Rev. Fr. Athanasios Nenes, Parish Priest

Transcript

1 ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗ ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΤΑΞΙΑΡΧΩΝ TAXIARCHAE/ARCHANGELS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 25 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA Phone: Phone Fax: Website: Office: Rev. Fr. Athanasios Nenes, Parish Priest Cell Phone: Sunday after Epiphany January 8, 2017 WEEKDAY SERVICES - Καθημερινές Λειτουργίες: Every Tuesday Vespers - (6:00 PM) Every Thursday Paraklesis to the Panagia Gorgoepikoos - (6:00 PM) St. Anthony - Tuesday, Jan. 17th Orthos (8:45AM) Liturgy (9:45AM) St. Athanasios - Wednesday, Jan. 18th Orthos (8:45AM) Liturgy (9:45AM) Three Hierarchs - Monday, Jan. 30th Orthos (8:45AM) Liturgy (9:45AM)

2 HYMNS OF THE DAY Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Mode: The women disciples of the Lord heard from the angel, the joyful news of the Resurrection and the repeal of the sentence imposed upon our forefathers. With pride they said to the Apostles, "Death is vanquished, Christ our God is risen bestowing upon the world His great mercy." Τὸ φαιδρὸν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως κήρυγμα, ἐκ τοῦ Ἀγγέλου μαθοῦσαι αἱ τοῦ Κυρίου Μαθήτριαι, καὶ τὴν προγονικὴν ἀπόφασιν ἀπορρίψασαι, τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις καυχώμεναι ἔλεγον Ἐσκύλευται ὁ θάνατος, ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ὁ Θεός, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Apolytikion for Afterfeast of the Theophany in the First Mode: Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the veneration of the Trinity was revealed. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You, calling You Beloved, and the Spirit, in the guise of a dove, confirmed the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world. Ἐν Ἰορδάνῃ βαπτιζομένου σου Κύριε, ἡ τῆς Τριάδος ἐφανερώθη προσκύνησις, τοῦ γὰρ Γεννήτορος ἡ φωνὴ προσεμαρτύρει σοί, ἀγαπητὸν σὲ Υἱὸν ὀνομάζουσα, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐν εἴδει περιστεράς, ἐβεβαίου τοῦ λόγου τὸ ἀσφαλές. Ὁ ἐπιφανεῖς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, καὶ τὸν κόσμον φωτίσας δόξα σοί. Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Mode: You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us. With fuller understanding we sing to You: "You came, You were made manifest, the unapproachable light." Ἐπεφάνης σήμερον τὴ οἰκουμένη, καὶ τὸ φῶς σου Κύριε, ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ἓν ἐπιγνώσει ὑμνούντάς σε. Ἦλθες ἐφάνης τὸ Φῶς τὸ ἀπρόσιτον. Receiving Holy Communion - We welcome to this celebration of the Divine Liturgy those Christians who are from other Christian Denominations and who are not fully united with us. Sadly, it is a consequence of the divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend to you an invitation to receive Holy Communion. Orthodox Christians believe that the Eucharist is the work or action of the celebrating community signifying a oneness of faith, life, and worship of the believing community. Reception of Holy Communion by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist, and for which we must pray. However, all present are welcome to partake of the Antidoro (blessed bread) which is distributed at the end of the Liturgy Service.

3 EPISTLE READING Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 32.22,1. Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us. Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous. The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:7-13. BRETHREN, grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gi. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he led a host of cap ves, and he gave gi s to men." (in saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And his gi s were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, un l we all a ain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Προκείμενον. First Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 32.22,1. Γένοιτο, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Στίχ. Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν Κυρίῳ τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἐφεσίους 4:7 13. Ἀδελφοί, ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Διὸ λέγει, Ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος ᾐχμαλώτευσεν αἰχμαλωσίαν, καὶ ἔδωκεν δόματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Τὸ δέ, Ἀνέβη, τί ἐστιν εἰ μὴ ὅτι καὶ κατέβη πρῶτον εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς; Ὁ καταβάς, αὐτός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὰ πάντα. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους, πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων, εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέχρι καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

4 GOSPEL READING Sunday after Epiphany The Reading is from Matthew 4:12-17 At that time, Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth He went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 4:12 17 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ιησοῦς ὅτι Ιωάννης παρεδόθη, ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, καὶ καταλιπὼν τὴν Ναζαρὲτ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς Καπερναοὺμ τὴν παραθαλασσίαν ἐν ὁρίοις Ζαβουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλείμ, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ησαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος γῆ Ζαβουλὼν καὶ γῆ Νεφθαλείμ, ὁδὸν θαλάσσης, πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότειεἶδε φῶς μέγα, καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτουφῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς. Απὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ιησοῦς κηρύσσειν καὶ λέγειν μετανοεῖτε ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Today, the Ladies of Philoptochos will be collecting donations for The Saint Basil Academy. It is a national non-profit philanthropic center of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America which provides love, shelter, food, education, protection and a home for orphans, children of chronically ill or destitute parents, or children from broken homes. The National Philoptochos is the major financial donor. Please be generous with your donations. Thank you.

