Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal Second Mode

The angelic powers appeared at Your tomb, and those guarding it became as dead. Mary stood at Your grave seeking Your pure body. You stripped the power of Hades, yet remained untouched by its corruption. You met the Virgin and bestowed life. O Lord, Who rose from the dead, glory to You.

Ἀγγελικαὶ Δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμά σου, καὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες ἀπενεκρώθησαν, καὶ ἵστατο Μαρία ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, ζητοῦσα τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα. Ἐσκύλευσας τὸν ᾍδην, μὴ πειρασθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὑπήντησας τῇ Παρθένῳ, δωρούμενος τὴν ζωήν, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ των νεκρῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι.

Angelike Dynamis epi to mnima Su, ke ee fylassontes apenekrothisan; ke istato Maria en toh tafoh, zitusa toh ahkranton Su soma. Eskilevsas ton Adin, mi pirasthis eep’aftu; eepinisas ti Partheno, dorumenos tin zoin. O anastas ek ton nekron, Kyrie doxa Si.

Apolytikion for Macarius the Great of Egypt in the First Mode

You made the wilderness your dwelling-place, O our father Makarios, the Bearer of God. You became an angel in the flesh and a wonderworker. Through fasts, vigils, and prayers, you obtained from God special graces to heal the sick and sanctify the souls of those who come to you with trust. Glory to the One Who gave you strength! Glory to the One Who crowned you! Glory to the One Who, through your intercession, grants healing to all!

Τής ερήμου πολίτης, καί εν σώματι Άγγελος, καί θαυματουργός ανεδείχθης, θεοφόρε Πατήρ ημών Μακάριε, νηστεία, αγρυπνία, προσευχή, ουράνια χαρίσματα λαβών, θεραπεύεις τούς νοσούντας, καί τάς ψυχάς τών πίστει προστρεχόντων σοι, Δόξα τώ δεδωκότι σοι ισχύν, δόξα τώ σέ στεφανώσαντι, δόξα τώ ενεργούντι διά σού πάσιν ιάματα.

Tis erimu politis ke en somatic Angelos, ke thavmaturgos anedikthis, theoforeh Patir eemon Makarie, nisteea, agrypnia, prosefhi, urania harismata lavon, therapevis tus nosuntas, ke tas psychas ton pisti prostrekhonton si: doxa toh dedokoti si eeskhin; doxa toh se stefanosanti; doxa toh energunti dia su, pasin ee-amata.

Seasonal Kontakion in the First Mode

Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the loving One.

Ὁ μήτραν παρθενικὴν ἁγιάσας τῶ τόκω σου, καὶ χείρας τοῦ Συμεὼν εὐλογήσας ὡς ἔπρεπε, προφθάσας καὶ νὺν ἔσωσας ἡμᾶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλ' εἰρήνευσον ἐν πολέμοις τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ κραταίωσον Βασιλεῖς οὓς ἠγάπησας, ὁ μόνος φιλάνθρωπος.

O mitran parthenikin aghiasas toh tokoh su, ke heeras tu Symeon evlogysas, os eprepe, profthasas ke nin, esosas eemas, Christe O Theos. All’eerinevson en polemis toh politevma, ke krataioson vasilis, oos eegapisas, o monos filanthropos.

Saints and Feasts

January 19

Macarius the Great of Egypt

Saint Macarius the Great was from the Thebaid of Egypt, a disciple, as some say, of Saint Anthony the Great. He was born about 331 and struggled in asceticism in the desert at Scete. Although young, he was called "the child elder" because of his great wisdom and austere manner of life. He was ordained presbyter and reposed in 391, at the age of sixty. There are fifty homilies ascribed to him.

It is said of Saint Macarius that he became as a God upon earth, for even as God protects the whole world, so did he cover the faults he saw as if he did not see them. Once he came back to his cell to find a thief taking his things and loading them on a camel. Macarius' non-possessiveness was so great that he helped the thief load the camel. When the camel refused to rise, Macarius returned to his cell and brought a small hoe, said that the camel wanted the hoe also, loaded it on, and kicked the camel telling it to get up. The camel obeyed Macarius' command, but soon lay down again, and would not move until everything had been returned to Macarius. His contemporary, Saint Macarius of Alexandria, was so called because he came from Alexandria and was therefore of that Greek-speaking colony; while Saint Macarius the Great is also called "of Egypt," that is, he belonged to the ancient race native to Egypt, the Copts.

January 19

Mark, Bishop of Ephesus

The great teacher and invincible defender of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, Saint Mark, was the offspring and scion of the imperial city, Constantinople. Reared by most pious parents, and instructed in secular and spiritual wisdom, he became preeminent in both. Saint Mark lived as an ascetic on the Prince's Islands and later in the monastery of Saint George Magana in Constantinople. He passed through all the degrees of the priesthood, and was finally advanced to the dignity of Archbishop and the lofty throne of the Metropolis of Ephesus. At the insistence of Emperor John Paleologos, the Saint was sent to the council of the Latins in Florence, to unite the churches that had been divided for so many years. He astounded the papal teachers with the divine wisdom of his words, and was the only one who did not sign the blasphemous decree of that false council. Because of this, the Holy Church of Christ has ever honored this great man as a benefactor, teacher, sole defender, and invincible champion of the Apostolic Confession. He reposed in 1443.

