We meet for divine worship every Sunday morning and on holy days starting with Orthros (Matins) at 8:30, Divine Liturgy at 9:30-11 AM.
Visit us at www.anngoc.org for information on how to attend services during the COVIT-19 Pandemic.
For those unable to attend in person, install the AGES Initiatives app on your phone or tablet to see the text and pray with us through our Facebook Livestream.
Let us know if you would like for us to light a votive candle for you here.
Tuesday, Jul 27, 2021 - Panteleimon the Great Martyr & Healer
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2021
Thursday, Jul 29, 2021
6th Sunday of Matthew, August 1, 2021
Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 67.35,26.
God is wonderful among his saints.
Verse: Bless God in the congregations.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 4:22-27.
Brethren, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in travail; for the children of the desolate one are many more than the children of her that is married."
Προκείμενον. Fourth Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 67.35,26.
Θαυμαστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς Ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ.
Στίχ. Ἐν Ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Γαλάτας 4:22-27.
Ἀδελφοί, Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν· ἕνα ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης, καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας. Ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας διὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα· αὗται γάρ εἰσιν δύο διαθῆκαι· μία μὲν ἀπὸ ὄρους Σινᾶ, εἰς δουλείαν γεννῶσα, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἅγαρ. Τὸ γὰρ Ἅγαρ Σινᾶ ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ, συστοιχεῖ δὲ τῇ νῦν Ἱερουσαλήμ, δουλεύει δὲ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς. Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶν μήτηρ πάντων ἡμῶν· γέγραπται γάρ, Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα, ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα· ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα· ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.
5th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 8:28-34; 9:1
At that time, when Jesus came to the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one would pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood. And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.
5th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 8:28-34, 9:1
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐλθόντος τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὸ πέραν εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γεργεσηνῶν ὑπήντησαν αὐτῷ δύο δαιμονιζόμενοι ἐκ τῶν μνημείων ἐξερχόμενοι, χαλεποὶ λίαν, ὥστε μὴ ἰσχύειν τινὰ παρελθεῖν διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἐκείνης. καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔκραξαν λέγοντες· τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί, ᾿Ιησοῦ υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ; ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς; ἦν δὲ μακρὰν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀγέλη χοίρων πολλῶν βοσκομένη. οἱ δὲ δαίμονες παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· εἰ ἐκβάλλεις ἡμᾶς, ἐπίτρεψον ἡμῖν ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἀγέλην τῶν χοίρων. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ὑπάγετε. οἱ δὲ ἐξελθόντες ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὴν ἀγέλην τῶν χοίρων· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὥρμησε πᾶσα ἡ ἀγέλη τῶν χοίρων κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἀπέθανον ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν. οἱ δὲ βόσκοντες ἔφυγον, καὶ ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀπήγγειλαν πάντα καὶ τὰ τῶν δαιμονιζομένων. καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶσα ἡ πόλις ἐξῆλθεν εἰς συνάντησιν τῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ, καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν παρεκάλεσαν ὅπως μεταβῇ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον διεπέρασε καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν.
According to tradition, Anna, the ancestor of God, lived for sixty-nine years, and her spouse Joachim, for eighty; according to one account, Saint Joachim died two years before Saint Anna. The Theotokos had been orphaned of both her parents already when she was eleven years of age, when she was living in the Temple (see Sept. 8 and Nov. 21). Saint Anna is invoked for conceiving children, and for help in difficult childbirth.
Camp Good Shepherd, August 15-21, 2021. Registration is Now Open
Register here: app.campdoc.com/register/cgsn
Here are ways to make a difference this summer:
We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone!
The Homeless Ministry
Help Childen from Homeless Families
Every child deserves their very own backpack and school supplies to start the new school year!
Help restore some sense of normalcy for these children and send the message that they are important—and so is their education!
Donate $10 to cover the cost of one backpack,
or
Donate $15 to cover the cost of school supplies for one backpack,
or
Donate $25 to cover the cost of one backpack filled with school supplies.
