Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Christ is risen from the dead, by death, trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal First Mode

Let us worship the Word, O ye faithful, praising Him that with the Father and the Spirit is co-beginningless God, Who was born of a pure Virgin that we all be saved; for He was pleased to mount the Cross in the flesh that He assumed, accepting thus to endure death. And by His glorious rising, He also willed to resurrect the dead.

Apolytikion for Constantine and Helen in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Having seen the image of Thy Cross in Heaven, and like Paul, having received the call not from men, Thine apostle among kings entrusted the commonwealth to Thy hand, O Lord. Keep us always in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, O only Friend of man.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.

Saints and Feasts

May 21

Sunday of the Blind Man

The Lord Jesus was coming from the Temple on the Sabbath, when, while walking in the way, He saw the blind man mentioned in today's Gospel. This man had been born thus from his mother's womb, that is, he had been born without eyes (see Saint John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on Matthew; Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V:15; and the second Exorcism of Saint Basil the Great). When the disciples saw this, they asked their Teacher, "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" They asked this because when the Lord had healed the paralytic at the Sheep's Pool, He had told him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14); so they wondered, if sickness was caused by sin, what sin could have been the cause of his being born without eyes. But the Lord answered that this was for the glory of God. Then the God-man spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle. He anointed the eyes of the blind man and said to him, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam (which means "sent") was a well-known spring in Jerusalem used by the inhabitants for its waters, which flowed to the eastern side of the city and collected in a large pool called "the Pool of Siloam."

Therefore, the Saviour sent the blind man to this pool that he might wash his eyes, which had been anointed with the clay-not that the pool's water had such power, but that the faith and obedience of the one sent might be made manifest, and that the miracle might become more remarkable and known to all, and leave no room for doubt. Thus, the blind man believed in Jesus' words, obeyed His command, went and washed himself, and returned, no longer blind, but having eyes and seeing. This was the greatest miracle that our Lord had yet worked; as the man healed of his blindness himself testified, "Since time began, never was it heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind," although the Lord had already healed the blind eyes of many. Because he now had eyes, some even doubted that he was the same person (John 9:8-9); and it was still lively in their remembrance when Christ came to the tomb of Lazarus, for they said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have caused that even this man should not have died?" Saint John Chrysostom gives a thorough and brilliant exposition of our Lord's meeting with the woman of Samaria, the healing of the paralytic, and the miracle of the blind man in his commentaries on the Gospel of Saint John.

May 21

Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the Apostles

This great and renowned sovereign of the Christians was the son of Constantius Chlorus (the ruler of the westernmost parts of the Roman empire), and of the blessed Helen. He was born in 272, in (according to some authorities) Naissus of Dardania, a city on the Hellespont. In 306, when his father died, he was proclaimed successor to his throne. In 312, on learning that Maxentius and Maximinus had joined forces against him, he marched into Italy, where, while at the head of his troops, he saw in the sky after midday, beneath the sun, a radiant pillar in the form of a cross with the words: "By this shalt thou conquer." The following night, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him in a dream and declared to him the power of the Cross and its significance. When he arose in the morning, he immediately ordered that a labarum be made (which is a banner or standard of victory over the enemy) in the form of a cross, and he inscribed on it the Name of Jesus Christ. On the 28th Of October, he attacked and mightily conquered Maxentius, who drowned in the Tiber River while fleeing. The following day, Constantine entered Rome in triumph and was proclaimed Emperor of the West by the Senate, while Licinius, his brother-in-law, ruled in the East. But out of malice, Licinius later persecuted the Christians. Constantine fought him once and again, and utterly destroyed him in 324, and in this manner he became monarch over the West and the East. Under him and because of him all the persecutions against the Church ceased. Christianity triumphed and idolatry was overthrown. In 325 he gathered the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, which he himself personally addressed. In 324, in the ancient city of Byzantium, he laid the foundations of the new capital of his realm, and solemnly inaugurated it on May 11, 330, naming it after himself, Constantinople. Since the throne of the imperial rule was transferred thither from Rome, it was named New Rome, the inhabitants of its domain were called Romans, and it was considered the continuation of the Roman Empire. Falling ill near Nicomedia, he requested to receive divine Baptism, according to Eusebius (The Life of Constantine. Book IV, 61-62), and also according to Socrates and Sozomen; and when he had been deemed worthy of the Holy Mysteries, he reposed in 337, on May 21 or 22, the day of Pentecost, having lived sixty-five years, of which he ruled for thirty-one years. His remains were transferred to Constantinople and were deposed in the Church of the Holy Apostles, which had been built by him (see Homily XXVI on Second Corinthians by Saint John Chrysostom).

