Τό Αποστολικό Ανάγνωσμα

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1 GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ZOODOHOS PEGHE PELHAM BAY, BRONX, NEW YORK or Sunday, May Κυριακή Μαίου 20, 2018 Sunday of the Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council in Nicea Κυριακή τών Πατέρων τής εν Νικαία 1ης Οικουμενικής Συνόδου ORTHROS 9:30 a.m. DIVINE LITURGY 10:15-11:30 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. Τό Αποστολικό Ανάγνωσμα Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Ὅτι δίκαιος εἶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν. Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων 20:16-18, τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα Ἐν ταῖς ἡμεραῖς ἐκείναις, ἔκρινεν ὁ Παῦλος παραπλεῦσαι τὴν Ἔφεσον, ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ ἔσπευδεν γάρ, εἰ δυνατὸν ἦν αὐτῷ, τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς γενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Μιλήτου πέμψας εἰς Ἔφεσον μετεκαλέσατο τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Ὡς δὲ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτόν, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, προσέχετε οὖν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους, ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ κυρίου καὶ θεοῦ, ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος. Ἐγὼ γὰρ οἶδα τοῦτο, ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς, μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσονται ἄνδρες λαλοῦντες διεστραμμένα, τοῦ ἀποσπᾷν τοὺς μαθητὰς ὀπίσω αὐτῶν. Διὸ γρηγορεῖτε, μνημονεύοντες ὅτι τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον. Καὶ τὰ νῦν παρατίθεμαι ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, τῷ δυναμένῳ ἐποικοδομῆσαι, καὶ δοῦναι ὑμῖν κληρονομίαν ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πᾶσιν. Ἀργυρίου ἢ χρυσίου ἢ ἱματισμοῦ οὐδενὸς ἐπεθύμησα. Αὐτοὶ γινώσκετε ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσιν μετʼ ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται. Πάντα ὑπέδειξα ὑμῖν, ὅτι οὕτως κοπιῶντας δεῖ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενούντων, μνημονεύειν τε τῶν λόγων τοῦ

2 κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπεν, Μακάριόν ἐστιν μᾶλλον διδόναι ἢ λαμβάνειν. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπών, θεὶς τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ, σὺν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς προσηύξατο. Today s Appointed Pericope Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers. Verse: For you are just in all you have done. The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' " And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all. TO ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 17:1-13 Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ὁ Ιησοῦς, καὶ ἐπῆρε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ εἶπε πάτερ, ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν, ἵνα καὶ ὁ υἱός σου δοξάσῃ σε, καθὼς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός, ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ δώσῃ αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ιησοῦν Χριστόν. ἐγώ σε ἐδόξασα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὸ ἔργον ἐτελείωσα ὃ δέδωκάς μοι ἵνα ποιήσω καὶ νῦν δόξασόν με σύ, πάτερ, παρὰ σεαυτῷ τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί. Εφανέρωσά σου τὸ ὄνομα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὓς δέδωκάς μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. σοὶ ἦσαν καὶ ἐμοὶ αὐτοὺς δέδωκας, καὶ τὸν λόγον σου τετηρήκασι. νῦν ἔγνωκαν ὅτι πάντα ὅσα δέδωκάς μοι παρὰ σοῦ ἐστιν ὅτι τὰ ῥήματα ἃ δέδωκάς μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον, καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀληθῶς ὅτι παρὰ σοῦ ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας. Εγὼ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐρωτῶ οὐ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου ἐρωτῶ, ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν δέδωκάς μοι, ὅτι σοί εἰσι, καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πάντα σά ἐστι καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά, καὶ δεδόξασμαι ἐν αὐτοῖς. καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ οὗτοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εἰσί, καὶ ἐγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι. πάτερ ἅγιε, τήρησον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι, ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν καθὼς ἡμεῖς. ὅτε ἤμην μετ αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου οὓς δέδωκάς μοι ἐφύλαξα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπώλετο εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ. νῦν δὲ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι, καὶ ταῦτα λαλῶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἵνα ἔχωσι τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἐμὴν πεπληρωμένην ἐν αὐτοῖς.

