Weekly Events

WEEKDAY SERVICES

ST. NECTARIOS THE WONDERWORKER — Monday, November 9, 2020

Orthros at 8:30 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM — Friday, November 13, 2020

Orthros at 8:30 a.m. and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m.

ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΕΣ ΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΙΕΣ

ΑΓΙΟΣ ΝΕΚΤΑΡΙΟΣ Ο ΘΑΥΜΑΤΟΥΡΓΟΣ— Δευτέρα, 9 Νοεμβρίου, 2020

Ορθρος στίς 8:30 π.μ. Και Θεία Λειτουργία στίς 9:30 π.μ.

ΑΓΙΟΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΣ— Παρασκευή, 13 Νοεμβρίου, 2020

Ορθρος στίς 8:30 π.μ. Και Θεία Λειτουργία στίς 9:30 π.μ.

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MEMORIALS

On Sunday, a 1-year memorial service will be offered for the repose of the soul of Dorotheos Cicalis.

ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΑ

Την Κυριακή, θα τελεσθεί ετήσιο μνημόσυνο υπερ αναπαύσεως της ψυχής του Δωρόθεου Σίκαλη.

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ATTENTION: FINANCIAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY

On Sunday, November 8th, a Financial General Assembly will be held in the upper hall after the Div. Liturgy.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, this meeting will be in person, but in a socially distanced way. There will be marked seats 10 feet apart from each other. Everyone will be wearing masks. We will ask everyone to sanitize his or her hands upon entry.

All Parishioners in Good Standing must participate and vote.

ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ: ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΗ ΓΕΝΙΚΗ ΣΥΝΕΛΕΥΣΗ

Την Κυριακή, 8 Νοεμβρίου, 2020, θά συγκληθεί Γενική Συνέλευση γιά τα οικονομικά της Εκκλησίας μετά την Θεία Λειτουργία στήν επάνω αίθουσα.

Λόγω των περιορισμών του COVID-19, αυτή η συνάντηση θα είναι αυτοπροσώπως, αλλά σε κοινωνικά απομακρυσμένο τρόπο. Θα υπάρχουν σημαδεμένα καθίσματα 10 πόδια μακριά το ένα από το άλλο. Όλοι θα φοράμε μάσκες. Θα ζητήσουμε από όλους να απολυμάνουν τα χέρια τους κατά την είσοδο.

Όλα τα Ενεργά Μέλη της Ενορίας μπορούν να λάβουν μέρος και να ψηφίσουν.

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St. Catherine’s Philoptochos Society of our Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church would like to invite all Orthodox women (18 and older) of our Dormition Church to become members for the year 2020 and to thank the women who have already joined us this year. Our 2020 Membership Dues are $30. If you wish to join our Philoptochos, please, mail your checks, made payable to St. Catherine’s Philoptochos, to our Church. During this 2020 pandemic year, we have supported and will continue to support our beloved Church as well as our other Philanthropic missions.

Η Φιλόπτωχος της Αγίας Αικατερίνης της Ελληνικής Ορθόδοξης Εκκλησίας της Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου θα ήθελε να καλέσει όλες τις Ορθόδοξες γυναίκες (18 ετών και άνω) της Εκκλησίας μας να γίνουν μέλη για το έτος 2020 και να ευχαριστήσουν επίσης τις γυναίκες που έχουν ήδη ενταχθεί φέτος. Τα τέλη συνδρομής 2020 είναι $30. Εάν επιθυμείτε να γίνετε μέλος της Φιλοπτώχου, στείλτε τις επιταγές σας, πληρωτέες στο St. Catherine’s Philoptochos, στην εκκλησία μας. Κατά τη διάρκεια αυτής της πανδημικής χρονιάς 2020, υποστηρίξαμε και θα συνεχίσουμε να υποστηρίζουμε την αγαπημένη μας Εκκλησία, καθώς και τις άλλες Φιλανθρωπικές αποστολές μας.

Saints and Feasts

November 08

Synaxis of the Archangel Michael & the other Bodiless Powers: Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Salaphiel, Jegudiel, & Barachiel

