11 th Sunday of Matthew

Transcript

1 11 th Sunday of Matthew Κυριακή ΙΑ Ματθαίου Όρθρος Κυριακής στις 8:45 π.μ. και Θ. Λειτουργία στις 10:00 π.μ. Sunday Orthros at 8:45 a.m. and D. Liturgy at 10:00 a.m. Presiding Priest: Fr. Nicholas Dassouras 20 Αυγούστου August 2017

2 Ήχος β Εωθινόν IA Tone: 2 nd Morning Gospel: 11 th Τῇ Κʹ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνός μνήμη τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ένδόξου Προφήτου Σαμουήλ, τῶν ἁγίων τριάκοντα ἑπτὰ Μαρτύρων, τῶν ἐν Βιζύῃ τῆς Θρᾴκης μαρτυρησάντων, τῶν ἁγίων Μαρτύρων Σεβήρου, καὶ Μέμνονος Κεντυρίωνος, τῆς ἁγίας Μάρτυρος Φωτεινῆς, ἔξω τῆς πόρτης τῶν Βλαχερνῶν, τοῦ ἁγίου Μάρτυρος Λουκίου τοῦ Βουλευτοῦ & τῶν ἁγίων Μαρτύρων Ἡλιοδώρου καὶ Δοσαῖ. On August 20, we commemorate the holy and glorious Prophet Samuel, we also commemorate the holy 37 Martyrs who witnessed in Viza of Thrace, we also commemorate the holy Martyrs Severus and Memnon the Centurion, we also commemorate the holy Martyr Fotini, outside the gates of Blachernae, and we commemorate the holy Martyr Lucius the Counselor & we also commemorate the holy Martyrs Hiliodoros and Dosai.

3 ΝΕΑ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ / NEWS OF THE DAY Τεσσαρακονθήμερον Μνημόσυνον υπέρ αναπαύσεως του δούλου του Θεού Πέτρου Κιτμιρίδη & Τριετές Μνημόσυνον υπέρ αναπαύσεως του δούλου του Θεού Αναστασίου Μουρουζίδη Fortieth Day Memorial Service for the servant of God Peter Kitmiridis & Third Year Memorial Service for the servant of God Anastasios Mourouzidis Η μακαρία, που θα προσφερθεί στην κοινοτική αίθουσα μετά την Θ. Λειτουργία είναι προσφορά εις μνήμην Πέτρου Κιτμιρίδη και ο καφές και τα γλυκά εις μνήμην Αναστασίου Μουρουζίδη, από τις οικογένειές τους The memorial lunch which will be offered at the church house, following the Divine Liturgy, is offered in memory of Peter Kitmiridis & the coffee fellowship hour in memory of Anastasios Mourouzidis, by their families

4 Αναστάσιμον Απολυτίκιον. Ἦχος β. Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἡ Ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος, τότε τὸν ᾍδην ἐνέκρωσας τῇ ἀστραπῇ τῆς Θεότητος, ὅτε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἐκραύγαζον Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν δόξα σοι. Ἀπολυτίκιον της Εορτής, Ἦχος α' Ἐν τῇ Γεννήσει τὴν παρθενίαν ἐφύλαξας, ἐν τῇ Κοιμήσει τὸν κόσμον οὐ κατέλιπες Θεοτόκε. Μετέστης πρὸς τὴν ζωήν, μήτηρ ὑπάρχουσα τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ταῖς πρεσβείαις ταῖς σαῖς λυτρουμένη, ἐκ θανάτου τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν. Απολυτίκιον Αγίου Γεωργίου, Hχος δ. Ὡς τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐλευθερωτὴς καὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ὑπερασπιστής, ἀσθενούντων ἰατρός, βασιλέων ὑπέρμαχος, Τροπαιοφόρε Μεγαλομάρτυς Γεώργιε, πρεσβεῦε Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ, σωθῆναι τάς ψυχὰς ἠμῶν. Κοντάκιο, Ήχος πλάγιος του β Τὴν ἐν πρεσβείαις ἀκοίμητον Θεοτόκον, καὶ προστασίαις ἀμετάθετον ἐλπίδα, τάφος καὶ νέκρωσις οὐκ ἐκράτησεν ὡς γὰρ ζωῆς Μητέρα, πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν μετέστησεν, ὁ μήτραν οἰκήσας ἀειπάρθενον.