January 20

Righteous Euthymius the Great

This Saint, who was from Melitene in Armenia, was the son of pious parents named Paul and Dionysia. He was born about 377. Since his mother had been barren, he was named Euthymius-which means "good cheer" or "joy"-for this is what his parents experienced at his birth. He studied under Eutroius, the Bishop of Melitene, by whom he was ordained and entrusted with the care of the monasteries of Melitene. Then, after he had come to Palestine about the year 406, he became the leader of a multitude of monks. Through him, a great tribe of Arabs was turned to piety, when he healed the ailing son of their leader Aspebetos. Aspebetos was baptized with all his people; he took the Christian name of Peter, and was later consecrated Bishop for his tribe, being called "Bishop of the Tents." Saint Euthymius also fought against the Nestorians, Eutychians, and Manichaeans. When Eudocia, the widow of Saint Theodosius the Younger, had made her dwelling in Palestine, and had fallen into the heresy of the Monophysites which was championed in Palestine by a certain Theodosius, she sent envoys to Saint Symeon the Stylite in Syria (see Sept. 1), asking him his opinion of Eutyches and the Council of Chalcedon which had condemned him; Saint Symeon, praising the holiness and Orthodoxy of Saint Euthymius near whom she dwelt, sent her to him to be delivered from her error (the holy Empress Eudocia is commemorated Aug. 13). He became the divine oracle of the Church, or rather, "the vessel of divine utterance," as a certain historian writes. He was the instructor and elder of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified. Having lived for ninety-six years, he reposed in 473, on January 20.

January 21

Neophytos the Martyr of Nicaea

The Martyr Neophytos, who was from Nicea in Bithynia, was the son of pious parents, Theodore and Florence. Led by grace from his childhood, he took up his dwelling in a cave upon Mount Olympus at the age of nine and lived there in asceticism and prayer. At the age of fifteen, during the reign of Diocletian about the year 290, he presented himself to the local Governor named Decius. Roused to fury by his unexpected boldness, Decius had him scourged, then laid out on a bed of fire. When he had been preserved by grace through these torments, he gave him up to wild beasts. But since the Saint remained unharmed, a certain pagan fell on him with a sword and slew him.

January 22

Timothy the Apostle of the 70

The Apostle Timothy, who was from Lystra of Lycaonia, was born of a Greek (that is, pagan) father and a Jewish mother. His mother's name was Eunice, and his grandmother's name was Lois (II Tim. 1:5). He became the disciple of the Apostle Paul when the latter first preached there, and he followed St. Paul during the whole period of the Apostle's preaching. Afterwards, Timothy was consecrated by him as first Bishop of the church in Ephesus. Under the supervision of John the Evangelist, who governed all the churches in Asia, he completed his life as a martyr in the year 97. He was stoned to death by the heathens, because, as some surmise, he opposed the festival held in honor of Artemis (Diana). The Apostle Paul's First and Second Epistles to Timothy were written to him.

January 23

The Holy Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Ancyra

Saint Clement, who was from Ancyra in Galatia, was the son of an unbelieving father, but a believing mother whose name was Sophia. At first he lived as a monk, later he became the bishop of his city. He suffered so many things in confession of the Faith in Christ, that the time of his sufferings and struggles stretched out over a period of twenty-eight years. Finally he and Saint Agathangelus (who was from Rome) were beheaded together during the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, in the year 296.

January 24

Xenia, Deaconess of Rome

Our righteous Mother Xenia of Rome was of a distinguished family. While her parents were preparing to wed her, she stole away secretly, taking two handmaids with her, and departed for Mylasa of Karia in Asia Minor, and there she completed her life in asceticism. She was ordained deaconess by Paul, her spiritual father, who became Bishop of Mylasa. Although she was originally named Eusebia, to conceal her identity, she took the name Xenia - which means "stranger" in Greek - because of her estrangement from her country.

January 25

Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople

This great Father and Teacher of the Church was born in 329 in Arianzus, a village of the second district of Cappadocia, not far from Nazianzus. His father, who later became Bishop of Nazianzus, was named Gregory (commemorated Jan. 1), and his mother was named Nonna (Aug. 5); both are among the Saints, and so are his brother Caesarius (Mar. 9) and his sister Gorgona (Feb. 23). At first he studied in Caesarea of Palestine, then in Alexandria, and finally in Athens. As he was sailing from Alexandria to Athens, a violent sea storm put in peril not only his life but also his salvation, since he had not yet been baptized. With tears and fervour he besought God to spare him, vowing to dedicate his whole self to Him, and the tempest gave way to calm. At Athens Saint Gregory was later joined by Saint Basil the Great, whom he already knew; but now their acquaintanceship grew into a lifelong brotherly love. Another fellow student of theirs in Athens was the young Prince Julian, who later as Emperor was called the Apostate because he denied Christ and did all in his power to restore paganism. Even in Athens, before Julian had thrown off the mask of piety; Saint Gregory saw what an unsettled mind he had, and said, "What an evil the Roman State is nourishing" (Orat. V, 24, PG 35:693).

