Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion for Elevation of the Holy Cross in the First Tone

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance; grant Thou unto the faithful victory over adversaries. And by the power of Thy Cross do Thou preserve Thy commonwealth.

خلص يا رب شعبك وبارك ميراثك وامنح عبيدك المؤمنين الغلبة على الشرير واحفظ بقوة صليبك جميع المختصين بك.

Apolytikion for the Church in the Fourth Tone

As the deliverer of captives and defender of the poor, healer of the infirm and champion of kings, victorious great martyr George intercede with Christ our God for our souls salvation.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

Lifted up on the Cross by Your free will, Christ God, grant mercies to the new commonwealth that bears Your name. Gladden our faithful rulers by Your power, giving them victories over their adversaries. May Your alliance be for them a weapon for peace, an invincible standard.

يا من ارتفعت على الصليب مختاراً أيها المسيح الإله امنح رأفتك لشعبك الجديد المسمى بك وفرّح بقوتك عبيدك المؤمنين مانحاً إياهم الغلبة على محاربيهم، لتكن لهم معونتك سلاحاً للسلام وظفراً غير مقهور.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Seventh Tone. Psalm 98.9,1.
Exalt the Lord our God.
Verse: The Lord reigns; let the people tremble.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 1:18-24.

Brethren, the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

البروكيمنون. Seventh Tone. مزمور 98: 9، 1.
إرفَعوا الرّبَّ إلهَنا
Verse: الرّبُّ يملكُ فتَرتَعِدُ الشُّعوبُ

فصل من رسالة بولس الاولى الى اهل كورنثس 1: 18-24.

يا اخوة، إِنَّ كَلِمَةَ الصَّلِيبِ عِنْدَ الْهَالِكِينَ جَهَالَةٌ وَأَمَّا عِنْدَنَا نَحْنُ الْمُخَلَّصِينَ فَهِيَ قُوَّةُ آللهِ لأَنَّهُ مَكْتُوبٌ: ((سَأُبِيدُ حِكْمَةَ الْحُكَمَاءِ وَأَرْفُضُ فَهْمَ الْفُهَمَاءِ". أَيْنَ الْحَكِيمُ؟ أَيْنَ الْكَاتِبُ؟ أَيْنَ مُبَاحِثُ هَذَا الدَّهْرِ؟ أَلَمْ يُجَهِّلِ اللهُ حِكْمَةَ هَذَا الْعَالَمِ؟ لأَنَّهُ إِذْ كَانَ الْعَالَمُ فِي حِكْمَةِ اللهِ لَمْ يَعْرِفِ اللهَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ اسْتَحْسَنَ اللهُ أَنْ يُخَلِّصَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِجَهَالَةِ الْكِرَازَةِ لأَنَّ الْيَهُودَ يَسْأَلُونَ آيَةً وَالْيُونَانِيِّينَ يَطْلُبُونَ حِكْمَةً وَلَكِنَّنَا نَحْنُ نَكْرِزُ بِالْمَسِيحِ مَصْلُوباً: لِلْيَهُودِ عَثْرَةً وَلِلْيُونَانِيِّينَ جَهَالَةً! وَأَمَّا لِلْمَدْعُوِّينَ: يَهُوداً وَيُونَانِيِّينَ فَبِالْمَسِيحِ قُوَّةِ اللهِ وَحِكْمَةِ اللهِ.

Gospel Reading

The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross
The Reading is from John 19:6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30

At that time, when the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him." The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God."

When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin." When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. Then when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross
يوحنا 19: 6-11، 13-20، 25-28، 30

