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Sts. Constantine & Helen Cathedral
Publish Date: 2020-09-27
Bulletin Contents
Today
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Wisdom of the Fathers
This Week
Hymns of the Day
RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION AT STS CONSTANTINE AND HELEN CATHEDRAL IS DONE IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER:

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Sts. Constantine & Helen Cathedral

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (216) 932-3300
  • Fax:
  • (216) 932-0825
  • Street Address:

  • 3352 Mayfield Road

  • Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
  • Mailing Address:

  • 3352 Mayfield Road

  • Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

Past Bulletins


Today

September 27, 2020

09/27/2020

 FIRST SUNDAY OF LUKE

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PROSFORA: Maria Sikoutris
EPISTLE READING: II Corinthians 6:1-10
GOSPEL: Luke 5:1-11   (Greek text, p. 136, black books)
LITURGY: 9:30 a.m.
MEMORIAL: 6 month Memorial for Michael Tsironis, beloved husband of Constance, father of John (Jessica) and Nicholas (Colleen), Papou of Michael, Will and Nicholas, cherished brother of Gregory and the late Afroditi, Eleni, Nikki, Kostas and Fotis.
MEMORIAL: 15 year Memorial for Andromahi Economou, beloved wife of Vasilios Economou. Mother of Sandy Latsa, Nick (Sue) Economou. Yiayia of Marie, Nickie, Lexi, and Billy.


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

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.

Epistle Reading

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.

Gospel Reading

1st Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 5:1-11

At that time, as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

There is an old saying: 'Excesses meet.' Too much fasting and too much eating come to the same end. Keeping too long a vigil brings the same disastrous cost as ... sluggishness... Too much self-denial brings weakness and induces the same condition as carelessness. Often I have seen men who would not be snared by gluttony fall, nevertheless, through immoderate fasting and tumble in weakness into the very urge which they had overcome. Unmeasured vigils and foolish denial of rest overcame those whom sleep could not overcome. Therefore, 'fortified to right and to left in the armor of justice,' as the apostle says (2 Cor. 6:7), life must be lived with due measure and, with discernment for a guide, the road must be traveled between the two kinds of excess so that in the end we may not allow ourselves to be diverted from the pathway of restraint which has been laid down for us nor fall through dangerous carelessness into the urgings of gluttony and self-indulgence.
St. John Cassian
Conferences, Conference Two: On Discernment no. 16; Paulist Press pg. 76, 5th century

For now they were well instructed beforehand...But mark both their faith and their obedience. For though they were in the midst of their work when they heard His command, they delayed not, they procrastinated not, they said not, "let us return home, and converse with our kinsfolk," but "they forsook all and followed."
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 14 on Matthew 4, 4th Century

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This Week

THIS COMING WEEK

Mon, September 28th - 7:30 p.m. - Gamblers Anonymous
Thurs October 1st - 9:30 a.m. - Liturgy  (St. Romanos)
Sat, October 3rd - 10:00 a.m. - Virtual Parish Retreat
                                5:00 p.m. - Vespers (& Confessions)
Sunday, October 4th - 8:15 a.m. - Matins
                                    9:30 a.m. - Liturgy


WEEKDAY SERVICES

The Orthodox Christian tradition presents many opportunities for worship outside of Sunday morning services, especially Liturgies on the feast days of beloved saints. In light of the current crisis, the number will increase to at least one Liturgy per week in addition to the Sunday service. As the restrictions on Sunday attendance are loosening up, those with special concerns may consider attending a weekday service, where the typical attendance is in the range of 10-20. 


Virtual Retreat

Sts. Constantine & Helen Cathedral invites you to a

Virtual Retreat

Saturday October 3, 2020  -  10am-12pm

Speaker: Reverend Dr. Nicholas Louh  -  “Finding Christ in the Crisis”. Registration is Free. If you wish to donate to defray expenses, please make checks out and send to:

Sts. Constantine and Helen
3352 Mayfield Rd
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118

Please write “retreat” in the memo line. To register please visit this link: https://forms.gle/s5yW63tMAMqHGPdZ9


STEWARDSHIP

Our parish strives "To lead people to God through Orthodox Christianity and to provide ways for them live and share God's love." It does so in good days and in bad, such as we now experience. Church attendance may be difficult or impossible for you, but we endeavor to spread the "good news" as best we can. Any financial help that you might offer is deeply appreciated.


Tithe.ly Giving App

Tithe.ly is an online giving tool that makes it simple to safely/securely give to your church anywhere at any time. You can download the Tithe.ly giving app onto your phone, or click "give online" from the church website. Your gift goes directly to the church. Plus, you can track all your gifts, setup recurring donations, and more!


LIVESTREAM SERVICES

We have closed our livestreaming service on Facebook in favor of using YouTube for all future livestreaming of services. To continue participating with our livestream services, please visit, subscribe, & bookmark our channel at YouTube.com/stsconstantine.


St. Makrina Bible Study

Please join the St.Makrina group every Wednesday via Zoom from 10:00-11:30 a.m. We have begun discussing (2019 Retreat speaker!) Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis' excellent book "Let All Creation Rejoice: Reflections for Advent, The Nativity, and Epiphany". In this unusual year, our journey to the Nativity can be more meaningful. Fr. Stavros reminds us of the typical advent period that emphasizes decorations and shopping (along with elevated stress levels). In his book, he offers us a journey of faith to follow Christ. Instead of the letdown when Christmas has passed, "There will be joy and joy is what overcomes sadness. There will be hope and hope is what overcomes sorrow". To join us in this journey, please contact Melissa Manos by email at melmanos29@gmail.com or call Heidi Peters at 216 570-5393 for more information.


