Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Orthodox Kids Living In Christ s Kingdom The Creed I believe in One God, Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the onlybegotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made. Who for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man. And he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and he suffered and was buried. We believe in: One God. People used to believe in many gods. He is Our Father. Our Father, who art in Heaven He is Almighty. Nothing and no one is greater than Him. He has Created Heaven (the universe, angels, paradise) and Earth (people, animals, trees) We also believe in One Lord Jesus Christ who is the only-begotten Son of God who was with God the Father before heaven and earth existed. Jesus Christ is God, and because of his great love for his creation (you and me), he came down from heaven to save it from sin and death. He accomplished this by first being incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary. As both Man and God, he lived in the world and talked to the people, teaching them about the Kingdom of Heaven. He was a real person who lived during the time when another real person, Pontius Pilate, lived. Jesus performed many miracles. The people who believed that he was God were the first Orthodox Christians. Jesus Christ came to save us from death and sin. He died on the cross but because he was God, he came back to life. Death had no power over him. Memorials (11/23) Tzanetta Scopas, 1 year Athena Alfiers, 5 years Harry Alfiers, 60 years Resurrectional Apolytikion, Grave Tone O Lord by Your sacred Cross You abolished death, and granted unto the thief blessed Paradise. The Myrrh bearers ceased lamenting and turned to joy. The apostles did preach the Good News at Your command, that You had risen from the dead O Christ Our God, bestowing Your mercy upon the world evermore. Apolytikion, Fourth Tone Today is the prelude of God's good will and the heralding of the salvation of mankind. In the temple of God, the Virgin is presented openly, and she proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her, then, with a great voice let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O thou fulfillment of the Creator's dispensation. Apolytikion of the Ascension, Fourth Tone You ascended in glory, O Christ Our Lord and God. And Your disciples were filled with joy by the promise of the Holy Spirit unto them. And through this blessing You did proclaim and thus assure them: that You are truly the Son of God and the Redeemer of the World. WEEKLY BULLETIN 4700 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland CA 94602 510/531-3400 FAX 531-3711 www.groca.org Fr. Thomas Zaferes frtomz@groca.org Fr. Ninos Oshaana frninos@groca.org November 23, 2014: Amphilochius, Bp. Of Iconium Gregory, Bp. of Agrigentum Ischyrion, Bishop of Egypt 9th Sunday of Luke Matins Gospel: Eothinon 2 Mark 16:1-8 Grave Tone If you have sinned, acknowledge the sin and repent. God will forgive the sin and once again give you a new heart and a new spirit (Ez. 36:26). There is no other way: Either do not sin, or repent. - St. Theophan the Recluse Ἀπολυτίκιον Ηχος βαρύς Κατέλυσας τῷ Σταυρῷ σου τὸν θάνατον, ἠνέῳξας τῷ Λῃστῇ τὸν Παράδεισον, τῶν Μυροφόρων τὸν θρῆνον μετέβαλες, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις κηρύττειν ἐπέταξας, ὅτι ἀνέστης Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Ἀπολυτίκιον Ηχος δ Σήμερον τής ευδοκίας Θεού τό προοίμιον, καί τής τών ανθρώπων σωτηρίας η προκήρυξις, Εν Ναώ τού Θεού τρανώς η Παρθένος δείκνυται, καί τόν Χριστόν τοίς πάσι προκαταγγέλλεται, Αυτή καί ημείς μεγαλοφώνως βοήσωμεν, Χαίρε τής οικονομίας τού Κτίστου η εκπλήρωσις. Ἀπολυτίκιον του ναοὐ Ηχος δ Ἀνελήφθης ἐν δόξῃ, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, χαροποιήσας τοὺς Μαθητάς, τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος βεβαιωθέντων αὐτῶν διὰ τῆς εὐλογίας, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ λυτρωτὴς τοῦ κόσμου. Today we ll continue our discussion from last week about the next sentence in the Creed:.and he rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures. Seasonal Kontakion, Fourth Tone Today, the most pure temple of the Savior, the precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the sacred treasure of God, enters the house of the Lord, bringing the grace of the Divine Spirit. The Angels of God praise her. She is the heavenly tabernacle. Κοντάκιον, Ήχος δ Ο καθαρώτατος ναός τού Σωτήρος, η πολυτίμητος παστάς καί Παρθένος, τό Ιερόν θησαύρισμα τής δόξης τού Θεού, σήμερον εισάγεται, εν τώ οίκω Κυρίου, τήν χάριν συνεισάγουσα, τήν εν Πνευματι θείω, ήν ανυμνούσιν Άγγελοι Θεού, Αύτη υπάρχει σκηνή επουράνιος.
