Sunday Morning Orthros/Matins 8:15am, Divine Liturgy 9:30am; Saturday Great Vespers 5:00pm (October thru May); Weekday Services (see Online Calendar, Sunday Bulletin & Monthly Newsletter); Confession (by appointment).
As the deliverer of captives, and the protector of the poor; a physician of the sick, the defender of kings; O Great Martyr St. George Victorious, intercede to Christ our God, to save our souls.
Saint Pimen was from Egypt and shone forth in the ascetical life in Scete in the fourth century; he was renowned for his discretion. Many of his sayings and deeds are preserved in the Paradise of the Fathers and the Sayings of the Fathers.
Little is known of the holy Martyr Phanurius, except that which is depicted concerning his martyrdom on his holy icon, which was discovered in the year 1500 among the ruins of an ancient church on Rhodes, when the Moslems ruled there. Thus he is called "the Newly Revealed." The faithful pray to Saint Phanurius especially to help them recover things that have been lost, and because he has answered their prayers so often, the custom has arisen of baking a Phaneropita ("Phanurius-Cake") as a thanks-offering.
First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20
At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."
Prokeimenon. 3rd Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.
Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26
At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Preparing for the Parousia (8-23-2009; 8-20-2017)
During this weekend of our Greek Festival, we are proudly offering our ethnic food, music and dancing. We also are seeking to share our faith through our bookstore, free literature and church tours. In the tour of the church we use the architecture and iconography to explain Eastern Orthodox Christianity. One of the main features of an Orthodox church temple is that it is oriented towards the East. (BTW- that sentence is redundant because ‘orient’ means ‘East’ anyways. In fact, that’s what one of the dictionary definitions says, “to place so as to face the east, esp. to build (a church) with the chief altar to the east and the chief entrance to the west.”) Why is that? Why do we build our church temples oriented to the East?
The gospel reading from this past Friday (11th Week of Matthew 24:27-33,42-51) gives us the main clue. As a quick aside the Orthodox Church uses a lectionary, a system of reading the scriptures, beginning on Pascha the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ. This lectionary assigns a specific epistle and gospel reading for each day based on a set of rules that are too complicated to get into right now. But, returning to the orient clue, in this passage Jesus Himself is speaking about the Second Coming, what we call in Greek the “Parousia.” Jesus says, 13But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 27For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. That’s it right there. The Son of Man, Jesus Christ Himself, will come from the East.
The connection between the Son of Man and the rising sun, goes back into the Old Testament in the prophecy given through Malachi (4:1-3):
1"For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. 2But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. 3You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this," Says the LORD of hosts.
As well listen to the words of the Much-Suffering Prophet Job (38:12-15)
12"Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place, 13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? 14It takes on form like clay under a seal, And stands out like a garment. 15From the wicked their light is withheld, And the upraised arm is broken.
Therefore, our churches are built so that we the worshippers are facing East in expectation of the Parousia, the return of our Lord, God and Savior. Now, what is one of the things that will happen when Christ returns? In the Funeral service of the Orthodox Church, the epistle reading is from 1Thessalonians 4:13-18. St. Paul says, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (v.16). In the Gospel (John 5:24-30) of the same service Jesus says, “The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (v.28). So, one of the events of the Parousia is the rising of the dead. For what purpose though? Jesus continues, “Those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation (v.29). In other words, the dead are resurrected for judgment. That’s why we bury the dead with their feet towards the East, so that when they are raised, they will also be facing East.
However, it’s not only the dead that will be judged but the living too. We must give account of our lives and if we have sincere efforts to fulfill God’s commandments. This explains why, in Orthodox church temples there is a seat or throne in the very back of the altar. It represents the judgment seat of Christ. So, if we are living in expectation of the Second Coming of Christ and also trying to prepare for it, one might ask, “When is Jesus coming? I need to know so I can be ready.” Returning to this past Friday’s gospel, Jesus gives a warning, “42Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Thus, Jesus tells us plainly that we will not know the time of His return. Therefore, He tells us to watch and be ready.
The future judgment of humankind is alluded to in today’s Gospel reading, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, from the 11th Sunday of Matthew (18:23-35). It began with v.18 23Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. The king is Christ, the settling of accounts is the judgment.