3 The Gospel Reading The Gospel According to John 17:1-13 At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made. "I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves." Απολυτίκιον Ἀγγελικαὶ Δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμά σου, καὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες ἀπενεκρώθησαν, καὶ ἵστατο Μαρία ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, ζητοῦσα τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα. Ἐσκύλευσας τὸν ᾍδην, μὴ πειρασθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὑπήντησας τῇ Παρθένῳ, δωρούμενος τὴν ζωήν, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ των νεκρῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Apolytikion Angelic powers were above Thy tomb, and they that guarded Thee became as dead. And Mary stood by the grave seeking Thine immaculate Body. Thou hast despoiled Hades and wast not tried thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst grant us life. O Thou Who didst arise from the dead, Lord, glory be to Thee. Κοντάκιον Τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πληρώσας οἰκονομίαν, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς ἑνώσας τοῖς οὐρανίοις, ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Χριστε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐδαμόθεν χωριζόμενος, ἀλλὰ μένων ἀδιάστατος, καὶ βοῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε Ἐγώ εἰμι μεθ' ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐδεὶς καθ' ὑμῶν. Kontakion O Christ our God, upon fulfilling Your dispensation for our sake, You ascended in Glory, uniting the earthly with the heavenly. You were never separate but remained inseparable, and cried out to those who love You, "I am with you and no one is against you." The Memorials Today are offered in loving memory of + The Deceased Members of AHEPA - Z.P.Chapter Theodora Smith + Zaharias Pertsinides + Vasiliki & Efstratios Hanzakos + Andreas Mantzioutas May the Lord Rest their Souls in Eternal Peace! Αιωνία τους η Μνήμη!

4 The Artoclasia service today is offered for the continued good health of The members of the AHEPA chapter 175 on the occasion of the National AHEPA Recognition Day The Lord bless all Ahepans and their families with many healthy years. Χρόνια Πολλά! SUNDAY SCHOOL GRADUATION " The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." 1 Timothy 5:17 A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR CATECHISTS! One of the most important things Christians can do is to pass on the faith from one generation to another. Today we thank all those who have accepted this ministry. Our catechists give of themselves in so many ways. We thank them and pray for them. We also invite all of you to think about coming forward as Catechists for the new school year in September. Million thanks to our Director Katerina Siskos, and to Kosma & Alexandra Bokios for their dedication to our Sunday school and for a job well done! Many thanks also go to our Catechists Svetlana Vlahopoulos and Dina Symeonides and to our assistants Demitri Magriples, Konstantina Stilianesis, Melina Katechis, Irene Fta and Anastasia Michialis. Finally,we thank all the parents for entrusting their children to our care on Sunday mornings. May God bless them all! We Welcome all AHEPA members today and we thank them for supporting our parish and for building communities, for strengthening our Orthodox faith, for affirming our Hellenic identity and for their service to those in need. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Fellowship. Please, join us! Today, immediately after the Philoptohos The Philoptohos Fellowship Join us for coffee after the services in the Community Center. All are welcome!

5 JOIN US FOR THE Z.P. FESTIVAL JUNE 13th -JUNE 17th, 2018 The Pelham Bay Greek Festival celebrates the best of Greek food, music, dancing and culture. Experience authentic Greek foods and homemade Greek pastries; traditional Greek dancing by the Greek American Institute students and Greek music; an outdoor and indoor marketplace full of vendors, a flea market, and area for kids with carnival rides & games and other children s activities, and much more. Event Info: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday- : 6pm -11pm Saturday: 6pm -12am & Sunday: 6pm-10pm You can help with the expenses of the festival by sponsoring the 5-day event. The cost of sponsorship is $ Signs bearing the logo and name of each business and sponsor is displayed around the festival grounds. This is a perfect way to show your love for your parish and at the same time advertise your business. Please look for the sponsorship application in this mail or pick one up at the church office and send it with your payment to the church. Tell a friend also! Raffle Prizes This year, we are pleased to offer 23 prizes. The cash prizes are : 1st Prize: $10, Cash 2 nd Prize: $ Cash Tickets are $25.00 a chance. Your parish is asking for your help. We are asking that you purchase some raffles and to sell some to your neighbors, business associates and contacts and to your friends. The success of this festival depends on everyone s help and personal efforts. ALL MONETARY FESTIVAL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE WELCOME! Our festival is almost here and we are excited to start working towards a great affair. Please help us defray the substantial cost of food and supplies by donating any amount. Any contributions should be clearly marked for " Festival Supplies" and mailed to the church. Make your gift. Donate today!

