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
أيها المسيح الإله، لما أقمت لعازر من بين الأموات قبل آلامك ، حققت القيامة العامة، لأجل ذلك ونحن كالأطفال، نحمل علامات الغلبة والظفر صارخين نحوك ياغالب الموت: أوصنا في الأعالي، مبارك الآتي باسم الرب!
أيها المسيح الإله ، لما أقمت لعازر من بين الأموات قبل آلامك ، حققت القيامة العامة ، لأجل ذلك ونحن كالأطفال ، نحمل علامات الغلبة والظفر صارخين نحوك ياغالب الموت : أوصنا في الأعالي ، مبارك الآتي باسم الرب!
يا من هو جالس على العرش في السماء وراكب جحشاً على الأرض تقبّل تسابيح الملائكة وتماجيد الأطفال هاتفين إليك: أيها المسيح الإله مبارك أنت الآتي لتعيد آدم ثانية.
Prokeimenon. 4th Tone. Psalm 117.26,1.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Verse: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His mercy endures forever.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians 4:4-9.
BRETHREN, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.
البروكيمنون. 4th Tone. مزمور 117: 26، 1.
مبارك الآتي باسم الرب
احمدوا الرب لأنه صالح لأن إلى الأبد رحمته
فصل من رسالة بولس الى اهل فِيلِبِّي 4: 4-9.
يَُّا إِخْوَة، اِفْرَحُوا فِي الرَّبِّ كُلَّ حِينٍ وَأَقُولُ أَيْضاً افْرَحُوا. لِيَكُنْ حِلْمُكُمْ مَعْرُوفاً عِنْدَ جَمِيعِ النَّاسِ. الرَّبُّ قَرِيبٌ. لاَ تَهْتَمُّوا بِشَيْءٍ، بَلْ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَالدُّعَاءِ مَعَ الشُّكْرِ، لِتُعْلَمْ طِلْبَاتُكُمْ لَدَى اللهِ. وَسَلاَمُ اللهِ الَّذِي يَفُوقُ كُلَّ عَقْلٍ يَحْفَظُ قُلُوبَكُمْ وَأَفْكَارَكُمْ فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ. أَخِيراً أَيُّهَا الإِخْوَةُ كُلُّ مَا هُوَ حَقٌّ، كُلُّ مَا هُوَ جَلِيلٌ، كُلُّ مَا هُوَ عَادِلٌ، كُلُّ مَا هُوَ طَاهِرٌ، كُلُّ مَا هُوَ مُسِرٌّ، كُلُّ مَا صِيتُهُ حَسَنٌ إِنْ كَانَتْ فَضِيلَةٌ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَدْحٌ، فَفِي هَذِهِ افْتَكِرُوا. وَمَا تَعَلَّمْتُمُوهُ، وَتَسَلَّمْتُمُوهُ، وَسَمِعْتُمُوهُ، وَرَأَيْتُمُوهُ فِيَّ، فَهَذَا افْعَلُوا، وَإِلَهُ السَّلاَمِ يَكُونُ مَعَكُمْ.
Palm Sunday
The Reading is from John 12:1-18
Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazaros was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazaros was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."
When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazaros, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazaros also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it; as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazaros out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.