GOYA / YOUNG ADULT ACTIVITIES

1) Online registration for 2020-2021 youth ministry programs (HOPE/JOY, GOYA, Young Adults) are now live. Interested families should sign up by September 30th. Email Ted Cherpas tcherpas@stscosntantine.com for the links or with any questions.

2) GOYA is volunteering to do yard work for parishioners as a new community outreach project. Contact Ted at tcherpas@stsconstantine.com to coordinate the visit of 2 - 3 GOYAns to do basic jobs (e.g. weeding, raking leaves, etc.). As this is an outreach ministry, there is no fee.

3) "Telos POP" is organizing a nationwide network of penpals for GOYAns who are tired of Zoom calls but would like to make new friends. Participants will be matched with another student from across the country to build a new connection and discuss their faith. To join the program or ask a question, contact Ted at tcherpas@stsconstantine.com. 
 
4) Orthodoxy on Tap for young adults (ages 21 - 35ish) will have an online meeting on Saturday, October 3rd at 3:30 p.m. Our guest speaker will be Bojan Teodosijevic of the "Bible Illustrated" YouTube channel, and Bojan will be calling in from Serbia! RSVP to Ted at gorealcleveland@gmail.com.
 
5) Camp Nazareth will host an online young adult retreat (ages 21 - 35ish) the weekend of October 16th - 18th. Details are still forthcoming, but save the date for now. Questions may be directed to youngadultretreats@gmail.com.

ORTHODOX EDUCATION UPDATED NEWS

Speaker Fr. Chris Shadid, Director of Antiochian Village Christian conference and retreat center, will be on Zoom with us on October 4th. Parents of younger children can attend and pass on the information at their children's level. Parents, please check your e-mails for the zoom invites.

Future zoom events:

October 18th -- or week thereof (tentative) Papa Ephraim Abbot of St. Nilus Island Skete in Alaska

Contact Maria at orthodox_education@stsconstantine.com with any questions or suggestions.


CANDLE OFFERINGS

Candles are one way to express our prayers and our presence in worship. During the crisis, you may light a candle several different ways:

1.  come to the church during office hours  (M-F, 9:00 – 5:00) and purchase a candle to take with you or leave the candle, lit or not, in the candle stands  
2. email request to office@stsconstantine.com, no later than 3:00 pm on a day of regular business hours
3.  call the church office during regular hours
4. make a request through the Facebook live stream during a service. This is an honor system in which we trust that you will make a monetary gift for your candle. 
5.  Make a Tithe.Ly donation from our website button. You can add a note with any special candle request.


FAITH IN ACTION

FAITH IN ACTION - Upcoming Activities

Bible Study

You can join us for 30 minutes for Bible Study - all are welcome. If you are interested in an invite, or for current dates and topics, please email peter.poulos@case.edu.

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Prayer Team

You can join the prayer team and keep others in your daily prayers. If you are interested, you should either email pmp17@case.edu or text (216) 288-1972 ahead of time to receive the link. You will need to provide your name and email address to receive the Zoom invite. If you have any requests for our prayer team, or if you have questions about other activities, please send them to peter.poulos@case.edu

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St. Herman's Dinner 

As a change of pace for the St. Herman's community, instead of assembling sandwich dinner bags, we are going to raise money to buy Guy's pizza from the downtown Cleveland store and then deliver it to St. Herman's for a dinner meal on September 26th. As part of the meal, we also want to buy styrofoam containers, chocolate bars, and a small water bottle. We can then caravan the supplies to St. Herman's to arrive by 4:45 P.M. with the pizza (hot out of the oven) so that Carl Cook from St. Herman's can assemble the styrofoam meal package to be handed out.

If you are interested in donating money for the food and/or helping to purchase any of the food, please contact us at peter.poulos@case.edu.

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Zelma George Family Shelter

If you are interested in supporting the families of the Zelma George Family Shelter, please email peter.poulos@case.edu to discuss volunteer opportunities.

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Thank you and keep the faith!

“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  (James 2:18)


REUSABLE MASKS

Reusable, reversible, washable cloth masks made by our own Philoptochos ladies are available for sale in the church lobby! Masks have a gentle nose clip for proper fit, and a side opening to add extra filtering if one chooses. Make checks payable to Philoptochos or purchase with $10.00 cash (sorry, we cannot make change at this time). For more information, email Christina at ctcallos@gmail.com.


LOST AND FOUND

With recent increases in attendance at the church, we have once again begun collecting forgotten possessions. A rain hat, t-shirt, and princess flip phone are among the items on hand. Please contact the office if you think we might have something of yours.


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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Grave Tone

By your cross you destroyed death, and opened paradise to the thief. You transformed the sorrow of the Myrrh-bearers, and commanded the apostles to proclaim that you have risen from the dead, Christ our God, granting to the world great mercy.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Cross Press


Apolytikion for Martyr Callistratus & his Companions in the 4th 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.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery


Apolytikion for the Church in the Plagal 4th Tone

Your Apostle among the Rulers, St. Constantine, who once beheld in the sky the image of Your Cross, and who like Paul received his calling not from man, once entrusted the Ruling City into Your hand. We entreat You to restore it in peace forever, at the intercession of the Theotokos, O Lord who loves humanity. (Copyright Fr. Seraphim Dedes, used by permission. All rights reserved)


Seasonal Kontakion in the 2nd Tone

A protection of Christians unshamable, intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering, please reject not the prayerful cries of those who are in sin. Instead, come to us, for you are good; your loving help bring unto us, who are crying in faith to you: hasten to intercede and speed now to supplicate, as a protection for all time, Theotokos, for those who honor you.

Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Cross Press


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