Weekday Services: Divine Liturgy 9:30 am (please see our church calendar for our feastday schedule!)
Sunday: Orthros (Matins) 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
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 worshipped 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 of the Son and of 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."
Prokeimenon. 3rd Mode. 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.
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."
FOR VISITORS
Welcome home! Please feel free to take a visitors packet home with you before you leave today
Please let either a greeter or a parish council members know if this is your first time at Saints Constantine and Helen so that we can make you feel more at home.
At the end of the service, come and introduce yourself to Father Jason, and receive a piece of "antidoro" (blessed bread). Also, join us for coffee hour after Liturgy!
Remember, the Church is everyone's home whether we are longtime members of the parish, or if we are stepping into the Church for the first time. Everyone one of is responsible for showing hospitality to those who we do not know.
CHURCH ETIQUETTE
Let everything we do be done in an orderly way (1st Corinthians 14:40)
The best way to show love to God is to be respectful to others. Make every effort to be in church before the Divine Liturgy begins, and to remain quiet and respectful throughout the entire service.
Appropriate clothing should be worn, hands should be prayerfully at our sides or folded, not in our pockets, or laid on the tops, or sides of the pews; there should be no food or drink in the Church (no gum chewing!) unless it's Holy Communion or food that has been blessed and distributed by a clergyman; when seated, legs should not be crossed. Remember that socializing is for coffee hour and should not take place in the narthex. Limit talking and moving around, and try not to create a distraction for yourself or for others. Please clean up after yourself, and do not leave bulletins or bread crumbs behind you once the service has come to a conclusion.
FOR MEMBERS
"I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matthew 25:35)
Welcome everyone (both visitors and longtime members) with a smile. If it's someone's first time visiting Saints Constantine and Helen, help them find a seat, and to understand the service
Appropriate clothing should be worn, hands should be prayerfully at our sides or folded, not in our pockets, or laid on the tops, or sides of the pews; there should be no food or drink in the Church (no gum chewing!) unless it's Holy Communion or food that has been blessed and distributed by a clergyman; when seated, legs should not be crossed. Remember that socializing is for coffee hour and should not take place in the narthex. Limit talking and moving around, and try not to create a distraction for yourself or for others.
Please clean up after yourself. Do not leave bulletins, tissues, or bread crumbs behind you once the service has come to a conclusion.
PARTICIPATING IN THE DIVINE LITURGY
Please make every effort to be on time and to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Remember, the Liturgy is meant to be a work of all people!
Ask Fr. Jason or one of our chanters and volunteering to help the psalms or the epistle! The Great Doxology can be found on page 1 in the "Green Book." The hymns for the day can also be found in the bulletin.
Also, remember that the hymn for Saints Constantine and Helen and the Nicene Creed can now be found on the inside covers of the green and red service books!
CHILDREN IN CHURCH
The presence of children in the worship is essential to a healthy Church! Why else would our Lord say “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
Here are some insights that we all might find helpful:
HOLY COMMUNION
"With the fear of God, with faith, and with love, draw near."- Divine Liturgy
Here are some things to prayfully consider before approaching the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ:
1.) The frequent reception of Holy Communion is encouraged! This means however that we must all frequently prepare to receive Holy Communion. If you have not been to Church for a while, consider this an opportunity to restart your life in Christ, and to speak with your priest about receiving the sacraments of the Church. Never be afraid or discouraged to come and speak to Father Jason before receiving Holy Communion!
2.) We receive Holy Communion when we become members in good standing of the Orthodox Church. This takes places through after we receive the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation in a canonical jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church. If you would like to become an Orthodox Christian, Please see Father Jason!
3.) Our goal is to become closer to God by living a life of Holiness! Something to reflect on before and after we consume the Body and Blood of our Lord is whether or not we are living our lives in peace and love as God wants us to.
4.) It is neccesary to fast prior to receiving Holy Communion. Generally speaking, we should abstain from food or drink prior to receiving the the Body and Blood of our Lord unless it is medically neccesary. If you have any questions, please speak to Fr. Jason.
5.) CAUTION! Please approach the chalice carefully! Never do anything that could potentially spill the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ from the Chalice!!!
6.) When receiving Communion, please close your mouth in a natural manner as you would when feeding yourself with a spoon. Please also ensure that the red cloth is placed under your chin.
8.) Women, please blot or remove lipstick prior to receiving Holy Communion.
PASTORAL VISITATIONS
Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. (James 5:13-15)
Please call the Church Office or call Father Jason’s emergency cell phone number to let him know what your pastoral needs are you can also ask your family members, a social worker, or a Hospital Chaplain to notify the Church so that they can inform Father Jason that you are in need of pastoral care.
For additional resources about Holy Communion, Confession, or any other pastoral concern please see Father Jason or visit our Church website http://orthodoxcheyenne.org/
CONFESSION
A young monk said to the great ascetic Abba Sisoes: “Abba, what should I do? I fell.” The elder answered: “Get up!” The monk said: “I got up and I fell again!” The elder replied: “Get up again!” But the young monk asked: “For how long should I get up when I fall?” “Until your death,” answered Abba Sisoes.—Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Confession is necessary for our personal healing, and for the repentance and forgiveness of sins. It’s also a vital element of our Lord’s Commission to us as Orthodox Christians for the life and growth of the Church.
