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.
Ushers: It's a holiday weekend so if you are in church please step up and help.
Epistle Reader: Erynn Sturgon
Prosphoro:
Orthros starts at 9:00 am
Liturgy Starts at 10:00 am.
Coffee Hour: Join us if you can featuring fresh brewed coffee and packaged treat items.
Philoptochos Corner:
Congratulations to our new 2021 Philoptochos Board Officers.
President- Jean Hare
Vice President- Cristina Nica
Secretary- Leslie Zouboukos
Treasurer- Sophia Cox
We are looking to schedule our first meeting for all our ladies in the church to meet for dinner at a restaurant and sit outside.
We are corresponding through group me. If you are not receiving our messages please let us know and we will add you to the list. We are looking forward to a great year. We are encouraging all ideas and would like to work as a loving spiritual team.❤️
Elena Zouboukos is working on a MAD (Make A Difference) project making appreciation/thank you bags for hospital workers on the front line. She is earning money to help purchase items for these bags. If you would like to help with this project, there will be a basket on the table near the coffee pot in the church hall. Or you can reach out to Elena by email. ezouboukos@gmail.com
Sunday School classes will resume on September.19th. We do ask that our young people continue to join us for Liturgy on Sundays.
Feast of Saint John the Theologian - Sunday Sepotember 26th - Join us for worship as we celebrate the name day of our Parish - and stay for festive Luncheon sponsored by the ladies of Philoptochos Society - proceeds from this luncheon will go to the Holy Cross School of Theology and the Retired Priests and Presvyteres Fund.
Please Note: If you cannot join us the Liturgy will be recorded "live and in color" and available for viewing on our facebook page, see links below. If you cannot attend and still want to light a candle, or make an offering. Please use any of the links below. Our Facebook page click on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/269685419794311/ or go to our church web page
www.holytrinitysaintjohnjackson.org and click on the link
We are grateful to those who have contributed and continue to contribute their donations through the mail or by the two secure on-line options both of which can be found on our web page. The light a candle say a prayer link below or the Donate Button on the bottom of the home page https://holy-trinity-st-john-the-theologian-greek-orthodox-church-jac.square.site
The offering box will be on the candle stand as you enter the nave - you may leave your offerings as you enter the Church proper.
August Birthday Celebrations: Sophia Efstratiou – August 4th Ellen Hontzas – August 9th Kimberly Thompson-August 10th Dianna Psaris-August 14th Lydia Laird-August 20th Pete Zouboukos-August 22nd , Lana Sturgon-August 29th .
Our 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, Katherine Efstratiou-September 20th, Costa Glennis-September 21st, Despina Mangafakis-September 22nd, Dorothy Pavlou-September 26th, George Provias-September 29th, Kari Grillis East-September 29th Please let us know of any errors or omissions.
Our Holy Trinity-St. John the Theologian Prayer List:
"Remember Lord, those whom each of us calls prayerfully to mind" Ben Childers of Aberdeen MS (Christina Valsamakis's husband), Stella Grivas (Father Andrew's mother in Dunnsville VA), Andrea & Kevin Brown (Father Andrew's sister and brother in law in New Hampshire) both are battling cancer, Russell Thomas (Elizabeth Thomas Petersen"s father), Sophia Cox, Chuck Odom, Nicholas & Dianna Psaris, John Botes, Christ Castanis, Chris Grillis, Lambryne Angelo, Malissa and Pat Zouboukos have asked that we pray for their friend Bill Hardin and their friend and neighbor Bill Spence, Paula Fowler, Victoria Lepsa (Cristina Nica's mother in Romania), Tatianna Koufopoulos Quick of Phoenix Arizona, please keep Costa Glennis's daughter Wanda Parker in your prayers, Maria Costas, Dot Pavlou,Charlie Privett (Chris Valsamakis' friend from Aberdeen MS).
According to the opinion of many Fathers of the Church, based on an ancient tradition, this is the Zacharias whom, as our Lord said, the Jews slew between the temple and the altar (Matt. 23:35), first, because even after the Virgin Mary gave birth, he continued to refer to her as virgin and number her among the virgins; second, because Zacharias' son John was not found during the slaughter of the Innocents, since the elderly Elizabeth had taken him and carefully hid him while he was yet an infant, in an unnamed place somewhere in the desert, where, according to the Evangelist, "the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel" (Luke 1:80). When the child was not found, his father was slain by Herod's command.
The feast today in honour of the Archangel Michael commemorates the great miracle he wrought when he delivered from destruction a church and holy spring named for him. The pagans, moved by malice, sought to destroy the aforesaid church and holy spring by turning the course of two rivers against them. But the Archangel appeared and, by means of the Cross and a great earthquake that shook the entire area, diverted the waters into an underground course. Henceforth, the name of that place changed from Colossae to Chonae, which means "funnels" in Greek.
According to the ancient tradition of the Church, the Theotokos was born of barren and aged parents, Joachim and Anna, about the year 16 or 17 before the birth of Christ. Joachim was descended from the royal line of David, of the tribe of Judah. Anna was of the priestly tribe of Levi, a daughter of the priest Matthan and Mary, his wife.
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.
Hymn of Pentecost:
O blessed are You, O Christ our God. Who by sending down the Holy Spirit upon them, made the fishermen wise, and through them illumined the world. And unto You the universe was ever drawn. All glory to You O Lord.
Hymn of St. John the Theologian
O Apostle, beloved of Christ our God, hasten to deliver a defenseless people. He that allowed thee to recline in His breast, receiveth thee bowing in intersession. Implore Him, O Theologian, do dispel the persistent cloud of the heathen, and ask for us His peace and great mercy.