5 Welcome to all who worship with us this Sunday morning. The Ladies of Philoptochos invite you to the cutting of the Vasilopita immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Memorials: A 2 year Memorial will be offered for Kay Arvanitis by her loving family. A 6 year Memorial will be offered for Demosthenes Arvanitis by his loving family. A 19 year Memorial will be offered for Nicholas Souris by his loving family. A 23 year Memorial will be offered for Vivian Souris by her loving family. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Greek School - Tues. Jan. 10 (4:00) Thurs. Jan. 12 (4:00) Sat. Jan. 14 (10:00AM) Stewardship Sunday - Jan. 22nd Winter Camp Feb a 3 day long retreat hosted at the St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center for all GOYAns! The weekend includes an off-site ski trip to Pat's Peak Mountain for skiing, snowboarding, tubing & lodge fun with friends. Registration begins January 9th. Win a $25 Gift Certificate to a local restaurant! (Ask your grandparents) TRIVIA QUESTION: We all know the year our Taxiarchae Church was established, but what we need is the EXACT DATE! Also, what happened on that date to celebrate it s first day as a Church (Liturgy, a Proclamation,). Please call the Church Office with your answer. The correct answer wins a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant. (The Orthodox Observer in preparation of the upcoming Centennial Anniversary of the Archdiocese was asked to create a chronological list of the Parishes of our Churches in America.) PARKING: Help us be a good neighbor. When parking at the Watertown Savings Bank, the ATM needs to be accessible even on Sundays! Please be considerate.

6 YOU ARE THE VOICE OF CHRIST IN A CHANGING WORLD The base from which we serve as the Voice of Christ in a Changing World is the parish. A strong parish provides opportunities for sharing the Good News of Christ, for welcoming those that are searching for a spiritual home, and a base from which we are sent out into the world. The parish also provides a place for worship, community and education in the faith. To be stewards of the Gospel, we need to be stewards of our parish. This requires the vision and inspiration to see the parish, not as it is, but as it could be. We are called to offer ourselves and our treasure to make our local church all that is can be. TAXIARCHAE STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2017 STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY JOHN KOPELLAS, STEWARDSHIP CHAIRMAN TAXIARCHAE/ARCHANGELS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 25 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA / stewardship@goarchangels.org Harris J. Booras Chapter #406 We wish to all members of our Chapter and their families and all of the Taxiarchae community a New Year 2017 filled with HAPPINESS, HEALTH and PROSPERITY! Happy Name day to all Vasilios, Anthony, Theophanis, and all whose Saint(s) are in January. Our chapter will have the 1 st Regular Meeting of the new year on Thursday, January 12 in the Atrium of the Hellenic Cultural Center, with social hour and refreshments at 7 PM followed by the Regular Meeting at 7:30 PM. The agenda will include: Celebration/Blessing and cutting of the Vasilopita by our Fr. Athanasios Nenes Processing of additional membership applications as submitted, Reports by the President, Secretary (or Assistant Secretary), Treasurer and other officers. Plans by Committees on coming activities, i.e. Apokreatiko Glendi, Greek Independence Day,, AHEPA Day, District 8 Business, Book awards to Greek School graduates, etc. Plans for new activities. Remarks by District and Supreme officers, if present. Other discussions/proposals for the benefit of AHEPA. Starting with this meeting we welcome your Membership Dues for the Year Please, recruit any friend or family members and others who may be interested in joining our AHEPA chapter. We need new innovative ideas to sustain and expand our chapter membership. Tavli / Backgammon games continue on Fridays in the Atrium (or alternate location), 10 AM-1 PM.

7 The Blessing of our Homes at Epiphany As is customary, following the days of the Epiphany feast, the priest visits the homes of parishioners to perform the Agiasmo and to bless the family. If you wish to have your home blessed, please fill out the slip below and mail it to the church. Father Athanasios will call you to schedule his visit. We thank you and wish you a healthy and most prosperous New Year. When Christ entered the Jordan River, he sanctified the waters and all of creation. An important sign of God s sanctification of all things through the feast of Theophany is the act of blessing the homes of faithful Christians. The priest visits the members of the church to pray with them in the place where they live, and to bless their surroundings with Holy Water. He asks God to have mercy on the house, to rid it of every evil and to fill it with every blessing. To prepare for Father Athanasios visit to bless your home: Make a list of the first names of those family members you wish to pray for when Father Athanasios arrives. On your dining room table or family altar, place a lighted candle, an incense burner (if available), a family icon, a wide bowl (to hold the holy water the priest will bring), and some vasiliko (fresh leaf basil). Be sure your prayer list is there, too! Turn off all TVs, stereos, and computers. Secure any pets that might get underfoot. When Fr. Athanasios arrives, everyone in the house should gather around the table/family altar and join in the singing of the litany responses and Troparion. The family will then lead Father throughout the house for the blessing. Name: Address: Please list the baptismal names of the living you would like commemorated: Telephone home work cell Preferred Dates and Times: (Please indicate three)

8 PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation $250,000 in Scholarships THIRD THURSDAY January 19th, PHILOTIMO CHAT GROUP JOIN A FRIENDLY GROUP: GET CREATIVE, MAKE CONNECTIONS LINGER OVER COFFEE Third Thursday of every month. Apply TODAY: Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 ALL ELIGIBLE UNDERGRADUATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY!!! Book of the Month MY LIFE, AS AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH By Vasilios K. Patsiokostas A P B In his autobiography, Vasilios Patsiokostas (Patsios) recounts his life experiences of survival during World War II and the Greek Civil War; his success as an immigrant in America; and his support and joy in a close-knit Greek family. His story is fascinating and inspirational. Free-will donation. Proceeds from the book sales will support the Taxiarchae church youth ministries. Thank you.