5 Αpolytikion of Resurrection, Second Tone O life immortal, when you descended unto death, you destroyed Hades with the splendor of your divinity, and when you raised the dead from the depths of darkness, all the heavenly powers shouted: O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to you. Αpolytikion of the Feast, First Tone In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering our souls from death by your intercessions. Αpolytikion for St. George, tone fourth As the one renowned for setting captives free, and for defending those in poverty, the physician of the sick and the champion of kings, do thou, o Victory-bearer and Great Martyr George, intercede to Christ our God for the salvation of our souls. Kontakion, Tone Plagal Second Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope, ever vigilant in intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in the ever-virginal womb transposed her to life.

6 Αποστολικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ της προς Κορινθίους Α Επιστολής του Αποστόλου Παύλου 9:2-12 Ἀδελφοί, ἡ σφραγίς μου τῆς ἀποστολῆς ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν κυρίῳ. Η ἐμὴ ἀπολογία τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀνακρίνουσίν ἐστιν αὕτη. Μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν φαγεῖν καὶ πεῖν; μὴ οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν ἀδελφὴν γυναῖκα περιάγειν, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ Κηφᾶς; ἢ μόνος ἐγὼ καὶ Βαρναβᾶς οὐκ ἔχομεν ἐξουσίαν μὴ ἐργάζεσθαι; τίς στρατεύεται ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις ποτέ; τίς φυτεύει ἀμπελῶνα καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐσθίει; ἢ τίς ποιμαίνει ποίμνην καὶ ἐκ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς ποίμνης οὐκ ἐσθίει; Μὴ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ταῦτα λαλῶ, ἢ καὶ ὁ νόμος ταῦτα οὐ λέγει; ἐν γὰρ τῷ Μωϋσέως νόμῳ γέγραπται, Οὐ φημώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα. μὴ τῶν βοῶν μέλει τῷ θεῷ; ἢ δι ἡμᾶς πάντως λέγει; δι ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἐγράφη, ὅτι ὀφείλει ἐπ ἐλπίδι ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριᾶν, καὶ ὁ ἀλοῶν ἐπ ἐλπίδι τοῦ μετέχειν. Εἰ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν τὰ πνευματικὰ ἐσπείραμεν, μέγα εἰ ἡμεῖς ὑμῶν τὰ σαρκικὰ θερίσομεν; εἰ ἄλλοι τῆς ὑμῶν ἐξουσίας μετέχουσιν, οὐ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς; Αλλ οὐκ ἐχρησάμεθα τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ταύτῃ, ἀλλὰ πάντα στέγομεν ἵνα μή τινα ἐγκοπὴν δῶμεν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

7 The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 9:2-12 BRETHREN, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ

8 Ευαγγελικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ του κατά Ματθαίον 18:23-35 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ ὃς ἠθέλησεν συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ. Ἀρξαμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ συναίρειν προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ εἷς ὀφειλέτης μυρίων ταλάντων. Μὴ ἔχοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀποδοῦναι ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος πραθῆναι καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει, καὶ ἀποδοθῆναι. Πεσὼν οὖν ὁ δοῦλος προσεκύνει αὐτῷ λέγων, Μακροθύμησον ἐπ ἐμοί, καὶ πάντα ἀποδώσω σοι. Σπλαγχνισθεὶς δὲ ὁ κύριος τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου ἀπέλυσεν αὐτόν, καὶ τὸ δάνειον ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ. Ἐξελθὼν δὲ ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος εὗρεν ἕνα τῶν συνδούλων αὐτοῦ ὃς ὤφειλεν αὐτῷ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια, καὶ κρατήσας αὐτὸν ἔπνιγεν λέγων, Απόδος εἴ τι ὀφείλεις. Πεσὼν οὖν ὁ σύνδουλος αὐτοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν λέγων, Μακροθύμησον ἐπ ἐμοί, καὶ ἀποδώσω σοι. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν, ἀλλὰ ἀπελθὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν ἕως ἀποδῷ τὸ ὀφειλόμενον. Ἰδόντες οὖν οἱ σύνδουλοι αὐτοῦ τὰ γενόμενα ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα, καὶ ἐλθόντες διεσάφησαν τῷ κυρίῳ ἑαυτῶν πάντα τὰ γενόμενα. Τότε προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ λέγει αὐτῷ, Δοῦλε πονηρέ, πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἐκείνην ἀφῆκά σοι, ἐπεὶ παρεκάλεσάς με οὐκ ἔδει καὶ σὲ ἐλεῆσαι τὸν σύνδουλόν σου, ὡς κἀγὼ σὲ ἠλέησα;καὶ ὀργισθεὶς ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν τοῖς βασανισταῖς ἕως οὗ ἀποδῷ πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ οὐράνιος ποιήσει ὑμῖν ἐὰν μὴ ἀφῆτε ἕκαστος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν τὰ παραπτώματα αὖτῷν.

