3101 Vance Jackson Rd (210) 558-4554 www.saintephraim.com Parish Priest: Rev. Fr. John Mefrige REGULAR SERVICES Great Vespers: Saturday 6:00 p.m (Confession follows Vespers) Matins/Orthros: Sunday 8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy: Sunday 10:00 a.m. |
OUR MISSION:
“To be a warm, welcoming and loving Orthodox Christian community dedicated to glorifying God through; worship, instruction, spiritual growth, stewardship and community service to San Antonio and the world.” |
Visitors and Guests - WELCOME!!
We are a diverse people from many cultures but united by our Orthodox faith. Our parish is active with weekly liturgies, a monthly Church School, a Women's organization (SEWS), a Chanter ministry, Altar Boys, Ushers and a Parish Council ministry. Please remember that Orthodox Christians, just like Roman Catholics, practice a deep reverence for Holy Communion, which means that only baptized or chrismated Orthodox, who have prepared themselves, through prayer, fasting and recent confession of sins may approach the chalice to receive the Eucharist. However, EVERYONE is invited to venerate the Cross at the end of the service and receive a piece of the blessed bread from our Priest. Liturgy books are located in the pews, and as YOU ARE THE CHOIR, please don’t be shy to offer up your voice in praise.
A Coffee hour follows every Sunday in the Parish House and a pot-luck luncheon is held on the FIRST Sunday of each month. Please sign our guestbook at the rear of the church so that we may welcome you with a gift.
A Church of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
in the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America
عندما انحدرت إلى الموت ايها الحياة الذي لايموت ، حينئذ أمتّ الجحيم ببرق لاهوتك، وعندما أقمت الاموات من تحت الثرى صرخ نحوك جميع القوات السماويين : ايها المسيح الاله المعطي الحياة المجد لك.
صرت مشابهاً للرسل في أحوالهم وخليقة في كراسيهم، فوجدت بالعمل المرقاة للثاوريا أيها اللاهج بالله . لأجل ذلك تتبعت كلمة الحق باستقامة وجاهدت عن الإيمان حتى الدم أيها الشهيد في الكهنة بابيلا ، فتشفع إلى المسيح الإله أن يخلص نفوسنا.
إن يواكيم وحنّة من عار العقر أُطلقا، وآدم وحواء من فساد الموت بمولدك المقدس يا طاهرة أُعتقا. فله يعيّد شعبكِ إذ قد تخلص من وصمة الزلات صارخاً نحوك العاقر تلد والدة الإله المغذية حياتنا.
Prokeimenon. 2nd Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 9:2-12.
BRETHREN, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
البروكيمنون. 2nd Tone. مزمور 117: 14، 18.
الرب قوتي وتسبيحتي
أدباُ أدّبني الرب
فصل من رسالة بولس الاولى الى اهل كورنثس 9: 2-12.
يَُّا إِخْوَة، أَنْتُمْ خَتْمُ رِسَالَتِي فِي الرَّبِّ. هَذَا هُوَ احْتِجَاجِي عِنْدَ الَّذِينَ يَفْحَصُونَنِي. أَلَعَلَّنَا لَيْسَ لَنَا سُلْطَانٌ أَنْ نَأْكُلَ وَنَشْرَبَ؟ أَلَعَلَّنَا لَيْسَ لَنَا سُلْطَانٌ أَنْ نَجُولَ بِأُخْتٍ زَوْجَةً كَبَاقِي الرُّسُلِ وَإِخْوَةِ الرَّبِّ وَصَفَا؟ أَمْ أَنَا وَبَرْنَابَا وَحْدَنَا لَيْسَ لَنَا سُلْطَانٌ أَنْ لاَ نَشْتَغِلَ؟ مَنْ تَجَنَّدَ قَطُّ بِنَفَقَةِ نَفْسِهِ؟ وَمَنْ يَغْرِسُ كَرْماً وَمِنْ ثَمَرِهِ لاَ يَأْكُلُ؟ أَوْ مَنْ يَرْعَى رَعِيَّةً وَمِنْ لَبَنِ الرَّعِيَّةِ لاَ يَأْكُلُ؟ أَلَعَلِّي أَتَكَلَّمُ بِهَذَا كَإِنْسَانٍ؟ أَمْ لَيْسَ النَّامُوسُ أَيْضاً يَقُولُ هَذَا؟ فَإِنَّهُ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي نَامُوسِ مُوسَى: ((لاَ تَكُمَّ ثَوْراً دَارِساً)). أَلَعَلَّ اللهَ تُهِمُّهُ الثِّيرَانُ؟ أَمْ يَقُولُ مُطْلَقاً مِنْ أَجْلِنَا؟ إِنَّهُ مِنْ أَجْلِنَا مَكْتُوبٌ. لأَنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي لِلْحَرَّاثِ أَنْ يَحْرُثَ عَلَى رَجَاءٍ وَلِلدَّارِسِ عَلَى الرَّجَاءِ أَنْ يَكُونَ شَرِيكاً فِي رَجَائِهِ. إِنْ كُنَّا نَحْنُ قَدْ زَرَعْنَا لَكُمُ الرُّوحِيَّاتِ أَفَعَظِيمٌ إِنْ حَصَدْنَا مِنْكُمُ الْجَسَدِيَّاتِ؟ إِنْ كَانَ آخَرُونَ شُرَكَاءَ فِي السُّلْطَانِ عَلَيْكُمْ أَفَلَسْنَا نَحْنُ بِالأَوْلَى؟ لَكِنَّنَا لَمْ نَسْتَعْمِلْ هَذَا السُّلْطَانَ بَلْ نَتَحَمَّلُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ لِئَلاَّ نَجْعَلَ عَائِقاً لإِنْجِيلِ الْمَسِيحِ.
