October 28, 2018 7th Sunday of Luke The Holy Protection of the Theotokos Holy Martyrs Terrence and Eunice Our Righteous Father Steven the Sabbaite ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion Ton Sinanarhon Logon ( The Word Who Always Was ) O, The Word Who always was with the Father and Spirit, who for us and our salvation was born of a Virgin let us faithful believers praise and adore, For it did please Him to ascend the Cross in the flesh and Death to endure. And to raise up the dead with Him through His own glorious Resurrection. Apolytikion of Holy Protection of the Theotokos Tis Skepis sou, Parthene ( Your Protecting Veil, O Virgin ) We sing the praise of the graces of your Protecting Veil, O Virgin, which like a light-bearing cloud you unfold beyond understanding, and you spiritually protect your people from every assault of their foe. For we have gained you as Protection and defender and helper, as we cry out to you: Glory to your mighty deeds, O Pure one; glory to your Protection; glory to your providence towards us, O Immaculate! 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 Love and Hope, along with God-minded Faith; together intercede with God for us all. Kontakion of Holy Protection of the Theotokos Osper nefeli aglaos episkiazousa Just as a bright cloud giving shade to the entire Church, * All-pure Defender, for our times of need in days of old, * on the royal city's walls you were our protection. * To us your people, whose Protecting Veil you are today, * grant a sure defense from every danger we may face, * as we cry to you: * Hail, Protection most radiant!
THE EPISTLE The Reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18 You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us. Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed. Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen. Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Πρὸς Γαλάτας 6:11-18 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα Σὺ Κύριε, φυλάξαις ἡμᾶς καὶ διατηρήσαις ἡμᾶς. Στίχ. Σῶσον με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος. Ἀδελφοί, ἴδετε πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί. Ὅσοι θέλουσιν εὐπροσωπῆσαι ἐν σαρκί, οὗτοι ἀναγκάζουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι, μόνον ἵνα μὴ τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διώκωνται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ περιτετμημένοι αὐτοὶ νόμον φυλάσσουσιν, ἀλλὰ θέλουσιν ὑμᾶς περιτέμνεσθαι, ἵνα ἐν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ σαρκὶ καυχήσωνται. Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶσθαι εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ διʼ οὗ ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει, οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, ἀλλὰ καινὴ κτίσις. Καὶ ὅσοι τῷ κανόνι τούτῳ στοιχήσουσιν, εἰρήνη ἐπʼ αὐτούς, καὶ ἔλεος, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ θεοῦ. Τοῦ λοιποῦ, κόπους μοι μηδεὶς παρεχέτω ἐγὼ γὰρ τὰ στίγματα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματί μου βαστάζω. Ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοί. Ἀμήν.
THE GOSPEL The Reading is from the Gospel of Luke 8:41-56 At that time, there came to Jesus a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus' feet he besought him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As he went, the people pressed round him. And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!" But Jesus said, "Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well." And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 8:41-56 Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἄνθρωπός τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ ᾧ ὄνομα Ιάειρος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς ὑπῆρχε καὶ πεσὼν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ιησοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι θυγάτηρ μονογενὴς ἦν αὐτῷ ὡς ἐτῶν δώδεκα, καὶ αὕτη ἀπέθνησκεν. Εν δὲ τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτὸν οἱ ὄχλοι συνέπνιγον αὐτόν. καὶ γυνὴ οὖσα ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος ἀπὸ ἐτῶν δώδεκα, ἥτις ἰατροῖς προσαναλώσασα ὅλον τὸν βίον οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὑπ οὐδενὸς θεραπευθῆναι, προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Ιησοῦς τίς ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; ἀρνουμένων δὲ πάντων εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ ἐπιστάτα, οἱ ὄχλοι συνέχουσί σε καὶ ἀποθλίβουσι, καὶ λέγεις τίς ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; ὁ δὲ Ιησοῦς εἶπεν ἥψατό μού τις ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν ἀπ ἐμοῦ. ἰδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαθε, τρέμουσα ἦλθε καὶ προσπεσοῦσα αὐτῷ δι ἣν αἰτίαν ἥψατο αὐτοῦ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ὡς ἰάθη παραχρῆμα. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ θάρσει, θύγατερ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην. Ετι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἔρχεταί τις παρὰ τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου λέγων αὐτῷ ὅτι τέθνηκεν ἡ θυγάτηρ σου μὴ σκύλλε τὸν διδάσκαλον. ὁ δὲ Ιησοῦς ἀκούσας ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ λέγων μὴ φοβοῦ μόνον πίστευε, καὶ σωθήσεται. ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐκ ἀφῆκεν εἰσελθεῖν οὐδένα εἰ μὴ Πέτρον καὶ Ιωάννην καὶ Ιάκωβον καὶ τὸν πατέρα τῆς παιδὸς καὶ τὴν μητέρα. ἔκλαιον δὲ πάντες καὶ ἐκόπτοντο αὐτήν. ὁ δὲ εἶπε μὴ κλαίετε οὐκ ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει. καὶ κατεγέλων αὐτοῦ, εἰδότες ὅτι ἀπέθανεν. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκβαλὼν ἔξω πάντας καὶ κρατήσας τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς ἐφώνησε λέγων ἡ παῖς, ἐγείρου. καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀνέστη παραχρῆμα, καὶ διέταξεν αὐτῇ δοθῆναι φαγεῖν. καὶ ἐξέστησαν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῖς. ὁ δὲ παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν τὸ γεγονός.
