Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos Metropolis of New Jersey

Transcript

1 St. Sophia/SS. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church of Valley Forge 900 South Trooper Road Jeffersonville, PA, Tel.: (610) Fax: (610) Sunday Worship: 8:30 am Orthros: 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Office Hours - 9 am to 3 pm Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos frpeterstsophia@verizon.net Metropolis of New Jersey

2 July 19, 2015 Sunday of the Holy Fathers Macrina the Righteous, sister of St. Basil the Great Dios, Abbot of Antioch ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion - Angelike Dinamis ( Angelic Powers ) Angelic Powers were in Your Sepulchre and those who guarded You became as men long dead. And standing there was Mary by Your Tomb seeking Your pure and sacred Body, O You despoiled Hades yet tempted not by him were Y ou. You did meet the Virgin O Life Bestower, O You Who rose from the dead, Glory to You O Lord. Apolytikion for the Holy Fathers Iperdhedhoxasmenos I, Christe ( Supremely blessed are You, O Christ ) Supremely blessed are You, O Christ our God. You established the holy Fathers upon the earth as beacons, and through them You have guided us all to the true Faith, O greatly merciful One, glory be to You. Apolytikion of St. Sophia/Ss. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Oς ελαία κατά καρπος ανεβλάστησας, έν ταίς ανλαίς του Κυρίου, Σοφία μάρτυς σεμνή, καί προσήγαγες Χριστώ καρπόν η δύτατον, τούς τής νηδύος σου βλαστούς, δί α γώνων εύαγων, Αγάπην τε καί `Ελπίδα σύν τη θεόφρονι Πίστει, μεθων δυσώπει υπέρ πάντων ήμων. English Phonetics for Greek Os elea kata karpos anevlastisas, en tes avles tu Kyriou Sofia martys semni, ke prosigages Christo karpon idytaton, tus tis nidyos su vlastus, di agonon evagon, Agapin te ke Elpida, syn ti theofroni Pisti; meth on dysopi yper pandon imon. English As an olive tree laden with fruit you sprouted forth, in the courtyards of the Lord, Sophia martyr dignified, and you brought to Christ a fruit most sweet, Namely your womb s own sprouts, brought up by instructive deeds: your daughters Faith and Hope, along with God-minded Love; together intercede with God for us all. Seasonal Kontakion Prostasia ton Christianon ( O unfailing protection of Christians ) O unfailing protection of Christians, and our faithful advocate before the Creator: though we are sinners, do not ignore our entreaty; but in your goodness, grant your timely help to us who appeal to you in faith. Quickly make intercession; on our behalf make speedy supplication, O Theotokos, for you always protect those who honor you.