6 REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S GOSPEL READING by Fr. Mike In today s gospel Jesus asks his Father and our Father that we would all become one as he and the Father are one. If Jesus is praying for our oneness then he is also recognizing and rejecting the boundaries and differences that divide us. There are divisions within ourselves, our families, our churches, our nation. We live in a world full of divisions male or female; rich or poor; gay or straight; Hispanic or Anglo; Christian or Muslim; conservative or liberal; educated or uneducated; young or old; heaven or earth; divine or human; sinner or saved; orthodox or heretic. We could go on and on listing the boundaries that we encounter and all too often establish or promote. They are not just divisions they have become oppositions. These divisions exist not only out there in the world but primarily and first in the human heart. We project onto the world our fragmented lives. For every boundary we establish there is a human being. Ultimately, boundaries and differences are not about issues. They are about real people, with names, lives, joys, sorrows, concerns, and needs just like us. I think we sometimes forget or ignore this. It is easier to deal with an issue than a real person. Whether or not we admit it the boundaries we establish and enforce are usually done in such a way as to favor us; to make us feel ok, to reassure us that we are right and in control, chosen and desired, seen and recognized, approved of and accepted. In order for me to win someone must lose, in order for me to be included someone must be excluded otherwise winning and being included mean nothing. The divisions of our lives in some way become self-perpetuating. We often deal with the boundaries and differences that divide us by writing agreements, covenants, treaties, and legislation that govern how we will get along with each other and behave in the midst of our differences. But that is not Jesus prayer. Jesus does not pray for our tolerance, our getting along, or just being nice to each other. He does not even pray that our differences would be eliminated. Instead he prays for our oneness. He prays that we would be one as he and the Father are one so that our oneness would be the revelation of God s presence to the world. Oneness in the midst of difference becomes a sacramental presence of God s life in the world. That does not mean, however, that we lose our identity or individuality. Jesus does not stop being Jesus and the Father stop being the Father because they are one. Oneness is less about numbers and quantity and more qualitative. Jesus and the Father are one because they love and give themselves to each other. Oneness is a quality of life God s life. Jesus prayer for oneness is ultimately that we would be and live like God. Oneness is not about eliminating differences. It is about love. Love is the only thing that can ever overcomes division. Over and over Jesus tells us that.

7 Love God. Love your neighbor. Love yourself. Love your enemy. Our love for God, neighbor, self, and enemy reveals our oneness, and the measure of our oneness, our God-likeness, is love. In love there may be differences but there is no division. God s love knows no boundaries. God loves male and female, rich and poor, gay and straight, Hispanic and Anglo. God loves Christian and Muslim, conservative and liberal, educated and uneducated. God loves young and old, heaven and earth, divine and human. God loves sinner and saved, orthodox and heretic. All are loved fully, completely, and uniquely as each needs. God does not even draw boundaries between Jesus and us. If we think God loves Jesus more than anyone else we have missed the point of the Gospel. God loves you the same as he loves Jesus. God loves your neighbor the same as he loves Jesus. God loves your enemy the same as he loves Jesus. If that is how God loves how can we do anything less and still call ourselves Christians? For far too long we have dealt with each other through our boundaries, differences, and divisions. You can see where that has gotten us. You need only look at the world, read the newspaper, or watch the news. When we deal with others through our divisions we label, do violence, and hunker down to defend our position. There is no oneness in that. Though Jesus is praying to the Father you and I will in large part be the ones to answer Jesus prayer. We answer his prayer every time we choose how to love, who to love, where to love. It is time we answer Jesus prayer and deal with one another in love. So I wonder, who are the boundaries that await our love? Upcoming Weekday Liturgies 9:00am -10:30 am Monday, May 21st Feast of Saints Constantine & Helen Saturday. May 29th Saturday of the Souls before Pentecoste- Kollyva ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΕΣ ΑΥΤΗ ΤΗΝ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΑ Δευτέρα, Μαίου 21 Εορτή τών Αγίων Κωνσταντίνου & Ελένης Σάββατο, Μαίου 29 Ψυχοσάββατο πρίν τής Πεντηκοστής- Κόλλυβα