Donate any amount towards this drive. FOCUS North America will supply the backpacks and school supplies.
You can participate either by mailing or dropping off a check made payable to “FOCUS North America” to our church office or by making a donation to the Homeless Ministry on GivePlus. Please indicate that your donation is for the backpack drive.
This drive will end on August the 15th.
Backpacks and supplies will be distributed to homeless families through Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network and Project Home.
Let’s Help Kids in Need Succeed!
The Homeless Ministry
Community Service is an essential part of Matthew 25. It’s so rewarding to be able to give back. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “ This country will NOT be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” As our country is coming off of the pandemic, these words couldn’t be truer. Matthew 25, with the help of your donations, was able to set up a delivery of 125 dozen eggs, 60 pounds of butter, and upon the request of the pantry, a case of crackers. In addition, there was a personal donation of cheese slices, sour cream, hotdogs, and apples that were well received by the pantry! Seeds of Hope was just given a donation of hotdog buns from Giant … but no hotdogs. Thank you! We made a $300 donation to Somerton Interfaith Food Bank this month as well. That will help them keep their pantry stocked.
Again, we thank you for your incoming donations. The local pantries are concerned with the fall months, as shoppers will increase as government benefits end. We will make larger donations in the fall based on the needs of the pantry’s we support. If you have a perishable donation, please contact Sophia at sophiagreekgirl@gmail.com or Lisa at oceancitymom@aol.com in order for us to get your donation to the pantry while it’s fresh.
Stay cool this summer and as always THANK YOU!
Want to participate in an Orthodox book club?
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, the Ancient Faith book club is reading and discussing Crime and Punishment in August. (Not exactly a beach read but well worth the effort!)
Here are reviews of two studies on the Book of Revelation, from Konstantine:
An Introduction to Reading the Apocalypse by Columba Graham Flegg. Before addressing the text of Revelation, the author lays a solid foundation by offering the full texts of pertinent prophecies from Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew, Corinthians, Thessalonians, Peter, and John, and by discussing the background, history, and structure of Revelation. The letters to the seven churches and the future prophecies are then commented on, again with extensive portions of the actual text. Since this brief and simple introduction is best suited for the person with minimal experience in Scriptural prophecy and Revelation, in particular, it thus admirably fulfills its purpose.
Revelation: A Liturgical Prophecy by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon. While Fr. Reardon’s treatment of the details of Revelation can be disappointing––he passes over a great deal, presents new interpretations with no corroborating evidence, and offers excellent references and parallel passages but fails to explain their significance––his real contribution, and it is a profound one, is his “vision” for understanding the context of Revelation, dismissing the idea that it is a letter and for a far-future time, and rather identifying it as a book and a prophecy that is situated within a liturgical setting and has real significance for the seven churches. Another valuable contribution is that Revelation was not written to inform us about the future so that we could feel self-pleased in our knowledge, but to call us to present repentance, because of the future.
Many thanks to our parishioners who have graciously shared book reviews with us! Please let us know if you’d like to share what you’ve been reading with the Annunciation community.
Bulletin Announcements
Please submit your material by Tuesday 12 noon for the upcoming Sunday’s bulletin during the summer months.
Your submission should be an editable document (Word, Publisher, Google Doc, Pages), as well as your final PDF document. Please send your submission to office@anngoc.org and Cc Fr. John at frjohn@anngoc.org for his review and approval.
All submissions will be placed on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis and are subject to editing and review.
Sunday Extra Services
Please contact the parish office at least two weeks in advance if you would like to have a 40-day mother & child blessing, memorial, trisagion, or artoklasia (the blessing of the five loaves-wine & oil).
Requests are considered based on the ecclesiastical calendar.
Thank you for your warm welcome. I truly feel blessed to be among you today and to be for the first time in this wonderful city of Salt Lake City. As I stand in your presence among this diverse group of religious leaders, I cannot help but tell myself how important a type of gathering such as this one is in today’s world.