9 The Reading is from Matthew 18:23-35 The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

10 Αποστολικό Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ της προς Κορινθίους Α Επιστολής του Αποστόλου Παύλου 9:2-12 Αδελφοί, κι αν ακόμα άλλοι αρνούνται να με αναγνωρίσουν ως απόστολο, για σας οπωσδήποτε είμαι γιατί η ίδια η ύπαρξη της εκκλησίας σας είναι η απόδειξη πως είμαι απόστολος. Να πώς απολογούμαι σ αυτούς που αμφισβητούν και συζητούν την αυθεντία μου ως αποστόλου: Δεν έχω τάχα δικαίωμα να συντηρούμαι με δαπάνη της εκκλησίας που υπηρετώ; Μήπως δεν έχω δικαίωμα να έχω μαζί στα ταξίδια μου αδερφή χριστιανή ως σύζυγο, όπως κάνουν και οι άλλοι απόστολοι και τα αδέρφια του Κυρίου και ο Κηφάς; Ή μήπως είμαστε οι μόνοι, εγώ κι ο Βαρνάβας, που δεν έχουμε δικαίωμα συντηρήσεως, αλλά πρέπει να ζούμε με την εργασία μας; Ποιος πάει ποτέ στρατιώτης στον πόλεμο με δικά του έξοδα; ποιος φυτεύει αμπέλι και δεν τρώει από τον καρπό του; ή ποιος βόσκει πρόβατα και δεν τρώει από το γάλα του κοπαδιού; Μήπως αυτά που λέω είναι σύμφωνα μόνο με την ανθρώπινη καθημερινή πείρα; Κι ο νόμος δε λέει τα ίδια; Πράγματι, στο Μωσαϊκό νόμο είναι γραμμένο: Μη βάλεις φίμωτρο στο βόδι που αλωνίζει. Μήπως για τα βόδια νοιάζεται ο Θεός; Μήπως αυτά που λέει αναφέρονται πραγματικά σ εμάς; Ασφαλώς αυτά γράφτηκαν για μας. Αυτός που οργώνει κι αυτός που αλωνίζει πρέπει

11 να κάνουν τη δουλειά τους με την ελπίδα της συμμετοχής στη συγκομιδή. Εμείς σπείραμε ανάμεσά σας πνευματικό σπόρο σας φαίνεται πάρα πολύ αν θερίσουμε από σας τα υλικά, που είναι αναγκαία για τη συντήρησή μας; Αν άλλοι κάνουν χρήση αυτού του δικαιώματος απέναντί σας, δε θα ταίριαζε να το κάνουμε περισσότερο εμείς; Εμείς όμως δεν κάναμε χρήση του δικαιώματος αυτού, αλλά υπομένουμε κάθε στέρηση, για να μη δημιουργήσουμε κανένα εμπόδιο στη διάδοση του ευαγγελίου του Χριστού.

12 Ευαγγελικό Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ του κατά Ματθαίον 18:23-35 Είπε ο Κύριος την ακόλουθη παραβολή, «η βασιλεία των ουρανών μοιάζει μ ένα βασιλιά, που θέλησε να του αποδώσουν λογαριασμό οι δούλοι του. Μόλις άρχισε να κάνει το λογαριασμό, του φέρανε κάποιον που όφειλε δέκα χιλιάδες τάλαντα. Επειδή δεν μπορούσε να τα επιστρέψει, ο κύριός του διέταξε να πουλήσουν τον ίδιο, τη γυναίκα του, τα παιδιά του κι όλα τα υπάρχοντά του και να του δώσουν το ποσό από την πώληση. Ο δούλος τότε έπεσε στα πόδια του, τον προσκυνούσε κι έλεγε: δείξε μου μακροθυμία και θα σου τα δώσω όλα τα χρέη μου πίσω. Τον λυπήθηκε λοιπόν ο κύριός του εκείνον το δούλο και τον άφησε να φύγει του χάρισε μάλιστα και το χρέος. Βγαίνοντας έξω ο ίδιος δούλος, βρήκε έναν από τους συνδούλους του, που του όφειλε μόνο εκατό δηνάρια τον έπιασε και τον έσφιγγε να τον πνίξει λέγοντάς του: ξόφλησέ μου αυτά που μου χρωστάς. Ο σύνδουλός του τότε έπεσε στα πόδια του και τον παρακαλούσε: δείξε μου μακροθυμία, και θα σου τα ξεπληρώσω. Εκείνος όμως δε δεχόταν, αλλά πήγε και τον έβαλε στη φυλακή, ώσπου να ξεπληρώσει ό,τι του χρωστούσε. Όταν το είδαν αυτό οι σύνδουλοί του, λυπήθηκαν πάρα πολύ, και πήγαν και διηγήθηκαν στον κύριό τους όλα όσα έγιναν. Τότε ο κύριος τον

