Sunday of the Transfiguration

Transcript

1 Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church 8306 NC HWY 751 Durham NC News & Announcements August 6, 2017 Sunday of the Transfiguration NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! Sunday Worship Schedule: Matins 9:00 am & Divine Liturgy 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: O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom. Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul. The reading is from St. Peter's Second Universal Letter 1:10-19 BRETHREN, be more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to arouse you by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. And I will see to it that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου Κύριε, πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας. Στίχ. Εὐλόγει ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον. Πέτρου τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα είναι απο β' 1:10-19 Ἀδελφοί, σπουδάσατε βεβαίαν ὑμῶν τὴν κλῆσιν καὶ ἐκλογὴν ποιεῖσθαι ταῦτα γὰρ ποιοῦντες οὐ μὴ πταίσητέ ποτε οὕτως γὰρ πλουσίως ἐπιχορηγηθήσεται ὑμῖν ἡ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον βασιλείαν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Διὸ οὐκ ἀμελήσω ἀεὶ ὑμᾶς ὑπομιμνῄσκειν περὶ τούτων, καίπερ εἰδότας, καὶ ἐστηριγμένους ἐν τῇ παρούσῃ ἀληθείᾳ. Δίκαιον δὲ ἡγοῦμαι, ἐφʼ ὅσον εἰμὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ σκηνώματι, διεγείρειν ὑμᾶς ἐν ὑπομνήσει εἰδὼς ὅτι ταχινή ἐστιν ἡ ἀπόθεσις τοῦ σκηνώματός μου, καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐδήλωσέν μοι. Σπουδάσω δὲ καὶ ἑκάστοτε ἔχειν ὑμᾶς μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἔξοδον τὴν τούτων μνήμην ποιεῖσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ σεσοφισμένοις μύθοις ἐξακολουθήσαντες ἐγνωρίσαμεν ὑμῖν τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν καὶ παρουσίαν, ἀλλʼ ἐπόπται γενηθέντες τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλειότητος. Λαβὼν γὰρ παρὰ θεοῦ πατρὸς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν, φωνῆς ἐνεχθείσης αὐτῷ τοιᾶσδε ὑπὸ τῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, εἰς ὃν ἐγὼ εὐδόκησα καὶ ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐνεχθεῖσαν, σὺν αὐτῷ ὄντες ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ἁγίῳ. Καὶ ἔχομεν βεβαιότερον τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον, ᾧ καλῶς ποιεῖτε προσέχοντες, ὡς λύχνῳ φαίνοντι ἐν αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ, ἕως οὗ ἡμέρα διαυγάσῃ, καὶ φωσφόρος ἀνατείλῃ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν. 2

3 8307 The Gospel According to Matthew 17:1-9 At that time, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead." 8308 Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα 17:1-9 Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, παραλαμβάνει ὁ Ιησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ιάκωβον καὶ Ιωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ ἰδίαν καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς Μωσῆς καὶ Ηλίας μετ αὐτοῦ συλλαλοῦντες. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπε τῷ Ιησοῦ Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι εἰ θέλεις, ποιήσωμεν ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωσεῖ μίαν καὶ μίαν Ηλίᾳ. ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔπεσον ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα. καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ Ιησοῦς ἥψατο αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπεν ἐγέρθητε καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε. ἐπάραντες δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν οὐδένα εἶδον εἰ μὴ τὸν Ιησοῦν μόνον. καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ιησοῦς λέγων μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα ἕως οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ. Today s 40 Day Churching Lance and Maria Marinos Barton will be bringing their second daughter Nicole to Church today for her 40-day churching. We congratulate the proud parents and big Sister Madeleine, and the grandparents Transfiguration The transfiguration of Christ is one of the central events recorded in the gospels. Immediately after the Lord was recognized by His apostles as the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the Living God, He told them that He must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things... and be killed and on the third day be raised (Mt 16). The announcement of Christ s approaching passion and death was met with indignation by the disciples. And then, after rebuking them, the Lord took Peter, James, and John up to a high mountain by tradition Mount Tabor and was transfigured before them. 3

