St. Stephen Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2025-08-31
Bulletin Contents

Organization Icon
St. Stephen Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (707)235-0316
  • Street Address:

  • 11055 Hirschfeld Way

  • Rancho Cordova, CA 95670


Contact Information




Services Schedule

 

Saturday

Vespers: 5:00 pm

Sunday

Matins: 8:15 am

Liturgy: 9:30 am


Past Bulletins


Saints and Feasts

August 31

Floros & Lauros the Monk-martyrs of Illyria

These Martyrs were twin brothers, and stonemasons. After the martyrdom of their teachers Proclus and Maximus, they left Byzantium and came to the city of Ulpiana in Illyricum, where a certain Licinius hired them to build a temple for the idols. The wages he gave them, they distributed to the poor, and when the temple was built, Floros and Lauros gathered the paupers, and with their help put ropes about the necks of the idols, pulled them to the ground, and furnished the temple as a church. When Licinius learned of this, he had the paupers burned alive in a furnace. Floros and Lauros were tormented, then cast into a deep well, where they gave up their souls to the Lord. When their holy relics were recovered years later, they poured forth myrrh and worked many miracles; they were enshrined in Constantinople.


August 31

Leontus the martyr


August 31

Relics of Arsenios the Righteous of Paros


August 31

Afterfeast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary


BACK TO TOP

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

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 worshiped 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 the Son and 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."

First Orthros Gospel
متى 28: 16-20

16في ذلك الزمان انْطَلَقُ الأَحَدَ عَشَرَ تِلْمِيذاً إِلَى الْجَلِيلِ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ ،حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ يَسُوعُ. 17وَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ سَجَدُوا لَهُ ،وَلَكِنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ شَكُّوا. 18فَتَقَدَّمَ يَسُوعُ وَكَلَّمَهُمْ قَائِلاً: ((دُفِعَ إِلَيَّ كُلُّ سُلْطَانٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَعَلَى الأَرْضِ، 19فَاذْهَبُوا وَتَلْمِذُوا جَمِيعَ الأُمَمِ وَعَمِّدُوهُمْ بِاسْمِ الآبِ وَالاِبْنِ وَالرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ.

20وَعَلِّمُوهُمْ أَنْ يَحْفَظُوا جَمِيعَ مَا أَوْصَيْتُكُمْ بِهِ. وَهَا أَنَا مَعَكُمْ كُلَّ الأَيَّامِ إِلَى انْقِضَاءِ الدَّهْرِ)). آمِينَ. 

 

 


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 3rd Tone. 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.

البروكيمنون. 3rd Tone. مزمور 46: 6، 1.
سبحوا لإلهنا سبحوا
Verse: صَفِّقوا بِالأكُفِّ يا كُلَ الشُّعوبِ

فصل من رسالة بولس الاولى الى اهل كورنثس 15: 1-11.

آمَنْتُمْ عَبَثاً! فَإِنَّنِي سَلَّمْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ فِي آلأَوَّلِ مَا قَبِلْتُهُ أَنَا أَيْضاً: أَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ مَاتَ مِنْ أَجْلِ خَطَايَانَا حَسَبَ الْكُتُبِ وَأَنَّهُ دُفِنَ وَأَنَّهُ قَامَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ حَسَبَ الْكُتُبِ وَأَنَّهُ ظَهَرَ لِصَفَا ثُمَّ لِلآثْنَيْ عَشَرَ. وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ظَهَرَ دَفْعَةً وَاحِدَةً لأَكْثَرَ مِنْ خَمْسِمِئَةِ أَخٍ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بَاقٍ إِلَى الآنَ. وَلَكِنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ قَدْ رَقَدُوا. وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ظَهَرَ لِيَعْقُوبَ ثُمَّ لِلرُّسُلِ أَجْمَعِينَ. وَآخِرَ الْكُلِّ - كَأَنَّهُ لِلسِّقْطِ - ظَهَرَ لِي أَنَا. لأَنِّي أَصْغَرُ الرُّسُلِ أَنَا الَّذِي لَسْتُ أَهْلاً لأَنْ أُدْعَى رَسُولاً لأَنِّي اضْطَهَدْتُ كَنِيسَةَ اللهِ. وَلَكِنْ بِنِعْمَةِ اللهِ أَنَا مَا أَنَا وَنِعْمَتُهُ الْمُعْطَاةُ لِي لَمْ تَكُنْ بَاطِلَةً بَلْ أَنَا تَعِبْتُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُمْ جَمِيعِهِمْ. وَلَكِنْ لاَ أَنَا بَلْ نِعْمَةُ اللهِ الَّتِي مَعِي. فَسَوَاءٌ أَنَا أَمْ أُولَئِكَ هَكَذَا نَكْرِزُ وَهَكَذَا آمَنْتُمْ.


Gospel Reading

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."