All the Angels, according to the Apostle Paul, are ministering spirits, - sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation - (Heb. 1:14). God set them as overseers of every nation and people, and guides to that which is profitable (Deut. 32:8); and while one Angel is appointed to oversee each nation as a whole, one is also appointed to protect each Christian individually. He commands them to guard them that hope on Him, that nothing should harm them, neither should any evil draw nigh to their dwelling (Ps. 90:10-12). In the Heavens they always behold the face of God, sending up to Him the thrice-holy hymn and interceding with Him in our behalf, seeing they rejoice over one sinner that repents (Esaias 6:2-3; Matt. 18:10; Luke 15:7). In a word, they have served God in so many ways for our benefit, that the pages of Holy Scripture are filled with the histories thereof. It is for these reasons that the Orthodox Catholic Church, wisely honouring these divine ministers, our protectors and guardians, celebrates today the present Synaxis that is, our coming together in assembly for their common feast to chant their praises, especially for the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, who are mentioned in the Scriptures by name. The name Michael means "Who is like God?" and Gabriel means "God is mighty." The number of Angels is not defined in the divine Scriptures, where Daniel says that thousands of thousands ministered before Him, and ten thousands of ten thousands attended upon Him -(Dan. 7:10). But all of them are divided into nine orders which are called Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim, Dominions, Powers, Authorities, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.

November 13

John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

This greatest and most beloved of all Christian orators was born in Antioch the Great in the year 344 or 347; his pious parents were called Secundus and Anthusa. After his mother was widowed at the age of twenty, she devoted herself to bringing up John and his elder sister in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. John received his literary training under Anthragathius the philosopher, and Libanius the sophist, who was the greatest Greek scholar and rhetorician of his day. Libanius was a pagan, and when asked before his death whom he wished to have for his successor, he said, "John, had not the Christians stolen him from us." With such a training, and with such gifts as he had by nature, John had before him a brilliant career as a rhetorician. But through the good example of his godly mother Anthusa and of the holy Bishop Meletius of Antioch (see Feb. 12), by whom he was ordained reader about the year 370, he chose instead to dedicate himself to God. From the years 374 to 381 he lived the monastic life in the hermitages that were near Antioch. His extreme asceticism undermined his health, compelling him to return to Antioch, where Saint Meletius ordained him deacon about the year 381. Saint Meletius was called to Constantinople later that year to preside over the Second Ecumenical Council, during which he fell asleep in the Lord. In 386 Bishop Flavian ordained John presbyter of the Church of Antioch. Upon his elevation to the priesthood his career as a public preacher began, and his exceptional oratorical gifts were made manifest through his many sermons and commentaries. They are distinguished by their eloquence and the remarkable ease with which rich imagery and scriptural allusions are multiplied; by their depth of insight into the meaning of Scripture and the workings of God's providence; and, not least of all, by their earnestness and moral force, which issue from the heart of a blameless and guileless man who lived first what he preached to others. Because of his fame, he was chosen to succeed Saint Nectarius as Patriarch of Constantinople. He was taken away by stealth, to avoid the opposition of the people, and consecrated Patriarch of Constantinople on February 28, 398, by Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who was to prove his mortal enemy.

At that time the Emperor of the East was Arcadius, who had had Saint Arsenius the Great as his tutor (see May 8); Arcadius was a man of weak character, and much under the influence of his wife Eudoxia. The zealous and upright Chrysostom's unsparing censures of the lax morals in the imperial city stung the vain Eudoxia; through Theophilus' plottings and her collaboration, Saint John was banished to Pontus in 403. The people were in an uproar, and the following night an earthquake shook the city; this so frightened the Empress Eudoxia that she begged Arcadius to call Chrysostom back. While his return was triumphant, his reconciliation with the Empress did not last long. When she had a silver statue of herself erected in the forum before the Church of the Holy Wisdom (Saint Sophia) in September of 403, and had it dedicated with much unseemly revelry, Saint John thundered against her, and she could not forgive him. In June of 404 he was exiled to Cucusus, on the borders of Cilicia and Armenia. From here he exchanged letters with Pope Innocent of Rome, who sent bishops and priests to Constantinople requesting that a council be held. Saint John's enemies, dreading his return, prevailed upon the Emperor to see an insult in this, and had John taken to a more remote place of banishment called Pityus near the Caucasus. The journey was filled with bitter sufferings for the aged bishop, both because of the harshness of the elements and the cruelty of one of his 310 guards. He did not reach Pityus, but gave up his soul to the Lord near Comana in Pontus, at the chapel of the Martyr Basiliscus (see May 22), who had appeared to him shortly before, foretelling the day of his death, which came to pass on September 14, 407. His last words were "Glory be to God for all things." His holy relics were brought from Comana to Constantinople thirty-one years later by the Emperor Theodosius the Younger and Saint Pulcheria his sister, the children of Arcadius and Eudoxia, with fervent supplications that the sin of their parents against him be forgiven; this return of his holy relics is celebrated on January 27.