4 The Jewish Festival of Booths was a feast of the dwelling of God with men, and the transfiguration of Christ reveals how this dwelling takes place in and through the Messiah, the Son of God in human flesh. There is little doubt that Christ s transfiguration took place at the time of the Festival of Booths, and that the celebration of the event in the Christian Church became the New Testamental fulfillment of the Old Testamental feast in a way similar to the feasts of Passover and Pentecost. In the Transfiguration, the apostles see the glory of the Kingdom of God present in majesty in the person of Christ they see that in Him, indeed, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, that in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily (Col 1.19, 2.9). They see this before the crucifixion so that in the resurrection they might know Who it is Who has suffered for them, and what it is that this one, Who is God, has prepared for those who love Him. This is what the Church celebrates in the feast of the Transfiguration. Besides the fundamental meaning which the event of the Transfiguration has in the context of the life and mission of Christ, and in addition to the theme of the glory of God which is revealed in all of its divine splendor in the face of the Saviour, the presence of Moses and Elijah is also of great significance for the understanding and celebration of the feast. Many of the hymns refer to these two leading figures of the Old Covenant as do the three scripture readings of Vespers which tell of the manifestation of the glory of God to these holy men of old (Ex ; ; 1 Kg ). Moses and Elijah, according to the liturgical verses, are not only the greatest figures of the Old Testament who now come to worship the Son of God in glory, they also are not merely two of the holy men to whom God has revealed himself in the prefigurative theophanies of the Old Covenant of Israel. These two figures actually stand for the Old Testament itself: Moses for the Law and Elijah for the Prophets. And Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Mt 5.17). They also stand for the living and dead, for Moses died and his burial place is known, while Elijah was taken alive into heaven in order to appear again to announce the time of God s salvation in Christ the Messiah. Thus, in appearing with Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah show that the Messiah Saviour is here, and that He is the Son of God to Whom the Father Himself bears witness, the Lord of all creation, of the Old and New Testaments, of the living and the dead. The Transfiguration of Christ in itself is the fulfillment of all of the theophanies and manifestations of God, a fulfillment made perfect and complete in the person of Christ. The Transfiguration of Christ reveals to us our ultimate destiny as Christians, the ultimate destiny of all men and all creation to be transformed and glorified by the majestic splendor of God Himself. The feast of the Transfiguration is presently celebrated on the sixth of August, probably for some historical reason. The summer celebration of the feast, however, has lent itself very well to the theme of transfiguration. The blessing of grapes, on this day is the most beautiful and adequate sign of the final transfiguration of all things in Christ. It signifies the ultimate flowering and fruitfulness of all creation in the paradise of God s unending Kingdom of Life where all will he transformed by the glory of the Lord. 4

5 August Religious Calendar 1-15 Dormition Fast 1 - Tuesday - Small Paraclesis at 6:30 pm 3 - Thursday - Small Paraclesis at 6:30 pm 6 - Sunday - Feast of the Holy Transfiguration - 9:00 am 7 - Monday - Small Paraclesis at 6:30 pm 9 - Wednesday - Small Paraclesis at 6:30 pm 11 - Friday - Small Paraclesis at 6:30 pm 13-10th Sunday of Matthew - 9:00 am 14 - Monday Evening Great Vespers for the Dormition at Greensboro 7:00 pm 800 Westridge Road, Greensboro NC 27410, , dormition@usa.net 15 - Tuesday - Feast of the Dormition - 9:00 am 20-11th Sunday of Matthew - 9:00 am 27-12th Sunday of Matthew - 9:00 am 29 - Tuesday - Beheading of Saint John the Baptist - 9:00 am Yard Sale Sorting Mondays Join in and help with "Sorting Mondays at Church" July and August Sorting Mondays 11 AM - 2 PM Monday, July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31 Monday, August 7, August 14, August 21, August 28 Please notify Evelyn Panos mamapan@aol.com Maria Frangakis enarxis@aol.com Many hands make heavy work light. Thank you very much. 5

6 You are Asked to Please Bring Grapes this Sunday Cut Up in Small Bunches To be Blessed for Distribution To the Faithful on Sunday August 6th Explanation of the Paraclesis: The word paraclesis has two different meanings: the first is consolation, from which the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete, or Consoler ; the second is supplication or petition. The Service of the Paraclesis to the Theotokos consists of hymns of supplication to obtain consolation and courage. It should be recited in times of temptation, discouragement or sickness. It is used more particularly during the two weeks before the Dormition, or Assumption, of the Theotokos, from August 1 to August 14. The theme of these Paraclesis Services centers around the petition. Most Holy Mother of God, save us. If you have a problem or if something is burdening your soul, if you feel spiritually uneasy and if you are not at peace with yourself and with those around you, then, you should come to the Church during the first fifteen days of August and ask for the intercessions of the Mother of God. Even if you are fortunate enough to be one of those very few who are at peace with themselves and with God, then those blessed ones should come to these services and thank God and His Blessed Mother for the blessings that they have bestowed upon you and your family. 6