After their studies at Athens, Gregory became Basil's fellow ascetic, living the monastic life together with him for a time in the hermitages of Pontus. His father ordained him presbyter of the Church of Nazianzus, and Saint Basil consecrated him Bishop of Sasima (or Zansima), which was in the archdiocese of Caesarea. This consecration was a source of great sorrow to Gregory, and a cause of misunderstanding between him and Basil; but his love for Basil remained unchanged, as can be plainly seen from his Funeral Oration on Saint Basil (Orat. XLIII).

About the Year 379, Saint Gregory came to the assistance of the Church of Constantinople, which had already been troubled for forty years by the Arians; by his supremely wise words and many labours he freed it from the corruption of heresy, and was elected Archbishop of that city by the Second Ecumenical Council, which assembled there in 381, and condemned Macedonius, Archbishop of Constantinople, the enemy of the Holy Spirit. When Saint Gregory came to Constantinople, the Arians had taken all the churches and he was forced to serve in a house chapel dedicated to Saint Anastasia the Martyr. From there he began to preach his famous five sermons on the Trinity, called the Triadica. When he left Constantinople two years later, the Arians did not have one church left to them in the city. Saint Meletius of Antioch (see Feb. 12), who was presiding over the Second Ecumenical Council, died in the course of it, and Saint Gregory was chosen in his stead; there he distinguished himself in his expositions of dogmatic theology.

Having governed the Church until 382, he delivered his farewell speech - the Syntacterion, in which he demonstrated the Divinity of the Son - before 150 bishops and the Emperor Theodosius the Great; in this speech he requested, and received from all, permission to retire from the see of Constantinople. He returned to Nazianzus, where he lived to the end of his life, and reposed in the Lord in 391, having lived some sixty-two years.

His extant writings, both prose and poems in every type of metre, demonstrate his lofty eloquence and his wondrous breadth of learning. In the beauty of his writings, he is considered to have surpassed the Greek writers of antiquity, and because of his God-inspired theological thought, he received the surname "Theologian." Although he is sometimes called Gregory of Nazianzus, this title belongs properly to his father; he himself is known by the Church only as Gregory the Theologian. He is especially called "Trinitarian Theologian," since in virtually every homily he refers to the Trinity and the one essence and nature of the Godhead. Hence, Alexius Anthorus dedicated the following verses to him:

Like an unwandering star beaming with splendour,
Thou bringest us by mystic teachings, O Father,
To the Trinity's sunlike illumination,
O mouth breathing with fire, Gregory most mighty.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Ninth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them: "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him: "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."

Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said: "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Ninth Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 20:19-31

Οὔσης ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, καὶ τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ συνηγμένοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ. Ἐχάρησαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες τὸν Κύριον. Εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Καθὼς ἀπέσταλκέ με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ πέμπω ὑμᾶς. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησε καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον· ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς, ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται.

Θωμᾶς δὲ εἷς ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ὅτε ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄλλοι μαθηταί· Ἐωράκαμεν τὸν Κύριον. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὸν δάκτυλόν μου εἰς τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὴν χεῖρά μου εἰς τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω. Καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ πάλιν ἦσαν ἔσω οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θωμᾶς μετ᾽ αὐτῶν. Ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων, καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν· Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. Εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ· Φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε καὶ ἴδε τὰς χεῖράς μου, καὶ φέρε τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ βάλε εἰς τὴν πλευράν μου, καὶ μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος, ἀλλὰ πιστός. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ὅτι ἑώρακάς με, πεπίστευκας· μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐνώπιον τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, ἃ οὐκ ἔστι γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ· ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπται ἵνα πιστεύσητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal Second Mode. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3:4-11.

Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

Προκείμενον. Plagal Second Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 27.9,1.
Σῶσον, Κύριε τὸν λαὸν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.
Στίχ. Πρὸς σἐ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι ὁ Θεός μου.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς 3:4-11.

Ἀδελφοί, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ. Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρεία, διʼ ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας· Ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς περιεπατήσατέ ποτε, ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν αὐτοῖς. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα, ὀργήν, θυμόν, κακίαν, βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν· μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἀπεκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν· ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος· ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός.

