Sunday After the Elevation of the Holy Cross

Sunday After the Elevation of the Holy Cross Κυριακή μετά την Ύψωσιν 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. Ήχος δ Εωθινόν Β Tone: 4 th Morning Gospel: 2 nd 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2016 18 September 2016

Την σημερινή Κυριακή εορτάζουμε την μνήμη του Οσίου Πατρός ἡμῶν Ευμενίου, Επισκόπου Γορτύνης του Θαυματουργού καί τῆς Ἁγίας Μάρτυρος Αριάδνης. This Sunday we celebrate the memory of our Holy Father Eumenios, Bishop of Gortina, the Miracle-worker and of the Holy Martyr Ariadne. ΝΕΑ ΤΗΣ ΗΜΕΡΑΣ/ NEWS OF THE DAY Εξάμηνον Μνημόσυνον υπέρ αναπαύσεως της δούλης του Θεού Αναστασίας Μπόζου Sixth Month Memorial Service for the servant of God Anastasia Bozos Σαραντισμός της Ελισάβετ Berkman και του υιού της Βενιαμίν Fortieth Day Blessing (Churching) for Elizabeth Berkman and her son Benjamin

Ο καφές & τα γλυκά που θα προσφερθούν στην κοινοτική αίθουσα μετά την Θ. Λειτουργία είναι προσφορά εις μνήμην Αναστασίας Μπόζου από την οικογένειά του. The Coffee Hour which will be offered at the church house, following the Divine Liturgy, is offered in memory of Anastasia Bozos, by her family ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΟΣ/ WORSHIP SERVICES Τρίτη 20 Σεπτεμβρίου 8:00 π.μ.: Όρθρος & Θ. Λειτουργία για την εορτή του Αγίου Ευσταθίου Tuesday, September 20 th - 8:00 a.m.: Orthros & D. Liturgy for the Feast of Saint Eustace

Αναστάσιμον Απολυτίκιον. Ἦχος δ. Τό φαιδρόν τής Αναστάσεως κήρυγμα εκ τού Αγγέλου μαθούσαι αι τού Κυρίου Μαθήτριαι, καί τήν προγονικήν απόφασιν απορρίψασαι, τοίς Αποστόλοις καυχώμεναι έλεγον, Εσκύλευται ο θάνατος, ηγέρθη Χριστός ο Θεός, δωρούμενος τώ κόσμω τό μέγα έλεος. Αναστάσιμον Του Σταυρού. Ἦχος α. Σώσον Κύριε τόν λαόν σου καί ευλόγησον τήν κληρονομίαν σου, νίκας τοίς Βασιλεύσι κατά βαρβάρων δωρούμενος καί τό σόν φυλάττων διά τού Σταυρού σου πολίτευμα. 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. Απολυτίκιον Του Σταυρού. Ἦχος δ. Ο υψωθείς εν τώ Σταυρώ εκουσίως, τή επωνύμω σου καινή πολιτεία, τούς οικτιρμούς σου δώρησαι, Χριστέ ο Θεός, Εύφρανον εν τή δυνάμει σου, τούς πιστούς Βασιλείς ημών, νίκας χορηγών αυτοίς, κατά τών πολεμίων, τήν συμμαχίαν έχοιεν τήν σήν, όπλον ειρήνης, αήττητον τρόπαιον.

Αpolytikion of Resurrection, Fourth Tone 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. Apolytikion of the Cross. First Mode Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance; grant Thou unto the faithful victory over adversaries. And by the power of Thy Cross do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth. 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. Αpolytikion of the Cross, Fourth Tone. Lifted up on the Cross by Your free will, Christ God, grant mercies to the new commonwealth that bears Your name. Gladden our faithful rulers by Your power, giving them victories over their adversaries. May Your alliance be for them a weapon for peace, an invincible standard.

Αποστολικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ της προς Γαλάτας Επιστολής του Αποστόλου Παύλου 2:16-20 Ἀδελφοί, εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ιησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σάρξ. Εἰ δὲ ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ εὑρέθημεν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁμαρτωλοί, ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος; μὴ γένοιτο. Εἰ γὰρ ἃ κατέλυσα ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ, παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνιστάνω. Ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον ἵνα θεῷ ζήσω. Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ.

The Reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Galatians 2:16-20 BRETHREN, you know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Ευαγγελικόν Ανάγνωσμα: Eκ του κατά Μάρκον 8:34-38; 9:1 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. Ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν ὃς δ ἂν ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν [ἐμοῦ καὶ] τοῦ εὐαγγελίου σώσει αὐτήν. Τί γὰρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον κερδῆσαι τὸν κόσμον ὅλον καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ;τί γὰρ δοῖ ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ;ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπαισχυνθῇ με καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ τῇ μοιχαλίδι καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπαισχυνθήσεται αὐτὸν ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἁγίων. Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι εἰσίν τινες ὧδε τῶν ἑστηκότων οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ἐν δυνάμει.