7 Since these Paraclesis Services to the Theotokos are primarily petition for the welfare of the living, let the whole Church pray for you during the first fifteen days of August and especially on the Great Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15th. Don t let your laziness and your apathy cause you to miss this great blessing and inspiration that the Church can bestow upon you. Let the peace and holiness that only the Mother of God can give you enter into your life. Let us lay aside all earthly cares, and let us truly, during these fifteen days, participate in the fasting and prayer life of the Church so that we can taste and see that the Lord is good and so that we may fully experience the spiritual blessings that the Church has to offer. Dates When the Small Paraclesis will be offered at St. Barbara: Tuesday, August 1 st at 6:30 pm Thursday, August 3 rd at 6:30 pm Monday, August 7 th at 6:30 pm Wednesday, August 9 th at 6:30 pm Friday, August 11 th at 6:30 pm Names for the Health and Well Being of Loved Ones are Submitted at the Service: As noted above, the Paraclesis service is a supplication specifically for the well-being of the living. During the services, Father Stavroforos will commemorate the names of the living faithful for whom prayers have been asked. Accordingly, if you have family members, godparents, godchildren, friends, etc., who you would like to have commemorated at these services, please make a list of their names and provide it to Father. The Reason We Fast for the Feast of the Dormition: So why do we fast before Dormition? In a close-knit family, word that its matriarch is on her deathbed brings normal life to a halt. Otherwise important things (parties, TV, luxuries, personal desires) become unimportant; life comes to revolve around the dying matriarch. It is the same with the Orthodox family; word that our matriarch is on her deathbed, could not (or at least should not) have any different effect than the one just mentioned. The Church, through the Paraclesis Service, gives us the opportunity to come to that deathbed and eulogize and entreat the woman who bore God, the vessel of our salvation and our chief advocate at His divine throne. And as, in the earthly family, daily routines and the indulgence in personal wants should come to a halt. Fasting, in its full sense (abstaining from food and desires) accomplishes this. Less time in leisure or other pursuits leaves more time for prayer and reflection on she who gave us Christ, and became the first and greatest Christian. In reflecting on her and her incomparable life, we see a model Christian life, embodying Christ s retort to the woman who stated that Mary was blessed because she bore Him: blessed rather are those who hear His word and keep it. Mary did this better than anyone. As Fr. Thomas Hopko has stated, she heard the word of God and kept it so well, that she of all women in history was chosen not only to hear His Word but give birth to it (Him). So while we fast in contemplation of her life, we are simultaneously preparing ourselves to live a life in imitation of her. That is the purpose of the Dormition Fast. 7

8 Attic Treasures Yard Sale Dear Fellow Parishioners, Friends and Neighbors, Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, is holding an Attic Treasures and Yard Sale on Saturday, September 9th, If you have any items you would be willing to donate to our sale, I would be happy to pick them up and deliver them to the church. I can also arrange for the pick-up of any large or bulky items, and ensure that you receive a receipt for income tax purposes. If you wish to drop off donations yourself at the church, we are located at 8306 NC Highway 751, about ½ mile south of I40 Exit 274. We would appreciate it if you would call the church office at (919) to confirm when you will be dropping off your items. The office is generally open Monday through Friday 10am-2pm. Collection of items began on June 1 st, We can use almost any kind of merchandise in good condition, but there are some items that we are unable to accept. Examples of acceptable and non-acceptable items appear in the table below. Acceptable Items Furniture, rugs, lamps, decorative art Books, CDs, DVDs, games Children s clothing, toys, décor Garden and recreation/sporting equipment Women s shoes, jewelry, accessories Kitchen, home, bath & holiday décor items Linens, crystal, china & collectibles Tools, hardware Electronics & small appliances Non-Acceptable Items No Women s and Men s clothing (women s shoes ok) No Mattresses No Personal hygiene items No Undergarments No Baby cribs, car seats, plush toys No Very large items (appliances, pianos, sofa beds) No Text books, encyclopedias No Old large and non-flat screen analog TV s If you have any questions, or you have items you d like to donate, please call: Evelyn Panos Maria Frangakis Burrington Hoey Chapel Hill, NC Chapel Hill, NC mamapan@aol.com enarxis@aol.com We re accepting donations June 1 st through Friday, September 8 th. Consider joining us for some fun shopping on yard sale day, Saturday, September 9 th, from 8:00am until 1:00pm. 8

9 General Assembly Sunday, August 20 th 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 9

10 10