733 South Ashland Ave Chicago, Illinois 60607 Rev. Fr. Dimitri Tobias, Proistamenos stbasilchicago@comcast.net Saints and Feasts: Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Church 15th Sunday of Luke Maximus the Confessor Neophytos the Martyr of Nicaea Sunday, January 21, 2018 Telephone: (312) 243-3738 Office Fax: Fax (312) 243-7691 www.stbasilchicago.org Parish Council President: Ms. Jayme Schenk Martyrs Neophytos, Agnes, Patroclus, Maximus the Greek and Eugene of TrebizondPlato the Hieromartyr, Bishop of Tallini and all Estonia, and the Priest For Christ's presence is like that of some life-giving, scented balsam which restores health, enriches life and gives savor to the soul, the thoughts, the words of a man. In brief, distance from Christ means corruption and death, and closeness to Him means salvation and life. Christ is the salvation that comes, and Zacchaeus is the house to which He comes. Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic Prolog, 4 February Narthex Duty: Tony Fragale & Tony Frankos Welcoming Ministry: Lambros Peroulas Orthros Reader: Steve Cole Coffee Hour: Tom & Eleni Sianis 6 Month Memorial: Metaxia Angelakos May Her Memory Be Eternal GIRLS MINISTRY PRESENTATION: Women in the Orthodox Church Before The Creed When the Priest says: The Congregation responds: Christ is in our midst. He is and always will be, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Communion Guidelines: As a reminder, only Baptized and Chrismated Orthodox Christians who are in good standing may receive Holy Communion. Follow the Ushers row by row and please exit towards the outside aisles.
St. Maximos the Confessor The divine Maximus, who was from Constantinople, sprang from an illustrious family. He was a lover of wisdom and an eminent theologian. At first, he was the chief private secretary of the Emperor Heraclius and his grandson Constans. When the Monothelite heresy became predominant in the royal court, out of hatred for this error the Saint departed for the Monastery at Chrysopolis (Scutari), of which he later became the abbot. When Constans tried to constrain him either to accept the Monothelite teaching, or to stop speaking and writing against it - neither of which the Saint accepted to do - his tongue was uprooted and his right hand was cut off, and he was sent into exile where he reposed in 662. At the time only he and his few disciples were Orthodox in the East (See also August 13). Feed My Starving Children Meal Packing Event Date: Saturday, January 27 Time: 11:30 am 1:30 pm Place: Feed My Starving Children This is where we meet 1072 National Parkway, Schaumburg, IL Please RSVP by one of the following ways by Wednesday, January 24. Contact the Church office 312-243-3738 or Use the sign-up sheet in Hall or Send an email to StBasilFMSC@yahoo.com
Hymns of the Day After the Small Entrance Resurrectional Apolytikion Plagal of the 4 th Tone You descended from on high, O merciful Lord. You accepted the cross and three days in the tomb to free us from the bondage of sin, O our life and resurrection. Glory to You, O Lord. Apolytikion for Maximus the Confessor Plagal of the 4 th Tone The guide of Orthodox beliefs, and sacred teacher of true religion and of dignity, the luminary of the world, the God-inspired adornment of the episcopate, O Maximos the wise, through your instructions you have illumined all, O harp of the Spirit. Intercede with Christ our God for the salvation of our souls. Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἀναστάσιμον Ήχος πλ. δ Ἐξ ὕψους κατῆλθες ὁ εὔσπλαγχνος, ταφὴν καταδέξω τριήμερον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερώσῃς τῶν παθῶν, Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ Ἀνάστασις ἡμῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι. Απολυτίκιον Ήχος πλ. δ Ορθοδοξίας Οδηγέ, ευσεβίας διδάσκαλε καί σεμνότητος, τής οικουμένης ο φωστήρ, αρχιερέων θεόπνευστον εγκαλλώπισμα, Μάξιμε σοφέ, ταίς διδαχαίς σου πάντας εφώτισας, λύρα τού Πνεύματος, πρέσβευε Χριστώ τώ Θεώ, σωθήναι τάς ψυχάς ημών. Apolytikion for the Church 1 st Tone Your proclamation went forth into all the earth, for it accepted your word, through which you taught the dogmas befitting God, you expounded on the nature of all that is, and you arranged the morals of society. A royal priesthood! Devout father Basil, intercede with Christ our God, to grant us His great mercy. Kontakion 1 st Tone Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the loving One. Απολυτίκιον τοῦ Ναοῦ Ήχος α' Εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος σου, ὡς δεξαμένην τὸν λόγον σου, δι' οὗ θεοπρεπῶς ἐδογμάτισας, τὴν φύσιν τῶν ὄντων ἐτράνωσας, τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἤθη κατεκόσμησας, Βασίλειον Ἱεράτευμα, Πάτερ Ὅσιε, Χριστὸν τὸν Θεὸν ἱκέτευε, δωρήσασθαι ἡμῖν τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Κοντάκιον Ήχος α' Ὁ μήτραν παρθενικὴν ἁγιάσας τῶ τόκω σου, καὶ χείρας τοῦ Συμεὼν εὐλογήσας ὡς ἔπρεπε, προφθάσας καὶ νὺν ἔσωσας ἡμᾶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλ' εἰρήνευσον ἐν πολέμοις τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ κραταίωσον Βασιλεῖς οὓς ἠγάπησας, ὁ μόνος φιλάνθρωπος.
