Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral August 13, 2017

St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral Church Office 508-791-7326 Mon.-Fri.: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. www.spyridoncathedral.org Reverend Doctor Dimitrios Moraitis Dean Reverend Father Dean N. Paleologos Dean Emeritus Reverend Deacon Andrew Giourelis Georgia Parafestas -Parish Council President Email - frdimitrim@gmail.com Metropolis of Boston WELCOME Welcome to the Saint Spyridon Cathedral in Worcester, Massachusetts. We are honored that you have chosen to worship with us today. It is our hope that your visit here will bring you many blessings from God. Please be sure to tell us if you are visiting or if you are new to our community. Our Church Family worships the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and every Sunday, the Lord s Day, we commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to live the Holy Gospel in accordance with the Orthodox Faith; towards sanctification through God s grace in worship, the Divine Liturgy and the Sacraments: glorifying God through all joys and struggles; and as a Church Community, in Christian love, we seek to do His will so that through His mercy, we may attain His Kingdom. We are blessed to have the slippers of St. Spyridon, which are located in the narthex of the Church, please be sure to venerate them. We pray you have a blessed day and that you visit with us again soon. Also, please remember that one must be an Orthodox Christian in order to receive Holy Communion. If you would like to embrace the Orthodox Faith, please see Father Dimitrios Moraitis. May God Bless you! August 13, 2017 Leave-taking of the feast of the Transfiguration MEMORIALS Abraham Pappo-6 months Nicholas Petralias-1 year Georgios Raptis-26 years TRISAGION Olga Yovanis-12 years ALTAR FLOWERS Altar flower are sponsored in loving memory of Abraham Pappo by his wife, Efthalia and, in loving memory of Nicholas Petralias and Georgios Raptis by their families Reminder Office Closed The church office will be closed on Tuesday, August 15 for the religious holiday, Kimisis of the Theotokos SUMMER HOURS SUNDAY SERVICES Orthros 8:15am Divine Liturgy 9:30am WEEKDAY SERVICES Kimisis of the Theotokos Tuesday, August 15 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Liturgy Beheading of St. John the Baptist Tuesday, August 29 8:30am Orthros 9:30am Divine Liturgy Saints of the Day Apodosis of the Transfiguration Maximus the Confessor Dorotheus, Abba of Gaza π δοσις Μεταμορφ σεως Μαξ μος μολογητ ς Δωρόθεος τῆς Γάζας

Entrance Hymns Apolytikion When the stone had been sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life unto the world. Wherefore, the powers of the Heavens cried out to Thee, O Lifegiver: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ. Glory to Thy Kingdom. Glory to Thy dispensation, O only Friend of man. Τοῦ λίθου σφραγισθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ στρατιωτῶν φυλασσόντων τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα, ἀνέστης τριήμερος Σωτήρ, δωρούμενος τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ζωήν. Διὰ τοῦτο αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐβόων σοι Ζωοδότα Δόξα τῇ ἀναστάσει σου Χριστέ, δόξα τῇ Βασιλείᾳ σου, δόξα τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ σου, μόνε Φιλάνθρωπε. You were transfigured on the Mount, Christ God revealing Your glory to Your disciples, insofar as they could comprehend. Illuminate us sinners also with Your everlasting light, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. Giver of light, glory to You. For The Memorials Keep Thy servants in remembrance, O Lord, since Thou art good; and do Thou forgive every sin in this life; for no man is without sin, except for Thee Who art able to grant rest even unto him who has departed hence. Kontakion You were transfigured upon the mount, O Christ our God, and Your disciples, in so far as they could bear, beheld Your glory. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the brightness of the Father. Μετεμορθώθης εν τώ όρει Χριστέ ο Θεός, δείξας τοίς Μαθηταίς σου τήν δόξαν σου, καθώς ήδυναντο, Λάμψον καί ημίν τοίς αμαρτωλοίς, τό φώς σου τό αϊδιον, πρεσβείαις τής Θεοτόκου, φωτοδότα δόξα σοι. Επί τού όρους μετεμορφώθης, καί ως εχώρουν οι Μαθηταί σου τήν δόξαν σου, Χριστέ ο Θεός εθεάσαντο, ίνα όταν σε ίδωσι σταυρούμενον, τό μέν πάθος νοήσωσιν εκούσιον, τώ δέ κόσμω κηρύξωσιν, ότι σύ υπάρχεις αληθώς, τού Πατρός τό απαύγασμα.

Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν. Στίχ. Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν ΤΗΕ EPISTLE Their voice has gone out into all the earth. Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God. Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 4:9-16 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16 Ἀδελφοί, ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ἀνθρώποις. Ἡμεῖς μωροὶ διὰ Χριστόν, ὑμεῖς δὲ φρόνιμοι ἐν Χριστῷ ἡμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰσχυροί ὑμεῖς ἔνδοξοι, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἄτιμοι. Ἄχρι τῆς ἄρτι ὥρας καὶ πεινῶμεν, καὶ διψῶμεν, καὶ γυμνητεύομεν, καὶ κολαφιζόμεθα, καὶ ἀστατοῦμεν, καὶ κοπιῶμεν ἐργαζόμενοι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσίν λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα βλασφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι. Οὐκ ἐντρέπων ὑμᾶς γράφω ταῦτα, ἀλλʼ ὡς τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ νουθετῶ. Ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀλλʼ οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς, μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε. Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

ΤΟ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐλθόντων αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν ὄχλον προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπος γονυπετῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων Κύριε, ἐλέησόν μου τὸν υἱόν, ὅτι σεληνιάζεται καὶ κακῶς πάσχει πολλάκις γὰρ πίπτει εἰς τὸ πῦρ καὶ πολλάκις εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ. καὶ προσήνεγκα αὐτὸν τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου, καὶ ο ὐ κ ἠ δ υ ν ή θ η σ α ν α ὐ τ ὸ ν θεραπεῦσαι. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ιησοῦς εἶπεν ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος καὶ διεστραμμένη! ἕως πότε ἔσομαι μεθ ὑμῶν; ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν; φέρετέ μοι αὐτὸν ὧδε. καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ιησοῦς, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπ αὐτοῦ τὸ δαιμόνιον καὶ ἐθεραπεύθη ὁ παῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης. Τότε προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ιησοῦ κατ ἰδίαν εἶπον διατί ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό; ὁ δὲ Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν ὑμῶν. ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ, μετάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ μεταβήσεται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ γένος οὐκ ἐκπορεύεται εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ. Αναστρεφομένων δὲ αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ιησοῦς μέλλει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται. καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα. THE HOLY GOSPEL At that time, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before him said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting." As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." Fasting / Νηστεία The fast for the Dormition of the Theotokos ends on the morning of August 15th. Regular fasting rules apply afterwards.

HELLENIC ARTS The Hellenic Arts Society invites you to an evening of dinner, music and dance with featured musicians, The Orpheus Band with a guest female vocalist. Saturday, October 28, 2017 More info to come. HOLY TRINITY THE 2017 FITCHBURG GREEK FESTIVAL Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 1319 Main St. Fitchburg, MA Friday, September 15, 2017 5pm-10pm Saturday, September 16, 2017 11am-10pm Free parking and free shuttle bus $5000 Grand prize raffle Performances by the Floga Dance group DJ Markos with Live Music by the Bouzouki Band Food Outdoor seating and bar area Homemade pastries Loukoumades For more info call 978-342-1216 or visit : http://www.holytrinity.ma.goarch.org/festival ST. SPYRIDON SENIORS The St. Spyridon Seniors are inviting everyone to join them on : The Essex Valley Steam Train and Connecticut Riverboat Depart from St. Spyridon 8:30am Delicious Luncheon at the GO Fish Restaurant (baked scrod or stuffed chicken) Authentic Steam train through the Connecticut River Valley and relaxing Riverboat cruise on the Connecticut River Return 6:00pm Please contact George Economou 508.799.7085 or Mary Anna Koulisis 508.752.9662 Everyone is welcomed!

Fr. Dimitri will be hearing confessions on Monday, August 14, 2017 2pm-5pm Ο Δημήτρης θα ακούσει ς Δευτέρα, 14 Αυγούστου 2017 2 μ.μ. - 5 μ.μ. Confession (or repentance) is one of the holy mysteries (or sacraments) in the Orthodox Church, as well as many other Christian traditions. Through it, the penitent receives the divine forgiveness of Christ for any sins that are confessed. Confession is typically given to a Spiritual Father (usually a parish priest or monastic). Confession can be individual or general. The frequency of required confession (as well as whether or not general confession is permissible) can vary from parish to parish, and from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Example of prayer before confession: God and Lord of all! Who hath the power over every breath and soul, the only One able to heal me, hearken unto the prayer of me, the wretched one, and, having put him to death, destroy the serpent nestling within me by the decent of the All-Holy and Life-Creating Spirit. And vouchsafe me, poor and naked of all virtue, to fall with tears at the feet of my spiritual father, and call his holy soul to mercy, to have mercy on me. And grant, O Lord, unto my heart humility and good thoughts, becoming a sinner, who hath consented to repent unto Thee, and do not abandon unto the end the one soul, which hath united itself unto Thee and hath confessed Thee, and instead of all the world hath chosen Thee and hath preferred Thee. For Thou knowest, O Lord, that I want to save myself, and that my evil habit is an obstacle. But all things are possible unto Thee, O Master, which are impossible for man. Amen. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Bible Study The Great Banquet Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Tonna Room Please join Fr. Dimitri as he leads an informative Bible Study on the reasons why Jesus used parabols to describe his second coming and our preparation for it.