Never be afraid to speak to Fr. Jason in order to make the necessary arrangements for the sacrament of confession. You can call during the week, or just get a hold of him after Liturgy!
St. Macrina's Academy
Congratulations on a successful year!!! Thank you parents and teachers for your hard work!!! Classes will resume once again at the beginning of the school year!!!
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of our weekly youth bulletin in the Narthex!!!
***
GREEK DANCE
A special thanks goes out to everyone who is participating in both of our Greek dance troupes this year! It's very encouraging to see our young people and our volunteers working hard once again for our Greek Festival!!!
We have many things to thankful to God for:
Orthodox Scouting - The Chi Rho award
Welcome Boy Scouts and congratulations Ozcar on earning your Chi Rho Scouting award!
King Soopers Gift Cards
We have received over $1300.00 from our King Soopers Gift Card participation program!
Thank you to everyone who has participated and shopped at King Soopers or have purchased gas at Loaf & Jug with their gift cards.
For those who not aware of the fundraiser and would like to know more or how to receive a gift card to King Soopers, please call or email the church office.
The card is free to anyone who wants to participate.
Amazon Smile
“Amazon Smile” is another good way to contribute to Saints Constantine and Helen every time you purchase something on their website! To learn more, log on to https://smile.amazon.com/. Make sure that you choose “Hellenic Orthodox Church of Sts Constantine and Helen” as your charity.
Community Announcements
Saints Constantine & Helen is now accepting requests for community announcements (i.e. birthday/anniversary parties, graduations, etc.) to be posted via email. Please submit all future requests through Charlie Radich at c.radich@bresnan.net.
Philoptochos
Philoptochos welcomes the participation of every woman in our Parish. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in our Fellowship Hall. Our mission is to help the Poor, the Destitute, the Hungry, the Elderly, the Sick, the Unemployed, the Orphaned, the imprisoned, the Widowed, the Disabled, and Victims of Disaster throughout the World.
Please join us on Tuesday August 28th for lunch at IHOP
Please join us in supporting the victims of the wildfires in Greece. A special tray will be passed for the next two Sundays!
One day a man came to my kalyve and told me that he was very worried because he was not of the same mind with his wife. I saw, however, that there was nothing serious between them. He just had a few rough edges, his wife had a few others, and they couldn’t deal with one another. They needed a little sanding. Take two planks of wood before sanding them. One has a knot here, the other has a knot there; if you try to join the planks there is an empty space left between them. If, however, you sand one a little here and the other a little there, using the same tool, they join perfectly.
Some men tell me: “I don’t see eye to eye with my wife; we have opposite personalities. She has one temperament, I have another! How can God do such strange things? Couldn’t He have arranged a few things so that couples matched, and they were able to live more spiritually?” I tell them, “Don’t you understand that the harmony of God is hidden within a diversity of personalities? Different temperaments actually create harmony. Alas, if you had the same personalities! Think what would have happened if, for example, you both got angry easily: you would destroy your house. Or, consider if both of you had mild temperaments: you would sleep standing up! If you were both stingy you would get along, yes, but you would both end up in hell. Likewise, if both of you were open-handed, would you even be able to keep your house? No. You would disperse everything, and your children would be turned out to the streets. If a spoiled brat marries a spoiled brat, between themselves they get along fine, right? But, one day someone is going kill them! For this reason God arranges it so that a good person marries a spoiled brat, that the latter may be helped. It may be that he or she has a good disposition, but was never instructed correctly when young.”
Little differences in the characters or personalities of spouses actually help couples to create a harmonious family, for the one completes the other. In a car it is necessary to use the gas pedal to go forward, but also the brake pedal to stop. If the car only had brakes it wouldn’t go anywhere; and if it only had gears, it wouldn’t be able to stop. Do you know what I said to one couple? “Because you are similar, you don’t match!” They are both sensitive. If something happens at home, both of them lose it and start-up: The one, “Oh, what we suffer!” The other, “Oh, what we suffer!” In other words, the one causes the other to lose hope even more! Neither is able to comfort the other a little by saying, “Hold on, our situation is not that serious”. I’ve seen this in many couples.
When spouses have different personalities it helps in the raising of children even more. One spouse wants to put on the brakes a little, but the other says, “Give the children a little freedom”. If they both are overbearing they will lose their children. If, however, they leave them on their own, again their children will be lost. Therefore, when the parents have different personalities, the children enjoy a certain stability.
What I’m trying to say is that everything is needful. Naturally, one’s personality quirks shouldn’t go beyond their limits. Each spouse should help the other in his own way. If you eat a lot of sweets, you’ll want also to eat something a little salty. Or if you eat, let’s say, lots of grapes, you’ll want a little cheese to cut the sweetness. Vegetables, if they are very bitter, are not eaten. But a little bitterness helps, as does a little sourness. Some people, however, are like this: If someone is sour, he says: “Let everyone become sour like me.” And whoever is bitter says, “Let everyone become bitter.” Likewise, those who are salty say, “Everyone should become salty.” Bridges aren’t built like that!