The National Philoptochos Society, together with the Metropolis of Detroit Philoptochos, is pleased to announce that Mike Emanuel will deliver the Keynote address at its 18th Children’s Medical Fund luncheon, which will be held in Indianapolis, IN on November 6, 2021.
The Metropolis of San Francisco Stewardship Ministry invites you to join us for a special presentation by Rev. Father John Kocolas (Nativity of Christ – Novato, CA), and Thomaida Hudanish (Metropolis Director of Missions and Evangelism) where they will share strategies and ideas for “Fostering Community Outreach and Evangelism”.
The Orthodox Christian Academy of Atlanta was founded in 2019 with the goal of bringing the achievements of academic scholasticism into an Orthodox ethos.
On July 15, 2021, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, accompanied by Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, received a private tour of the Museum of the Bible from Dr. Jeffrey Kloha, Chief Curatorial Officer at the Museum.
Over 60% of young people fall away from the Church as they grow into young adults...
Yet “Effective Christian Ministry” has helped hundreds of clergy and lay ministry workers make a positive difference in their parish ministries.
Sunday July 25, 2021 is Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday in all US Orthodox Parishes.
When we speak of our rebuilt Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero as a National Shrine, we mean more than an institution only of, and only for, our national Archdiocese of America.
It is a great privilege to be with you today, and I want to express the appreciation of the Greek Orthodox Church of America – a province of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Mother Church of Eastern Christianity – for the exceptional work of the International Religious Freedom Summits. The partner and supporting entities bear witness to the inclusive and the comprehensive nature of the vision for human liberty and freedom of conscience we seek to enhance around the globe.
This week’s “How-to” Green Your Parish episode features Ephemia Nicolakis “Eco-Orthodox: A Personal Initiative.”
Pastoral care: If you or someone you know is sick, homebound elderly, or scheduled for surgery, please call the church office to let us know so Fr. John can make a pastoral visit or add someone to the prayer list.
Let us pray to the Lord for the health and salvation of: Suffering and persecuted Christians in the Middle East and the non-Christian world, Yianni, Fotini, Dimitri, Maria, Virginia, George, Vaia, Maria, Constantino, Noel, Panagiotis.
We will keep the names on this list for approximately 3 months. Please resubmit Names if needed. Fr. John will include the submitted names at the Psokomide “Offering of Gifts” during the first part of the liturgy when he prepares the mystical gifts of bread & wine. Please lift these names to the Lord in your personal prayer life as well.
Prayer for healing: Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent our Lord to heal every sickness. Visit and heal us. Grant patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us to pray for each other that we may be healed. We pray that You heal, guide, and protect your servant (s) (pray by name for those who are sick) and grant them the gift of complete health. You are the source of healing, and to You, we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Happy wedding anniversary! To those who are celebrating this coming week: Maria & Mihalis Louvaris, Alexandra & Theodoros Pappas, Stavroula & Lazaros Nikolaidis, Megan & Ryan Downs, Sophia & Frank Loiacono, Joanne & Kurt Ufer.
Χρόνια πολλά & ευλογημένα! God grant you many years! To those who are celebrating birthdays this coming week: Pantelis Mavrakis, Brandon Patella, Evelina Routsi, Dianne Stackhouse, Olga Econome, Stephanie Malamas, Emiliana Maroulis, Maria Oratis, Jenny Pappas, Christopher Pavlou, Maria Rega, Brianna Twyman, Thomas Kerasinis, Hariklia Mountis, Christos Sourovelis, Vasilios Tsikoudis, Kristin Arniotis, Jason Koutsouros, Zoe Redemann, Efianna Giannoumis, Jamie George, Demetra Kytzidis, Nicholas Pappas, Paul Pasles, Yianna Ljachin, Olga McHugh, Anna Skiathitis.
Our deepest sympathy:
July 11, 2021
July 11, 2021
July 11, 2021
Please donate until August 15, 2021
Classes begin week of September 20