General Assembly Meeting: The Fall General Assembly meeting will take place on Sunday, November 4 th, following the Divine Liturgy. At the meeting we will review the current and future business of our parish, including review of the 2019 budget and nominations for seven candidates to serve on Parish Council for two-year terms beginning in January, 2019. Elections for Parish Council will be held on December 9, 2018. Please note that in order to vote in both the General Assembly and Parish Council Elections, you must have returned a 2018 Stewardship Commitment Form and be current in your commitment. If your name does not appear on the 2018 Stewardship Listing, we request that you complete a 2018 Stewardship Commitment Form. Pledge forms can be found at the Pangari. If you have any questions, please contact Tom Cox at 215-859-1009. PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation: The 2018/2019 scholarship application is available and can be completed online! Applications from eligible college students accepted through January 31, 2019. The application and qualification criteria, requirements, and guidelines are available at www.panhellenicsf.org. Vasilopita Sale: The Ladies Philoptochos is having a Vasilopita sale once again. Order forms are available at the back of the Cultural Center or online at https://www.saintsophiachurch.org/philoptochos.html. Order deadline is December 9 th. Pickup is December 16 th. Community Christmas Card/Poinsettias: If you would like to be included in this year s Christmas card and/or if you would like to donate a poinsettia, please complete the enclosed form as soon as possible and mail or bring it with payment to the Parish office. PLEASE DO NOT CUT THE FORM IN HALF. The deadline to be included in the Christmas card is Sunday, November 25 h, and for placing your poinsettia orders is Sunday, December 2 nd. Additional forms are available at the Pangari and on the table outside the office. To Parents of Young Children: In case you are not aware, our church has a Cry/Bride Room in the Narthex. For those parents whose young children might understandably get fussy during a service, please feel free to take your youngster into that room for a short while. (There is a closed circuit TV showing the service in the room as well as a bathroom/changing station). The intention is NOT to relegate you to another room; rather, this will enable you to attend to your child in a quiet environment before bringing him/her back into the church. 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 610-650-8960 so that a visit can be arranged. In Case of Emergency: If you are having an extreme medical emergency ONLY and are in need of an Orthodox priest, please call the Parish office a t 610-650-8960.
October 28, 2018 7th Sunday of Luke The Holy Protection of the Theotokos Holy Martyrs Terrence and Eunice Our Righteous Father Steven the Sabbaite St. Nicholas Shrine Vigil Candle: Thank you to the Altum and Christulides Families for sponsoring today s vigil candle for St. Nicholas Shrine in memory of Fr. George Christulides. Anyone wishing to sponsor a vigil candle should sign up at the Pangari. (Each vigil candle lasts one week). Each week a new vigil candle will be placed next to the icon of St. Nicholas until the construction of St. Nicholas Shrine has been completed. The asking donation is $10. Memorial Service: Vangjush Nasi (2 years), beloved husband of Maria Nasi and father of Anna (Sam) Sinoimeri. He was also the beloved grandfather of Christopher and James Sinoimeri. May his memory be eternal. Coffee Hour: Thank you to Mrs. Maria Nasi for sponsoring today s coffee hour in memory of her beloved husband Vangjush. AHEPA Meeting: There will be a meeting of AHEPA in the Flex Room during Coffee Hour. Craft Fair/Food Fest: Volunteers are needed to help in the restaurant during the upcoming Craft Fair on Friday, November 9 th through Sunday, November 11 th. Please take a moment to sign up using the Signup Genius link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f054cacaf2ca3f58-stsophia3 Philoptochos "Yiayia s Bakery" Table: The Philoptochos will once again have their annual Yiayia s Bakery table at our Craft Fair/Food Fest Nov. 9-11. We are asking for donations of whole cakes, pies and breads only. We will be accepting the homemade goods as early as the evening of Thursday, November 8 th in the Cultural Center during setup. Anyone wishing to share their baking talents, please contact Alexis Witt (cell # 610-213-9518) as soon as possible with the item you would like to donate. In addition, should you have a little time to spare to help sell our goods on Friday or Sunday, please let Alexis know and we will add you to the schedule. NOTE: Please DO NOT bring any Greek pastries that are already sold at the