THE EPISTLE / Ο ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ Prokeimenon. Mode Plagal 4. Psalm 75.11,1 Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them. Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel. The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy 4:9-15 Timothy, my son, the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and suffer reproach, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you. Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Προκείμενον. Ήχος πλ. δ'. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 75.11,1 Εὔξασθε καὶ ἀπόδοτε Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν. Στίχ. Γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Πρὸς Τιμόθεον α' 4:9-15 τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα είναι απο Τέκνον Τιμόθεε, πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ κοπιῶμεν καὶ ὀνειδιζόμεθα, ὅτι ἠλπίκαμεν ἐπὶ θεῷ ζῶντι, ὅς ἐστιν σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν. Παράγγελλε ταῦτα καὶ δίδασκε. Μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πνεύματι, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ. Ἕως ἔρχομαι, πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ. Μὴ ἀμέλει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος, ὃ ἐδόθη σοι διὰ προφητείας μετὰ ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου. Ταῦτα μελέτα, ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι, ἵνα σου ἡ προκοπὴ φανερὰ ᾖ ἐν πᾶσιν. Download the APP DIGITAL CHANT STAND by AGES Initiatives To follow along during Orthros, Liturgy, Vespers, and Holy Week Services right on your smart device
THE HOLY GOSPEL / ΤΟ ΘΕΙΟΝ ΕΥΑΓ- ΓΕΛΙΟΝ The Gospel According to Luke 19:1-10 At that time, Jesus was passing through Jericho. And there was a man named Zacchaios; he was a chief collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaios, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." And Zacchaios stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost." Ἐκ τοῦ Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 19:1-10 Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, διήρχετο τὴν Ιεριχώ καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ὀνόματι καλούμενος Ζακχαῖος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἀρχιτελώνης, καὶ οὗτος ἦν πλούσιος, καὶ ἐζήτει ἰδεῖν τὸν Ιησοῦν τίς ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου, ὅτι τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μικρὸς ἦν. καὶ προδραμὼν ἔμπροσθεν ἀνέβη ἐπὶ συκομορέαν, ἵνα ἴδῃ αὐτόν, ὅτι ἐκείνης ἤμελλε διέρχεσθαι. καὶ ὡς ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ἀναβλέψας ὁ Ιησοῦς εἶδεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν Ζακχαῖε, σπεύσας κατάβηθι σήμερον γὰρ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου δεῖ με μεῖναι. καὶ σπεύσας κατέβη, καὶ ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὸν χαίρων. καὶ ἰδόντες πάντες διεγόγγυζον λέγοντες ὅτι παρὰ ἁμαρτωλῷ ἀνδρὶ εἰσῆλθε καταλῦσαι. σταθεὶς δὲ Ζακχαῖος εἶπε πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἰδοὺ τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μου, Κύριε, δίδωμι τοῖς πτωχοῖς, καὶ εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα, ἀποδίδωμι τετραπλοῦν. εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Ιησοῦς ὅτι σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐγένετο, καθότι καὶ αὐτὸς υἱὸς Αβραάμ ἐστιν. ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός.