Gospel Reading

12th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 17:12-19

At that time, as Jesus entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

12th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 17:12-19

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, εἰσερχομένου αὐτοῦ εἴς τινα κώμην ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ δέκα λεπροὶ ἄνδρες, οἳ ἔστησαν πόρρωθεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦραν φωνὴν λέγοντες· ᾿Ιησοῦ ἐπιστάτα, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. καὶ ἰδὼν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· πορευθέντες ἐπιδείξατε ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτοὺς ἐκαθαρίσθησαν. εἷς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἰδὼν ὅτι ἰάθη, ὑπέστρεψε μετὰ φωνῆς μεγάλης δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ εὐχαριστῶν αὐτῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Σαμαρείτης. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν· οὐχὶ οἱ δέκα ἐκαθαρίσθησαν; οἱ δὲ ἐννέα ποῦ; οὐχ εὑρέθησαν ὑποστρέψαντες δοῦναι δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀλλογενὴς οὗτος; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀναστὰς πορεύου· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε.

Wisdom of the Fathers

Having met the Savior, therefore, the lepers earnestly besought Him to free them from their misery, and called Him Master, that is. Teacher. No one pitied them when suffering this malady, but He Who had appeared on earth for this very reason, and had become man that He might show pity to all, He was moved with compassion for them, and had mercy on them.

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, Homilies 113-116. B#42, pp. 465-466, 4th Century

And why did He not rather say, I will, be you cleansed; as He did in the case of another leper, but commanded them rather to show themselves to the priests? It was because the law gave directions to this effect to those who were delivered from leprosy (Lev. 14-2); for it commanded them to show themselves to the priests, and to offer a sacrifice for their cleansing.

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, Homilies 113-116. B#42, pp. 465-466, 4th Century

PARISH NEWS

PARISH LEADERSHIP

Rev. Fr. Jon Magoulias, Protopresbyter
PARISH PRIEST

Rev. Fr. Michael Sergakis
ASSISTANT PRIEST

Manoli Rodarakis
PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT

LITURGICAL CALENDAR

FRIDAY,                   January 17^th
St. Anthony the Great
Epistle          Heb. 13:17-21
Gospel          Luke 6:17-23
Divine Services                            8:30 a.m.

SATURDAY,              January 18^th
Sts. Athanasios and Cyril Patriarchs of Alexandria
Epistle          Heb. 13:7-16
Gospel          John 10:9-16
Divine Services                            8:30 a.m.
Great Vespers                              5:00 p.m.

SUNDAY,                  January 19^th
12th Sunday of Luke
St. Makarios the Great
Epistle          Col.    3:4-11
Gospel          Luke 16:12-19
Sunday Divine Services                 9:00 a.m.

SATURDAY,             January 25^th
St. Gregory the Theologian
Epistle          Heb.    7:26-28; 8:1-2
Gospel          John 10:9-16
Divine Services                            8:30 a.m.
Great Vespers                              5:00 p.m.

SUNDAY,                  January 26^th
Sunday of Zachaeus
Epistle          1 Tim. 4:9-15
Gospel          Luke 19:1-10
Sunday Divine Services                 9:00 a.m.

PARISH NEWS

WELCOME

We are pleased to welcome all visitors to our Parish today and we pray that our Lord bless you through the intercessions of the All-Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. We invite you to join us for church services regularly and to pray with our Christian family.

Immediately following the Divine Liturgy this Sunday, we would like you to join us in the Very Rev. Emmanuel Papageorge Cultural Center for Christian Fellowship. This Sunday, Fellowship Hour will be hosted by the Peros Family. We are grateful for their hospitality and support.

May you have a blessed week!

PARISH OFFICE CLOSED
The Church Office will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 20PARISH COUNCIL

Sunday, January 19^th – Team 4: Micheal Word,Tony Gavrilis, & Mike J. Kordazakis

Sunday, January 26^th – Team 1: Nick Faklis, Jaylen French , & John Mangelos

ALTAR BOYS
Acolyte Coordinator: Manoli Rodarakis
Senior Altar Boys: Andreas Alexander ~ John Hillas ~ Pantelis Zanotto ~ Frankie Zanotto

Captains - Demitri Stamos & Walter Lemons

John Capous, Reid Fortin, Athan French, Ryan Hatton, Carson Maroudas, Aristedes Mason, & Peter Zanotto

Altar boys, ages 9-14 are to attend Sunday Church each Sunday following Holy Communion. Altar Boys, ages 15-18, are to attend Sunday Church School every other Sunday following Holy Communion.

MEMORIAL SERVICES
Memorial prayers will be offered this Sunday for the repose of the soul of the servant of God:

PETE PEROS 1 Year

On behalf of the entire Parish we extend our prayers to his family and friends. May our
Heavenly Father grant him eternal rest where there is no pain or sorrow, but everlasting life.

ETERNAL BE HIS MEMORY!

STEWARDSHIP 2020
Having entered the year of our Lord 2020, we celebrate the 90th year of our Parish in Modesot. As we remember and pray for the eternal repose of all the Stewards that established and supported our Parish through the years, we also give thanks to ALL the Stewards of our Parish Today that actively participate in our Stewardship Ministry. It is through active Christian Orthodox Stewardship that we live our precious Christian Orthodox Faith.

