August 16
Holy Trinity Church
Publish Date: 2020-08-16
Bulletin Contents
Holy Trinity Church
General Information
- Phone:
- (609) 653-8092
- Fax:
- (609) 653-0375
- Street Address:
- 7004 Ridge Ave
- Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234
- Mailing Address:
- 7004 Ridge Ave
- Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234
Contact Information
Services Schedule
Sunday Services: Orthros 8:15 am.
Divine Liturgy 9:30 am.
Past Bulletins
- Publish Date:
- 2020-08-23
- Publish Date:
- 2020-08-09
- Publish Date:
- 2020-08-02
- Publish Date:
- 2020-07-26
- Publish Date:
- 2020-07-19
- Publish Date:
- 2020-07-12
Hymns of the Day
Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Mode
When the stone had been sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life unto the world. Wherefore, the powers of the Heavens cried out to Thee, O Lifegiver: Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ. Glory to Thy Kingdom. Glory to Thy dispensation, O only Friend of man.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion for Holy Napkin in the Second Mode
We worship Thine immaculate icon, O Good One, asking the forgiveness of our failings, O Christ our God; for of Thine own will wast Thou well-pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh, that Thou mightest deliver from slavery to the enemy those whom Thou hadst fashioned. Wherefore, we cry to Thee thankfully: Thou didst fill all things with joy, O our Saviour, when Thou camest to save the world.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Apolytikion for Afterfeast of the Dormition in the First Mode
In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity; in thy dormition, thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Thou wast translated unto life, since thou art the Mother of Life; and by thine intercessions dost thou redeem our souls from death.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Mode
Neither the grave nor death could contain the Theotokos, the unshakable hope, ever vigilant in intercession and protection. As Mother of life, He who dwelt in the ever-virginal womb transposed her to life.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
Saints and Feasts
August 16
Translation of the Image of Our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ
When the fame of our Lord Jesus Christ came to Abgar, the ruler of Edessa, who was suffering from leprosy, Abgar sent a messenger named Ananias, through him asking the Savior to heal him of his disease, while bidding Ananias bring back a depiction of Him. When Ananias came to Jerusalem, and was unable to capture the likeness of our Lord, He, the Knower of hearts, asked for water, and having washed His immaculate and divine face, wiped it dry with a certain cloth, which He gave to Ananias to take to Abgar; the form of the Lord's face had been wondrously printed upon the cloth. As soon as Abgar received the cloth, which is called the Holy Napkin (Mandylion), he reverenced it with joy, and was healed of his leprosy; only his forehead remained afflicted. After the Lord's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, the Apostle Thaddaeus (see Aug. 21) came to Edessa, and when he had baptized Abgar and all his men, Abgar's remaining leprosy also was healed. Abgar had the holy image of our Savior fixed to a board and placed at the city gate, commanding that all who entered the city reverence it as they passed through. Abgar's grandson, however, returned to the worship of the idols, and the Bishop of Edessa learned of his intention to replace the Holy Napkin with an idol. Since the place where it stood above the city gate was a rounded hollow, he set a burning lamp before the Holy Napkin, put a tile facing it, then bricked up the place and smoothed it over, so that the holy icon made without hands was no longer to be seen, and the ungodly ruler gave no further thought to it.
With the passage of time, the hidden icon was forgotten, until the year 615, when Chosroes II, King of Persia, was assaulting the cities of Asia, and besieged Edessa. The Bishop of Edessa, Eulabius, instructed by a divine revelation, opened the sealed chamber above the city gate and found the Holy Napkin complete and incorrupt, the lamp burning, and the tile bearing upon itself an identical copy of the image that was on the Holy Napkin. The Persians had built a huge fire outside the city wall; when the Bishop approached with the Holy Napkin, a violent wind fell upon the fire, turning it back upon the Persians, who fled in defeat. The Holy Napkin remained in Edessa, even after the Arabs conquered it, until the year 944, when it was brought with honor and triumph to Constantinople in the reign of Romanus I, when Theophylact was Ecumenical Patriarch. The Holy Napkin was enshrined in the Church of the most holy Theotokos called the Pharos. This is the translation that is celebrated today.
August 16
Diomedes the Physician & Martyr of Tarsus
The holy Martyr Diomedes was from Tarsus in Cilicia, a physician who treated bodies with his healing art and souls with his piety. In the days of the Emperor Diocletian, about the year 288, Diomedes left Tarsus and came to Nicaea, where he benefited many both as a physician and as a preacher of the Faith. He was accused to Diocletian, who sent men to fetch him. When they arrived, although finding that he had already given up his soul to the Lord, they cut off his head to take it to the Emperor, and because of their inhumanity were stricken with blindness. When Diocletian saw the Saint's head, he commanded them to take it back and put it on the body in its place; when they had done so, they received their sight again. Saint Diomedes is one of the Holy Unmercenaries.
August 16
Timothy of Euripus, founder of the Monastery of Pentele
August 16
Nicodemus the New Martyr of Meteora
August 16
Gerasimus of Cephalonia
Saint Gerasimus was from the Peloponnesus, the son of Demetrius and Kale, of the family of Notaras. He was reared in piety by them and studied the Sacred writings. He left his country and went throughout various lands, and finally came to Cephalonia, where he restored a certain old church and built a convent around it, where it stands to this day at the place called Omala. He finished the course of his life there in asceticism in the year 1570. His sacred relics, which remain incorrupt, are kept there for the sanctification of the faithful.