12th Sunday of Matthew
متى 19: 16-26

16في ذلك الزمان دنا إلى يسوع شابٌ وجثا له قائلاً : ((أَيُّهَا الْمُعَلِّمُ الصَّالِحُ، أَيَّ صَلاَحٍ أَعْمَلُ لِتَكُونَ لِيَ الْحَيَاةُ الأَبَدِيَّةُ؟)) 17فَقَالَ لَهُ: ((لِمَاذَا تَدْعُونِي صَالِحاً؟ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ صَالِحاً إِلاَّ وَاحِدٌ وَهُوَ اللَّهُ. وَلَكِنْ إِنْ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَدْخُلَ الْحَيَاةَ فَاحْفَظِ الْوَصَايَا)). 18قَالَ لَهُ: ((أَيَّةَ الْوَصَايَا؟)) فَقَالَ يَسُوعُ: ((لاَ تَقْتُلْ. لاَ تَزْنِ. لاَ تَسْرِقْ. لاَ تَشْهَدْ بِالزُّورِ. 19أَكْرِمْ أَبَاكَ وَأُمَّكَ ، وَأَحِبَّ قَرِيبَكَ كَنَفْسِكَ)).20قَالَ لَهُ الشَّابُّ: ((هَذِهِ كُلُّهَا حَفِظْتُهَا مُنْذُ حَدَاثَتِي. فَمَاذَا يُعْوِزُنِي بَعْدُ؟)) 21قَالَ لَهُ يَسُوعُ: ((إِنْ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَكُونَ كَامِلاً فَاذْهَبْ وَبِعْ أَمْلاَكَكَ وَأَعْطِ الْفُقَرَاءَ ، فَيَكُونَ لَكَ كَنْزٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ ، وَتَعَالَ اتْبَعْنِي)). 22فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الشَّابُّ الْكَلِمَةَ مَضَى حَزِيناً ، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ ذَا أَمْوَالٍ كَثِيرَةٍ.23فَقَالَ يَسُوعُ لِتَلاَمِيذِهِ: (( الْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّهُ يَعْسُرُ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ غَنِيٌّ إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ! 24وَأَقُولُ لَكُمْ أَيْضاً: إِنَّ مُرُورَ جَمَلٍ مِنْ ثَقْبِ إِبْرَةٍ أَيْسَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ غَنِيٌّ إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ اللَّهِ ! )). 25فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ تَلاَمِيذُهُ بُهِتُوا جِدّاً قَائِلِينَ: ((إِذاً مَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَخْلُصَ؟)) 26فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ يَسُوعُ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ : ((هَذَا عِنْدَ النَّاسِ غَيْرُ مُسْتَطَاعٍ ، وَلَكِنْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ مُسْتَطَاعٌ)).

 

 


BACK TO TOP

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 3rd Tone

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

لتفرح السماويات وتبتهج الارضيات ، لأن الرب صنع عزاً بساعده ، ووطئ الموت بالموت، وصار بكرالاموات ، وأنقذنا من جوف الجحيم، ومنح العالم الرحمة العظمى.

Apolytikion of Dormition of the Theotokos in the First Tone

In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering our souls from death by your intercessions.

Apolytikion of Martyrs Floros & Lauros in the Fourth Tone

Thy Martyrs, O Lord, in their courageous contest for Thee received as the prize the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since they possessed Thy strength, they cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by their prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Apolytikion of St Stephen in the 1st Tone

For the struggles you endured for Christ God, a royal diadem crowns your head, O First Champion of Martyrs. For you refuted the folly of the Jews and beheld your Savior on the right of the Father. Ever beseech Him, therefore, for our souls.

Kontakion of Dormition of the Theotokos in the Second Tone

Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope, ever vigilant in intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in the ever-virginal womb transposed her to life.
BACK TO TOP

Forms & Flyers

BACK TO TOP

Support St. Stephens

It is our hope that you will support our church so that we can continue to support our community, with the Good Lord’s blessings. Please note that no amount of help is too small, as every bit helps. We thank you in advance and may our Lord keep you in His care.

 Mail Check to: 

 St. Stephen Orthodox Church

 PO Box 292343

 Sacramento, CA 95829 

    

 

 Donate with PayPal button                                                

     

 


BACK TO TOP

Wisdom of the Fathers

Rise from love of the world and love of pleasure. Put care aside, strip your mind, refuse your body. Prayer, after all, is a turning away from the world, visible and invisible. What have I in heaven? Nothing except simply to cling always to You in undistracted prayer. Wealth pleases some, glory others, possessions others, but what I want is to cling to God and to put the hopes of my dispassion in Him (cf. Ps. 72:25, 28).
St. John Climacus
Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 28: On Prayer; Paulist Press pg. 277, 6th century

Spiritual delight is not enjoyment found in things that exists outside the soul.
St. Isaac of Syria
Unknown, 7th century

BACK TO TOP