ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL AND THE CHAPEL OF SAINT THEODORE

ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL AND THE CHAPEL OF SAINT THEODORE WEEKLY BULLETIN 7220 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23505 Phone: 757-440-0500 Fax: 757-423-6929 Email: churchadmin@agoc.hrcoxmail.com Web: www.annunciation.va.goarch.org Very Rev. Archimandrite, Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers, Dean Rev. Protopresbyter Constantine Rogakos, Priest Today is: Sunday, October 20, 2013 6th Sunday of Luke Artemios of Antioch / Gerasimos of Cephalonia

ALTAR SERVERS Chris Katsias, Theo Malamatos, Donald Black, Alexander Sarris, Nicholas Sarris, Christopher Sarris, Michael Rea, Nicholas Neskis, Costas Delidakis, Phillip Malamatos EPISTLE READER Nicholas Neskis LITURGICAL SCHEDULE Saturday, October 26 St. Demetrios the Myrrhbearer Orthros 8:30 am D. Liturgy 9:30 am Chapel TODAY The Philoptochos Chapter will be handing out pink carnations in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to all the ladies after the Divine Liturgy. The Philoptochos Luncheon meeting will be held in the Hellenic Center after Divine Liturgy, cost $5. The guest speaker is from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS ORTHODOX LIFE - ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION : Will meet on this Tuesday, October 22, at 6:30 pm, in the Bible Study room. The theme for this semester is The History of Ancient Christianity from the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles to 1054, the time of the Great Schism. HOPE&JOY: Harvest Party, on this Saturday, October 26, from 3 to 6 pm, in the Social Hall. We still need families to participate in the Trunk N Treat. For this families will decorate their car trunks as if they are a house. The children will then come to each car to receive treats. Arrive by 3 pm to set up your space.

GOYA: Please support our annual GOYA Tournament and Fellowship Weekend by purchasing an ad in the program. Look for the insert in today's bulletin. And, thank you for your continued support for our youth! GOLDEN YEARS: There will not be seniors on Tuesday, October 15. ANNUNCIATION HELLENIC DANCERS (Grades 9-12): Thank you for participating in the 2012 Christmas Card. We are planning ahead for the 2013 Christmas Card. Please submit completed forms to the office. CULTURAL COMMITTEE: Saturday December 14 at 7:00 pm. Christmas Concert by the Us Army Doctrine Band at Regent University Virginia Beach, VA. For your free tickets please contact Chris Bachas 233-9302 or Jane Williams 410-9299. Deadline November first. HWC: We are still baking every Wednesday at 9am in the Hellenic Center in preparation for the Christmas Craft Show/Bake Sale. Hope to see many hands in the kitchen! AGORA STORE: The Agora Store, sponsored by the Philoptochos Society of the Annunciation Cathedral, is opened every Sunday, following the Divine Liturgy, for all of your edible needs. Proceeds of the store support the Needy and indigent of the Tidewater Area.

THE EPISTLE READING 2nd Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1 Brethren, you are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.

Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Πρός Κορινθίους Δευτέρας Ἐπιστολῆς Παῦλου 6:16-18; 7:1 Ἀδελφοί, ὑμεῖς γὰρ ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε ζῶντος, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν Θεός, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι λαός. διὸ ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν καὶ ἀφορίσθητε, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε, κἀγὼ εἰσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔσομαι ὑμῖν εἰς πατέρα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθέ μοι εἰς υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ. Ταύτας οὖν ἔχοντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀγαπητοί, καθαρίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, ἐπιτελοῦντες ἁγιωσύνην ἐν φόβῳ Θεοῦ.

THE GOSPEL READING 6th Sunday of Luke Luke 8:26-39 At that time, as Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me." For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