The Reading is from St. Paul s Letter to the Ephesians 2:14-22 BRETHREN, Christ is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Πρὸς Ἐφεσίους 2:14-22 Ἀδελφοί, Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἕν, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τήν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκί αὐτοῦ, τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν, καταργήσας ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν ἑαὐτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, ποιῶν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐλθὼν εὐηγγελίσατο εἰρήνην ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν καὶ τοῖς ἐγγύς ὅτι διʼ αὐτοῦ ἔχομεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν οἱ ἀμφότεροι ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα. Ἄρα οὖν οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν κυρίῳ, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι. The Reading is from the Gospel of Luke 12:16-21 The Lord said this parable: "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." As he said these things, he cried out: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 12.16-21 Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην Ἀνθρώπου τινὸς πλουσίου εὐφόρησεν ἡ χώρα καὶ διελογίζετο ἐν ἑαυτῷ λέγων τί ποιήσω, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχω ποῦ συνάξω τοὺς καρπούς μου; καὶ εἶπε τοῦτο ποιήσω καθελῶ μου τὰς ἀποθήκας καὶ μείζονας οἰκοδομήσω, καὶ συνάξω ἐκεῖ πάντα τὰ γενήματά μου καὶ τὰ ἀγαθά μου, καὶ ἐρῶ τῇ ψυχῇ μου ψυχή, ἔχεις πολλὰ ἀγαθὰ κείμενα εἰς ἔτη πολλά ἀναπαύου, φάγε, πίε, εὐφραίνου. εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός ἄφρον, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἃ δὲ ἡτοίμασας τίνι ἔσται; οὕτως ὁ θησαυρίζων ἑαυτῷ, καὶ μὴ εἰς Θεὸν πλουτῶν. Prayer List Please pray for the servants of God: Georgia, Katherine, Sofia Tselentis, Baby Zacchaio Thiel, Jacob Oshana, Anna Consos, Costa Lyberopoulos, Tom Spiropoulos, Elizabeth Jarratt, Claudia Pilutik, Seraphim Adams, Georgia & Dimitri & Baby Katerina, Mary Ann Zagorites, Dolores Karahalios, the Christians of the Middle East and throughout the world, and all people suffering under oppression. To add a name to our prayer list, please email it to the church office at reception@groca.org CLUB 55+ Next meeting: Tuesday, December 2, 2014 Club 55+ meets on the first Tuesday of the month at Ascension at 11:30 AM for the social hour, followed by lunch at 12 Noon. Our December meeting features holiday decor and the singing of Christmas carols led by... (maybe YOU - we'll have a contest!.) At Christmas there are always surprises at this event so you will not want to miss this luncheon. Please remember that at our December meeting we will be collecting non-perishable food items for distribution to the hungry (through the food bank) during the holidays. Call Evonne Yfantis at 510 531-8128 or email eyfantis@aol.com if you will be joining us. Anyone that needs a ride to our luncheon get-togethers should contact Georgene Stefan at (510) 339-0716. The Church, through the temple and Divine service, acts upon the entire man, educates him wholly; acts upon his sight, hearing, smelling, feeling, taste, imagination, mind, and will, by the splendor of the icons and of the whole temple, by the ringing of bells, by the singing of the choir, by the fragrance of the incense, the kissing of the Gospel, of the cross and the holy icons, by the prosphoras, the singing, and sweet sound of the readings of the Scriptures. - St. John of Kronstadt
ADULT EDUCATION Tuesday, November 25, 10:00am Morning Bible Study Every Tuesday in the Ascension Community Center conference room Tuesday, December 2, 7:30am Morning Bible Study in Walnut Creek at the Hick ry Pit Restaurant, every 1st & 3rd Tuesdays. Saturday, December 13, 6:00 pm ORTHODOXY: The Way, the Truth & The Life Join us for a class about the Orthodox Faith. Open to all: cradle Orthodox, converts, catechumen and seekers! Season of Thanks and Giving As we enter the holiday season, we are reminded of how abundantly God has blessed us and feel moved to give our thanks to Him. One excellent way to show our gratitude is to share our bounty with others. We encourage you to donate grocery store gift cards (just drop them into the Food Card box), or canned goods and