Our Holy Church is established upon Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. We are taught to give cheerfully and without reluctance to the mission of God’s Holy Church. Your support is necessary to continue the growth and development of our Parish Ministries.    We pray that we seriously consider what it means to become a more active participant in our Stewardship Ministry. We ask that you consider:
      1.) increasing the Time you spend in Church;
      2.) giving of the Talent you offer through various ministries of our Parish and;
      3.) considering increasing the financial offering from your Treasure that will enable us to fully fund the operating costs of our Parish through YOUR Stewardship commitment!

Christian Stewardship is the very essence of living our precious Faith that teaches each us to return to the Lord a portion of our earnings so that the Church may continue to grow. Offering one’s support to the Church in weekly, monthly or quarterly contributions is a much easier way to manage the finances of one’s household. Each year we are blessed that a number of our Stewards increase their commitment to the Church. We continue to see many stewards increase their offering above the previous year’s contribution by as much as 25%! We would hope that each Steward would increase their offering by at least 10%. As of December 31st, we have 303 Stewardship families/individuals that are supporting our sacred ministry, as compared to 308 in 2018.

Every person baptized and/or chrismated into the Orthodox Christian Faith is a parishioner but a Steward is one who is a baptized and/or chrismated person who understands his responsibility to God and His Church.  This understanding directs him to live his life according to the teachings of our Faith and at the same time, offers Time, Talents and Treasure to the sacred work of the Church.  It is important to understand that our Stewardship obligations determine a family (husband, wife, & children) or an individual as stewards of our Parish. Young adults (18 years and older) that have completed their schooling and/or find themselves in the workplace are expected to become stewards of the Parish. These individuals are not included in one’s “Family Stewardship” obligation.

It is imperative that we make our Stewardship offering in support of the sacred mission of our Church in Modesto…  In 2020, our Parish will require an average Stewardship Offering of $1600.00 per family to fund the ministries of our Church. Do you realize that the first $250.00 from your Stewardship offering in 2020 is contributed to the Archdiocese of America for National Ministries? Your Stewardship offering supports the mission of our Church in Modesto and beyond! Please remember that our website enables you to securely make Stewardship contributions (and other donations) online.
We have a goal of 325 Stewardship families/individuals for our Parish this year. It IS an attainable goal…Please support our efforts! In supporting these efforts we ask that you reach out to family and fellow parishioners to become more active in the ministries of our Parish. This year's Stewardship Theme is taken from the Old Testament: “To all things there is a time, and a purpose for every matter under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

The instruction given from Holy Scripture teaches us to recognize the "Time" we experience in our lives and that there is a "purpose...under heaven" for how we pass the time of our lives. If you have any questions regarding your offering please contact Fr. Jon.

PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
The “Stewardship Drive” to become a Philoptochos member is currently underway. We strongly encourage the ladies of our Parish to become members of the Philoptochos and to assist in this beautiful ministry that assists so many people by signing up during Fellowship Hour. For further information please contact one of the officers of Philoptochos.

The Philoptochos Board of Trustees is comprised of: Denna Tsatsaronis, President; Dena Brown, Vice-President; Diane Hillas Treasurer; Markella Tsatsaronis, Secretary; Maria Berris, Mary Gavrilis, Janelle Hatton, Helen Katotakis, Diana Demetrulias - Mayer, Kiki Shaw, Gloria Tronis-Bolakis, Ella Velthoen, and Eleni Venierakis.

VASILOPITA
The Philoptochos would like to thank EVERYONE that made the 2020 Vasilopita a success! We are especially grateful to the chairpeople: Helen Katotakis and Gloria Tronis Bollakis for their hard work. We also appreciate the Stewardship offered by Anna Petrulakis for baking and donating the Vasilopites this year. The Vasilopita benefits: 1.) St. Basil Academy; and 2.) The Archbishop Iakovos Library at HCHC. Your contributions to date total: $10,200.00. If you have not donated to this cause, please do so this week!

CHURCH ETIQUETTE
When attending services, please be prompt! In order to partake of the Holy Eucharist please remember proper preparation is required to receive Holy Communion. Proper preparation in receiving Holy Communion requires that the person be in the Divine Liturgy on time, that means BEFORE 10:00 a.m.!

When receiving the Holy Eucharist come forward reverently, give your baptismal name, hold the red cloth under your chin and after receiving, wipe your lips.

Please remember that the "Cry Room" is intended only when an infant child may seem to be disrupting a divine service. It is wonderful to see so many families with young children and for this reason, we ask that only one parent and child be in the "Cry Room" at any given time. Parents should not be giving their children games to play while in the "Cry Room". Once the child has settled down they should return to the pews for the service.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE
In an effort to continue improving our Parish Ministry, we continue to upgrade and improve our Parish Website: www.goannunciation.org

The broadcasting of our Divine Services may now be seen from both our Parish Website and Parish Facebook page. The newly installed high definition cameras have added to the viewing clarity of our services. We do suggest that when viewing Divine Services from our Parish Website, that it may be better to use Chrome as the browser.

The use of today's technology to improve our ability to serve you, the faithful stewards of the Annunciation Church, is of paramount importance. Whether it is through our website or the broadcasting of Divine Services, it is the responsibility of good stewardship that we strengthen our ability to communicate Christ's message of love, peace and salvation to all.