The coming of Christ may seem ominous and scary but we believe that the fear of God can be a good thing. That’s why the priest says before Holy Communion, “With the fear of God, with faith and love, draw near.” The Apostle Paul offers guidance to prepare for the coming judgement in the epistle reading from this past Friday (2Corinthians 4:13-18). They are encouraging words, “14We know that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Notice the play on words here. St. Paul says, “light affliction” but we often feel our trials and sufferings are not so light but quite burdensome at times. He says they are light because he is comparing them to future life of resurrection, what he calls the “eternal weight of glory.” Some people sentimentalize heaven with puffy white clouds and little baby cherubs playing harp music. The point St. Paul is making is that heaven is far more important on the scales compared to our earthly existence. We must remember that how we live our earthly life determines how we will live the resurrected life in heaven. As Jesus stated in the Gospel of the Funeral service, we know everyone will be resurrected, but some will be raised to life and others will be raised to condemnation. It all depends on if our life has been a struggle for goodness or has been dominated by unrepentant sin and evil. Were we like the forgiving merciful king in today’s Gospel? Or were we more like the unforgiving servant of Jesus’ parable?
In conclusion, when St. Paul says, we should not look to the temporary things which are seen, he means that our life should not be focused on houses, cars, clothing, money, toys, possessions and the like. Rather, he instructs us to look to the eternal things that are not seen like love, mercy, justice, faith, hope, forgiveness, repentance. We cannot grab love and put in a bottle or take faith and put it on a shelf. We cannot buy hope or sell forgiveness. Therefore, let us look to the East and watch for the return of Christ and be ready for the judgment unto eternal life. Amen!
ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
REV. FR. RICHARD DEMETRIUS ANDREWS, PRESBYTER
August 27, 2017 12th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW
TODAY’S EVENTS: Greek Festival in Rochester; Serve-a-Meal at FOCUS MN 4pm.
Epistle Reader: Stephen Kanavati Prosfora: anonymous
Fellowship: Lana Kartak Head Usher: Bill Clemons
Tuesday 08-29 ORTHROS (8am) &DIVINELITURGY- BEHEADING OF FORERUNNER 9:00AM
Friday 09-01 ORTHROS (8am) & LITURGY- INDICTION: (CHURCH YEAR BEGINS) 9:00AM
Sunday 09-03 ORTHROS (8:15am) &DIVINELITURGY- 13th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW 9:30AM
Serve-a-Meal at FOCUS MN 4:00PM
Monday 09-04 Labor Day – office closed
Friday 09-08 ORTHROS (8am) & DIVINE LITURGY- NATIVITY OF THEOTOKOS 9:00AM
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Memory Eternal! Ms. Elsie Hasapopoulos fell asleep in the Lord on August 18th. Funeral service was held in her hometown of Mason City, Iowa on August 24th. God grant her eternal rest!
From Festival Co-Chairs: Thank you to the festival committee members for their hard work, organizational skills, leadership and positive attitudes that resulted in a wonderful 2017 Greek Festival. And thank you to everyone who volunteered! We had an amazing turnout of volunteers: 92 on Saturday, many working double shifts, and 71 on Sunday, plus the 9 volunteers who worked on Monday to help with cleanup and inventory.
IOCC Volunteer Opportunity: This Tuesday, August 29 at 8:30am in Waseca, MN to help resident with flood clean-up. For more information or to RSVP, contact Dan Christopulos DChristopulos@iocc.org, or Dorothy Maples dorothy@nechama.org.
Think About It: Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13
Philoptochos Elections: Sunday, September 10th, elections for board Members and officers in the conference room after liturgy. Please plan to attend this important meeting. You will be able to vote if you have paid your fair share offering. Currently there are 25 paid members, so check with treasurer Tina Sageotis denaki26@msn.com to confirm if you’re a paid member. $21 per member goes to National & Metropolis office.
Philoptochos Farewell: On Sunday, September 24th Philoptochos will host a "Farewell" luncheon honoring past President Reva Adkins and Ron Adkins, who was active on the Parish Council for many years, and who will be moving to Kentucky soon. Please plan to attend liturgy followed by a presentation in the social hall.
Sermons Updated: and posted on our website through May 7, 2017. More to come including children’s sermons from 2016-2017. http://stgeorgegoc.org/pastors-corner/fr-ricks-sermons/
2017 Lenten Lectures and Lenten Retreat audios posted: please visit our website at http://stgeorgegoc.org/pastors-corner/lectures/ to hear 12 different lectures presented by speakers Fr. Richard Andrews, Fr. Marc Boulos, Dr. Eugenia Gavrilyuk, Fr. Ted Wojcik, Fr. Barnabas Powell and Michael Lotti.
St. Paul Classic Bike Tour: will take place on Sunday, September 10, 2017 from 8am to noon. No parking allowed on the north side of Summit Avenue – cars parked in posted no parking zones will be tagged and towed.
Lebanese Festival: at St. Maron Catholic Church, 602 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis on Saturday, September 23 1-8pm and Sunday, September 24, 11am-6pm. Fun for all ages; free admission, plus food, games, live music and dance. See posting in social hall or visit www.stmaron.com for more info.