other non-perishable food items (place into the Alameda County Food Bank barrel). The Food Card box is located in the Narthex, and the Food Bank barrel will also be in the Narthex starting December 7. An additional Food Bank barrel will be placed in the Community Center. May God bless you! According to St. Paul (cf. Romans 15:16), you minister the Gospel only when, having yourself participated in the light of Christ, you can pass it on actively to others. Then you sow the Logos like a divine seed in the fields of your listeners souls. Let your speech be always filled with grace, says St. Paul (Colossians 4:6), seasoned with divine goodness. Then it will impart grace to those who listen to you with faith.true ministry is not simply a celebration of sacred rites; it also involves participation in divine blessings and the communication of these blessings to others. Saint Gregory of Sinai Welcome to the Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral! If you are visiting us for the first time, we are honored to have you with us! The Divine Liturgy offers us communion with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through hymns and prayers, the hearing of the Scriptures, and the Holy Eucharist. It is a time of personal and corporate prayer, and in the words of our Lord: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. Follow the service in the Divine Liturgy book in your pew. Please note that only those who are baptized and/or confirmed in an Eastern Orthodox Church and are in good standing in the Orthodox faith may participate in the Holy Sacraments of the Church, including receiving Holy Communion. At the end of the Liturgy, you are invited to come up and receive blessed holy bread, called "antidoron". If you have questions about this, please feel free to ask one of our priests! We invite you to join us after this morning's Liturgy for coffee hour. During coffee hour (and in the upcoming weeks) visit our bookstore for our new specially discounted book of the month. Please take the time to visit our website (Groca.org) for regular updates as well as interesting articles and links. May God bless you and, again, welcome. CATHEDRAL SERVICES THIS WEEK: Monday, November 24 Tuesday, November 25 St. Catherine the Great Martyr Wednesday, November 26 5:30am Orthros 6:00am Divine Liturgy Thursday, November 27 Thanksgiving Day Friday, November 28 Saturday, November 29 5:00pm Vespers Sunday, November 30 St. Andrew the First Called 10:00am Divine Liturgy PARISH OFFICE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY SCHEDULE >>> Wednesday, November 26 the Parish Office closes at 12 noon >>> Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 the Parish Office will be closed
GRAND OPENING TODAY! The NEW ASCENSION CATHEDRAL BOOKSTORE We re excited to announce the grand opening of the new Ascension Cathedral Bookstore today! For many years, the Katsouras family would set up a temporary display of books and other items every Sunday during the coffee hour and at other events. This arduous task was labor intensive and also caused unnecessary wear and tear on the books and icons. We thank the Katsouras family for their many years of dedication and sacrifice to offer this important resource to the parish. Seeing the need for a more permanent solution, the Parish Council approved a plan to convert the coat room into a dedicated space for the bookstore. The new bookstore will be a ministry of the newly formed Youth Council and all proceeds will go to fund our youth ministry programs! The bookstore offers a large selection of books that can help enrich your understanding of Orthodox worship and theology as well as new titles on Orthodox marriage, family life, and many wonderful children s books. You can also purchase Orthodox greeting cards, icons, and devotional items for your home. The bookstore also carries items for your sacramental events such as wedding crowns and baptism candles. Come visit the new bookstore at the grand opening today during the coffee hour and help support our youth ministry! Happiness can only be achieved by looking inward and learning to enjoy whatever life has and this requires transforming greed into gratitude. St. John Chrysostom
