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: Michael Fowler & Jack Kaler
Epistle Reader: Alex Graham*
Prosphoro: Jean Hare
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.
Farewell luncheon: Stamati and Monique Polles have been a blessing to our parish for over 15 years. Please join us on Sunday October 10th 2021, for a farewell luncheon after Liturgy in our fellowship hall. Please join us for Liturgy and stay to say goodbye to let them know they will be missed. If you can please bring your favorite potluck side dish to share, the church will provide the meat for the meal.
* sadly Miles Alex Graham will also be leaving us and moving to Florida We wish him well and thank him for his service.
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.
October Birthday List: Sarah Kountouris-October 1st, Ana Kelley Hontzas-October 1st, Vic Applewhite-October 3rd, Paula Fowler-October 4th, Carl Boschert-October 4th, Leslie Valsamakis-October 5th, Christ Castanis-October 11th, Angeliki Polles-October 8th, Jane Armstrong-October 12th, Christina Nica-October 14th, William Anthony Hontzas-October 15th, Georgia Kountouris-October 15th, Katina Castanis-October 18th, Caden Fowler-October 19th, Emily Alexandra Cora-October 21st, Sawyer Baggett-October 24th, Sharon Mavridoglou-October 25th, Macye Laird-October 26th, Katina (Fowler) Hutson-October 29th, Anastasia (Hontzas) Seevers-October 31st 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, 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, Maria Costas, Dot Pavlou,Charlie Privett (Chris Valsamakis' friend from Aberdeen MS).
The Martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia were from Nicomedia, and contested for Christ during the reign of Maximian, in the year 296.
On this day we also celebrate the Synaxis of the Righteous Fathers of Optina Hermitage in Russia, who struggled valiantly in the monastic life in prayer, humility, obedience, and love, and whom God deemed worthy of the lofty gifts of discernment, prophecy, clairvoyance, and eldership, that is, the grace to guide souls on the unerring path of salvation. They are Leo (who reposed in 1841), Macarius (1860), Moses (1862), Anthony (1865), Hilarion (1873), Ambrose (1891), Anatolius (1894), Isaacius (1894), Joseph (1911), Barsanuphius (1913), Anatolius (1922), Nectarius (1928), Nicon (1931), and Isaacius (1936).
Saint Symeon became a monk of the Studite Monastery as a young man, under the guidance of the elder Symeon the Pious. Afterwards he struggled at the Monastery of Saint Mamas in Constantinople, of which he became abbot. After enduring many trials and afflictions in his life of piety, he reposed in 1022. Marvelling at the heights of prayer and holiness to which he attained, and the loftiness of the teachings of his life and writings, the church calls him "the New Theologian." Only to two others, John the Evangelist and Gregory, Patriarch of Constantinople, has the church given the name "Theologian." Saint Symeon reposed on March 12, but since this always falls in the Great Fast, his feast is kept today.
Saint Paraskeve was born in Thrace in the eleventh century. In her youth she went to Constaninople, and thence journeyed to the Holy Land in pursuit of the ascetical life. After struggling for many years in the wilderness of the Jordan, she was moved by God to return to her homeland. She continued her monastic labours there for a few more years, and then reposed in peace.
This Martyr was in the service of Pontius Pilate at the time of Christ our Saviour's Passion. While standing guard at the Cross and beholding the earthquake and all that came to pass, he cried out with fear, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matt. 27:54). After the Resurrection, he forsook the military and departed for Cappadocia, his homeland, where he preached Christ. By the agency of Pontius Pilate, Tiberius Caesar had him arrested and beheaded.
Fifth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:13-35
At that time, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Prokeimenon. Grave Tone. Psalm 28.11,1.
The Lord will give strength to his people.
Verse: Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.
The reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:1-10.
Brethren, working together with him, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
3rd Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 7:11-16
At that time, Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!"
“Do not weep!” This is what Jesus said to the widow of Nain, whose son had died as she was processing with his body to the place of burial. Can you imagine her predicament? We learn from today’s Gospel reading (Third Sunday of Luke 7:11-16) that she previously lost her husband (v.12) and that this was her only child or at least her only son (v.12). Can you imagine her pain? And Jesus says to her “Do not weep” (v.13). It reminds me of adults who say to crying children, “Knock it off, stop crying.” Now we know this was not Jesus’ intent, for the gospel also tells us that “He had compassion upon her” (v.13), and we know He had something in mind when He said, “Do not weep.” We’ll get to that later.
Unfortunately, some people do say to those who are grieving things like “Do not weep” as in “Stop crying, knock it off.” Or perhaps, even if they don’t say it, they are thinking, “Why won’t this person stop crying?” We may want to put limits on other people’s grief be-cause it makes us uncomfortable or we do not know how to handle it. And even though we don’t say it, our body language still communicates the same message, “Do not weep, stop crying.” It begs the question, how do we handle grief and loss?