⁶في ذلك الزمان لَمَّا رَآهُ رُؤَسَاءُ الْكَهَنَةِ وَالْخُدَّامُ صَرَخُوا قَائِليِنَ: ((اصْلِبْهُ! اصْلِبْهُ!)) قَالَ لَهُمْ بِيلاَطُسُ: ((خُذُوهُ أَنْتُمْ وَاصْلِبُوهُ، لأَنِّي لَسْتُ أَجِدُ فِيهِ عِلَّةً)).⁷أَجَابَهُ الْيَهُودُ: ((لَنَا نَامُوسٌ، وَحَسَبَ نَامُوسِنَا يَجِبُ أَنْ يَمُوتَ، لأَنَّهُ جَعَلَ نَفْسَهُ ابْنَ اللَّهِ)). ⁸فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ بِيلاَطُسُ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ ازْدَادَ خَوْفاً.⁹فَدَخَلَ أَيْضاً إِلَى دَارِ الْوِلاَيَةِ وَقَالَ لِيَسُوعَ: ((مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ؟)) وَأَمَّا يَسُوعُ فَلَمْ يُعْطِهِ جَوَاباً. ¹⁰فَقَالَ لَهُ بِيلاَطُسُ: ((أَمَا تُكَلِّمُنِي؟ أَلَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ لِي سُلْطَاناً أَنْ أَصْلِبَكَ وَسُلْطَاناً أَنْ أُطْلِقَكَ؟)) ¹¹أَجَابَ يَسُوعُ: ((لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ عَلَيَّ سُلْطَانٌ الْبَتَّةَ، لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ قَدْ أُعْطِيتَ مِنْ فَوْقُ. لِذَلِكَ الَّذِي أَسْلَمَنِي إِلَيْكَ لَهُ خَطِيَّةٌ أَعْظَمُ)).¹³فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ بِيلاَطُسُ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ أَخْرَجَ يَسُوعَ، وَجَلَسَ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّ الْوِلاَيَةِ فِي مَوْضِعٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ ((الْبَلاَطُ)) وَبِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ ((جَبَّاثَا)). ¹⁴وَكَانَ اسْتِعْدَادُ الْفِصْحِ ، وَنَحْوُ السَّاعَةِ السَّادِسَةِ. فَقَالَ لِلْيَهُودِ: ((هُوَذَا مَلِكُكُمْ! )). ¹⁵فَصَرَخُوا: ((خُذْهُ! خُذْهُ ! اصْلِبْهُ!)) قَالَ لَهُمْ بِيلاَطُسُ: ((أَأَصْلِبُ مَلِكَكُمْ؟)) أَجَابَ رُؤَسَاءُ الْكَهَنَةِ: ((لَيْسَ لَنَا مَلِكٌ إِلاَّ قَيْصَرَ! )). ¹⁶فَحِينَئِذٍ أَسْلَمَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ لِيُصْلَبَ. فَأَخَذُوا يَسُوعَ وَمَضَوْا بِهِ. ¹⁷فَخَرَجَ وَهُوَ حَامِلٌ صَلِيبَهُ إِلَى الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي يُقَالُ لَهُ ((مَوْضِعُ الْجُمْجُمَةِ)) وَيُقَالُ لَهُ بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ ((جُلْجُثَةُ))، ¹⁸حَيْثُ صَلَبُوهُ، وَصَلَبُوا اثْنَيْنِ آخَرَيْنِ مَعَهُ مِنْ هُنَا وَمِنْ هُنَا، وَيَسُوعُ فِي الْوَسْطِ. ¹⁹وَكَتَبَ بِيلاَطُسُ عُنْوَاناً وَوَضَعَهُ عَلَى الصَّلِيبِ. وَكَانَ مَكْتُوباً: ((يَسُوعُ النَّاصِرِيُّ مَلِكُ الْيَهُودِ)). ²⁰فَقَرَأَ هَذَا الْعُنْوَانَ كَثِيرُونَ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، لأَنَّ الْمَكَانَ الَّذِي صُلِبَ فِيهِ يَسُوعُ كَانَ قَرِيباً مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ. وَكَانَ مَكْتُوباً بِالْعِبْرَانِيَّةِ وَالْيُونَانِيَّةِ وَاللاتِينِيَّةِ. ²⁵وَكَانَتْ وَاقِفَاتٍ عِنْدَ صَلِيبِ يَسُوعَ، أُمُّهُ، وَأُخْتُ أُمِّهِ مَرْيَمُ زَوْجَةُ كِلُوبَا، وَمَرْيَمُ الْمَجْدَلِيَّةُ. ²⁶فَلَمَّا رَأَى يَسُوعُ أُمَّهُ، وَالتِّلْمِيذَ الَّذِي كَانَ يُحِبُّهُ وَاقِفاً، قَالَ لِأُمِّهِ: ((يَا امْرَأَةُ، هُوَذَا ابْنُكِ)). ²⁷ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلتِّلْمِيذِ: ((هُوَذَا أُمُّكَ)). وَمِنْ تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ أَخَذَهَا التِّلْمِيذُ إِلَى خَاصَّتِهِ. ²⁸بَعْدَ هَذَا رَأَى يَسُوعُ أَنَّ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قَدْ كَمَلَ ، فَلِكَيْ يَتِمَّ الْكِتَابُ قَالَ: ((أَنَا عَطْشَانُ)).³⁰فَلَمَّا أَخَذَ يَسُوعُ الْخَلَّ قَالَ: ((قَدْ أُكْمِلَ)). وَنَكَّسَ رَأْسَهُ وَأَسْلَمَ الرُّوحَ.

