Worship Hours:
Sunday
8:30 am - Orthros
10:00 am - Divine Liturgy
Sunday Summer Hours
8:00 am - Orthros
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy
Sunday Church School
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy
Weekday Services
8:30 am - Orthros
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy
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."
The Holy Martyr Lupus was a devoted servant of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius, and was present at his martyrdom. Later, when his own labours in confession of the Faith became known to the rulers, Saint Lupus himself was arrested, given over to torture, and finally beheaded for Christ.
Concerning the Dormition of the Theotokos, this is what the Church has received from ancient times from the tradition of the Fathers. When the time drew nigh that our Savior was well-pleased to take His Mother to Himself, He declared unto her through an Angel that three days hence, He would translate her from this temporal life to eternity and bliss. On hearing this, she went up with haste to the Mount of Olives, where she prayed continuously. Giving thanks to God, she returned to her house and prepared whatever was necessary for her burial. While these things were taking place, clouds caught up the Apostles from the ends of the earth, where each one happened to be preaching, and brought them at once to the house of the Mother of God, who informed them of the cause of their sudden gathering. As a mother, she consoled them in their affliction as was meet, and then raised her hands to Heaven and prayed for the peace of the world. She blessed the Apostles, and, reclining upon her bed with seemliness, gave up her all-holy spirit into the hands of her Son and God.
With reverence and many lights, and chanting burial hymns, the Apostles took up that God-receiving body and brought it to the sepulchre, while the Angels from Heaven chanted with them, and sent forth her who is higher than the Cherubim. But one Jew, moved by malice, audaciously stretched forth his hand upon the bed and immediately received from divine judgment the wages of his audacity. Those daring hands were severed by an invisible blow. But when he repented and asked forgiveness, his hands were restored. When they had reached the place called Gethsemane, they buried there with honor the all-immaculate body of the Theotokos, which was the source of Life. But on the third day after the burial, when they were eating together, and raised up the artos (bread) in Jesus' Name, as was their custom, the Theotokos appeared in the air, saying "Rejoice" to them. From this they learned concerning the bodily translation of the Theotokos into the Heavens.
These things has the Church received from the traditions of the Fathers, who have composed many hymns out of reverence, to the glory of the Mother of our God (see Oct. 3 and 4).
The divine Baptist, the Prophet born of a Prophet, the seal of all the Prophets and beginning of the Apostles, the mediator between the Old and New Covenants, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the God-sent Messenger of the incarnate Messiah, the forerunner of Christ's coming into the world (Esaias 40: 3; Mal. 3: 1); who by many miracles was both conceived and born; who was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb; who came forth like another Elias the Zealot, whose life in the wilderness and divine zeal for God's Law he imitated: this divine Prophet, after he had preached the baptism of repentance according to God's command; had taught men of low rank and high how they must order their lives; had admonished those whom he baptized and had filled them with the fear of God, teaching them that no one is able to escape the wrath to come if he do not works worthy of repentance; had, through such preaching, prepared their hearts to receive the evangelical teachings of the Savior; and finally, after he had pointed out to the people the very Savior, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world" (Luke 3:2-18; John 1: 29-36), after all this, John sealed with his own blood the truth of his words and was made a sacred victim for the divine Law at the hands of a transgressor.
This was Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee, the son of Herod the Great. This man had a lawful wife, the daughter of Arethas (or Aretas), the King of Arabia (that is, Arabia Petraea, which had the famous Nabatean stone city of Petra as its capital. This is the Aretas mentioned by Saint Paul in II Cor. 11:32). Without any cause, and against every commandment of the Law, he put her away and took to himself Herodias, the wife of his deceased brother Philip, to whom Herodias had borne a daughter, Salome. He would not desist from this unlawful union even when John, the preacher of repentance, the bold and austere accuser of the lawless, censured him and told him, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife" (Mark 6: 18). Thus Herod, besides his other unholy acts, added yet this, that he apprehended John and shut him in prison; and perhaps he would have killed him straightway, had he not feared the people, who had extreme reverence for John. Certainly, in the beginning, he himself had great reverence for this just and holy man. But finally, being pierced with the sting of a mad lust for the woman Herodias, he laid his defiled hands on the teacher of purity on the very day he was celebrating his birthday. When Salome, Herodias' daughter, had danced in order to please him and those who were supping with him, he promised her -- with an oath more foolish than any foolishness -- that he would give her anything she asked, even unto the half of his kingdom. And she, consulting with her mother, straightway asked for the head of John the Baptist in a charger. Hence this transgressor of the Law, preferring his lawless oath above the precepts of the Law, fulfilled this godless promise and filled his loathsome banquet with the blood of the Prophet. So it was that that all-venerable head, revered by the Angels, was given as a prize for an abominable dance, and became the plaything of the dissolute daughter of a debauched mother. As for the body of the divine Baptist, it was taken up by his disciples and placed in a tomb (Mark 6: 21 - 29). Concerning the finding of his holy head, see February 24 and May 25.
PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS
Summer Sunday Worship Hours:
Please make note that we are in the midst of our summer schedule for Sunday Worship Services. Orthros begins at 8:00 am, followed by the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am. We will return to our regular schedule on Sunday, September 13th.
Memorials:
40 Days ~ Donald (Pavlos) Biannuci, Right Rows 1 – 2
5 Years ~ Kathryn (Ekaterini) Lanos, Left Row 1
Coffee Fellowship:
Today’s Coffee Fellowship is hosted by the Assumption Community. Join us for fellowship in Plato Hall.
Sacrament:
Stacy Kostopoulos and Mark Boska will be wed in Holy Matrimony on Saturday, September 5, 2015 at 1:00 pm. The sponsor will be Kellie Kostopoulos.
Have You Made Your 2015 Stewardship Pledge Yet?
We closed the end of the first half of 2015. We thank and are appreciative to all stewards who have pledged and remained committed to our beloved Parish of Panagia. The Parish Council reminds all stewards and supporters of our beloved Panagia Parish to complete your stewardship pledge card for 2015 and return it to the church office. Pledge cards and info can be found at the Pangari in the Church Narthex. May our Lord continue to bless us abundantly.
Dates to Remember:
Tuesday, September 1st
Ecclesiastical New Year
8:30 a.m. – Orthros
9:30 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
Tuesday, September 8th
Nativity of the Theotokos
8:30 a.m. – Orthros
9:30 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
Friday, September 11th
7:30 p.m. – Chicago Sky Game at
Allstate Arena see flyer in the bulletin
Sunday, September 13th
Sunday Church School Begins
Monday, September 14th
Elevation of the Holy Cross
8:30 a.m. – Orthros
9:30 a.m. – Divine Liturgy
Thursday, September 17th
7:00 p.m. – Philoptochos General meeting
a Fun and interactive presentation at the
Pan Arcadian Building, 880 N. York Road, Elmhurst.
Guest speaker Maria Delis RD LDN (Registered and Licensed Dietician).
Saturday, September 19th
Metropoulos Philoptochos Luncheon
at Café La Cave, Des Plaines, IL.
More information to follow.
Monday, September 21st
7:00 p.m. – Adult Bible Study Begins
Bible Study meets in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room
Friday, September 25th
7:30 p.m. – Youth Kickoff Night at
the Oak Brook Park District.
Annual Saint Phanourios Names Day Observance:
The Annual Observance of Saint Phanourios (Aug. 27th) this year will take place this Sunday (August 30th) during the Divine Liturgy. Saint Phanourios has become famous for assisting prayerful believers, and acts as an intercessor to God delivering prayers of the faithful who are asking for assistance in revealing lost or hidden spiritual matters of the heart, objects, directing or revealing actions that should be taken, restoring health and similar situations. On this day, Saint Phanourios is honored by the faithful who prepare and bring to Church this symbolic cake, called the "Phanouropita", where a prayer is read, then distributed during the Coffee Fellowship Hour.
We ask those families that are able, to bring their "Phanouropita" to Church to be placed on the Solea, where at the the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Clergy will read the prayer dedicated to Saint Phanourios and the phanouropites will be blessed.
Youth Ministries:
Another year of our youth ministries is here! We are happy to announce that we will be having our first youth night on Friday, September 25th at the Oak Brook Park District at 7:30pm. Since we will be having all of our groups (GOYA, Jr. GOYA, Joy) meeting on the same night this year, we will need some extra hands to facilitate smooth and enjoyable sessions. If you are interested in committing to be an adviser for one of our youth groups this year, please call the church office or speak to/email Fr. Dimitrios at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.
Adult Bible Study To Begin Monday September 21, 2015:
Our Adult Bible Study will meet Monday evening, September 21, 2015, at 7:00 pm, in Saint Catherine’s Meeting Room. We will continue with our study of the Epistles written by Saint Paul the Apostle. This class is open to all, and it is hoped that you will avail yourself to the opportunity to study the Bible in-depth. All you need to bring along with you is your Bible. For further information and/or questions, please see Father Timothy.
Philoptochos News:
Are you eating a nutritious, healthy diet?
Our next Philoptochos general meeting will feature guest speaker Maria Delis RD LDN (Registered and Licensed Dietician) discussing the importance of the Mediterranean diet and health.
Join us for a fun and interactive presentation on Thursday, September 17, at 7:00 p.m. at the Pan Arcadian Building, 880 N. York Road, Elmhurst.