Saint John was surnamed Chrysostom ("Golden-mouth") because of his eloquence. He made exhaustive commentaries on the divine Scriptures and was the author of more works than any other Church Father, leaving us complete commentaries on the Book of Genesis, the Gospels of Saints Matthew and John, the Acts, and all the Epistles of Saint Paul. His extant works are 1,447 sermons and 240 epistles. Twenty-two teachers of the Church have written homilies of praise in his honour. Besides his feasts today and on January 27, he is celebrated as one of the Three Hierarchs on January 30, together with Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian.

It should be noted that, because September 14 is the Exaltation of the Cross, the Saint's memory has been transferred to this day.

November 14

Philip the Apostle

This Apostle, one of the Twelve, was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and was a compatriot of Andrew and Peter. He was instructed in the teachings of the Law, and devoted himself to the study of the prophetic books. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus called him to the dignity of apostleship, he immediately sought out and found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1.45). Having preached Jesus the God-man throughout many parts of Asia Minor, and having suffered many things for His Name's sake, he was finally crucified upside down in Hierapolis of Phrygia.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 103.4,1.
Who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God you are very great.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 2:2-10.

Brethren, if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will. For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, "What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou carest for him? Thou didst make him for a little while lower than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Προκείμενον. Fourth Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 103.4,1.
Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα.
Στίχ. Εὐλόγει, ἡ ψυχή μου, τὸν Κύριον. Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐμεγαλύνθης σφόδρα.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Ἑβραίους 2:2-10.

Ἀδελφοί, εἰ ὁ δι΄ ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, καὶ πᾶσα παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ ἔλαβεν ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν, πῶς ἡμεῖς ἐκφευξόμεθα τηλικαύτης ἀμελήσαντες σωτηρίας; Ἥτις, ἀρχὴν λαβοῦσα λαλεῖσθαι διὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη, συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ σημείοις τε καὶ τέρασιν, καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν, καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου μερισμοῖς, κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλοις ὑπέταξεν τὴν οἰκουμένην τὴν μέλλουσαν, περὶ ἧς λαλοῦμεν. Διεμαρτύρατο δέ πού τις λέγων, Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι μιμνήσκῃ αὐτοῦ; Ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι ἐπισκέπτῃ αὐτόν; Ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρʼ ἀγγέλους· δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφάνωσας αὐτόν· πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ ὑποτάξαι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, οὐδὲν ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ ἀνυπότακτον. Νῦν δὲ οὔπω ὁρῶμεν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ὑποτεταγμένα. Τὸν δὲ βραχύ τι παρʼ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν Ἰησοῦν, διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον, ὅπως χάριτι θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γεύσηται θανάτου. Ἔπρεπεν γὰρ αὐτῷ, διʼ ὃν τὰ πάντα, καὶ διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα, πολλοὺς υἱοὺς εἰς δόξαν ἀγαγόντα, τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν διὰ παθημάτων τελειῶσαι.

Gospel Reading

7th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 8:41-56

At that time, there came to Jesus a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus' feet he besought him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As he went, the people pressed round him. And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physicians and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!" But Jesus said, "Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well." And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, "Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

7th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 8:41-56

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἄνθρωπός τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ ᾧ ὄνομα ᾿Ιάειρος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς ὑπῆρχε· καὶ πεσὼν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι θυγάτηρ μονογενὴς ἦν αὐτῷ ὡς ἐτῶν δώδεκα, καὶ αὕτη ἀπέθνησκεν. ᾿Εν δὲ τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτὸν οἱ ὄχλοι συνέπνιγον αὐτόν. καὶ γυνὴ οὖσα ἐν ῥύσει αἵματος ἀπὸ ἐτῶν δώδεκα, ἥτις ἰατροῖς προσαναλώσασα ὅλον τὸν βίον οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὑπ᾿ οὐδενὸς θεραπευθῆναι, προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς· τίς ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; ἀρνουμένων δὲ πάντων εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ· ἐπιστάτα, οἱ ὄχλοι συνέχουσί σε καὶ ἀποθλίβουσι, καὶ λέγεις τίς ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν· ἥψατό μού τις· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ. ἰδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαθε, τρέμουσα ἦλθε καὶ προσπεσοῦσα αὐτῷ δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν ἥψατο αὐτοῦ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ὡς ἰάθη παραχρῆμα. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· θάρσει, θύγατερ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε· πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην.῎Ετι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἔρχεταί τις παρὰ τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου λέγων αὐτῷ ὅτι τέθνηκεν ἡ θυγάτηρ σου· μὴ σκύλλε τὸν διδάσκαλον. ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἀκούσας ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ λέγων· μὴ φοβοῦ· μόνον πίστευε, καὶ σωθήσεται. ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐκ ἀφῆκεν εἰσελθεῖν οὐδένα εἰ μὴ Πέτρον καὶ ᾿Ιωάννην καὶ ᾿Ιάκωβον καὶ τὸν πατέρα τῆς παιδὸς καὶ τὴν μητέρα. ἔκλαιον δὲ πάντες καὶ ἐκόπτοντο αὐτήν. ὁ δὲ εἶπε· μὴ κλαίετε· οὐκ ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει. καὶ κατεγέλων αὐτοῦ, εἰδότες ὅτι ἀπέθανεν. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκβαλὼν ἔξω πάντας καὶ κρατήσας τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς ἐφώνησε λέγων· ἡ παῖς, ἐγείρου. καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀνέστη παραχρῆμα, καὶ διέταξεν αὐτῇ δοθῆναι φαγεῖν. καὶ ἐξέστησαν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῖς. ὁ δὲ παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν τὸ γεγονός.