3 Church Mortgage and Beautification Update July 17, 2015 We are pleased to let you know that we recently negotiated a lower mortgage rate, which will allow us to put more money into the principal payment and help speed up the payoff of our mortgage. We are also continuing the process of beautifying the church. God bless the recent anonymous donor for the Bishop s throne. In addition, a non-parishioner has donated $17,000 to sponsor the candle stands! God bless so many stewards and friends who have taken great interest in the beautification of His house!! Many sponsorships are still available for both iconography and the furnishings. Please check out the exhibit next door in the Fr. John A. Limberakis Cultural Center. As you ve probably noticed, we have new Narthex furnishings. They were carved by the world-renowned artisans at S. Kavroulakis Company of Chania, Crete, the same firm that carved our beautiful icon screen and other artifacts. This beautiful furniture now greets everyone who enters our church! Some of these items are still available for sponsorship. We have installed a donor plaque to acknowledge those who have contributed to make our new church and its decoration possible. You can see the framework in the Narthex. Please note that the white color is the primer. Our iconographer, Dr. George Kordis is returning for a brief visit at the end of August to decorate the donor plaque and apply a protective varnish to the icons on the icon screen and other items. A draft of the names that will be listed on the donor plaque has been posted in the Fr. John A. Limberakis Cultural Center. Please double check your name and listing to make sure it is accurate. If you have questions or concerns, please see any Parish Council member. St. Sophia Church Mortgage Mortgage balance as of 6/29/2015 $1,350, We recently negotiated a lower rate with QNB Bank, which will lower our payment by $1,000/month. EPISTLE READING The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to Titus 3:8-15 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous. Verse: Blessed are they whose transgressions have been forgiven. TITUS, my son, the saying is sure. I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds; these are excellent and profitable to men. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned. When I send Artemas or Tychicos to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful. All who are with me send greeting to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πρὸς Τίτον 3:8-15 Εὐφράνθητι ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι. Στίχ. Μακάριοι, ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι. Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ περὶ τούτων βούλομαί σε διαβεβαιοῦσθαι, ἵνα φροντίζωσιν καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι οἱ πεπιστευκότες θεῷ. ταῦτά ἐστιν καλὰ καὶ ὠφέλιμα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μωρὰς δὲ ζητήσεις καὶ γενεαλογίας καὶ ἔριν καὶ μάχας νομικὰς περιΐστασο, εἰσὶν γὰρ ἀνωφελεῖς καὶ μάταιοι. αιῥετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἁμαρτάνει, ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος. Ὅταν πέμψω Ἀρτεμᾶν πρὸς σὲ ἢ Τυχικόν, σπούδασον ἐλθεῖν πρός με εἰς Νικόπολιν, ἐκεῖ γὰρ κέκρικα παραχειμάσαι. Ζηνᾶν τὸν νομικὸν καὶ Ἀπολλῶν σπουδαίως πρόπεμψον, ἵνα μηδὲν αὐτοῖς λείπῃ. μανθανέτωσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἡμέτεροι καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι εἰς τὰς ἀναγκαίας χρείας, ἵνα μὴ ὦσιν ἄκαρποι. Ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ μετ ἐμοῦ πάντες. Ἄσπασαι τοὺς φιλοῦντας ἡμᾶς ἐν πίστει. ἡ χάρις μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.

4 Stewardship Update July 17, 2015 GOSPEL READING The Reading is from the Gospel of Matthew 5:14-19 The Lord said to his disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 5:14-19 Εἶπεν ὁ Κὐριος τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς Υμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη οὐδὲ καίουσι λύχνον καὶ τιθέασι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον, ἀλλ ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, καὶ λάμπει πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ. οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ἕως ἂν πάντα γένηται. ὃς ἐὰν οὖν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων καὶ διδάξῃ οὕτω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὃς δ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Did you know that our ministries continue throughout the summer? When in town, please join us for Divine Liturgy on Sundays. With the new summer hours (Liturgy at 9:30 am), you can worship with us, enjoy coffee hour and fellowship and still have lots of time to enjoy summer activities with family and friends. Although we all like to take vacations, let s please be sure to keep Christ in our summer schedule. After all, we would not want God to take a vacation from us! Worshipping together helps to refresh all of us spiritually each week as we prepare to face the earthly demands of the following week. God is calling each and every one of us! Are you listening?? Orthodox Christian Stewardship is our way of thanking God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. To be considered good stewards of our parish and the faith, we must give back in gratitude to Him by giving of our time, talent and treasure. Our Parish and His Ministries need all three from each of us! What are you personally doing to show your gratitude to Him for your own blessings? How are you giving to Him to support His ministries here on Earth? Our 2015 Stewardship Program is off to a great start. If you have not yet returned your Pledge Card please do so today. As a busy parish, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved by giving of our time and talents to support His work. Actively participating is not only spiritually rewarding it can be really fun too! God Bless You for your support of His Work and our parish! 2014 (Year End) 2015 (7/17/15) Pledge Unit Goal Number of Pledges Pledge $ Goal $210,000 $210,000 Amount Pledged $209,857 $198,642 Average Pledge $ $1,067 New Stewards 23 9