Refreshments will be served. Guests and spouses are welcome. RSVP to Vi Skuteris 630-762-2101 or Ann Dervis 630-627-2895
Sunday Church School 90 Acts of Kindness Challenge:
Our 90 Acts of Kindness Challenge continues to progress! Thank you to all our fellow parishioners for the continued support of our Sunday Church School and its events. Together we are making a positive difference one kind act at a time!
Act of Kindness #1-81 Completed – Please visit our website or our bulletin board to see who benefited from these Acts of Kindness
Act of Kindness #82 – On Sunday, August 30thwe will make “play dough” for children at VOCEL to use during class time.
Act of Kindness #83 – On Sunday, August 30th we will be making “comfort cards” for Patients and families of patients staying at IMD Guest House. The IMD Guest House provides the comforts of home and the care to outpatients and the families of patients who must seek treatment away from home. For more information visit www.imdguesthouse.org
Act of Kindness #84 – On Saturday, September 12th from 10am –noon we will be baking and delivering cookies to patients and their families that are staying at IMD Guest House. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!! Please see Christina Arvanites to volunteer!
Act of Kindness #85 – On Sunday, September 13th we will make “party in a box” kits working with Humanitarian Service Project. HSP operates five programs to fulfill its mission of alleviating the burdens of poverty of children and seniors. For more information on HSP visit www.humanitarianservice.org Kits will be given to one of the low income families that HSP services.
Act of Kindness #86 – On Sunday, September 13th we will make “Senior Personal Care” kits working with Humanitarian Service Project. HSP operates five programs to fulfill its mission of alleviating the burdens of poverty of children and seniors. For more information on HSP visit www.humanitarianservice.org Kits will be given to one of the low income families that HSP services
Act of Kindness #87 – On Sunday, September 13th we will be making “Blessings Bags” for area homeless. These bag will be filed with some necessities that will provide comfort and hope to these individuals.
Act of Kindness #88 – On Sunday, September 13th we will be making home care kits for several of the residential homes that Helping Hand operates. Helping Hand Center owns 13 residential homes serving 80 adults in our community. Helping Hand provides services for adults and children with disabilities. For more information visit www.hhcenter.org
We are just a few more Acts of Kindness away from making our goal of 90 Acts of Kindness by our Anniversary Gala on October 18, 2015 a reality
Church School on FACEBOOK:
Our Sunday Church School has created a FACEBOOK page. Like our page: Assumption Sunday Church School! See our progress on our Acts of Kindness Challenge, keep up to date on upcoming events and view photos from recent events.
Hellenic Link-Midwest Scholarship:
A number of scholarships, $2,000 or more each, will be awarded for the academic year 2015-16. Awards will be presented to the recipients during the Annual Dinner Dance and Scholarship Award celebration in January 2016. Only college level and university level students, undergraduate or, when need is show, graduate students, are considered. Applicants must be residents of a Midwestern state (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio or Wisconsin), must have completed at least one year (as of June 2015) full time study at an accredited college or university, have at least one parent of Greek descent and should not have received a Hellenic Link-Midwest scholarship in the past. Call the Church Office, 773-626-3114 to receive the Scholarship Application Form.
Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:
Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2015? You might want to celebrate a family event, a memorial, or just want to share time with the Church family. Please call the Church Office (773.626.3114) to book a date and for more information. Available dates for the first half of 2015 are:
Sept. 6 Nov. 8 Dec. 6 Dec. 27
Sept. 13 Nov. 15 Dec. 13
Oct. 18 Nov. 22 Dec. 20
Assumption Prayer Ministry:
The Assumption Adult Bible Study Group has developed an idea that may be of interest to parishioners and friends of our Panagia Parish. They are interested in being able to form a ministry comprised of individuals who would like to pray for the health of those individuals who may be ill or experiencing health issues. Our Orthodox Faith teaches us that the ‘power of prayer’ literally works miracles, and Jesus instructs us in the Bible that we should “always pray for one another in the fellowship of love and through the Holy Spirit”. As a Panagia Parish, we are united as brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are encouraged to pray for one another as any family would do. So, how do we plan to do it? It’s simple, easy, and spiritually uplifting and rewarding. Here is what we can all do:
Just think about that….our prayers collectively praying for a person who needs the loving and tender Hand of God during his/her special time of need. It’s that simple. Just provide us with your email address, and you can join this ministry team who will pray for the person who needs help the most. It costs nothing, takes only a few seconds to do, but will make us all part of a spiritual family that looks and cares for one another.
Bookstore:
Do you need gifts for your family or relatives? Then please visit the Bookstore in Plato Hall after the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. There you will find unique gifts for everyone, such as books for children and adults, icons of your or your children’s patron saints, crosses, key chains and other beautiful items, which will make much appreciated gifts this year. Please stop in and browse, you’ll be glad you did.