A feature on the website now enables donations and Stewardship offerings to be made online. After researching a number of programs to provide a means by which online contributions may be made we have chosen to use "Paypal" which is a well tested and secure method.

Please accept this improvement to our Parish Ministry as an offering from your Parish Council. We are grateful to the stewards and friends of our Parish that support our ministry and we pledge to continue to provide the highest quality of service to you, the people of God.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE WHEN COMMUNICATING WITHIN THE PARISH
Texting and social media platforms have become prevalent as the means by which we communicate with one another. Although these methods of communication may be more convenient and seemingly instantaneous, they remain informal and impersonal. Moreover, our words can be misconstrued on account of improperly placed (or lacking) punctuation, misspelled words, and/or incomplete thoughts; simply done with the click of a button.

We, therefore, ask you to please refrain from texting or reaching out to Fr. Jon, Michael, or the Office Staff through social media platforms. Rather, you are asked to contact them through the Church Office to schedule appointments or sacraments, confirm service times, meetings, request visitations and/or to ask for pastoral or theological questions. In the event of an emergency, please contact Fr. Jon via the numbers provided in our Parish Directory.

In addition, we would like to remind you that calls to the Church Office should ONLY pertain to activities of the Parish. Any personal calls to Office Staff, unless it is a family emergency, should be made AFTER or BEFORE their work hours.

Some internet sites of our Parish include:

Parish Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/goannunciation/

Philoptochos - https://www.facebook.com/Philoptochos4011/

Tots N Toddlers (TNT) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1752911011651397/

GOYA - https://www.facebook.com/groups/906681666103047/

YAL - https://www.facebook.com/groups/690691877659137/?ref=group_browse_new

Dance Groups - Shutterfly - https://greekdanceclub.shutterfly.com/

iPhone App for Shutterfly Share Sites can be found at - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shutterfly-share-sites/id567273381?mt=8

CHURCH MUSIC MINISTRY
The ministry of our choir members is to represent YOU and to serve as volunteers by using the gift of music to sing praises to our Lord is a true act of Christian Orthodox Stewardship.

Parishioners, who may be interested in of our Church, and especially our young people, are invited to join the choir. St. Augustine wrote: "What better thing can the people do than sing. I know of no better thing than this!" Please contact Markella Tsatsaronis or the Church Office, to find out more about our Church Choir.

CHURCH BEHAVIOR
Divine Services on Sunday morning begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. (Weekdays at 8:30 a.m.). There is no set time as to when the Divine Liturgy actually begins since the hymns of the Matins vary from week to week. According to actual Church Service procedures, each and every member of the congregation is required to be seated in the pews by the beginning of the Divine Liturgy.

It is only through leniency that anyone is allowed to enter the Church once the Service has begun. Thus it behooves us not to take undue advantage of this leniency. Also, unnecessary noise is extremely distracting during worship, especially when it comes from the adults talking; in addition, our nursery is equipped with all the conveniences for young children and a parent to participate in the Liturgy. Please remember to prepare yourself properly to attend the Divine Liturgy; dress accordingly; do not chew gum; turn off your cell phone; and please do not create a disturbance. Please remember that the Parish Council members are re quired to see to the order during Church Services and everyone should follow their directions at all times.

"The Lord has given us many counsels and commandments to help us toward salvation. He has even given us a pattern of prayer, instructing us on how we are to pray. He has given us life, and with His accustomed generosity, He has also taught us how to pray. He has made it easy for us to be heard, as we pray to the Father in words taught us by the Son.Let us pray as God our Master has taught us. To ask the Father in words His Son has given us, to let Him hear the words of Christ ringing in our ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer." St. Cyprian, martyred Bishop of Carthage (+258)

CHRISTMAS FLOWER DONATION
The Church Office is still collecting donations for flowers that were used to decorate our church during the season of our Lord’s Nativity. If you would like to contribute please contact Anna Petrulakis or the Church Office.

PARISH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
The regular session of our Sunday Church School is now in session. Families are to be present in the Divine Liturgy by 10:00 a.m. The students are to be in church promply at and are to take their place with their class in the front pews. Once the young people, who are prepared to receive the Holy Eucharist partake, all the young people will go into the Classroom Building for their lesson. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to church on time EVERY SUNDAY MORNING so that our young people may “Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Parents must remember that our young people that also go to Dance Practice MUST attend Church and Sunday Church School first!

ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - THE WAY OF A PILGRIM
Join our Assistant Priest, Fr. Michael Sergakis, on every other Thursday evening until Great Lent beginning Thursday, January 16th through March 19th at 7 pm. Join this pre-Lenten class to help motivate us to deeper levels of spirituality and to get the most of our Lenten experience. The class will be based on the book The Way of a Pilgrim.

GREEK SCHOOL NEWS
Our afternoon Greek School ministry has begun and we meet on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. Our afternoon Greek School teaches our children the Orthodox Christian Faith and Hellenistic culture and we encourage all of our young people to participate. Please register your child today during Fellowship Hour. Children must be age 3 years old or older.