1 قَبْلَ الْفِصْحِ بِسِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ أَتَى يَسُوعُ إِلَى بَيْتِ عَنْيَا، حَيْثُ كَانَ لِعَازَرُ الْمَيْتُ الَّذِي أَقَامَهُ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ. 2فَصَنَعُوا لَهُ هُنَاكَ عَشَاءً. وَكَانَتْ مَرْثَا تَخْدِمُ، وَأَمَّا لِعَازَرُ فَكَانَ أَحَدَ الْمُتَّكِئِينَ مَعَهُ.3فَأَخَذَتْ مَرْيَمُ مَناً مِنْ طِيبِ نَارِدِينٍ خَالِصٍ كَثِيرِ الثَّمَنِ، وَدَهَنَتْ قَدَمَيْ يَسُوعَ، وَمَسَحَتْ قَدَمَيْهِ بِشَعْرِهَا، فَامْتَلأَ الْبَيْتُ مِنْ رَائِحَةِ الطِّيبِ. 4فَقَالَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْ تلاَمِيذِهِ، وَهُوَ يَهُوذَا سِمْعَانُ الإِسْخَرْيُوطِيُّ، الْمُزْمِعُ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَهُ: 5((لِمَاذَا لَمْ يُبَعْ هَذَا الطِّيبُ بِثَلاَثَمِئَةِ دِينَارٍ وَيُعْطَ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ؟)) 6قَالَ هَذَا لَيْسَ لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يُبَالِي بِالْفُقَرَاءِ، بَلْ لأَنَّهُ كَانَ سَارِقاً، وَكَانَ الصُّنْدُوقُ عِنْدَهُ، وَكَانَ يَحْمِلُ مَا يُلْقَى فِيهِ. 7فَقَالَ يَسُوعُ: ((اتْرُكُوهَا! إِنَّهَا لِيَوْمِ تَكْفِينِي قَدْ حَفِظَتْهُ، 8لأَنَّ الْفُقَرَاءَ مَعَكُمْ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ، وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَلَسْتُ مَعَكُمْ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ)). 9فَعَلِمَ جَمْعٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ أَنَّهُ هُنَاكَ، فَجَاءُوا لَيْسَ لأَجْلِ يَسُوعَ فَقَطْ، بَلْ لِيَنْظُرُوا أَيْضاً لِعَازَرَ الَّذِي أَقَامَهُ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ. 10فَتَشَاوَرَ رُؤَسَاءُ الْكَهَنَةِ لِيَقْتُلُوا لِعَازَرَ أَيْضاً، 11لأَنَّ كَثِيرِينَ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ كَانُوا بِسَبَبِهِ يَذْهَبُونَ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِيَسُوعَ.12وَفِي الْغَدِ سَمِعَ الْجَمْعُ الْكَثِيرُ الَّذِي جَاءَ إِلَى الْعِيدِ أَنَّ يَسُوعَ آتٍ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ، 13فَأَخَذُوا سُعُوفَ النَّخْلِ وَخَرَجُوا لِلِقَائِهِ، وَكَانُوا يَصْرُخُونَ: ((أُوصَنَّا! مُبَارَكٌ الآتِي بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّ! مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ!)) 14وَوَجَدَ يَسُوعُ جَحْشاً فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ: 15((لاَ تَخَافِي يَا ابْنَةَ صَهْيَوْنَ. هُوَذَا مَلِكُكِ يَأْتِي جَالِساً عَلَى جَحْشِ أَتَانٍ)). 16وَهَذِهِ الأُمُورُ لَمْ يَفْهَمْهَا تَلاَمِيذُهُ أَوَّلاً، وَلَكِنْ لَمَّا تَمَجَّدَ يَسُوعُ، حِينَئِذٍ تَذَكَّرُوا أَنَّ هَذِهِ كَانَتْ مَكْتُوبَةً عَنْهُ، وَأَنَّهُمْ صَنَعُوا هَذِهِ لَهُ. 17وَكَانَ الْجَمْعُ الَّذِي مَعَهُ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ دَعَا لِعَازَرَ مِنَ الْقَبْرِ وَأَقَامَهُ مِنَ الأَمْوَاتِ. 18لِهَذَا أَيْضاً لاَقَاهُ الْجَمْعُ، لأَنَّهُمْ سَمِعُوا أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَدْ صَنَعَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ.
On Sunday, five days before the Passover of the Law, the Lord came from Bethany to Jerusalem. Sending two of His disciples to bring Him a foal of an ass, He sat thereon and entered into the city. When the multitude there heard that Jesus was coming, they straightway took up the branches of palm trees in their hands, and went forth to meet Him. Others spread their garments on the ground, and yet others cut branches from the trees and strewed them in the way that Jesus was to pass; and all of them together, especially the children, went before and after Him, crying out: "Hosanna: Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel" (John 12:13). This is the radiant and glorious festival of our Lord's entry into Jerusalem that we celebrate today.
The branches of the palm trees symbolize Christ's victory over the devil and death. The word Hosanna means "Save, I pray," or "Save, now." The foal of an ass, and Jesus' sitting thereon, and the fact that this animal was untamed and considered unclean according to the Law, signified the former uncleanness and wildness of the nations, and their subjection thereafter to the holy Law of the Gospel.
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.