As for his holy mother Helen, after her son had made the Faith of Christ triumphant throughout the Roman Empire, she undertook a journey to Jerusalem and found the Holy Cross on which our Lord was crucified (see Sept. 13 and 14). After this, Saint Helen, in her zeal to glorify Christ, erected churches in Jerusalem at the sites of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, in Bethlehem at the cave where our Saviour was born, another on the Mount of Olives whence He ascended into Heaven, and many others throughout the Holy Land, Cyprus, and elsewhere. She was proclaimed Augusta, her image was stamped upon golden coins, and two cities were named Helenopolis after her in Bithynia and in Palestine. Having been thus glorified for her piety, she departed to the Lord being about eighty years of age, according to some in the year 330, according to others, in 336.

May 21

Pachomios the Righteous New Martyr

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 18.4,1.
Their voice has gone out into all the earth.
Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 26:1, 12-20.

IN THOSE DAYS, King Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: "I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.' And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles-to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' "Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance."

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Blind Man
The Reading is from John 9:1-38

At that time, as Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be Christ he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?" And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you." He said, "Lord, I believe": and he worshiped him.

Wisdom of the Fathers

But I assert that he even received benefit from his blindness: since he recovered the sight of the eyes within.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 56 on John 9, 4th Century

When, then, have they taken place, save when the Word of God Himself came in the body? Or when did He come, if not when lame men walked, and stammerers were made to speak plain, and deaf men heard, and men blind from birth regained their sight? For this was the very thing the Jews said who then witnessed it, because they had not heard of these things having taken place at any other time.

St. Athanasius

Incarnation of the Word 38, 4th Century

Parish News and Events

Follow us on:

Sunday School

Thank you teachers! Graduation May 21st followed by fun activities in the park after lunch.

Hope & Joy

Will be celebrating the end of the year with Sunday School on May 21^st.

Save the date

Spring General Assembly May 21^st. Please plan on attending.

Philoptochos News

Elections will take place this Sunday Immediately following liturgy. Please grab your plate and meet at the table.

The new Philoptochos newsletter is available! You can find it on our church website or you can pick up a copy at church. It covers our latest news and events for the coming months.

Handicap Parking

New blue painted Handicap parking space on U street: You must have either a Special Handicap Placard on display or a Handicap License Plate

Drivers needed to take parishioners to church and return them home. Fr. Joseph has contact information of our beloved shut-ins.

One Open Seat on Parish Council: If you are interested in serving on the Parish Council this year please see Fr. Joseph or Danny.

Next Parish Council Meeting is May 25th at 7 p.m.

Other News

Mochas for Missions is continuing! Please pick up a marked container (yes, it's a coffee cup) and consider forgoing your coffee at least once each week (or other drink if you do not drink coffee) and placing that money in the container. All money collected goes to our Metropolis Missions and Evangelism programs to help beginning parishes. It is estimated that if every family in our community participates in the program and places $5 a week into the cup - by Pentecost that family will have collected at least $60 if not more. Multiply that by the number of families we have and we could generate $6000 for Missions - not bad from the little community of Bakersfield. Please consider Mochas for Missions as part of your alms-giving for the Pentecostal Seasons.

Coffee Hour Opportunities

The new calendar for coffee hour schedule is up in the hall. Each family please sign up for a Sunday.

New Narthex Policy

Please enter the church and find a seat to hear the sermon rather than waiting in the Narthex.