11th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 18:23-35
The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailors, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
23 قال الرب هذا المثل يُشْبِهُ مَلَكُوتُ السَّمَاوَاتِ إِنْسَاناً مَلِكاً أَرَادَ أَنْ يُحَاسِبَ عَبِيدَهُ. 24فَلَمَّا ابْتَدَأَ فِي الْمُحَاسَبَةِ قُدِّمَ إِلَيْهِ وَاحِدٌ مَدْيُونٌ بِعَشْرَةِ آلاَفِ وَزْنَةٍ. 25وَإِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مَا يُوفِي أَمَرَ سَيِّدُهُ أَنْ يُبَاعَ هُوَ وَامْرَأَتُهُ وَأَوْلاَدُهُ وَكُلُّ مَا لَهُ ، وَيُوفَي الدَّيْنُ. 26فَخَرَّ الْعَبْدُ وَسَجَدَ لَهُ قَائِلاً: يَا سَيِّدُ ، تَمَهَّلْ عَلَيَّ فَأُوفِيَكَ الْجَمِيعَ. 27فَتَحَنَّنَ سَيِّدُ ذَلِكَ الْعَبْدِ وَأَطْلَقَهُ ، وَتَرَكَ لَهُ الدَّيْنَ. 28وَلَمَّا خَرَجَ ذَلِكَ الْعَبْدُ وَجَدَ وَاحِداً مِنَ الْعَبِيدِ رُفَقَائِهِ كَانَ مَدْيُوناً لَهُ بِمِئَةِ دِينَارٍ ، فَأَمْسَكَهُ وَأَخَذَ بِعُنُقِهِ قَائِلاً: أَوْفِنِي مَا لِي عَلَيْكَ. 29فَخَرَّ الْعَبْدُ رَفِيقُهُ عَلَى قَدَمَيْهِ وَطَلَبَ إِلَيْهِ قَائِلاً: تَمَهَّلْ عَلَيَّ فَأُوفِيَكَ الْجَمِيعَ. 30فَلَمْ يُرِدْ بَلْ مَضَى وَأَلْقَاهُ فِي سِجْنٍ حَتَّى يُوفِيَ الدَّيْنَ. 31فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْعَبِيدُ رُفَقَاؤُهُ مَا كَانَ ، حَزِنُوا جِدّاً. وَأَتَوْا وَقَصُّوا عَلَى سَيِّدِهِمْ كُلَّ مَا جَرَى. 32فَدَعَاهُ حِينَئِذٍ سَيِّدُهُ وَقَالَ لَهُ: أَيُّهَا الْعَبْدُ الشِّرِّيرُ ، كُلُّ ذَلِكَ الدَّيْنِ تَرَكْتُهُ لَكَ لأَنَّكَ طَلَبْتَ إِلَيَّ. 33أَفَمَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ أَيْضاً تَرْحَمُ الْعَبْدَ رَفِيقَكَ كَمَا رَحِمْتُكَ أَنَا؟. 34وَغَضِبَ سَيِّدُهُ وَسَلَّمَهُ إِلَى الْمُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى يُوفِيَ كُلَّ مَا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ. 35فَهَكَذَا أَبِي السَّمَاوِيُّ يَفْعَلُ بِكُمْ إِنْ لَمْ تَتْرُكُوا مِنْ قُلُوبِكُمْ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ لأَخِيهِ زَلَّاتِهِ.
If you live in San Antonio or the surrounding area and are interested in becoming a member of the parish please talk to an usher or the parish clergy. And please remember to sign our guest book which is located in the Narthex. Visitors are also welcome to sign our guest book and if you live out of town but are interested in joining our community please feel free to contact an usher or parish clergy as well.