The Gospel Reading is from Mark 8:34-38; 9:1 The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

Are you suffering? Jesus is with you Jesus himself chose to identify with these our brothers and sisters enduring pain and anguish by agreeing to tread the way of sorrows that led to Calvary. By dying on the cross, he surrendered himself into to the hands of the Father, taking upon himself and in himself, with self-sacrificing love, the physical, moral and spiritual wounds of all humanity. By embracing the wood of the cross, Jesus embraced the nakedness, the hunger and thirst, the loneliness, pain and death of men and women of all times. Where is God, if evil is present in our world, if there are men and women who are hungry and thirsty, homeless, exiles and refugees?

Where is God, when innocent persons die as a result of violence, terrorism and war? Where God is in the face of cruel and deadly disease, in the exploitation and suffering of children, and in the anguish of those who doubt and are troubled in spirit. These are questions that humanly speaking have no answer. We can only look to Jesus and ask him. And Jesus answer is this: God is in them. Jesus is in them; he suffers in them and deeply identifies with each of them. He is so closely united to them as to form with them, as it were, one body. In the face of evil, suffering and sin, the only response possible for a disciple of Jesus is the gift of self, even of one s own life, in imitation of Christ; it is the attitude of service. Unless those who call themselves Christians live to serve, their lives serve no good purpose. By their lives, they deny Jesus Christ. We are called to serve the crucified Jesus in all those who are marginalized, to touch his sacred flesh in those who are disadvantaged, in those who hunger and thirst, in the naked and imprisoned, the sick and unemployed, in those who are persecuted, refugees and migrants. There we find our God; there we touch the Lord. The Way of the Cross is the way of fidelity in following Jesus to the end, in the often dramatic situations of everyday life. It is a way that fears no lack of success, ostracism or solitude, because it fills ours hearts with the fullness of Jesus. Christ brings this path even to societies that are divided, unjust, and corrupt.

The Way of the Cross is not a sadomasochistic habit. The Way of the Cross alone defeats sin, evil and death, for it leads to the radiant light of Christ s resurrection and opens the horizons of a new and fuller life. It is the way of hope, the way of the future. Those who take up this way with generosity and faith give hope and a future to humanity. And I would like you to be sowers of hope. Dear people, on that Good Friday many disciples went back crestfallen to their homes. Others chose to go out to the country to forget the cross. I ask you and respond, each of you, silently in your hearts how do you want to go back today to your own homes, to the places where you are staying? Your tents? How do you want to go back this evening to be alone with your thoughts? The world is watching us. Each of you has to answer the challenge that this question sets before you. Tonight Jesus, and we with him, embrace with particular love our brothers and sisters from Syria who have fled from the war. We greet them, and we welcome them with fraternal affection and friendship. Adopted by Pope Francis words for young people at World Youth Day in Krakow on July 2016

Making the Sign of the Cross By Fr. Ted Bobosh Making the sign of the cross is something Orthodox Christians do frequently, and sometimes mindlessly. There are a number of references to this practice from the early church. The early church fathers are clearly aware of the practice, though they don t describe the mechanics of it, so we don t know exactly how they did it. But the power wasn t in how it was done, but in the cross itself.

One of the earliest references to making the sign of the cross comes from Tertullian (d. 225 AD). He writes: At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign. For these and such like rules, if thou requires a law in the Scriptures, thou shalt find none: tradition will be pleaded to thee as originating, custom as confirming, and faith as observing them (The Chaplet 3). Tertullian is defending what has been established as tradition among the early Christians. He admits that making the sign of the cross is not attested to in scripture, but no matter, for there is the living faith of the Christians: the things Christians can be observed to do. Making the sign of the cross is for Tertullian something Christians do multiple times during the course of their ordinary, daily lives.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386AD), writing more than 100 years after Tertullian teaches the new Christian converts to continue this tradition which has come down through the centuries: Let us not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Let us boldly make the cross as our seal upon our brow on all occasions: over the bread we eat, over the cups we drink; in our comings and in our goings; before sleep; on lying down and rising up; when we are on the way and when we are still. It is a powerful safeguard; it is without price, for the sake of the poor; without toil, because of the sick; for it is a grace from God, a badge of the faithful, and a terror to demons; for He made a public display of them, triumphing over them in the cross [Col 2:15]. For when they see the cross, they are reminded of the Crucified. ( A Patristic Treasury: Early Church Wisdom for Today, Kindle Loc. Loc. 3498-3503)

If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me