Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth 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.

Gospel Reading

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."

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal Second Mode

Angelic powers were above Thy tomb, and they that guarded Thee became as dead. And Mary stood by the grave seeking Thine immaculate Body. Thou hast despoiled Hades and wast not tried thereby. Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst grant us life. O Thou Who didst arise from the dead, Lord, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion for Holy Ascension in the Fourth Mode

Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God, and gladdened Thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit; and they were assured by the blessing that Thou art the Son of God and Redeemer of the world.

Apolytikion for Fathers of the 1st Council in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Most glorified art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast established our Fathers as luminous stars upon the earth, and through them didst guide us all to the true Faith. O Most Merciful One, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion of the Church in the First Mode

In giving birth, O Theotokos, you have retained your virginity, and in falling asleep you have not forsaken the world. You who are the Mother of Life have passed over into life, and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Second Mode

O Christ our God, upon fulfilling Your dispensation for our sake, You ascended in Glory, uniting the earthly with the heavenly. You were never separate but remained inseparable, and cried out to those who love You, "I am with you and no one is against you."

Apolytikion of Great Martyr Catherine in the Plagal of the First Tone

Let us praise the most auspicious bride of Christ, the divine Catherine, protectress of Sinai, our aid and our help. For, she brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, and now, crowned as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.

Kontakion of Great Martyr Catherine in the Second Tone

O friends of martyrs, now divinely raise up a renewed chorus, praising the all-wise Catherine. For, she proclaimed Christ in the arena, trampled on the serpent, and spat upon the knowledge of the orators.

Wisdom of the Fathers

For there is One God, and One Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus. For He still pleads even now as Man for my salvation; ...

St. Gregory the Theologian

4th Theological Oration, 4th Century

... for He continues to wear the Body which He assumed, until He make me God by the power of His Incarnation; although He is no longer known after the flesh -- I mean, the passions of the flesh, the same, except sin, as ours.

St. Gregory the Theologian

4th Theological Oration, 4th Century

Saints and Feasts

May 28

Fathers of the 1st Council

The heresiarch Arius was a Libyan by race and a protopresbyter of the Church of Alexandria. In 315, he began to blaspheme against the Son and Word of God, saying that He is not true God, consubstantial with the Father, but is rather a work and creation, alien to the essence and glory of the Father, and that there was a time when He was not. This frightful blasphemy shook the faithful of Alexandria. Alexander, his Archbishop, after trying in vain to correct him through admonitions, cut him off from communion and finally in a local council deposed him in the year 321. Yet neither did the blasphemer wish to be corrected, nor did he cease sowing the deadly tares of his heretical teachings; but writing to the bishops of other cities, Arius and his followers requested that his doctrine be examined, and if it were unsound, that the correct teaching be declared to him. By this means, his heresy became universally known and won many supporters, so that the whole Church was soon in an uproar.

Therefore, moved by divine zeal, the first Christian Sovereign, Saint Constantine the Great, the equal to the Apostles, summoned the renowned First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, a city of Bithynia. It was there that the shepherds and teachers of the Church of Christ gathered from all regions in the year 325. All of them, with one mouth and one voice, declared that the Son and Word of God is one in essence with the Father, true God of true God, and they composed the holy Symbol of Faith up to the seventh article (since the remainder, beginning with "And in the Holy Spirit," was completed by the Second Ecumenical Council). Thus they anathematized the impious Arius of evil belief and those of like mind with him, and cut them off as rotten members from the whole body of the faithful.

Therefore, recognizing the divine Fathers as heralds of the Faith after the divine Apostles, the Church of Christ has appointed this present Sunday for their annual commemoration, in thanksgiving and unto the glory of God, unto their praise and honour, and unto the strengthening of the true Faith.