August 16
Holy Monk Penteles
August 16
Afterfeast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary
August 16
The Six Martyrs Dorotheos, Sarantis, Jacob, Seraphim, Demetrios and Basil who contested in Megara
August 16
Manuel and John the New Martyrs
August 16
Stamatios the Martyr
August 16
Apostolos the New-Martyr
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Epistle Reading
Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16.
Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
Gospel Reading
10th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 17:14-23
At that time, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before him said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting." As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."
Wisdom of the Fathers
Yet if his unbelief was the cause ... why does He blame the disciples? Signifying, that even without persons to bring the sick in faith, they might in many instances work a cure.
Homily 57 on Matthew 17, 4th Century
For as the faith of the person presenting oftentimes availed for receiving the cure, even from inferior ministers; so the power of the doers oftentimes sufficed, even without belief in those who came to work the miracle.
Homily 57 on Matthew 17, 4th Century
PARISH NEWS
PARISH NEWS
In the near future we will be providing information about our Sunday school and Greek school programs for September.
The Ocean City Fall Block Party has been canceled.
Our annual Greek Festival has been postponed till June 2021. We will not be having our festival in September.
Our Philoptochos Bid-n-Buy has been postponed till next year.
AUGUST WEEKDAY SERVICES
Please call or email Ginny Kramvis for registering for weekday services. Seating is limited to 20 people. (609-513-2357 or ekramvis@comcast.net)
† Saturday morning, August 29, Divine Liturgy 9:00/10:00 am., Beheading of John the Baptist
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 13: Asbury Park Celebration - Tentative Date
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING
There is a parish council meeting on Monday, August 17th at 6:30 pm.
RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION
Holy Communion is offered to those baptized Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves for the reception of the Sacrament by prayer and fasting. Blessed Bread is available for all our visitors at the very end of the Divine Liturgy. Our Sunday School students receive Holy Communion first and then we will approach from the center aisles, starting with the front pews, one pew at a time.
PARISH REOPENING INFORMATION
We are happy to announce that we have received permission to reopen our Church. It will be great to see you all in person after many weeks of physical separation.
We are urging all of us to refrain from being judgmental towards those who are not yet ready or able to attend services. Oftentimes, we do not know the personal situations experienced by our sisters and brothers.
Here are many of the guidelines that we all need to follow during this first phase of reopening.
- Sunday morning Divine Liturgies will take place in the gymnasium and we will only be able to enter through the front door outside of the gym foyer.
- We will not be permitted to go to other parts of the facility, except to use the restroom nearby (one person at a time).
- Only 70 people can register for attendance each Sunday on a first come first served basis. Overflow registrants will be first in line for the following Sunday.
- Each of us will receive an email from “Sign Up Genius” each week. Please be sure to provide all the contact information that is requested.
- While consecutive Sundays will appear on the “Sign Up Genius”, please only register for one Sunday at a time so that we can give everyone a chance to attend.
- Chairs in the gymnasium will be spaced in a safe manner. Please do not move the chairs, nor move around inside the gym to converse with other people.
- Masks must be worn at all times. Please bring a mask from home.
- Upon arrival, each of us will be asked a few general health questions. If we are sick or have been near a sick person, we will not be permitted to attend the Divine Liturgy.
- If someone experience symptoms sometime after the Divine Liturgy, THEY MUST NOTIFY THE CHURCH OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.
- Everyone must sanitize their hands upon arrival.
- We are not lighting individual candles. Two large candles will be lit in front of the altar on behalf of all of us.
- A collection tray will be placed at the pangari, but will not be passed around in Church. Please bring exact change as no change will be handled.
- All cell phones must be turned off completely in order to preserve our wifi connection.
- A few chairs will be set up in the back of the gym for parents with young children.
- For those who do not use email or the internet, I am encouraging them to seek out a family member or fellow parishioner who can register for them. A separate letter in the Greek language will explain this to our seniors.
- We are not permitted to have a coffee hour, nor to socialize with one another after the Services.
WEEK DAY LITURGIES
Week Day Liturgies will be celebrated in the Church and participants can only enter through the front door of the Church.
- We are limited to 20 people at a time for these services. Seating spots will be marked with tape on the pews.
- We are giving preferential consideration to our senior citizens (who may be uneasy about larger crowds) and to those who are celebrating their name days on a given day.
- Attendees must contact Ginny Kramvis two days in advance of the Week Day Liturgy so that we do not go over the 20 person limit (609-513-2357). In addition, a relative or friend can email Ginny at ekramvis@comcast.net.
- All of the other guidelines as described above for Sunday Liturgies, also apply to the Week Day Liturgies.
MEMORIALS
If you are planning a family memorial, please contact the church office far in advance of the date, so that we can properly register your family for church attendance.
REMINDER FOR YOUTH WORKERS AND PARISH COUNCIL
Please complete your background check and two online trainings as soon as possible. Contact Lisa Mitoulis with any questions.
ATTENTION MINISTRY LEADERS
Father George and Lisa will be reaching out to you in the near future in order to plan the upcoming church calendar year.
PARKING
Due to safety regulations, please do not park cars along the curb in front of the church and the community center during church services and other events. Thank you!