This Sunday is celebrated

THIS WEEK’S SERMON

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we read a wonderful gospel passage where we see our Lord performing two miracles. A strange phenomenon is communicated to us in the story. This is the third time we see that Christ is called to heal someone and he does not rush to do sο.

The first one was his friend Lazarus, the second was the centurion’s servant and today it is Jairus’s daughter. Both Lazarus and Jairus’s daughter died before he got to them but in both cases, he said to people who were worried that this is not death but they are asleep.

So what is the difference between death and sleep? We Christians do not call the end of our life death but we call it falling asleep in the Lord. The key term is “in the Lord”. Death remains death for those who do not believe in the Lord and in His resurrection. Those who believe will be woken up when he comes again as he did with Lazarus and this young girl today. The faith, the trust in him is the second most important thing in the story. The centurion said to him “you do not need to come to my house because I am a sinner but if you say the word my servant will get better”. Because of the strong faith the servant did get better and he said to him that his faith was more then he had ever seen in Israel.

Dear brothers and sisters today I would like to bring your attention to another kind of death. This death is not physical but spiritual. About this kind of death, the Lord says let the dead bury their dead. If faith makes the centurions’ servant get better just by word alone then it is the lack of faith that makes us dead spiritually.

Trust in the Lord is the most important thing that we can have. He said with the smallest amount of faith we can move mountains. That is the problem in today’s culture. We trust nothing but ourselves. That is why many people walk around and spread only hurt, pain, division, gossip, immorality. Those people are bleed spiritually like the woman in today’s Gospel and no one can help them.

But the good news is that there is a cure for all of us. The cure is not complicated either. All we have to do is come to Him. All we have to do is touch Him.

If you find yourself talking about your brother or sister behind their back if you say something about them that you would not say in front of them or in the presence of the Lord. Then your Soul is also bleeding and you need to come to the Lord. If you find yourself hurting your brother or your sister by your words, thoughts, or actions you also are bleeding spiritually and you will be dead one day.

But there is hope for all of us. We can come to him as Jairus did, we can come to him like the centurion did and we can ask for his help. The better news is that if you ask you will receive, your sin will be forgiven, your bleeding will stop, the hardness of your heart will be softened, the death of your soul will be reversed and you will enter into the eternal memory of God even after you die physically. Death will have no power over you if you unite yourself with Christ.

Amen

ΚΗΡΥΓΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΒΔΟΜΑΔΑΣ

Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές εν Χριστώ,

Σήμερα διαβάζουμε ένα υπέροχο απόσπασμα Ευαγγελίου όπου βλέπουμε τον Κύριο να εκτελεί δύο θαύματα. Ένα παράξενο φαινόμενο μας μεταδίδεται στην ιστορία. Αυτή είναι η τρίτη φορά που βλέπουμε ότι ο Χριστός καλείται να θεραπεύσει κάποιον και δεν βιάζεται να το πράξει. Ο πρώτος ήταν ο φίλος του ο Λάζαρος, ο δεύτερος ήταν ο υπηρέτης του Σεντούριου, και σήμερα είναι η κόρη του Ιάϊρου. Τόσο ο Λάζαρος όσο και η κόρη του Ιαρίου πέθαναν πριν φτάσει ο Κύριος σε αυτούς. Και στις δύο περιπτώσεις είπε στους ανθρώπους που ανησυχούσαν, ότι δεν πρόκειται για θάνατο, αλλά ότι οι άνθρωποι τους κοιμούνται.