June 03

Lucillian of Byzantium, 4 martyred Youths and Paula the Virgin

Formerly a priest of the idols near Nicomedia, the Saint came to the Christian Faith in his old age; this was during the reign of Aurelian (270-275). Lucillian was brought before Silvan the Count; when he refused to return to the service of the idols, his jaw was broken, he was beaten with rods, and hanged upside down, then imprisoned with four Christian children, Claudius, Hypatius, Paul, and Dionysius. All of them were brought out again before Silvan, and remaining constant in their faith, were cast into a raging furnace. Preserved unharmed, they were sent to Byzantium, where the children were beheaded, and Lucillian was crucified. The virgin Paula, a Christian, buried their holy relics. For this, she was taken before the Count, and refusing to sacrifice to the idols, was stripped naked and mercilessly thrashed; after other torments, she was beheaded, in 270. There was a church in their honor in Constantinople.

Parish News and Events

PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS

Memorial:

1 Year ~ Peter Spelson, No Pews

Coffee Fellowship:

The Coffee fellowship is hosted in memory of Peter Spelson. All are invited to stay, and enjoy fellowship.

Church School on FACEBOOK:

Our Sunday Church School has created a FACEBOOK page. Like our page: Assumption Sunday Church School! Keep up to date on upcoming events and view photos from recent events.

Ministry, Ministry, Ministry!

Every Christian who has accepted salvation has also accepted the responsibility of working in the ministry of the Church. The clergy have been called apart and given the grace and blessing to perform the specific sacramental functions of the church, but all Christians, clergy and laity alike, have been called to serve in our Lord’s ministry. If this is not what the Church is doing, then we have entered into serious error. Everything that we do as a Church should be in direct support of Christ’s ministry of salvation. If we build buildings, they should be to support ministry. Any event sponsored by the Church should be ministry or in support of ministry. The Church’s budget should be driven by its ministry, not the ministry to be limited by its budget.

Summer Sunday Worship Hours:

Please make note that beginning Sunday, June 4th, we begin our summer schedule for Sunday Worship Services. Orthros begins at 8:00 am, followed by the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am. We will return to our regular schedule on Sunday, September 10th.

Sunday Church School Happiness Challenge:

The children of our Sunday Church School continue to spread happiness from organization to organization.

January:         Cards for a child with leukemia
                           Dinner for families staying at Ronald McDonald House (Loyola Hospital)
February:    Valentine Cards for children at LaRabida Children's hospital
March:               Fleece Blankets for patients at Ronald McDonald House
April:                 Packed IOCC care packages

Every month the children will have an opportunity to put our faith in action with various philanthropic service projects. We will have monthly bulletin updates to show our children’s progress as well as updates to our website with pictures that will show a glimpse of the beautiful example of our faith in action that our children continue to offer.

Stewardship:

The 2017 stewardship packets were mailed to all faithful (stewards) of this Parish. We ask that you please prayerfully consider your pledge commitment for 2017, complete the pledge card and mail in the the envelope provided. We are forever grateful to the many loving stewards, supporters, and friends of this Parish who stand tall in their commitment to our Lord, the Blessed Panagia and this ministry.

College Students -- Check Out OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship):

To our young people who are going away to college for the first time, or to those returning to school to continue their studies, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the organization which keeps you connected to your Church and your Orthodox Faith. OCF has 300 chapters in colleges and universities throughout North America. So be sure to check out their web site to locate and find out about your chapter -- WWW.OCF.NET. We also encourage our college young people to share their e-mail addresses with our Church so that we may keep them informed of their “Spiritual Home” while they are away. And always remember, your Assumption Church’s weekly Divine Liturgy Services are just a click away on your computer each Sunday as we now broadcast live each Sunday. Just access it by going to our website at: www.assumptionchicago.org

Also, our parish is starting a database of all college students in the community. If you have a college student in your family or if you are a college student, please send your name, school, area of study, address, and email address to Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.