Our Greek Language class for Adults takes place every Monday at 5:15 p.m. for the advanced class, and every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for the beginner’s class.

PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY
Our Parish Youth Ministry is designed to teach our Faith through fellowship and service. The success of this ministry rests with the parents and we urge them to support this ministry with enthusiasm and love. Our Youth Ministry is comprised of young people in:

H.O.P.E. – Grade 3-5; J.O.Y. – Grades 6-8; G.O.Y.A. - High School; Y.A.L. – College - 35.

All Youth Groups will meeting tomorrow, December 2^nd in the Sunday School Building.

It is important for our young people to participate in this ministry so that they may develop the skills necessary to live our Christian Orthodox teachings in today’s world.

GREEK FOLK DANCE MINISTRY
Our Annunciation Dancers would like to thank our Parish Family for their love and support throughout the year. Registration for the 2019-2020 Greek Folk Dance Ministry is now in progress. Please register your children in this fun and exciting ministry. Dance Practice is held each Sunday! Dancers must participate in the Sunday Church School to attend practices.

PARISH BOOKSTORE
It has been said: “The more you read…the more you know!”  Our Bookstore Manager, Ella Velthoen, is willing to assist you through a great selection of books, icons, music and other items for every Orthodox Christian. Included in our selection are Children’s Orthodox books and games. New titles in our bookstore include: Parent Points, Illness and the Believer, Do not Judge, Love your Enemies, Be Ready, and Repentance and Confession. In addition, our bookstore has many excellent gifts for every occasion. Please visit our Bookstore during Fellowship Hour!

PLEASE TAKE NOTE
It is the practice of our Faith that upon entering the House of God, an offering and prayer is made as we light candles to symbolize that Christ is the Light of the world. Please remember that if a check is being written for this purpose or for a donation, in accordance with the non-profit status of our Parish, any check made out to the Annunciation Church must be for the exact amount. Thank you!

OBLATION OFFERING
The Divine Liturgy begins with the offering of the faithful people of God. The gifts we bring forth are an expression of our faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Holy Communion makes us one with the Holy Trinity and is given for "remission of sins and life everlasting". The people are invited to bring forth their offering, i.e. "Prosforon", for the Divine Liturgy to be celebrated. We use 4 prosfora on a regular Sunday and they may be given through our Philoptochos for a donation. The Eucharist Bread may be offered in memory of a loved one or for someone's health and well-being. Anyone wishing to donate the Eucharist Bread ("Prosphoron") on a particular Sunday may contact Anna Petrulakis, 522-0298. In addition to contributing the Eucharist Bread it is customary to bring a bottle of olive oil for the vigil lights and a bottle of wine for Holy Communion. The ONLY wine being used for Holy Communion is Coumantaria and will now be available for purchase from the Church Office.

ATTENTION PARISHIONERS
We would also like to obtain the e-mail addresses of ALL the families in our Parish. We have begun to communicate much more frequently via the internet. Parents and students are asked to send their email addresses so that we may have them for our Parish records. We also ask that you please submit the names, addresses and e-mails for college students attending school away from home.

It is also important to inform the Church Office when you have an address change. In this way we are able to keep our files current and avoid unnecessary charges from the Post Office.

In addition, we ask that you please notify the Church Office when you plan a trip and put your mail on "Hold." Each time there is an address change or a temporary hold one's mailing address, the Parish is charged by the Post Office.

PARISH COMPLEX SECURITY
For the safety of our Parish complex we have installed security cameras on the exterior and interior of our church complex. Please be aware that the cameras will be recording daily 24/7 – 365 days a year. Don’t forget to smile!

PARISH PROJECTS
The ongoing responsibility to maintain the beauty and safety of our church complex is of utmost importance. We have accomplished many projects and express our appreciation to the Stewards and Friends of our Parish that have been so generous to our ministry.

In the last three years we have completed:

1. The replacement of the doors throughout our facility which was approximately $25,000.00.
2. The installation of new lighting around the complex perimeter that was completed at a cost of $3500.00.
3. The new lighting in front of the church (replacing the old MID poles) has finished. The cost of this project was $23,000.00.
4. Sealing and repairing the parking lot - cost $17,000.00
5. The addition of new curbing on back parking lot planters - cost $4,000.00.
6. New lighting in the Classroom Building - cost $10,000.00...DONATED.
7. New Heating/Air Conditioning for the back of the Church Hall - cost $12,000.00;
8. Upgrading of the main electrical panel of our Church complex - cost $3,000.00.
9. Painting of the outdoor pavilion. (Donated.)
10. Landscaping in the upgraded planters behind our complex.
11. Trimming of the cypress trees. (Donated)
12. Upgrade to the Internet Broadcast equipment.
13. Painting of the Vestry and Sacristy. (Donated).
14. Sound System for the Pavilion. (Donated).
15. 2 Flagpoles (Donated).
16. New handicap ramp on side of the church (Donated).
17. Remodeling of the Classroom Building (Donated).
18. New and repair of gutters on the entire church complex (Donated and completed).
19. Security cameras inside and outside our facilities (Donated).
20. A new sound system for the church (Donated and completed).
21. A railed platform area and ramp behing the kitchen. (Donated and completed)
22. Roofing repairs over the kitchen, Lodge Room and entry way to the Hall. (Completed at a cost of $12,580.00)
23. Resealing and restriping of the front Church parking lot and area behind the kitchen. (Completed at a cost of $10,500.00)
24. The purchase of 3 AED units (Donated)
25. The paneling of the kitchen walls (Donated and being completed).
26. Installation of a ceiling fan and lights in the Choir Room. (Donated and completed)
27. Installation of automatic hand towel and soap dispensers throughout our facility. (Completed)
28. Replacing of the church carpet (Donated and installed).
29. Refurbishing the cushions in the church pews (Donated and completed).
30. Chairs and Tables for the Hall (Donated).
31. Fans for the outdoor pavilion (Donated and Installed).
32. New silverware for the GFF (Donated and received).
33. New LED lights in the pavilion (Donated and installed).
34. New LED lights to be installed in the existing parking lot light poles (Donated and Installed).
35. Seal coating and striping of the church parking lot (Donated and Completed.).

We, again, are grateful to the parishioners that have already made contributions towards these projects.

Recently, we have received donations for new items that will be used during Divine Services. They are:

1. New Acolyte Robes (Donated and received);
2. A new Resurrection Candleholder (Donated and received);
3. 2 new sets of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated and received);
4. A set of new Bishop Candlesticks (Donated and received);
5. A new Gospel in Greek and English (Donated and received);
6. A new set of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated)
7. One Rantistirion (Sprinkler) for Holy Week (Donated)
8. Two silver vigil lights that are placed on each side of the Cross (Donated);
9. An icon of the Virgin Mary Directress (Donated)
10. A new set of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated and received)
11. Updating of our electronic Carillon (bell) system (Donated and installed)
12. The installation of 7 new chandeliers for the Church (Donated and completed).
13. The installation of a new High Definition Broadcast System (cameras, control panel, monitors, and computer) for the church (Donated and completed).
14. Two brass candlestands for the 7 Day Vigil Lights (Donated and completed).
15. New altar and chalice covers (Donated).
16. New altar curtain (Donated and being made).
17. New microphones for the church (Donated and installed).

UPCOMING PROJECTS
1. New cabinets and closet doors for the Vestry (Donated).
2. New sterling silver candle holders for the Holy Altar Table (Donated).
3. New Heating and Air Conditioning systems for the Classroom Building ($25,000-$30,000).

The Parish Council continues to review each area of our Parish Complex so that we can meet the ongoing needs that include upgrading certain areas. Once the study is completed, a presentation will be given at the Parish Assembly.

If you would like to contribute toward ecclesiastical items needed, please contact Fr. Jon or a member of the Parish Council.

PARISH HERITAGE
We encourage you to visit our Parish Website: www.goannunciation.org. It is frequently updated and contains the Monthly and Weekly Bulletins, along with photographs and other information about our Parish.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
We are very blessed to have a wonderful church complex. This has only been accomplished by the generosity of the stewards of our Parish that understand the importance of gathering for Christian Orthodox Fellowship. We are grateful to everyone that has contributed over the years and we commit ourselves to be responsible to maintain our facilities to the best of our abilities.

For this to happen, we need YOUR support too! This is why we must remind parishioners that church property is not to be removed from our complex. Please do not remove plates, pans or other utensils from our facilities for any reason unless approved by the Parish Priest and Parish Council. If you have any items from the Cultural Center please return them this week. In addition, we would like to remind parishioners that we rely on volunteers to serve the meals at our luncheons. During meals that are served in our Church Hall please do not enter the kitchen unless you are volunteerin g to help! We thank you for your understanding and support!

PLEASE REMEMBER
The demands on each individual and family are great. In an effort to understand this we would like to remind our parishioners that before anyone plans on selling items in our church complex or during Parish activities, they must have the approval of the Parish Priest. We also understand that organizations within our Community, as well as, organizations we may support, have a need to raise funds for their activities. We do not want times of fellowship to become a time when parishioners may be bombarded to purchase items.

We would also like to remind everyone that the placement of flyers on our cars is prohibited! Flyers that you wish to have distributed may be brought by the Church Office for approval and then included in either our Monthly and/or Weekly bulletins.

Join our Assistant Priest, Fr. Michael Sergakis, on every other Thursday evening until Great Lent beginning Thursday, through March 19^that 7 pm. The next class is January 30^th. Join thispre-Lenten class to help motivate us to deeper levels of spirituality and to get the most of our Lenten experience. The class will be based on the book The Way of a Pilgrim.

PARISH BULLETINS

VASILOPITA 2020

Please join us for our annual Vasilopita Celebration

2020 Cretan Club Glendi

Join us in supporting our local Cretan Clubs

General Information

Contact Information

Services Schedule

Past Bulletins