Eleventh Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:14-25
At that time, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples after he was raised from the dead, and he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."
Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!" So, the word went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die; but Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Prokeimenon. Second Tone. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 9:2-12.
Brethren, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
11th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 18:23-35
The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the torturers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Thus Jesus taught His disciples to pray and in praying to forgive. These words are indelibly marked on our consciences as they have been on all our Christian ancestors before us since Christ first spoke these words, even as we may struggle to live them out. Forgiveness is a gift little understood outside of the household of God. In the world an offense may be forgotten, but is rarely truly forgiven. Forgiveness is the language that God has given to us in order to elevate us beyond our tit-for-tat fallen relationships that are so manifest in the world.
In our earthly relationships, it’s easy to begrudge and grow bitter, it’s easy to want to write off those who’ve offended or hurt us. The reality is, though, that bitterness and grudges are like getting bit by a snake over and over again. Whatever the initial harm that’s been done to us or another—whether real or perceived—our growing bitterness and holding a grudge against that person means that we continue to nurse the same old wound, over and over again. We keep that wound, we keep ourselves from healing, from loving in Christ.
Often, whatever the initial offense or hurt, our dwelling on it, our cultivating enmity against the person, will grow the hurt or offense into something much bigger than it originally was; it will take on a life of its own, and become a means through which the enemy underscores to us even more how we’ve been wrong or how our pride’s been wounded. And we give into these feelings of hurt ego and then get angry. And so, without forgiveness, these passions that are self-inflicted as well as those that are truly committed against us, continue to bite us and do us further harm.
The truth is that when we’re bitter, nursing a grudge, we turn someone else’s sin into our own sin and it eats at us like some spiritual cancer; if unchecked, it grows, infecting our souls, and destroys our faith as it alters our sense of reality. We cannot be close to God, we cannot maintain and grow our relationship and communion with God, while holding onto bitterness, while withholding forgiveness.
For this reason, God, in His great love for us, desires our freedom from this spiritual cancer: bitterness, grudges, enmity, and the sin of pride that is so easy to take offense. When St. Peter asks the Lord how many times we must forgive, thinking maybe seven times would be sufficient, the Lord replies, ”seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:22), symbolic of an infinite sum.
The premise of this infinite forgiveness comes from God, Who is its Author. He grants forgiveness to us over and over and over again, as many times as we confess our sins to Him with the intent to change and amend our words, thoughts, and actions. And while we ourselves sin and then fight to forgive those who wrong us, God does not sin and yet He forgives us for our sins against Him and others.
To illustrate this truth, Christ gives us today’s parable: One of the Master’s servants owes him an incredible amount, ten thousand talents, an impossible sum. If we thought of God’s forgiveness towards us in terms of a debt to be paid, we’d never be able to settle such an account, which is why we call God’s salvation, “grace.” The servant is forgiven as God forgives us our trespasses, our disobedience, pride, lustfulness, unfaithfulness. But the servant, having received that gracious gift of forgiveness of his debts immediately takes his fellow servant by the throat, demanding that he pay all his debts, which by comparison with his own debts, are a pittance.
So, how can we withhold forgiveness from our fellow man and yet expect that no matter what, God will forgive us. If we do so, we presume on God’s grace and the fear of God is not in us, which puts us spiritually in a very perilous place. The Lord warns us that this shall not be.
When the Master in today’s parable finds out what the wicked servant has done, throwing his fellow servant into prison, failing to forgive his debt, the Master grows righteously angry. Jesus warns us, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” And so, Christ teaches His disciples to pray, “forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive those who trespass against us.” This teaching goes to the core of what the Body of Christ is meant to be about: forgiving one another from the heart because we cannot claim communion with God while withholding forgiveness from each other.
At the same time, we have to recognize that forgiving others can often be a deep struggle, particularly in the cases of abuse or other deep and painful wounds.
For this reason, it’s helpful to remember that forgiving is not the same as forgetting. We may never forget a wrong, abuse, some grievous sin done against us, but we can with God’s help, learn to forgive and practice ongoing forgiveness. In other words, we can make the ongoing struggle and work of forgivness a matter of regular prayer.
We remember Jesus Christ’s words on the cross asking the Father to forgive His tormentors, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” St. Stephen, the Protomartyr said the same thing of those who in their hatred stoned him to death. Only the love of God can do this.
For our part, we can pray regularly to grow in such love; we can pray for healing; we can pray that God will give us freedom from bitterness and the great mercy to forgive—even if it takes a life-time. God will honor our struggle. God’s healing in this regard begins with the desire to want to learn to forgive others as God has forgiven and does forgive us. The world would indeed be a different and more virtuous place if more people were willing to put forgiveness into action.
Along with active forgiving, we can also learn to say no to nursing wounds and building grudges or spreading gossip and mistrust. We can learn to go to the person who’s offended us to speak to them about it. We can give that person an opportunity to explain, ask forgiveness, and reconcile with us. But even if that person doesn’t offer to apologize, we can, in humility, learn to forgive and love them and, even better, to ask them their forgiveness. This is the strength that our growing communion with Christ can give us.
Additionally, as we grow in Christ, we learn to cultivate an attitude of being slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to forgive. St. Paul admonishes us, likewise, to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:22).
In this way, we learn to combat bitterness and grudges before they start setting root and spreading their poison. We grow free of this spiritual cancer in our local body of the Church. We demonstrate the love and forgiveness that’s not of this world, but which is, rather, indicative of being of the Kingdom of Heaven. In His love for us, in His desire to save us, free us, heal us, Christ God commands us to forgive as we have been forgiven—seventy times seven, and by the power of the Holy Spirit’s work in us and through us, He gives us the means to do so.
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