Weekday Services: Divine Liturgy 9:30 am (please see our church calendar for our feastday schedule!)
Sunday: Orthros (Matins) 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
Tenth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:1-14
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Prokeimenon. 4th Mode. Daniel 3.26,27.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Verse: For you are just in all you have done.
The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 20:16-18, 28-36.
IN THOSE DAYS, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesos, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. And from Miletos he sent to Ephesos and called to him the elders of the church. And when they came to him, he said to them: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' " And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Fathers of the 1st Council
The Reading is from John 17:1-13
At that time, Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to do; and now, Father, you glorify me in your own presence with the glory which I had with you before the world was made.
"I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."
Having seen the sign of the Cross in the sky and like Paul having received his calling from heaven, and not from men, Your apostle among Kings, Lord, placed his capitol in Your hand. Preserve our country in everlasting peace, through the intercessions of the Theotokos, for You alone are the Lover of mankind.
FOR VISITORS
Welcome home!
Please let either a greeter or a parish council members know if this is your first time at Saints Constantine and Helen so that we can make you feel more at home.
At the end of the service, come and introduce yourself to Father Jason, and receive a piece of "antidoro" (blessed bread). Also, join us for coffee hour after Liturgy!
Remember, the Church is everyone's home whether we are longtime members of the parish, or if we are stepping into the Church for the first time. Everyone one of is responsible for showing hospitality to those who we do not know.
CHURCH ETIQUETTE
Let everything we do be done in an orderly way (1st Corinthians 14:40)
Please be respectful of both God and others in the Church. Make every effort to be in church before the Divine Liturgy begins, and to remain quiet and respectful throughout the entire service.
Appropriate clothing should be worn, hands should be prayerfully at our sides or folded, not in our pockets, or laid on the tops, or sides of the pews; there should be no food or drink in the Church (no gum chewing!) unless it's Holy Communion or food that has been blessed and distributed by a clergyman; when seated, legs should not be crossed. Remember that socializing is for coffee hour and should not take place in the narthex. Limit talking and moving around, and try not to create a distraction for yourself or for others. Please clean up after yourself, and do not leave bulletins or bread crumbs behind you once the service has come to a conclusion.
FOR MEMBERS
"I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matthew 25:35)
Welcome everyone (both visitors and longtime members) with a smile. If it's someone's first
time visiting Saints Constantine and Helen, help them find a seat, and to understand the service
Appropriate clothing should be worn, hands should be prayerfully at our sides or folded, not in our pockets, or laid on the tops, or sides of the pews; there should be no food or drink in the Church (no gum chewing!) unless it's Holy Communion or food that has been blessed and distributed by a clergyman; when seated, legs should not be crossed. Remember that socializing is for coffee hour and should not take place in the narthex. Limit talking and moving around, and try not to create a distraction for yourself or for others.
Please clean up after yourself, and do not leave bulletins or bread crumbs behind you once the service has come to a conclusion.
PARTICIPATING IN THE DIVINE LITURGY
We must all make every effort to be present and to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
Orthros (Matins) begins at 8:30 am & the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am! Sing with the congregation! Volunteer to help the readers! The Great Doxology can be found on page 1 in the "Green Book."The hymns for the day can also be found in the bulletin.
Remember, the Divine Liturgy is meant to be a work of all people!
HOLY COMMUNION
"With the fear of God, with faith, and with love, draw near."- St. Cyril of Alexandria
Here are some things to pray and to think about before approaching the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ:
1.) The frequent reception of Holy Communion is encouraged. However, this means that we must always be prepared to receive Holy Communion. If you have not been present in the life of the Church for an extended period of time, you should speak to your priest prior to receiving Holy Communion. Never be afraid or discouraged to come and speak to Father Jason before receiving Holy Communion!
2.) We can only receive communion once we have been joined to Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. This takes places through the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation, and Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church. If you would like to become an Orthodox Christian. Please see Father Jason!
3.) God knows our hearts. Through prayer and repentance, our task is to see ourselves as God does so that we will confess, not only our sins, but call upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! Living our lives prayerfully gives us endless opportunities to enrich our lives as Orthodox
Christians. This of course gives us something to reflect on both before and after we consume the Body and Blood of our Lord. Are we going forth into the world in peace and loving others as God does?
4.) Nothing should ever be consumed prior to receiving Holy Communion unless it is medically necessary, and one consults with the priest. Women should also remove lipstick.
CAUTION! Please approach the chalice carefully! Never do anything that could potentially spill the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ from the Chalice!!!
PASTORAL VISITATIONS
Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. (James 5:13-15)
Please call the Church Office or call Father Jason’s emergency cell phone number to let him know what your pastoral needs are you can also ask your family members, a social worker, or a Hospital Chaplain to notify the Church so that they can inform Father Jason that you are in
need of pastoral care.
For additional resources about Holy Communion, Confession, or any other pastoral concern please see Father Jason or visit our Church website http://orthodoxcheyenne.org/
CONFESSION
A young monk said to the great ascetic Abba Sisoes: “Abba, what should I do? I fell.” The elder answered: “Get up!” The monk said: “I got up and I fell again!” The elder replied: “Get up again!” But the young monk asked: “For how long should I get up when I fall?” “Until
your death,” answered Abba Sisoes.—Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Confession is necessary for our personal healing, and for the repentance and forgiveness of sins. It’s also a vital element of our Lord’s Commission to us as Orthodox Christians for the life and growth of the Church.
Never be afraid to speak to Fr. Jason in order to make the necessary arrangements for the sacrament of confession. You can call during the week, or just get a hold of him after Liturgy!
St. Macrina's Academy
It's that time of the year again! Registration will take place throughout the entire year. Get your young people registered so that they can participate in Sunday School!
Thank you to all of our Sunday School families who are participating in our Capital Campaign Puzzle Project!
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GOYA News
Please thank and lend your support to our GOYA officers for this year:
President: Katie Zaharas
Vice President: Aubreyel Lawson
Treasurer: Morgan Pachares
Secretary: Alexis Zaharas
All young people who are old enough to participate in Metropolis and Archdiocese ministries (ages 11-18) are welcome to participate.
The mission and goal of GOYA ministry is to lead our young people into experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith. By developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and becoming active sacramental members of the living Church, our young people will be equipped with tools necessary to assist them in their journey toward salvation.
Our Parish Feast Day:
We have many things to thankful to God for:
Memorial Day
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This is really the prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
The officers then went back to the chief priest and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" The Pharisees answered them, "Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." Nikodemos, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee." Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Why go to Church when we can just pray at home?
They say: 'We can pray at home.' Thou art deceiving thyself, O man! Of course, one can pray at home. But it is impossible to pray there as in church, where such a multitude of hearts are uplifted to God, merging into one unanimous cry. Thou wilt not be so quickly heard while praying to the Master by thyself, as when praying together with thy brethren, for here in church there is something greater than in thy room: Agreement, unanimity, the bond of love, and finally here are the prayers of the priests. The priests stand before us, then, so that the prayers of the people, being weak, would be united to their more powerful prayers and together with them ascend to heaven. The Apostle Peter was freed from prison, thanks to the common prayers offered for him.... If the Church's prayer was so beneficial for the Apostle Peter and delivered such a pillar of the faith from prison, why, tell me, dost thou disdain its power and what kind of justification canst thou have for this. Hearken unto God Himself, Who says that the multitude of people who pray to him with fervor moves Him to have mercy. He says to the Prophet Jonah: 'Shall I not spare Nineveh, that great city, in which dwell more than 120 thousand people.' He did not simply mention the multitude of people but that thou mightest know that prayer together has great power.
(St. John Chrysostom)