Bookstore

Come by and check out the new merchandise that just arrived from the Holy Land.

Faith Tree Lion Heart

Mens focus group will be at Evangelos Demestihas’ house. Dates are TBA. Please RSVP in order to attend. Meetings will be at 1710 Greenhaven, 93312. Contact Evangelos if interested in attending.

Parishioner Visits

Helen Kemper is currently at Hallmark Homes, 2001 Akers, Room 223. Please find some time to go and visit her. The facility number is 831-7147.

Bakersfield Homeless Center Volunteers

The third Monday of each month, we as a community under the direction of the Philoptochos, will be volunteering to serve on the dinner line at the Bakersfield Homeless Center. This will be a coordinated effort and we ask you to sign up with Elaine Dorlis so we know that enough volunteers will be there. We need 6-8 volunteers each month.
In order to serve, you will need to sign a liability form from BHC (Elaine will have these - 1 per family is all that is needed), volunteers must be 12 years of age or older and our service hours are 4:00-6:00.
We ask that you arrive between 3:45 and 4:00 if possible as the first service is at 4:00 for single men, followed by a 4:30 service for single women, a short 30 min break followed by the family service at 5:30. This is a wonderful opportunity to show service to our greater community at large and help those who are less fortunate just down the street from our church. You can also email Elaine at elainedorlis1@gmail.com. Please sign up for June 19th CURRENTLY NO ONE IS SIGNED UP.

Dear Parishioners

Sundays should be set aside for quality time with God, our Church and Family. This is true for the Priest, Parish Secretary and Parish Council. Please let us try to address church business and make appointments during the week during office hours, and not wait until Sunday to address these matters. For the generous providers of Coffee Hour, please arrange all meal preparation so that everyone is attending Divine Liturgy. The hall will always be open at least one hour before Divine Liturgy begins, as well as the evening before from 6:30 to 7:30.

Hall Reservation System

There will be a new system to reserve the hall for any church functions or activities. Everyone must communicate with Annette 599-5455 or Sahar if you will be using the hall anytime to be placed on the calendar. This includes groups that meet on a regular basis or for any event. Thank you for your cooperation.

Anyone using the hall during the week, please make sure you turn off all lights, coffee maker and the hall is left clean.

Prosphora Offering

When making the Prosphora, please make 1 large for the Sunday service and 2 small loaves for mid week. Please make arrangements with Sahar or Despina to bring the offering Saturday night.

Prosphora Schedule

5/21 Olympia Hackleman, 5/28 Basema Madain, 6/4 Elaine Dorlis, 6/11 Sahar Ayoub, 6/18 Nahla Demestihas, 6/25 Basema Madain.

Narthex Ushers

5/21 Youth Group, 5/28 Manny, 6/4 Danny & Ken, 6/11 James & Mary, 6/18 Tom, 6/25 Vago & Annette. Thank you.

Endowment

Honor your loved ones birthday and or anniversary by making a contribution to the Endowment Fund in their name. Make checks payable to St. George Church and write Endowment Fund on the memo line. Distributions from the fund will benefit the youth and maintenance needs of the Parish. For more information contact a Parish Council Member.
Thank you.

Services this Week

SUN- 8:30 a.m. Orthros, 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy

MON -Office Closed

TUES-6:30 p.m. Vespers

WED- 6:30 p.m. Vespers, Faith Class immediately to follow.
THURS- 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy- Holy Ascension, 6:30 p.m. Vespers

FRI- 6:30 p.m. Vespers

SAT- 6:30 p.m. Vespers

Father Joseph's Office Hours

Tuesday-Thursday from 1:30-7:30

About Communion

If you are a visitor and planning to take Holy Communion, please inform one of our ushers ahead of time. During Communion, parents with infants, and Sunday School Teachers should be first in line to receive Communion. All Christians Orthodox and Non-Orthodox are invited to come up to receive Blessed Bread (Antidoron) at the end of the service. However, present Church guidelines allow that only baptized and confirmed Eastern Orthodox Christians (who have properly prepared) may approach to receive Holy Communion. Thank you.