Calendar for the Week Ahead - Sunday, January 21, 10:30am - Sunday School Meets - Wednesday, January 24, 6:00pm - Paraklesis (Supplication Service) to the Virgin Mary - Saturday, January 27, 11:30am - St. Basil Parish Trip to Feed my Starving Children - Sunday, January 28, 8:15am - Orthros and Divine Liturgy Parish News and Events St. Basil Super Bash - Sunday, February 4, 2018 SAVE THE DATE: We are pleased to announce the return of the St. Basil Super Bash! Stay tuned for details! We need your help - You Might be Missing Out We have started a new weekly St. Basil E-Bulletin - which goes out early each week - and, for some of you, this email is going into "spam" or "trash". Please take a look at your spam and trash files and if you see it there, with most servers there's a button you can push to stop it's going into trash/spam. Or you can enter stbasilchicago@comcast.net into your email contacts list. Thanks! Greek man looking for stem cell donor match For more information visit - https://bethematch.org/ support-the-cause/donate-bone-marrow/ A Year End Charitable Giving Tip - If you have benefited from the significant gains in the stock market this year, you can do well as you do good. Consider making a gift of appreciated stock to St. Basil, the Church you love. Consult your financial advisor and ask about the potential tax benefits of a gift of stock to St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church. You may be surprised how generous you can be thanks to a bull market. Hellenic Letters Celebration - Sunday, January 28th, I pray that you can join us at this annual event in fellowship as we celebrate Hellenism and Excellence. Though we do not currently possess a Greek School, we are still Phil- Hellenes and can support the enrichment and enhancement of Hellenic Education within our Metropolis for future generations. Please contact the Church office if you would like to attend or if you would like to donate. Tickets are $60 a person. Stewardship - Have You Become A Steward For 2018? If not, know that everything we have is God's and we are just managers during this brief life. Become a steward today. "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God" (2 Cor. 9:10-11). 6 Month Memorial Metaxia Angelakos - May Her Memory Be Eternal Coffee Hour Today Is provided by Tom & Eleni Sianis. We thank them for all of their goodies. House/Business Blessings - It is customary to bless homes and businesses right after the feast of Epiphany. Please contact Fr. Dimitri Tobias if you would like to have your home or business blessed (312-243-3738).
St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church January 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 NO BAPTISMS OR WEDDINGS PERMIT- TED TODAY No Fasting NO FASTING 8:30 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy for St. Basil, followed by Doxology for the New Year" 2 NO BAPTISMS OR WEDDINGS PERMIT- TED TODAY NO FASTING No Fasting 3 NO BAPTISMS OR WEDDINGS PERMIT- TED TODAY NO FASTING No Fasting 4 NO BAPTISMS OR NO FASTING No Fasting 5 Fasting Day 6 Memorials Not Permitted 6:00 pm Vesperal Divine Liturgy and Lesser Blessing of the Waters Liturgy and Great 8:00 am Orthros & Divine Blessing of the Waters of Theophany 7:00 pm Great Vespers for St. John the Baptist (at Des Plaines Parish) 7 8:15 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy 10:30 am "Sunday School meets" 11:30 am Parish Vasilopita 11:30 am Prison Ministry New Year's card writing to inmates 8 9 OCF FIELD TRIP TO WEEPING ICON 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 8:15 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy 10:30 am "Sunday School meets" 11:45 am Philoptochos Meeting 7:00 pm Great Vespers for St. Anthony the Great at Metropolis Chapel 17 18 8:30 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy for St. Anthony at Metropolis Chapel 7:00 pm Great Vespers for Ss. Athanasios and Cyril (at Aurora parish) 8:30 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy for Ss. Athanasios & Cyril 19 20 21 8:15 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy 10:30 am "Sunday School meets" 28 No Fasting 8:15 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy 10:30 am "Sunday School meets" 22 23 24 25 26 27 11:30 am St. Basil Parish Trip to Feed my Starving Children 29 No Fasting 7:00 pm Great Vespers for Three Hierarchs 30 No Fasting 8:30 am Orthros and Divine Liturgy for Synaxis of the Three Hierarch: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom 31 No Fasting
Matthew 25:35-36 - The Last Judgement For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: Please donate food for the needy. I was a stranger, and you took me in: Please welcome our Catechumens and Guests Naked, and you clothed me: Please consider donating clothes to the local shelter. I was sick, and you visited me: Please pray for the speedy recovery of: Nicholas, Cindy I was in prison, and you came unto me: Please pray for and consider visiting our shut-ins. Please also see Pat Cole to see about writing Letters to those Incarcerated through our prison ministry. It means the world to them to receive love. VISITATION POLICY If you would like Fr. Dimitri to visit you in the hospital, please call him or have a family member call. Fr. Dimitri will not go unless he is asked by the family. This is in compliance with both HIPAA and patient privacy. Reflection If You are not receiving the Observer, please contact the Church Office. The Christian Faith is the only Faith in the world that has one determined and never changing standard of values. About how it [Christianity] measures and classifies its values, St. John Chrysostom speaks clearly. He says, "Things have a three-fold distinction: the first are good and cannot be evil, for example: wisdom, charity and the like; the second are evil and can never be good, for example: perversion, inhumanity and cruelty. The third, at times becomes this or at times becomes that, whenever, according to the disposition of those who make use of it." This divine teacher explains, "how riches and poverty, and freedom and slavery, and power and disease and even death itself fall into the neutral distinction which, are neither good nor evil by themselves, but become either this or that according to the disposition of men and according to the use which men make of them. For example, if riches were good and poverty evil, then all rich men would be good and all the poor would be evil. However, we are daily convinced that as there are good and evil rich men, so also are there good and evil poor men. The same can be applied to the healthy and the sick, to the free and the enslaved, to the satiated and the hungry, to those who are in authority and to those under subjugation. Even death is not evil for `the martyrs, through death, became more fortunate than all."