Craft Fair/Food Fest. Thank you in advance for helping support the ministries of the Philoptochos! Please take a Craft Fair/Food Fest lawn sign and place either on your lawn, a friend s lawn, a place of business (after asking permission), or a public road. We need to advertise our event in order to have a good turnout! Lawn signs are still available in the Cultural Center. GOYA Fundraiser: During the General Assembly meeting, our GOYA members will be selling cheeseburgers. Please help support this worthy ministry. John Cox's Eagle Project at St. Sophia A note of thanks from John Cox: Dear St. Sophia Stewards, Thank you for supporting my Eagle Scout Project. It is now complete; and thanks to your generosity, the costs of the project have been covered in full. Special thanks to Megan Finn and Mr. John Papadimitriou for coming out last Saturday to lend a hand. Sincerely, John Cox
St. Sophia SS. Faith, Hope & Agape Greek Orthodox Church of Valley Forge 900 South Trooper Road, Jeffersonville, PA, 19403 Tel.: (610) 650-8960 Fax: (610) 650-8961 Web: www.saintsophiachurch.org E-mail: office@saintsophiachurch.org Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos October 25, 2018 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: With the Fall Festival in our rear view mirror, we would like to thank all of the parishioners who gave of their time, talent and treasure in order for our festival to operate smoothly. Whether you helped for 20 minutes or 14 hours a day, every effort is greatly appreciated. A very special thank you to our festival Chairman, John Papadimitriou, for his continued and tireless dedication to our Parish. We would also like to thank our new Executive Chef, Stelios Fountas, who not only stepped up when we were in desperate need, but he did so out of love to serve our God and our Parish. We are truly blessed to have both of these fine gentlemen as members of the Saint Sophia family. As most of you know, we were faced with horrible weather all weekend. That resulted in a shortfall of over $8,000 under our budget. This is in addition to the nearly $16,000 budget shortfall from the Spring festival (also weather related), which was almost $22,000 less than last year. This is money we were counting on to continue to pay our bills. We rely on Festival revenue and your Stewardship financial contribution to pay for our major expenses (the mortgage, electric, water, gas, insurance, lawn service, exterminators, equipment repair services, etc.). In addition, we have an obligation to the bank that holds our mortgage to show income of 110% over our annual mortgage payments. As of the date of this letter, we have a net loss of over $18,000 year to date, which means we have a deficit of approximately $42,000 compared to what we need to show to the bank. This means we need to take in $42,000 more than we spend for the remaining two months of the year. If you have any questions about these numbers, please attend the November 4 th General Assembly for a full financial report. This is OUR parish and making up this deficit is dependent solely on OUR financial contributions. Unlike other denominations, we do not receive financial support from the Archdiocese or Metropolis. The bottom line is that we need your help. We are asking each Steward to make a one-time Stewardship donation of $200 or more to help bridge this financial gap. $200 is what many of us spend on a nice dinner out. $200 is the cost of a new dress or a cheap suit. $200 is the cost of a new purse or a new golf club. This works out to less than $4.00 a week (the cost of a latte at Starbucks).
We understand that some families have financial constraints; but most of us have been blessed tenfold with good health, good fortune and prosperity. For those blessed families, we are asking that you consider a minimal gift of $200 to help us bridge the gap for 2018. Note that this is the first time in decades that we have had a budget shortfall that caused us to make an appeal like this, and we do not make this lightly. God willing, and with your help, we will return to prosperity in the years to come. If you have any questions regarding this appeal, please feel free to contact any of our Parish Council members. As always, we are thankful for the generosity of our Parish Family. Yours in Christ, Rev. Economos Peter J. Thornberg, Proistamenos John Pogas Parish Council President
Our Parish is pleased to present the Honorees from our Community for the 2018 Metropolitan Evangelos Ambassador Awards Banquet Parish Honoree: Mrs. Christine Samaras Philoptochos Honoree: Mrs. Despina Notaras Sunday School Teacher: Dr. Marianne Nikas Youth Worker: Mr. Anthony Dimitriadis Ambassador of Faith: Nicholas Papadimitriou Ambassador of Hope: Nicholas (Cole) Nikas We are so proud of our Honorees!