Sunday Services: Orthros-8:45 a.m. Divine Liturgy-10:00 a.m. Sunday School after Distribution of Holy Communion. Holy Day Services As announced in weekly bulletins.
Sunday September 9th
Ushers: Michael Fowler & Jack Kaler
Epistle Reader: Costa Glennis
Prosphoro - Soula Nikolis
Coffee Hour - Soula Nikolis
Sunday Church School Registrations continue this week. Classes will begin Sunday September 9th after the distribution of Holy Communion.
This Sunday September 9th - Philoptochos will sponsor a "welcome back picnic" after the Divine Liturgy - burgers, hot dogs, desserts, and a bouncy house and slide for the children. Please join us for food, fun, and fellowship.
Divine Liturgy Thursday September 13th 5:30 pm - Feast of the Elevation of the Cross
Please Join Us.
Philoptochos News and Events
Philoptochos is hosting a picnic to celebrate the beginning of Sunday School after Liturgy on Sunday, September 9th. Please make plans to stay and join us for the party! There will be a giant water slide for the children, so they should bring a bathing suit, sunscreen and a towel. A donation will be collected for Holy Cross Hellenic College.
Many thanks to everyone who has donated items for the Rummage Sale. We are still accepting items, so please keep them coming! The Rummage Sale is Saturday, September 15, from 7am until noon. We need lots of volunteers to help organize the week before and workers the day of the sale. Please consider giving your time to this event. Watch your email for the sign-up.
Please note these other upcoming events—more information will follow.
November 10 Ladies Retreat at St. Peter’s November 11 Thanksgiving luncheon and Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection November 30-December 1 Pastry Sale
Philoptochos Rummage Sale: Volunteers are needed for sorting and organizing items the week of September 10-14.
Monday morning September 10th from 9-12
Tuesday morning September 11th from 9-12
Wednesday morning September 12th from 9-12
Wednesday evening September 12th from 5-8
Thursday morning September 13th from 9-12
Friday morning September 14th from 9-12 Friday evening September 14th from 5-8
LOTS of volunteers are needed Saturday, September 15 from 5 am until 1 pm
Our Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian Prayer List:
"Remember Lord, those whom each of us calls prayerfully to mind" Georgia Dennery, Nancy Panaretos, Chuck Odom, Nicholas & Maria Psaris, William Abihider, Christ Castanis, George V. Pinchuk, Chris Grillis, Lambryne Angelo, Jane Kountouris, and Collie McDole, Virginia Cora, Jan Hutson (Lauren Hutson Hontzas’ mother) Malissa and Pat Zouboukos have asked that we pray for their friend Randy Nichols, Mary Kookoutsedes (Jean Hare's Mother) Paula Fowler, Lana Sturgon has asked that pray for Larry Crowel Jr. the son of her former boss, who is undergoing treatment for kidney cacer, Malissa Zouboukos's has asked that we pray for her 30 year old nephew, Taylor Crocket, he accidently shot himself in his left leg below his knee while cleaning his pistol.
September Birthday Celebrations: Jennifer Ann Cora-September 6th, Laura Efstratiou-September 7th, Alex Christopher Broome-September 9th, Maria Burnham-September 12th, Dos Thompson-September 12th, Virginia Cora-September 14th, Katherine Efstratiou-September 20th, Costa Glennis-September 21st , Despina Mangafakis-September 22nd, Kari Grillis East-September 29th
PLEASE LET FATHER ANDREW KNOW OF ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS Thank You!.
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Without your donations and constributions it becomes difficult to meet our budgeted expenses. Our monthly expenses include salaries, Gas, Electricity, Water, Archdiocese commitments, and from time to time extra expenses to repair items in the church proper. Please remember that your donations help us to meet these monthly expenses of $10k.
Today, the day following the Nativity of the most holy Theotokos, we celebrate the synaxis of Saints Joachim and Anna, honouring them as her parents.
This saint lived in the fifth century. Out of remorse for the adultery that she committed with another man, she fled from her husband's house, renamed herself Theodore, clothed herself as a man, and pretending to be a eunuch, entered a monastery of men. Her identity as a woman was discovered only after her death.
Please Join us for the Divine Liturgy at 5:30 pm
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.
Rest from labour. A Fast is observed today, whatever day of the week it may be.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.
Prokeimenon. Plagal Second Tone. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 6:11-18.
Brethren, see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
Sunday before Holy Cross
The Reading is from John 3:13-17
The Lord said, "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."
How many of us love snakes and have a pet snake at home? Probably not too many. Why? They are cool, creepy and slithery, kind of the opposite of an affectionate dog or puppy with fur. Even the word "serpent" comes from the Latin meaning "to creep." Although many, if not most, snakes neither are poisonous nor bite people, we are most familiar with the ones who do, especially if their venom is deadly. We tend to think that every snake is a cobra, phython, rattler, coral, or similar. Or we think of the anaconda that wraps itself around its victim and suffocates them before eating them. Generally, snakes don't have the best reputation.
Snakes got a bad wrap early on starting from the beginning of creation as recorded in the Book of Genesis (3:1-3). We know it was a serpent that deceived the woman Eve in the Garden of Eden. Later, this serpent was specifically identified as the Devil and Satan in the Book of Revelation (12:7-9; 20:1-3). Looking a little deeper in the scriptures, we might remember the Israelites wandering in the desert, grumbling and murmuring against Moses and God because they were starving and thirsting, despite having the heavenly manna. In order to help them repent for their lack of trust and apathy, the Lord sent fiery serpents that bit them and many died (Dt. 21:5-6).
That brings us to today's Gospel (John 3:13-17) for the Sunday before the Elevation of the Precious Cross. It's a short passage, so allow me to share it now.
13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:13-17).
The line referring to Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness is significant. This refers back the Israelites' affliction of serpents recorded in Deuteronomy 21. After the people were bitten and many died, they came to Moses, confessed their sin and pleaded with him to save them. Listen to the passage.
7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
8Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." 9So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Dt.21:7-9)
Jesus, speaking of Himself, draws a direct connection between the serpent on the pole and the Son of Man on the Cross. Because Jesus spoke these words early in His ministry, the disciples may not have made the connection with the Cross until after the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.
Just like the bronze serpent on the pole had real power to heal those bitten by snakes, the Cross has real power to heal Christians made sick by sin through the deception of the devil. The image of the Cross has this power of course because Christ was crucified on a cross. Just like Jesus changed the nature of baptism through His own baptism (moving it from mere cleansing from sin to unification with Himself) in the Jordan River, He takes a tool of death (for crucifixion was the means of capital punishment for non-Romans at that time) and makes it the sign and image of victory over sin and death. In other words, the Cross is now a means of healing and eternal life. In addition, the Cross now is the identifying symbol for being a follower of Christ.
Orthodox Christians today not only wear a cross around their neck, but also make the sign of the Cross to bless themselves. Making the sign of the Cross is also confession of faith. Using the right hand, the three fingers (index, middle & thumb) brought together represent God the Holy Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit), the two other fingers (ring & pinky) brought together represent the two natures of Christ (human & divine) and are brought down against the palm to represent Christ's incarnation, descending from heaven to earth. As we make the cross we touch our forehead, heart, right shoulder and left shoulder remembering the Great Commandment, "To love the Lord with all our mind, heart, soul and strength." Using the right hand and first touching the right shoulder signifies that Christ ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father. Thus, in this little quick gesture, our whole faith is distilled, summarized and expressed.
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