For I was hungry, and you gave me food FIRST MEAL MINISTRY EVENT Next Sunday, November 30th! The Ascension Youth Council is excited to announce a new monthly Meal Ministry program. Every month, a Meal Ministry team will gather in the kitchen to prepare a meal for the needy in our community. Our first event will be next Sunday, November 30th. Our GOYANS will gather in the kitchen after liturgy to make sandwiches and bag them into brown paper lunch bags along with fruit, granola bar, water and a handwritten note with an encouraging message. The Youth Council will then load up the church vans and deliver the meals to the needy in Oakland or Berkeley. We need your help! On Sunday, November 30th, please bring with you to church one or more of the following items: Sliced Wheat Bread Packaged Cold Cuts: e.g. Ham, Salami, Turkey, Roast Beef Sliced Cheese A jar of Peanut Butter A jar of Jelly Sandwich Zip-lock bags Brown paper lunch bags Bananas Apples Granola Bars A table will be set up in the front of the church where you can drop off the food. Our goal is to make at least 100 meals that we will distribute on that Sunday afternoon. Thank you for your support! For questions, please contact Youth Council leader Chris Sotiropoulos at cbsotiro@gmail.com. Thank you for your support! Forty Divine Liturgies for the Nativity Fast We are continuing our celebration of the Forty Liturgies leading up to Christmas, with Divine Liturgy being offered each day until Christmas Day, December 25 th. Each Wednesday and Friday, Liturgy will begin promptly at 6am at one of the side altars in the Cathedral, to accommodate those who would like to attend on their way to work. Please check the calendar for more details. These liturgies are offered in a spirit of thanksgiving to God for how much he has blessed our parish, in honor of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as a source of spiritual nourishment and support to you who will be observing the Nativity Fast. The Holy Fathers teach that the celebration of forty consecutive Divine Liturgies is especially helpful to the souls of our departed loved ones. We invite you to submit the names of your living and departed loved ones and they will be commemorated at each liturgy. You may email the names to frninos@groca.org. Schedule of Divine Services Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Orthros: 8:30am Divine Liturgy: 9:30am Wednesday, Friday (note, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Liturgy will be at 9:30am) Orthros 5:30am Divine Liturgy 6:00am Sunday Orthros: 8:30am Divine Liturgy: 10:00am May you have a spiritually uplifting Nativity season full of the joy, peace and love of the newborn King, our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Fr. Tom and Fr. Ninos
Donations for the Altar and Cathedral and Social Services Throughout the year we need specific liturgical items that are used in the Cathedral and Altar. Please consider making special donations for these items : Incense typically from the Nuns of Life-Giving Monastery in Dunlap, CA. $75.00 per pound and needed throughout the year Altar Wine $150.00 per case, Commandaria St John, (...an ancient wine style documented in Cyprus back to 800 BC and has the distinction of being the world's oldest named wine still in production, with the name Commandaria dating back to the crusades in the 12th century and by law is aged for at least four years in Oak Barrels). Beeswax Candles, 20 inches long hand dipped by the Nuns in Dunlap. Suggested donation $25.00. Also, the candles used by the Metropolitan during Hierarchical Liturgy. Five beeswax candles $150.00 Ecclesiastical Books $100/book. Liturgical items that need to be replaced, please talk Fr. Tom he now as photos and prices. We also need the donation of food cards, especially during Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. The Cathedral has a social services fund administered by Fr. Tom to assist anyone in need. You may make donations to this fund through the Cathedral office, making note that this is for Social Services. The support from Social Services fund is anonymous. PHILOPTOCHOS CORNER Meeting this week Tuesday, November 25 at 7:00pm in the Ascension conference room Christmas Luncheon Saturday, December 13 at 12:00pm At Kincaid s Restaurant in Jack London Square, Oakland Reservations: call Penny Polyzos (510-200-9920) or Evonne Yfantis (510 531-8128) HOPE TO SEE YOU AT BOTH EVENTS!