January 14, 2018 Leavetaking of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Agnes the Virgin-martyr Sabbas (Sava), Archbishop of Serbia The Holy Fathers slain at Sinai and Raitho ENTRANCE HYMNS Resurrectional Apolytikion - Katelisas to Stavro ( By Thy Cross Destroyed ) O Death didst Thou destroy by Thy Cross. Thou opened Paradise to the Thief and the laments of the myrrhbearers didst Thou change and to Thine own Apostles command them to announce that Thou had risen O Christ our God, Who gives to the World Thy Great Mercy. Apolytikion for the Apodosis of Theophany - En Iordhani ( As You were baptized ) As You were baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, then the worship of the Trinity became manifest, for the voice of the Father bore witness to You, naming You the Beloved Son; and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the certainty of the word. O Christ God, who appeared and illumined the world, glory to You. 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. Seasonal Kontakion Epefanis simeron ( You appeared today to us ) You appeared today to us * on earth, O Master, * and Your light was signed on us * who cry aloud to You and say * with understanding, O Christ our God: You came and shone forth, O Light unapproachable.
EPISTLE READING The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:7-13 Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us. Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous. Koliva Class Friday, February 9 th : The class on how to prepare Koliva will be offered so that the tradition can live on through the generations. This class is open to all, and no experience is necessary. All materials will be provided except for a small bowl that holds about 2 cups of koliva. Participants will learn how to prepare the dish for the 1 st Saturday of Souls on Saturday, February 10th. The class will be offered from 6-8 pm and will be led by Maria Tsipras. The cost to participate in the class is only $10. Please contact Maria with questions. RSVP by phone 610-539-5413 or email tsipras@verizon.net. The deadline to sign up is February 3 rd. Girl Scout Cookie Sales If anyone in the Parish has a daughter(s) who would like to sell Girl Scout Cookies during Coffee Hour in the Cultural Center, please see Presvytera Katherine or contact her at pkstfamily@verizon.net to select an upcoming date. Sales will begin Sun., Jan. 21 st and end Sun., Mar. 11 th. Please be prepared to set-up your table and clean-up once you are finished. BRETHREN, grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (in saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Ἀνάγνωσις ἐπιστολῆς Πρὸς Ἐφεσίους 4:7-13 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα Γένοιτο, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Στίχ. Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε δίκαιοι ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἀδελφοί, ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Διὸ λέγει, Ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος ᾐχμαλώτευσεν αἰχμαλωσίαν, καὶ ἔδωκεν δόματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Τὸ δέ, Ἀνέβη, τί ἐστιν εἰ μὴ ὅτι καὶ κατέβη πρῶτον εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς; Ὁ καταβάς, αὐτός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὰ πάντα. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ εὐαγγελιστάς, τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους, πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων, εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέχρι καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
GOSPEL READING The Gospel According to Matthew 4:12-17 At that time, when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ΕVΑΓΓÉΛΙΟΝ Ἐκ τοῦ Ματθαῖον 4:12-17 Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ιησοῦς ὅτι Ιωάννης παρεδόθη, ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, καὶ καταλιπὼν τὴν Ναζαρὲτ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς Καπερναοὺμ τὴν παραθαλασσίαν ἐν ὁρίοις Ζαβουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλείμ, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ησαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος γῆ Ζαβουλὼν καὶ γῆ Νεφθαλείμ, ὁδὸν θαλάσσης, πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότειεἶδε φῶς μέγα, καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτουφῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς. Απὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ιησοῦς κηρύσσειν καὶ λέγειν μετανοεῖτε ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
Scout Sunday: Sunday, February 4 th, is National Scout Sunday and on that day we will recognize all those children and adults who are part of Scouting. All Scouts MUST be in their Class A uniforms. Please submit to the Parish office (by e-mail, if possible) the names (children and adults), ranks and branch of Scouting you are in by Monday, January 29 th in order to be included in the program at the end of the Divine Liturgy. We are very excited to support scouting in this community. Please remember that there are numerous religious service awards that our children can work towards earning for all levels of Scouting. Please see Fr. Peter for more information! 2018 Ecclesiastical Calendars: In an effort to save the Parish resources, 2018 Church calendars are available for pickup on the table outside of the Parish office on a first come, first serve basis. We respectfully request that each stewarding family take only 1 calendar per household. Thank you! 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. New Iconography: As you can see by the new iconography on the walls of our church, the beautification of our church is complete. There are many new opportunities to sponsor an icon. If you are interested in sponsoring any of these, please see either Dr. Peter Patukas or Fr. Peter Thornberg for more details. Register Tapes: Don t forget to save your Shop-Rite register tapes. We can only use receipts from any of the ten Brown s stores located in: Bensalem PA, East Norriton, PA, Fairless Hills PA, Cheltenham, PA and in Philadelphia, PA, on Island Ave., Oregon Ave., 52 nd & Parkside, Haverford Ave., and Ridge Ave. in the Roxborough section. They also have one store in Brooklawn, NJ. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Please submit receipts timely, only tapes from within 4 months of the transaction date are accepted. REDNER S Register Tapes: We are now collecting Redner s Market register tapes. Remember to use your Pump Perks card when making purchases. The drop off box is located in the lobby of the Cultural Center. Bulletin Announcements: Any church organization requesting that their announcement or flyer be placed in the bulletin must submit their material by 12 noon Wednesday for the upcoming Sunday s bulletin. Please e- mail information to office@saintsophiachurch.org Thank you. Elaine Piligian 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 at 610-650-8960.