Ποιά είναι λοιπόν η διαφορά μεταξύ στον θάνατο και τον ύπνο; Εμείς οι Χριστιανοί δεν ονομάζουμε το τέλος της ζωής μας θανάτου, αλλά το ονομάζουμε Κοίμηση εν Κυρίω που είναι ο βασικός όρος. Ο θάνατος παραμένει θάνατος για όσους δεν πιστεύουν στον Κύριο και στην ανάστασή Του. Γιά εκείνους που πιστεύουν ότι θα ξυπνήσουν όταν έρθει και πάλι ο Κύριος, όπως έκανε με τον Λάζαρο και αυτό το νεαρό κορίτσι σήμερα. Η πίστη, η εμπιστοσύνη σε αυτόν είναι το δεύτερο πιο σημαντικό πράγμα στην ιστορία. Ο εκατόνταρχος του είπε: "Δεν χρειάζεται να έρχεσαι στο σπίτι μου, επειδή είμαι αμαρτωλός, αλλά αν πεις τη λέξη ο υπηρέτης μου θα γίνει καλύτερα". Λόγω της ισχυρής πίστης, ο υπηρέτης έγινε καλύτερα και του είπε ότι η πίστη του ήταν περισσότερο από ό΄τι είχε δει ποτέ στο Ισραήλ.

Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές, σήμερα θα ήθελα να επιστήσω την προσοχή σας σε ένα άλλο είδος θανάτου. Αυτός ο θάνατος δεν είναι φυσικός αλλά πνευματικός. Σχετικά με αυτό το είδος θανάτου ο Κύριος λέει αφήστε τους νεκρούς να θάψουν τους νεκρούς τους. Αν η πίστη κάνει τον υπηρέτη του εκατόνταρχου καλά μόνο με λέξεις, τότε η έλλειψη πίστης είναι που μας κάνει νεκρούς πνευματικά.

Η εμπιστοσύνη στον Κύριο είναι το πιο σημαντικό πράγμα που μπορούμε να έχουμε. Ο Κύριος είπε ότι με το μικρότερο ποσό της πλιστης μπορούμε να μετακινήσουμε βουνά. Αυτό είναι το πρόβλημα δυστυχώς στόν σημερινό πολιτισμό. Εμπιστευόμαστε μόνο τους εαυτούς μας. Αυτός είναι ο λόγος για τον οποίο πολλοί άνθρωποι περπατούν και αφήνουν πίσω τους μόνο πόνο, διαίρεση, κουτσομπολιά, ανηθικότητα. Αυτοί οι άνθρωποι αιμορραγούν πνευματικά όπως η γυναίκα στο σημερινό Ευαγγέλιο, και κανείς δεν μπορεί να τους βοηθήσει. Τα καλά νέα είναι ότι υπάρχει θεραπεία για όλους μας. Η θεραπεία δεν είναι περίπλοκη. Το μόνο που έχουμε να κάνουμε είναι να έρθουμε σε Εκείνον. Το μόνο που έχουμε να κάνουμε είναι να Τον αγγίξουμε.

Αν βρεθείτε να μιλάτε για τον αδελφό ή την αδελφή μας πίσω από την πλάτη τους, αν λέτε κάτι γι 'αυτούς που δεν θα λέγατε μπροστά τους ή παρουσία του Κυρίου, η ψυχή σας αιμορραγεί και πρέπει να έρθετε κοντά στον Κύριο. Αν πληγώστε τον αδελφό σας η την αδελφή σας από τα λόγια, τις σκέψεις ή τις ενεργειές σας, επίσης αιμοραραγήτε πνευματικά και θα είστε νεκρός μιά μέρα.

Αλλά υπάρχει ελπίδα για όλους μας. Το μόνο που πρέπει να κάνουμε είναι να έρθουμε σε Αυτόν όπως ο Ιάιρος καί ο εκατόνταρχος έκαναν, καί μπορούμε να ζητήσουμε τη βοήθειά Του. Τα καλύτερα νέα είναι ότι αν ρωτήσεις θα λάβεις, η αμαρτία σας θα συγχωρεθεί, η αιμορραγία σας θα σταματήσει, η σκληρότητ της καρδιάς σας θα μαλακώσει, ο θάνατος της ψυχής σας θα αντιστραφεί και θα μπείτε στην αιώνια μνήμε του Θεού ακόμα και αφού πεθάνετε σωματικά.

Ο θάνατος δεν θα έχει καμία εξουσία πάνω μας αν ενωθούμε με τον Χριστό.

Αμήν

Wisdom of the Fathers

At the same time both signifying that it is easy for Him to raise the dead ... and also teaching us not to fear death; for that it is not death, but is henceforth become a sleep.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 31 on Matthew 9, 4th Century

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