5 GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS (continued) Coffee Hour Sponsors Needed!: There are several opportunities to be a coffee sponsor in the next several weeks.. If you are interested in hosting a coffee hour, please put your name on the list at the back of the hall or contact Elaine in the Parish office. Parish List: If you have not yet given us your address (or if it has changed recently) please let the Parish office know so that we can update our files. You may either call the Parish office with your information or you may it directly to stsophia@verizon.net. Pastoral Visits - A Request to All Parishioners: If you desire a pastoral visit in case of a hospitalization or for someone who is homebound, in a nursing facility, or in prison, please have an immediate family member notify the Parish office at so that a visit can be arranged. In Case of Emergency: If you are having an extreme medical emergency and are in need of an Orthodox priest, please call the Parish office at Any information or announcements for the Sunday bulletin must be received by 3pm on the Wednesday prior to publication. Please information to stsophia@verizon.net. Thank you. Elaine Piligian

6 July 19, 2015 Sunday of the Holy Fathers Macrina the Righteous, sister of St. Basil the Great Dios, Abbot of Antioch GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Senior Citizen Ministry: St. Sophia s Senior Parea is open to all senior citizens of the community. The Senior Parea will be taking a break for the months of July and August and will resume weekly meetings in September. Meetings are held each Thursday in the Cultural Center from 10am to 12 noon. Empties4Cash: We are always accepting empty inkjet printer cartridges for recycling. Undamaged ORIGINAL cartridges with a print head qualify for payment -- that includes most Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Canon, Dell, Sharp and Epson cartridges. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Help us recycle trash for cash! Greek School Registration: The Greek school registration form is available at the Pangari or on our website. For questions regarding the program, please contact Erietta Fotiadis at or eriettafotiadis@gmail.com AFTER September 10 th. For questions regarding registration, please contact Roula Matsiras at or rmatsiras@hotmail.com, or Christine Bailey at or christinebailey@outlook.com. Please complete form and return along with your payment to St. Sophia Parish Office by August 30, 2015.

7 SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING SERVICES AND EVENTS Paraklesis Services: During the first fifteen days of August the Church sets aside time for the Chanting of the Small Paraklesis Service. During the Service we honor the Theotokos and ask for her intercessions for those who are living. If you would like to submit names to be read, please list the BAPTISMAL FIRST NAMES ONLY (for example, Nicholas not Niko) of those living and return them to the Parish Office by August 1 st. FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE PANGARI. Sat., Aug. 1 st Dormition fast begins Aug Mon., Aug. 3 rd 6:30 pm Paraklesis to the Theotokos Wed., Aug. 5 th 10:00 am Paraklesis to the Theotokos 6:30 pm Great Vespers Thurs., Aug. 6 th 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Holy Transfiguration The blessing of the grapes & fruit will follow. Please bring your favorite fruit to be blessed and shared! Fri., Aug. 7 th 6:30 pm Paraklesis to the Theotokos Mon., Aug. 10 th 6:30 pm Paraklesis to the Theotokos Wed., Aug. 12 th 10:00 am Paraklesis to the Theotokos Fri., Aug. 14 th 6:30 pm Great Vespers for Falling Asleep of the Theotokos Decoration of the Kouvouklion: On Friday, 8/14, starting at approximately 5:00 pm we will be decorating the kouvouklion with flowers for the Vesper Service and Divine Liturgy for the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos. Everyone is welcome to bring flowers from their gardens and to stay and help decorate the kouvouklion. Sat., Aug. 15h 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Dormition of the Theotokos Sat., Aug. 29 th 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Beheading of St. John the Baptist THIS IS A STRICT FAST DAY Tues., Sept. 1 st 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year Mon., Sept. 7 th Labor Day The Parish Office is Closed Tues., Sept. 8 th 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Nativity of the Theotokos Sept Thursday through Sunday Fall Grecian Festival Mon., Sept. 14 th 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Exaltation of the Holy Cross Wed., Sept. 16 th 6:30 pm Great Vespers for Feast of St. Sophia Thurs., Sept. 17 th 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Feast of St. Sophia Sun., Sept. 20 th WINTER HOURS RESUME 8:45 am Orthros; 10:00 am Divine Liturgy Sunday school begins Luncheon for Fr. Peter celebrating 10 years since his Ordination to the Priesthood. Mon., Sept. 21 st Greek school begins this week.