January 14, 2018 Leavetaking of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Agnes the Virgin-martyr Sabbas (Sava), Archbishop of Serbia The Holy Fathers slain at Sinai and Raitho St. Nicholas Shrine Vigil Candle: Thank you to Maria and Kathy Tsipras for sponsoring today s vigil candle for St. Nicholas Shrine in memory of their father, Speros Tsipras. 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: Today s memorial service is being chanted for Georgia Tsioulfaidis (20 years), beloved wife of Eleftherios and mother of Alex (Deanna) and Chris. She also left behind two sisters in Greece, Dimitra Chrysochoidou and Martha Mavridis, and two siblings here in the U.S., Morphia Alexiadis and John Karagiorgos. May her memory be eternal. Parish Council Affirmation of Office: Today after the Divine Liturgy, we will have the Swearing-In Ceremony for the new Parish Council. Coffee Hour: Thank you to Alex and Deanna Tsioulfaidis for sponsoring today s luncheon in memory of Georgia Tsioulfaidis. Senior Citizen Ministry: St. Sophia s Senior Parea is open to all senior citizens of the community. The next meeting of the Senior Parea will be on Thursday, January 18 th. Stewardship: Thank you to everyone who supported our 2017 Stewardship Program. If you have not yet finished paying your 2017 pledge, please do so TODAY. In addition, when paying by check, it is imperative that you indicate Stewardship 2017 or Stewardship 2018 in the memo line so that your account is properly credited. Also, if you make cash donations, please be sure to include your name either on the outside of the envelope or on a slip of paper attached to the cash. Should you have any questions, please see Tom Cox, our stewardship chairperson. The 2018 campaign will be starting shortly, so it is imperative that we are able to finalize our stewardship roles for this year. Thank you! House Blessings: If you wish to have your homes and/or businesses blessed by Fr. Peter, please call the Parish office to schedule a visitation. OUR EMAIL ADDRESSES HAVE CHANGED: Emails to the parish office should now be sent to office@saintsophiachurch.org. If you need to contact Fr. Peter directly, his email address is now frpeter@saintsophiachurch.org.
` PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS JANUARY 2018 SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT Telephone Discussion Group The National Philoptochos Society Department of Social Services is sponsoring a confidential telephone discussion group for members undergoing treatment for cancer. Six consecutive sessions are being offered from January 11th through Feb. 15th at 7pm with facilitator Theodora Ziongas, M.A. Pre-registration required by emailing: supportgroup@philoptochos.org. Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage Project Mexico, through works of mercy, helps build homes in Mexico for the poor and provide a home to orphaned boys at St. Innocent Orphanage. There are many opportunities to get involved as faithful Orthodox Christians: Apply for a summer internship, help feed the boys of St. Innocent Orphanage by donating to the food pantries or sign up to sponsor a boy s education through the School Buddies program. For more information please visit projectmexico.org. COMMITMENTS & PROGRAMS Our chapter supports established National and Metropolis commitments and programs through fundraising activities. With your support, we continue to meet our obligations and support those in need. DECEMBER DONATIONS UNICEF $110 General Medical Fund $100 Please join us at our next Philoptochos meeting on Tuesday, February 13 at 7pm. UPCOMING EVENTS Trivia Nite - January 27 Purchase your tickets today - Limited Seating! For more information, registration form and rules visit www.saintsophiachurch.org/trivia-nite. Godparents Sunday - February 4 Godparents and Godchildren are encouraged to come to church together to worship and receive Holy Communion. Please join us for a Superbowl Tailgate lunch immediately following Divine Liturgy. Koliva Class - February 9 Come learn how to prepare Koliva, the boiled wheat dish made for memorial services and Saturday of Souls Liturgies. The class will be offered from 6-8 pm and will be led by Maria Tsipras. The cost to participate in the class is only $10. Please contact Maria with questions. RSVP by phone 610.539.5413 or email tsipras@verizon.net. The deadline to sign up is February 3rd. Project Mexico - March 13 Please join us for a presentation from Presbytera Katherine on her visit to St. Innocent Orphanage and details on Project Mexico. There will be a brief meeting for members and some light refreshments to follow. We look forward to learning more on this philanthropy of Philoptochos. 2018 MEMBERSHIP The 2018 Membership drive begins on January 1 st and runs through April 30 th. Look for your membership packet later in the month. The suggested annual membership is $30.