13 κάλεσε και του λέει: κακέ δούλε, σου χάρισα όλο εκείνο το χρέος, επειδή με παρακάλεσες δεν έπρεπε κι εσύ να σπλαχνιστείς το σύνδουλό σου, όπως κι εγώ σπλαχνίστηκα εσένα; Και οργισμένος τον παρέδωσε στους βασανιστές, ώσπου να ξεπληρώσει όσα του χρωστούσε. Έτσι θα κάνει και σ εσάς ο ουράνιος Πατέρας μου, αν ο καθένας σας δε συγχωρεί τα παραπτώματα του αδερφού του μ όλη του την καρδιά».

14 Parable of the Unforgiving Servant When we come to the church, we must enter in accordance with God s liking, having no malice in the soul, nor praying to our detriment when we say Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us. For this statement is terrible, and he who says it is exclaiming to God something like this: I remitted; Master, you remit. I loosened; you loosen. I forgave; you forgive. If I retained, you retain. If I did not forgive my neighbor, then do not annul my sins. With the measure I used to measure, let me be measured as well. (St. John Chrysostom, The Fathers of the Church: On Repentance and Almsgiving)

15 The Unforgiving Servant This parable that Jesus told about the Unforgiving Servant is a story that ought to inspire and terrify in equal measure. It ought to inspire us because it is a story that reminds us of the enormous degree of forgiveness that God has offered to us in Christ. It is a debt of forgiveness that I was not able to repay, and could never repay. By cancelling the debt, I have been utterly liberated. The guilt of things done wrong or said

16 wrong, is something that we can never remove from our lives; yet the promise of God (and the reality) is that God is able to loose the bonds and break these chains. This has to be a liberated and cleansing thing that sets us free to be fully human and not to be bound by our pasts. Another reason why the Parable ought to inspire us, is that Christ provides for us a model for the way that Christians ought to forgive others. As Paul writes to the Church in Ephesus: Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ. (Ephesians 4:32) Or, as CS Lewis put so well: To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. But this Parable ought to terrify us as well and that is not always a bad thing if it wakes us from our complacency and puts us back onto a path to wholeness. At the end of the Parable Jesus gave this stark warning: This then is how my Heavenly Father will treat you unless you forgive your brother or sister in your heart (i.e. sincerely). And how did the king in the parable treat the unforgiving servant? By not lifting an enormous debt that now had to be self-atoned for, by excluding the servant from the king s presence and from the ones he loved.

17 Unforgiveness, then, is not just a poison whose venom is slow working and deadly, but it is also deeply offensive to God. And it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. There may be some things that today you find impossible to forgive someone for. If that is the case, don t start with that; try something smaller and see how you get on. We have, through the liberating act of forgiveness, the power to end conflicts and heal our lives, as well as the lives of others. This time, and in the context of a world filled with conflict and hatred, is this not worth trying?

18 Prophet Samuel Samuel was an Ephraimite, the son of Elkanah and Hannah. Deeply religious, he "grew up in stature and in favour both with Yahweh and with men..." (I Samuel 2:26). "All Israel from Dan to Beersheba came to know that Samuel was accredited as a prophet of Yahweh" (I Samuel 3:20). Following a disastrous defeat of the Israelites by the Philistines, Samuel rallied his humiliated people and won for himself recognition as a judge and prophet (I Samuel 7:6). He anointed Saul as Yahweh's choice as ruler, and his prestige with the people ensured Saul's elevation to the kingship (I Samuel 11:12-14). But, despite military victories, Saul disappointed Yahweh by his disobedience, and Samuel turned against him in favor of young David (I Samuel 15:10-35). Fearful of David's growing popularity, Saul tried in vain repeatedly to have the young man killed, but Yahweh protected him (I Samuel 19, 23). Samuel secretly anointed David as future king of Israel (I Samuel 16:12-13), and as soon as the insane Saul died, David succeeded him. Samuel was thus Yahweh's instrument in establishing two successive kings who ruled over a sixty-year period. An inspiring, selfless leader, Samuel was held in high regard by his people throughout his life. Two books of the Bible are named after him (I Samuel and II Samuel).

19 ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE WELCOME JOIN US On Sunday, August 20, immediately following the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Nicholas will bless all college students before leaving for school. Please join him in front of the altar (after the Divine Liturgy) to receive the blessing of our Lord. Please share with those who attend college.

20 In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering our souls from death by your intercessions.