destroyed most parts of it. In 1926 reconstruction and restoration began and 1948 saw it in use once again. Today few mosaics and frescos have been saved from the destruction of that fire, but from all records saved about the ancient church it is obvious that it was a marvel of Christian tradition. 9

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