Orthodoxy 101 Orthodoxy 101 The Establishment of Independent Autocephalous Churches and the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 7:00pm in the Tonna Room Please come and participate in a discussion led by Fr. Dimitri on the topic of how the various Independent Churches were established and how the Greek Orthodox Church evolved..

THE NEW ST. SPYRIDON CHOIR A NEW CHOIR IS BEING FORMED AND WE NEED YOU. COME SEE WHAT THE CHOIR IS ALL ABOUT AND HOW YOU CAN SHARE YOUR GIFT THROUGH MUSIC. We are very happy to announce that Nathan Reich has joined our parish as our choir director. His background with religious music is extensive and should allow us to try some new arrangements in our effort to Praise the Lord. Nathan is able to provide the choir with leadership and direction to enhance our musical experience. Choir Practice It s the time of year to begin exercising our voices by singing God s praises. Mark your calendar for practice on Thursday, August 17 at 3:00 PM. Further dates and time to be determined. Practices will not be held on the major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Easter. Please make every effort to join us, no previous singing experience necessary and all ages are welcomed. Hoping you had a good summer and planning to see you on August 17th. Katherine Peepas

Saturday, September 9, 2017 The Feeding Ministry is continuing to serve our community with a Luncheon to be served to the Poor and Needy on Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 11:30am in the St. Spyridon Cotsidas Cultural Center. This month s meal is donated by and served by members of the Philoptochos and parish volunteers. The Feeding Ministry will typically be scheduled the 2nd Saturday of each month in conjunction with the Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches of Central Massachusetts and the Food Pantry, and is subject to change if scheduling difficulties should arise. If you would like to volunteer please speak with Fr. Dimitri or contact Maria Kassos. Thank you for participating in the Lord s Work. Το Feeding Ministry συνεχίζει να υπηρετεί την κοινότητά μας με ένα γεύμα που θα σερβιριστεί στους φτωχούς, το Σάββατο 9 2017 στις 11:30 π.μ. στο Αγίου Σπυρίδωνος Κοτσιδάς Το γεύμα αυτό το μήνα δωρίζει και εξυπηρετείται από μέλη του Φιλοπτώχου και εθελοντές ενορίας. Το Feeding Ministry θα προγραμματιστεί το 2ο Σάββατο κάθε μήνα σε συνεργασία με το Συμβούλιο των Ανατολικών Ορθοδόξων Εκκλησιών της Κεντρικής Μασαχουσέτης και το Τροφοθήκη Τροφίμων. Εάν θέλετε να, παρακαλώ μιλήστε με τον Fr. Δημήτρη ή επικοινωνήστε με τη Μαρία Κάσο. Σας ευχαριστώ που συμμετείχατε στο έργο του Κυρίου.

ST. SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL BURN THE MORTGAGE CAMPAIGN Total Cost of Family Center Renovation $4,100,000 Total raised by our community during first fund drive $2,650,000 Burn the Mortgage $1,450,000 Remaining Loan Balance to be paid $1,043,000 $407,000.00 pledged $145,500.00 received Thank You! 3 Year Pledge Amount Annually Monthly $15,000 $5,000 $416 $3,000 $1,000 $83 $1,000 $333 $28 How Much Should I Give? This is a question every one of us must answer individually and with our heart. A goal of this magnitude cannot be realized without your generosity and unity. We are asking everyone from our parish and community to participate at any level. No donation is too small nor too large. Little by little we will achieve this daunting task and be rid of this financial burden. Please consider a tax deductible pledge today. Cash or checks accepted at this time. Thank you and may God bless you. Proverbs 3.9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.

2017 Stewardship Report * GOAL 2017 Week Total 451 pledges received Stewardship Budget $ 441 average/pledge 32 $198,775.50 $330.000.00 * GOAL amount includes the 2017 Stewardship Budget Receipts of $330,000.00. Funds reflect all monies received in 2017 We suggest you budget your Stewardship contribution as you do your monthly home expenses Our Cathedral must meet the Financial needs of its ministries and annual operating budget by way of its Christian Stewardship Program. It is each and everyone's responsibility to accept honor and support your role as a Contributing Steward. Please pledge your Required Stewardship Contribution now, if you have not done so. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.