Dates to Remember:

Sunday May 28th
Fathers of the 1st Council
8:30 am - Orthros
10:00 am – Divine Liturgy

Saturday, June 3rd
Saturday of the Souls
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

Sunday, June 4th
Feast of Pentecost
8:00 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

Monday, June 5th
Feast of the Holy Spirit
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

7:00 pm – Adult Bible Study will meet
In St. Catherine’s Meeting Room

Sunday, June 11th
Feast of all Saints
Main Church
8:00 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

Outdoor Liturgy
Lombard Lagoon
10:00 am – Divine Liturgy

Saturday, June 24th
Nativity of St. John the Baptist
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

Monday, June 26th
7:00 pm - Adult Bible Study will meet
in St. Catherine's Meeting Room

Thursday, June 29th
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

Friday, June 30th
Synaxis of the Holy Apostles
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

Memorial Day Monday, May 29th - Blessing of the Graves:

Please remember that tomorrow, Monday May 29th, our Clergy will be at Elmwood Cemetery between 9:30am and noon. Should you want Trisagion Prayers read at the graves of your loved ones, Fathers Timothy and Dimitrios will be found in the Assumption sections of the cemetery.

Assumption Church Scholarship Fund Applications Available:

Fr. Timothy, the members of the Parish Council, and the scholarship committee are pleased to announce that it will again award scholarship(s) for the 2017-18 academic year. “The Assumption Church Scholarship Fund” is available to a student entering college in the fall of 2017, or current college students. The parents of the applicants must be paid contributing members (stewards) of the Assumption Church for four (4) consecutive years leading up to 2017. Applications and further details are available by calling the Church Office (773.626.3114). Deadline to submit an application is Sunday, June 25th.

Adult Bible Study Monday June 5, 2017:

Our Adult Bible Study will meet Monday evening, June 5, 2017, at 7:00 pm, in Saint Catherine’s Meeting Room. We will continue with our study of the Epistles written by Saint Paul the Apostle. This class is open to all, and it is hoped that you will avail yourself to the opportunity to study the Bible in-depth. All you need to bring along with you is your Bible. For further information and/or questions, please see Father Timothy.

Assumption’s Annual Divine Liturgy in the Park and Picnic:

On Sunday, June 11th, the Annual Parish Divine Liturgy in the Park and Picnic will take place at the Lombard Lagoon, 430 Marcus Drive (Grace & Marcus Drive), in Lombard, Illinois. The Divine Liturgy will begin promptly at 10:00 am, followed by the traditional picnic. All members and friends are certainly invited to join us for a fun-filled day of fellowship. A Flyer can also be found in this Bulletin. While the main course will be provided by the Church, we kindly ask that you bring a side dish, dessert, or drink. Please R.S.V.P the Church Office by June 6th (773-626-3114) that you will be attending and what you will be providing towards the meal. Please note that Divine Liturgy will also be held at our Church as well on this Sunday.

Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:

Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2017? You might want to celebrate a family event, a memorial, or just want to share time with the Church family. Please call the Church Office (773.626.3114) to book a date and for more information. Available dates for the 2017 Year:

June 4 July 23 Aug. 20 Sept. 17

June 25 July 30 Aug. 27 Sept. 24

July 9 Aug. 6 Sept. 3 Oct. 1

July 16 Aug. 13 Sept. 10 Oct. 8

Assumption Prayer Ministry:

The Assumption Adult Bible Study Group has developed an idea that may be of interest to parishioners and friends of our Panagia Parish. They are interested in being able to form a ministry comprised of individuals who would like to pray for the health of those individuals who may be ill or experiencing health issues. Our Orthodox Faith teaches us that the ‘power of prayer’ literally works miracles, and Jesus instructs us in the Bible that we should “always pray for one another in the fellowship of love and through the Holy Spirit”. As a Panagia Parish, we are united as brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are encouraged to pray for one another as any family would do. So, how do we plan to do it? It’s simple, easy, and spiritually uplifting and rewarding. Here is what we can all do:

If you are interested in participating, you need only submit your name and email address to the Church Office or Fr. Timothy.
When a name is submitted to be prayed for, you will be contacted by email, given the first name of the person to be prayed for, along with the prayer to be read by you, offering the prayer for the intercession of God upon that individual, and asking that the afflicted be healed by God’s abundant blessing.
Your prayer, together along with the many others who are offering a prayer for the person who is ill, will bring comfort beyond comprehension.