Religious Education

Sunday School

Graduation this Sunday.

Youth Group/GOYA

If you have any questions about youth group please contact Stephen and Nicole Strategos.

Greek School

Greek School, with focus on conversational Greek, Greek orthodox hymns, and the Greek culture, held on Sundays will continue through the Summer. Books endorsed by the Metropolis are available but not necessary. Come and join us for fellowship while learning the Greek language. Contact Olympia at 972-0411 with any questions.

Friday Greek school hours are 4:30-6:30. Please contact Kathy Exarchoulakos if interested.

HOPE/JOY

This group is for kindergartners (5 years old and up) to 6^th graders. Contact Jenny or James Dean for more information.

Theft of Locks

To avoid ongoing theft of our locks on the gates and trash bins, please do not leave them in the unlocked open position hanging on the hook or gate.

Welcome New Parish Members

Prayers/Thanksgiving

Glory to God for His Bountiful Blessings

Prayers needed. Please add to your daily prayers for:

Our brothers & sisters unable to attend:

Marika Psihoundas, Mary Valos, Maria Sporaa.Healing: Michael George, Marika, Victor, Helen K., Irene, Mary, Mary, Gus, Serephima, and others in our parish.

Those who are traveling

Orthodox-Dan S., Monica, Yorgos K, Giorgos, Anna,Angela, Antonia, Stelios, Petros, Anne, Anna, Leonid, Mariyka, Archalia,Natalie, Eva,Eleni K.,Efstratios, Ourania, Christopher, Alice, Suha,Abla, Jennifer, Tom, Gabriela,Ion,Danny,Nadia, Niko, Musa Daoud, Vasiliki, Theodore, Achilles, Vasiliki, Elizabeth, Labrini, Bert & Louise Moosios,Olympia,Margarita, Seraphim, Mary, Tika,Maria Sporaa, Athina, Helen, Gerry Collis, Nektarios,Marika, Louis Strousos,Bessie Mattly, Noah A., Nick A.,Nick K., Kyriaki,Gus Huntalas, Fred, Hannah, Irene Sinopole, Helen Protopapas, Candess Strategos,Gene, Kathy, Sofia, Clemy (Clementina), Jane, and Matthew.

Non-Orthodox -Pamela Y., Debbie, Emmitt, Donna,Steve, Richard,Donald, Christina, Eva, Dominic,Gaby Garcia,Romona, Elea, Graysen Astumian, Marie,Michelle, Irma, Julie, Greg, Allyson, Eric, Margaret, Valerie, Martha Rogers, Helen Kemper, Joseph, Stephen, Elizabeth,Ellen, Ling, Richard, Christine & David, Debby.

Catechumen: Paul & Kyriaki.

Anniversaries

5/4 Luis & Angela Becerra
5/9 John & Anna Vlahos
5/20 Yohannes Mesfin & Fantanesh Birehanu
5/31 Stephen & Nicole Strategos

Birthdays

5/1 Georgia Drulias
5/2 Eva Lance
5/2 Nick Dukellis
5/3 Dimitri Dorlis
5/8 Amy Murray
5/8 Savannah Hansen
5/9 Shea Saunders
5/12 Christina Thabit
5/12 Nahom George
5/12 Zachary Ryan
5/12 Elyse Bychek
5/17 Yannis Exarchoulakos
5/18 Eleni Southerd
5/19 Elpida Chaffee
5/25 Lorece Cisneros
5/26 Elaine Dorlis
5/26 Mattie Saunders
5/26 Samuel Mesfin
5/27 Anne Drulias
5/29 Tanya Al-Sheikh
5/29 Loula Koutroulis
5/31 Zoe Cornett

General Information

Contact Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins

Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal First Mode

Apolytikion for Constantine and Helen in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Saints and Feasts

Sunday of the Blind Man

Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the Apostles

Pachomios the Righteous New Martyr

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Gospel Reading

Wisdom of the Fathers

Parish News and Events