First of all, we need recognize that the death of a loved one is not the only type of loss that involves grieving. Fr. Anthony Coniaris, in his sermon on this passage (Widow of Nain – How to Handle Grief in Gems from Sunday Gospels vol.2, p.28), relates the following, “It is not only death that brings pain through loss. There are many other losses in life that bring similar pain. The loss of a job; the failure to receive an expected promotion; having to move from a place you love and leave behind dear friends; separation and/or divorce from a spouse; retirement from work that has been a vital part of your life for many years; having child grow up and go away to college or serve in the armed forces and eventually get married; an debilitating injury or illness; a financial loss through plunging stock market or swindle. All these experiences cause grief. They are like amputations; they destroy part of us; they bring death to a part of our lives.” A world famous mental health therapist wrote a book about these types of losses. She lives in the Twin Cities and her name is Pauline Boss and her book is titled “Ambiguous Loss.” It is an important book for everyone to read.
In response to the experience of loss, Fr. Coniaris adds, “Some people say that the greatest cure for grief is time. Yet, by itself time will not heal grief completely. Time can also make grief worse. Time can turn grief into bitter resentment that can poison the body and the mind. In order for grieve properly and heal the pain of loss, we must cooperate with time in ways that are constructive…Medical experts tell us that the mismanagement of grief causes all sorts of illness from ulcers, to diabetes to mental and emotional health problems.” Grief is hard work. It doesn’t just happen. It re-quires effort, sometimes it requires tremendous effort.
What are some constructive ways to grieve? How can we move through the process of grief? First of all, express it! Emotions must be expressed and shared with others. Repressed emotion is one of the leading causes of psychosomatic illnesses. Whatever is related to our grief—sadness, anger, fear, etc.—must be expressed. Hopefully, we have good, close friends and family who will listen but not everyone does, so seeking out a priest, a counselor, and a grief support group are also very helpful. Even if we feel all alone in our grief, we are never truly alone. God is always present ready to hear us and listen. Thus, prayer is also a necessary part of expressing our grief. The Psalms of the Old Testament are full of words and phrases that express sorrow, pain, sadness, anger and fear – ‘Be angry but do not sin’ (Psalm, Proverbs).
The second way to constructively grieve is to cry. As Fr. Coniaris says, “Let the tears flow!” Jesus said, Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted (Matt.5:4). When His friend Lazarus died, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). In the Epistle reading of the Orthodox Funeral Service, we hear St. Paul say, 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope (1Thessalonians 4:13). St. Paul is not saying, “Do not grieve!” Rather, he is telling Christians to grieve, but to grieve with hope, hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus tells the widow of Nain, “Do not weep,” because He is about to demonstrate His divine power over physical death by raising her son from the dead (Lk.11:15). The Orthodox Funeral Service, with its many different hymns and tones, is meant to evoke the wide range and depth of human emotion in order to facilitate the grieving process. We do Trisagion and Memorial Services several times in the subsequent days, weeks, months and years in order to continue the grieving process. There is no time-table for grief. Everyone is different and every situation is unique.
Thirdly, when we suffer a grievous loss, especially someone we truly love, it is common to become aware of many things left undone, things not said, and unkind or insensitive acts that we committed towards them. In response to this awareness, we often feel embarrassed, guilty, or ashamed. Sometimes these feelings can become very debilitating and we don’t know how to make things right be-cause the person is now and forever absent from our life. Thankfully, we can seek forgiveness from God in the Sacrament/Mystery of Repentance. Talking with the priest can help sort out what is healthy guilt from what is unhealthy shame. The priest can help facilitate our confession in order to reconcile with God and our departed loved one. In the communion and Church of Christ there is no separation between the living and the dead. We can still talk to our loved one who left this world. The difference is instead of using cell phones, email and texting, we use a different type of wireless communication—prayer. Talk to God, talk to your love ones in prayer. Tell them everything you left unsaid in this life.
Finally, self-pity is a common response to loss. “Woe is me! No one has ever felt as much pain as I’m feeling right now.” If not checked this self-pity can become all-consuming and very self-centered. In order to prevent this we must, at some point, begin to turn that focus from ourselves towards other people. We must use the pain of loss as a way to help others. Think of Patty Wetterling and John Walsh who used the unimaginable loss of their children to abduction and murder, as a way to help others through similar losses, to apprehend criminals, and to help prevent future child abductions. Our own loss gives us a unique perspective into the loss of others and also gives us the ability to help them in a unique way. We know how they feel. We know what they are experiencing.
In conclusion, Fr. Coniaris asks us to consider the widow of Nain in today’s gospel and how all her hopes, dreams and aspirations for her son were being buried with him in his coffin. With each and every loss in our own life, there is a little funeral that must take place. The question is, which funeral procession are we ultimately participating in? Is it the procession lead by a corpse that symbolizes despair, grief, sorrow, helplessness, and hopelessness of mankind? Or is it the procession lead by Christ, the Eternal One, the Savior, sent to stop mankind’s tragic trek to the grave; to offer us salvation, hope, peace and life eternal. Think about it
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