Just think about that….our prayers collectively praying for a person who needs the loving and tender Hand of God during his/her special time of need. It’s that simple. Just provide us with your email address, and you can join this ministry team who will pray for the person who needs help the most. It costs nothing, takes only a few seconds to do, but will make us all part of a spiritual family that looks and cares for one another.

Prosfora Bakers Needed:

One of the blessings of Stewardship that we are given is the ability to serve our Church in a number of ways. Our Church is in need of individuals who can offer the weekly Prosforo (Bread) for the Divine Liturgy. Should you be able to offer your service, please inform the Church office or see either Fr. Timothy or Mrs. Demetra Spyropoulos. With the help of each steward/member, we come together as a Church family to better offer our thanks to our Lord.

Bookstore:

Do you need gifts for your family or relatives? Then please visit the Bookstore in Plato Hall after the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. There you will find unique gifts for everyone, such as books for children and adults, icons of your or your children’s patron saints, crosses, key chains and other beautiful items, which will make much appreciated gifts this year. Please stop in and browse, you’ll be glad you did.

Holy Communion Announcement:

While we pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all the world’s Christians, the reality remains that there is still no intercommunion between our Orthodox Churches and the Churches of the West. This means that only baptized, chrismated, and observant Orthodox faithful are allowed to receive Holy Communion in our churches. At the same time, we warmly welcome all non-Orthodox to join us in prayer and celebration, and humbly offer to all present the Antidoro bread of fellowship at the end of the worship service. We offer this important symbol ‘instead of the Gifts’, in the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘Till we all come to the unity of the Faith’ (Eph. 4.13).

Website News:

In addition our Parish’s website, we encourage you to keep abreast on the latest news and happenings about Orthodoxy from our Metropolis of Chicago and our Holy Archdiocese.

Please use the links below to access any of the three sites:

Assumption Church:               www.assumptionchicago.org
Metropolis of Chicago:           www.metropolisofchicago.org
Archdiocese of America         www.goarch.org

All three websites will provide you with articles and resources for the Orthodox Church. They include the history of Orthodoxy, special Services and Blessings, Spirituality, Teachings of the Orthodox Church, how to become a member of the Orthodox Church, the meaning and celebration of The Holy Eucharist, the form and characteristics of Orthodox worship, the Sacrament of Confession, Holy Week Meditation and Study Guide, Fasting, the Orthodox Calendar, and much more. Specifically, on our Parish’s website, we have uploaded past and current editions of the Assumption Newsletter and the St. Catherine Newsletter, and are available for reading online.

We Need Your E-mail Address:

Are you receiving the weekly bulletin online in your e-mail mailbox each week? How about our Assumption Church’s Newsletter and the Saint Catherine’s Newsletter? If not, please give the Church Office your e-mail address so that you can stay informed about the schedule of religious services, events, and news of our Community.

Our Sunday Church Services are broadcast live on the Internet each week:

A reminder to all, our Parish of Panagia began broadcasting live to the internet each Sunday. This is of particular benefit to our shut-ins, elderly, college students, and vacationers who are away from home, yet need to receive the benefit and blessing of the weekly Divine Liturgy experience. All you need to do is log on to our website www.assumptionchicago.org, and click the link to begin watching the Worship Service live. We have also archived our Services allowing anyone to click and watch the Service/sermon at their leisure. We encourage you to give it a try.

NOTE: Please note that this morning’s Divine Liturgy, as well as prior Divine Liturgies, are available for rebroadcast. Simply log on to our Parish’s website (www.assumptionchicago.org), and click on the “Watch Worship Services Online” link.

Ushers:

Chris Limperis, Vincent Nicholas, Rose Marie Stewart, Bill J. Vranas, Mary Zouras

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