Prosfora Bakers Needed:
One of the blessings of Stewardship that we are given is the ability to serve our Church in a number of ways. Our Church is in need of individuals who can offer the weekly Prosforo (Bread) for the Divine Liturgy. Should you be able to offer your service, please inform the Church office or see either Fr. Timothy or Mrs. Demetra Spyropoulos. With the help of each steward/member, we come together as a Church family to better offer our thanks to our Lord.
College Students -- Check Out OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship):
To our young people who are going away to college for the first time, or to those returning to school to continue their studies, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the organization which keeps you connected to your Church and your Orthodox Faith. OCF has 300 chapters in colleges and universities throughout North America. So be sure to check out their web site to locate and find out about your chapter -- WWW.OCF.NET. We also encourage our college young people to share their e-mail addresses with our Church so that we may keep them informed of their “Spiritual Home” while they are away. And always remember, your Assumption Church’s weekly Divine Liturgy Services are just a click away on your computer each Sunday as we now broadcast live each Sunday. Just access it by going to our website at: www.assumptionchicago.org
Cemetery Graves Update:
Individuals/Families interested in purchasing graves at Elmwood Cemetery, please be advised of the following prices: $1,995.00 (members), and $2,295.00 (non-members). Our Parish has only forty-six (46) graves remaining in the Panagia section, and the Church pricing is about 50% less than the graves that are being sold at Elmwood. For more information, please call the Church office and speak with Gail (773.626.3114).
Proper Church Etiquette:
Worship Services are vital instruments and components to our prayer development. In order to help us achieve this, we need to be cognizant of our fellow parishioners and all those around us. Therefore, please make sure that cell phones are completely turned off during Services. In addition, while we most welcome children to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, it remains the responsibility of parents to make sure that children do not become a distraction to those around them. Therefore, if a child is crying, or in some way in need of attention, please feel free to take him/her to the Narthex or Cry Room. You are most welcome to enter and exit the Church proper as many times as necessary. By doing this, all who are in attendance will be afforded the opportunity to worship and pray together. (Please keep in mind that we are also privileged to have a complete Sunday School Liturgy celebrated in Saint Catherine’s Chapel each week for your use as well). We ask for your cooperation. Ushers will be available to help you, if needed.
Holy Communion Announcement:
While we pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all the world’s Christians, the reality remains that there is still no intercommunion between our Orthodox Churches and the Churches of the West. This means that only baptized, chrismated, and observant Orthodox faithful are allowed to receive Holy Communion in our churches. At the same time, we warmly welcome all non-Orthodox to join us in prayer and celebration, and humbly offer to all present the Antidoro bread of fellowship at the end of the worship service. We offer this important symbol ‘instead of the Gifts’, in the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘Till we all come to the unity of the Faith’ (Eph. 4.13).
We Need Your E-mail Address:
Are you receiving the weekly bulletin online in your e-mail mailbox each week? How about our Assumption Church’s Newsletter and the Saint Catherine’s Newsletter? If not, please give the Church Office your e-mail address so that you can stay informed about the schedule of religious services, events, and news of our Community.
Website News:
In addition our Parish’s website, we encourage you to keep abreast on the latest news and happenings about Orthodoxy from our Metropolis of Chicago and our Holy Archdiocese.
Please use the links below to access any of the three sites:
Assumption Church: www.assumptionchicago.org
Metropolis of Chicago: www.metropolisofchicago.org
Archdiocese of America www.goarch.org
All three websites will provide you with articles and resources for the Orthodox Church. They include the history of Orthodoxy, special Services and Blessings, Spirituality, Teachings of the Orthodox Church, how to become a member of the Orthodox Church, the meaning and celebration of The Holy Eucharist, the form and characteristics of Orthodox worship, the Sacrament of Confession, Holy Week Meditation and Study Guide, Fasting, the Orthodox Calendar, and much more. Specifically, on our Parish’s website, we have uploaded past and current editions of the Assumption Newsletter and the St. Catherine Newsletter, and are available for reading online.
Our Sunday Church Services are broadcast live on the Internet each week:
A reminder to all, our Parish of Panagia began broadcasting live to the internet each Sunday. This is of particular benefit to our shut-ins, elderly, college students, and vacationers who are away from home, yet need to receive the benefit and blessing of the weekly Divine Liturgy experience. All you need to do is log on to our website www.assumptionchicago.org, and click the link to begin watching the Worship Service live. We have also archived our Services allowing anyone to click and watch the Service/sermon at their leisure. We encourage you to give it a try.
Ushers:
Dean Bastounes, Nick Mansour, John Vassiliades, Joann Stavropoulos, Mary Zouras