Wisdom of the Fathers

A marvelous thing is longsuffering; it places the soul as in a quiet harbor, fleeing it from tossings and evil spirits. And this everywhere Christ hath taught us, but especially now, when He is judged, and dragged, and led about ....

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 84 on John 18 and Homily 85 on John 19, 4th Century

But why was it that Pilate made the enquiry not in their presence, but apart, having gone into the judgment hall? He suspected something great respecting Him.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 84 on John 18 and Homily 85 on John 19, 4th Century

Saints and Feasts

September 14

The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross

Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord have mercy." It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.

A Fast is observed today, whatever day of the week it may be.

September 16

Euphemia the Great Martyr

Saint Euphemia was from Chalcedon and lived in virginity. According to some, she suffered martyrdom during the reign of Diocletian, in 303; according to others, in 307. Her sacred relics are preserved in the Patriarchate in Constantinople.

September 16

Ninian the Enlightener of Scotland

Saint Ninian was born in Cumberland in Britain around the year 360, about a half century after the Emperor Constantius Chlorus died in the British city of York, and his son Constantine, who was with him when he died, was proclaimed Emperor. Ninian was born of Christian parents of noble lineage, at a time when paganism was still strong in his native land. As a young man he went to Rome, where he spent many years in study and ascetical struggles. At Rome, Saint Ninian was consecrated some time after the death of Pope Damasus in 384, and was sent back to his native island about the end of the fourth century. On his return journey, it is likely that he passed through Tours and met Saint Martin; what is certain is that many churches and cells associated with Saint Ninian, including his own cathedral in Whithorn, were named in honour of Saint Martin. When Saint Ninian returned to Cumberland, he established monasteries that fostered both the life of prayer and missionary labours. By his preaching, his godly life, and his miracles, he ministered to his own countrymen, the Britons, and also converted many of the pagan Picts, who inhabited the northern regions (in today's Scotland). He reposed in peace at his see of Whithorn in Galloway in 432.

September 18

Eumenius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gortynia

This Saint took up the monastic life from his youth, and later became Bishop of Gortynia in Crete. He travelled to Rome, and to Thebes in Upper Egypt, where through his prayers he ended a drought; there also, after working many miracles, he reposed in deep old age. His holy relics were returned to Gortynia and buried at the place called Raxos.

September 20

Eustathios the Great Martyr, his wife and two children

The holy Martyr Eustathius before his baptism was an illustrious Roman general named Placidas in the days of the Emperor Trajan. While hunting in the country one day, he was converted to the Faith of Christ through the apparition of an uncommonly majestic stag, between whose antlers he saw the Cross of Christ, and through which the Lord spoke to him with a human voice. Upon returning home, he learned that his wife Tatiana had also had a vision in which she was instructed to become a Christian. They sought out the Bishop of the Christians and were baptized, Placidas receiving the name Eustathius, and Tatiana the name Theopiste; their two sons were baptized Agapius and Theopistus. The family was then subjected to such trials as Job endured. Their servants died, all their goods were stolen, and on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem they were scattered abroad, each not even knowing if the others were still alive. By the providence of God, they were united again after many years, and returned to Rome in glory. Nevertheless, when they refused to sacrifice to the idols-a public sacrifice from which no Roman general could be absent-the Emperor Hadrian, who had succeeded Trajan, had them put into a large bronze device in the shape of a bull, which was heated with fire until they died. When their holy bodies were removed, they were found to be without harm. They suffered martyrdom about the year 126.

Upcoming Schedule

Saturday, September 20

No Vespers at St. George - Vespers at Holy Cross Chapel in Brookline at 4PM

Sunday, September 21

9AM Orthros

10AM Divine Liturgy

Sunday School Following Holy Communion

11:30 Memorial Prayers

11:45AM Social Hour with pizza party

12:00PM Parish Council

2:00PM Wedding

Pastor's Ponderings

Today the Church lifts high the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, not only in the midst of the temple, but in the very midst of our lives. We bow before it with awe and with joy, singing:

“Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.” (Hymn of the Feast)

This is the paradox: we bow before the instrument of death, yet we glorify it as the fountain of life. We exalt what once was a tree of shame, because it has become for us the Tree of Life, planted again in the midst of the Church.

May the Tree of Life become the central root of our heart, soul and body. Glory to God! Fr. Ephraim

Memorials & Celebrations

Baptism today of baby Nicholas, son of Ariel Aberizk. Many years!

Next Sunday, September 21st the newly baptized Robert "Bobby" Williams and Evonna Antypas will be married here at St. George. God grant them many years!

The Holy Bread was baked and prepared by Nicholas and Wadad Touma, Nisrere Pelland and Amanda Chagnon with help from Julain and Alexios in thanksgiving to God for His many blessings.

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