Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20

At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 3rd Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.

Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Gospel Reading

12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26

At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Mode

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 4th Mode

In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."

Wisdom of the Fathers

The sign that thou lovest God, is this, that thou lovest thy fellow; and if thou hatest thy fellow, thy hatred is towards God. For it is blasphemy if thou prayest before God while thou art wroth. For thy heart also convicts thee, that in vain thou multipliest words: thy conscience rightly judges that in thy prayers thou profitest nought.

St. Ephraim the Syrian

ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE.

'But I say to you,' the Lord says, 'love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you.' Why did he command these things? So that he might free you from hatred, sadness, anger and grudges, and might grant you the greatest possession of all, perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by the one you loves all equally in imitation of God.

St. Maximos the Confessor

Unknown, 7th century

Welcome Home!

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)

The best way to show love to God is to be respectful to others. 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

Please clean up after yourself. Do not leave bulletins, tissues, or bread crumbs behind you once the service has come to a conclusion.

PARTICIPATING IN THE DIVINE LITURGY

Please make every effort to be on time and to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Remember, the Liturgy is meant to be a work of all people!

Ask Fr. Jason or one of our chanters and volunteering to help the psalms or the epistle! 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.

Also, remember that the hymn for Saints Constantine and Helen and the Nicene Creed can now be found on the inside covers of the green and red service books!

Holy Communion

HOLY COMMUNION

"With the fear of God, with faith, and with love, draw near."- Divine Liturgy

Here are some things to prayfully consider before approaching the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ:

1.) The frequent reception of Holy Communion is encouraged! This means however that we must all frequently prepare to receive Holy Communion. If you have not been to Church for a while, consider this an opportunity to restart your life in Christ, and to speak with your priest about receiving the sacraments of the Church. Never be afraid or discouraged to come and speak to Father Jason before receiving Holy Communion!

2.) We receive Holy Communion when we become members in good standing of the Orthodox Church. This takes places through after we receive the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation in a canonical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church. If you would like to become an Orthodox Christian, Please see Father Jason!

3.) Our goal is to become closer to God by living a life of Holiness! Something to reflect on before and after we consume the Body and Blood of our Lord is whether or not we are living our lives in peace and love as God wants us to.

4.) It is neccesary to fast prior to receiving Holy Communion. Generally speaking, we should abstain from food or drink prior to receiving the the Body and Blood of our Lord unless it is medically neccesary. If you have any questions, please speak to Fr. Jason.

5.) CAUTION! Please approach the chalice carefully! Never do anything that could potentially spill the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ from the Chalice!!!

6.) When receiving Communion, please close your mouth in a natural manner as you would when feeding yourself with a spoon. Please also ensure that the red cloth is placed under your chin.

8.) Women, please blot or remove lipstick prior to receiving Holy Communion.

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

St. Macrina's Academy

While today is the final day of classes, a special thanks goes out to all of our children, teachers, and Sunday School families who have participated throughout the year, and will continue to participate during this summer's 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.

Greek Dance

Greek dance practice is now taking place after church and during the latter part of coffee hour. Little Athenians will start Sunday, June 18th during coffee hour. Practises will continue through to the Greek festival. Please stay posted for announcements for dress rehearsals prior to the festival.

Please contact Anna or George Andrikopoulos regarding questions about the Cheyenne great dancers. See Presbytera Tiffany with any questions regarding the Little Athenians.

Ages for groups are 13 and up for the older kids, and 12 and under for the Little Athenians. Please keep in mind that both groups have different dance routines and levels of difficulty.

All young people are invited to participate.

Parish Life

We have many things to thankful to God for:

Marie Pitt for baking this week's prosforo

Elaine Kledaras & Mary Messer

Marie Pitt for being today's greeter

Capital Campaign

Everyone who has volunteered and contributed thus far for our Capital Campaign to repair and improve the facilities of Saints Constantine and Helen.

Greek Festival

Please remember to support our Greek Festival by supporting our annual raffle!

Cheyenne: A Sesquicentennial History

Celebrate Cheyenne's 150th year Anniversay by purchasing a commemorative book at Saints Constantine and Helen. We're featured on page 129! Please see the sign up sheet in the book store for more details. Copies are $37.50

King Soopers Gift Cards

Since April we have met our first goal of $5,000.00! The church will receive its first check for $250.00 and we are working on our 2^nd goal of $5,000.00!

Thank you to everyone who has participated and shopped at King Soopers or has purchased gas at Loaf & Jug with their gift cards.

For those who not aware of the fundraiser and would like to know more or how to receive a gift card to King Soopers, please call or email the church office.

The card is free to anyone who wants to participate.

Readings for next week

13th Sunday of Matthew

The Gospel According to Matthew 21:33-42

The Lord said this parable, "There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?'"

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