Church Fathers Speak: As children are not born without a mother, so passions are not born without distraction of the mind, and sin is not committed without converse with passions. St. Isaac the Syrian (+700)
LOMCP Fundraising Gala: Sunday, September 17, 4-7pm on the terrace of the Stillwater Public Library, 224 3rd Street N, Stillwater. Tickets for the Lyn Olson Medical Crisis Program Annual Fundraising Gala are on sale for $30 after liturgy (from Fr. Rick or in the bookstore) or at www.lomcp.com. This year’s theme is donor appreciation. It is because of your never-ending support that LOMCP can succeed in its mission. Many individuals and their families received assistance this year for major medical crises in their lives. Thank you!
Support Taste of Northeast: at St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral, Sept 29-30, 2017. Consider being a Business Sponsor, Personal Sponsor, or Marketplace Vendor. For more information, including forms and deadlines, contact Lynn Bjornnes at 651.492.5390 or fordfam21@comcast.net.
Patristic Wisdom: Speak well of those who speak evil of you. Pay good for evil. Pray for those who cause you various offenses, wrongs, temptations, persecutions. Whatever you do, on no account condemn anyone; do not even try to judge whether a person is good for bad, but keep your eyes on that one evil person for whom you must give an account before God-yourself. St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (+1867)
New Metropolitan of Chicago: the Trisopon (list of three candidates) selected by the Holy Eparchial Synod of America was forwarded to the Patriarchal Synod in Constantinople. Unofficially, it appears that the list has been rejected and a new list must be selected. Please continue to pray that God grant us a worthy successor and chief shepherd. Until then, Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit is serving as locum tenens.
Lexington Parkway Improvements- concrete and brick crosswalks are being replaced with blacktop and new pedestrian accessible curbs at intersections. Watch for lane shifts and closures.
Labor Day Weekend Family Retreat: Join other Orthodox families at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center in Wisconsin, Sept 1-3, 2017 for a fun-filled time reconnecting with your family and with God. Find more information on bulletin boards and at www.GOCFFamilySynaxis.org. Register online by August 18.
Wisdom from the Church Fathers: If you want to avoid falling into anger or resentment, try not to feel any passionate attraction to material things…Because if you do not have a passionate attachment to something, you will not obsess over it; but if you do not have this aim, you can be certain that you will not cease from being disturbed and from troubling others. St. Dorotheos of Gaza (+565)
Rise and Shine! Orthros is the sunrise service in the Orthodox Church but probably one of the most neglected. Every individual and family should make an effort to participate periodically. At least, plan to arrive at the beginning of Divine Liturgy. Like Vespers, Orthros has many profound hymns about Jesus' Resurrection and the Saints or Feast of the Day along with petitions, prayers and readings. Orthros begins Sunday morning 8:15am.
Roselawn Cemetery Lots: available to parishioners at a 15% discount off 2017 list prices. Discounted prices are: Monument Lot (2 graves) $5,865.00; Flat Lot A (2 graves) $3,485.00; Flat Lot B (1 grave-limited availability) $2,040.00. For more info or to purchase a lot, please contact the church office.
Welcome Visitors Thank you for joining with us in prayer and fellowship. The worship of the Orthodox Church is deeply rooted in and very similar to that of the early Christian Church. Unique sensory stimuli and mystery are elements that go back even to the liturgy of the Jewish temple. Everything in an Orthodox Christian church communicates the majestic presence of God the Holy Trinity with His Saints. It is literally heaven on earth. It is a sad consequence of the divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend a general invitation to receive Holy Communion. Visitors are invited to receive the blessed bread (antithoron) at the conclusion of the liturgy. We pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all Christians. If you are interested in learning more about Orthodoxy, please contact Fr. Rick at fatherrick@stgeorgegoc.org. We are proud of our Greek heritage but one does not have to be of Greek descent, nor speak Greek to be a Greek Orthodox Christian.
Note to Orthodox about Holy Communion: Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ is one of the most Holy experiences for a Christian in order to be granted the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. We are never worthy to partake of Divine Nature. Yet, it is essential that we prepare ourselves for this sacred Communion by constant prayer, reading the Scriptures, regular fasting and periodic Confession. At a minimum, we should fast all morning before Communion, arrive at the beginning of Liturgy, and come for Confession at least once a year. In addition, we should not have separated ourselves from the Church through serious sin. Otherwise, please refrain from Communion to avoid “judgment…not discerning the Lord’s body” (1Cor. 11:29). Contact Fr. Rick for pastoral guidance.
Glad Tidings deadline: The 10th of each month. Glad Tidings email: gladtidings@stgeorgegoc.org Sunday Bulletin Deadline: Wednesday Noon each week. Email: office@stgeorgegoc.org
Liturgy Guide 08-27-2017