ΤΟ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟΝ Ἔκτη Κυριακή τοῦ Λουκά Ἐκ τοῦ κατά Λουκάν 8:26-39 Τῶ καιρῶ ἐκείνω Ἰησοῦς κατέπλευσεν εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν. Ἐξελθόντι δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ἀνήρ τις ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, ὃς εἶχε δαιμόνια ἐκ χρόνων ἱκανῶν, καὶ ἱμάτιον οὐκ ἐνεδιδύσκετο, καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔμενεν, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς μνήμασιν. ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἀνακράξας προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἶπε Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, Ἰησοῦ υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου; δέομαί σου, μή με βασανίσῃς. παρήγγειλε γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. πολλοῖς γὰρ χρόνοις συνηρπάκει αὐτόν, καὶ ἐδεσμεῖτο ἁλύσεσι καὶ πέδαις φυλασσόμενος, καὶ διαρρήσσων τὰ δεσμὰ ἠλαύνετο ὑπὸ τοῦ δαίμονος εἰς τὰς ἐρήμους. ἐπηρώτησε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων Τί σοί ἐστιν ὄνομα; ὁ δὲ εἶπε Λεγεών ὅτι δαιμόνια πολλὰ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτόν καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν ἵνα μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἀπελθεῖν. Ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ ἀγέλη χοίρων ἱκανῶν βοσκομένη ἐν τῷ ὄρει καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιτρέψῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς ἐκείνους εἰσελθεῖν καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς. ἐξελθόντα δὲ τὰ δαιμόνια ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰσῆλθον εἰς τοὺς χοίρους, καὶ ὥρμησεν ἡ ἀγέλη κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ εἰς τὴν λίμνην καὶ ἀπεπνίγη. ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ βόσκοντες τὸ γεγενημένον ἔφυγον, καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς. ἐξῆλθον δὲ ἰδεῖν τὸ γεγονὸς, καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ εὗρον καθήμενον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀφ' οὗ τὰ δαιμόνια ἐξεληλύθει, ἱματισμένον καὶ σωφρονοῦντα παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν. ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτοῖς οἱ ἰδόντες πῶς ἐσώθη ὁ δαιμονισθείς. καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς περιχώρου τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν ἀπελθεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῶν, ὅτι φόβῳ μεγάλῳ συνείχοντο αὐτὸς δὲ ἐμβὰς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ὑπέστρεψεν. ἐδέετο δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀνὴρ, ἀφ' οὗ ἐξεληλύθει τὰ δαιμόνια, εἶναι σὺν αὐτῷ ἀπέλυσε δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων Ὑπόστρεφε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου καὶ διηγοῦ ὅσα ἐποίησέ σοι ὁ Θεός. καὶ ἀπῆλθε καθ' ὅλην τὴν πόλιν κηρύσσων ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς.

SAINTS AND FEASTS COMMEMORATED St. Gerasimos of Cephalonia October 20 Saint Gerasimus was from the Peloponnesus, the son of Demetrius and Kale, of the family of Notaras. He was reared in piety by them and studied the Sacred writings. He left his country and went throughout various lands, and finally came to Cephalonia, where he restored a certain old church and built a convent around it, where it stands to this day at the place called Omala. He finished the course of his life there in asceticism in the year 1570. His sacred relics, which remain incorrupt, are kept there for the sanctification of the faithful. APOLYTIKION of this Sunday O Merciful One, You came from on high, and condescended to Your three day burial to save us from suffering. You are our Life and our Resurrection. Glory to You. Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν καταδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν παθῶν. Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ Ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι.

WISDOM FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS For if we, going about on the earth which is familiar and well known to us, being encompassed with a body, when we are journeying in a strange road, know not which way to go unless we have some one to lead us; how should the soul, being rent away from the body, and having gone out from all her accustomed region, know where to walk without one to show her the way? 4th Century St. John Chrysostom, Homily 28 on Matthew 8 KONTAKION of this Sunday O Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, mediation unto the creator most constant: O despise not the voices of those who have sinned; but be quick, O good one, to come unto our aid, who in faith cry unto you: Hasten to intercession and speed you to make supplication, O you who did ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor you. Προστασία τῶν Χριστιανῶν άκαταίσχυντε, μεσιτεία, πρός τόν Ποιητήν ἀμετάθετε, μή παρίδης, ἀμαρτωλῶν δεήσεων φωνάς, ἀλλά πρόφθασον, ὡς ἀγαθή εἰς τήν βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, τῶν πιστῶς κραυγαζόντων σοι. Τάχυνον εἰς πρεσβείαν, καί σπεύσον εἰς ἰκεσίαν, ἡ προστατεύουσα ἀεί, Θεοτόκε τῶν τιμώντων σε.

SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS Sometimes we are looking for miracles in wrong places Throughout the years people have often ask me why we don't have miracles like they did back in Jesus' time. When reading the Bible we encounter many miracles, Moses dividing the Red Sea, Elijah healing the widow's son, Jesus walking on the water, Jesus driving out demons from people, and of course the biggies, such as Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and then the biggest miracle of all, Jesus' own resurrection. If we read the Bible carefully we will encounter these miracles along with many others. Today when people encounter a miraculous event they usually chalk it up to scientific technology, good medicine, or an act of nature. On the morning of 9/11 many people left their offices in the Twin Towers in New York, in order to get coffee and bagels for their co-workers. Five minutes later two jet airplanes flew right into the Towers, killing thousands of people and maiming hundreds more. The survivors considered this a miracle. However, other people say well, it was just a coincidence that they left, after all, coffee runs are usual in big companies. Just a few weeks ago a man was flying a jet plane and for some reason the plane crashed. The man was found safe and sound sitting in his cockpit in a tree, not even getting a scratch. People said that it was the type of wind sheer that allowed the cockpit to fall gently and safely. However, surely this man sees it as a miracle. Furthermore, a few months ago there was a lady who gave birth to six children who were three months premature. They survived even though they were very small and had little chance of surviving. People also chalk this up to good science. So many things happen to people and we try to "figure it out" citing science, medicine, or nature. Perhaps these events or situations are God giving us a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven. After all, this is what miracles are anyway, little glimpses into God's rule and authority. However, we miss the power of the message as did the people in the time of Jesus. Not much as changed since then, as the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes says, "there is nothing new under the sun." Then as now people want to be entertained. They had magicians, fortune-tellers, and astrologers and we have circus' and Hollywood with special effects to dazzle us. Yet, Jesus' was not a magician nor was he trying to enter-

tain people, although many thought they were being entertained. At one point when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes they wanted to seize him in order to make him a king! They saw his power in human terms, missing the point that Jesus was directing them to the kingdom. Jesus' miracles are a sign of his kingship, but his kingship is not of this world. His power is over disease, nature, and even death. God is the god over all things in creation. Also, these miracles, like the one we heard today about the demon possessed man are an invitation of faith. Towards the end of the gospel lesson we heard that the once possessed man was found "clothed and in his right mind" sitting at Jesus' feet. This man is the male version of Mary, the one whose sister Martha was busy preparing lunch complaining that her sister Mary wasn't helping her. Yet all the while Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet as an act of faith, learning and listening from her Master. The gospel of Luke provides us with many miracles of Jesus with different people. These people approached Jesus in faith and they were healed of their disease and discomfort because of their faith; because they came to Jesus for help. And compared to the big miracles that we often think about, the parting of the Red Sea for instance, these miracles in the gospel are quite small, Jesus' really didn't do much, he says a few words and people are restored to health and well-being. Yet all too often we overlook the hundreds of small miracles in our life, the small glimpses into the kingdom of God because we are too darn busy seeking the big miracles, the walking on water type of miracle. We overlook the many miracles of family members being reconciled to their family after being pushed out or living in self induced exile, the miracle of a restored friendship, and the miracle of life itself. I think we do this because deep down we would rather be entertained and excited and we don't want Jesus interfering in our life. After all, it is a fearful thing when we encounter the Lord. The great crowds in the reading today were afraid because of what Jesus did to the possessed man, they were so afraid that they demanded that Jesus leave them immediately. Often we push Jesus out of our life too because we can't deal with the kingdom, we want to focus on the here and now. How sad, because all the while Jesus was directing these people to the kingdom, offering them the bread of life, and they were satisfied with popcorn and cotton candy. How sad indeed!

We extend to you a warm and heartfelt Orthodox Christian welcome. Our Greek Orthodox Cathedral is dedicated to imitating the love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ by sharing the gospel with our words and living it with our lives. It exists to lead the faithful to the worship of the Holy Trinity according to the Faith and Tradition of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Our witnessing to our Faith is accomplished through the Sacramental life of the Church, its values and traditions, stewardship, fellowship, service, and Christian education. Published by: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral 7220 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23505 Contact Information: Elizabeth Miller Tel: 757-440-0500 Fax: 757-423-6929 Email: churchadmin@agoc.hrcoxmail.com