Sunday Services: Orthros 8:15 am.
Divine Liturgy 9:30 am.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
The Lord Jesus was coming from the Temple on the Sabbath, when, while walking in the way, He saw the blind man mentioned in today's Gospel. This man had been born thus from his mother's womb, that is, he had been born without eyes (see Saint John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on Matthew; Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V:15; and the second Exorcism of Saint Basil the Great). When the disciples saw this, they asked their Teacher, "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" They asked this because when the Lord had healed the paralytic at the Sheep's Pool, He had told him, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14); so they wondered, if sickness was caused by sin, what sin could have been the cause of his being born without eyes. But the Lord answered that this was for the glory of God. Then the God-man spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle. He anointed the eyes of the blind man and said to him, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam (which means "sent") was a well-known spring in Jerusalem used by the inhabitants for its waters, which flowed to the eastern side of the city and collected in a large pool called "the Pool of Siloam."
Therefore, the Saviour sent the blind man to this pool that he might wash his eyes, which had been anointed with the clay-not that the pool's water had such power, but that the faith and obedience of the one sent might be made manifest, and that the miracle might become more remarkable and known to all, and leave no room for doubt. Thus, the blind man believed in Jesus' words, obeyed His command, went and washed himself, and returned, no longer blind, but having eyes and seeing. This was the greatest miracle that our Lord had yet worked; as the man healed of his blindness himself testified, "Since time began, never was it heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind," although the Lord had already healed the blind eyes of many. Because he now had eyes, some even doubted that he was the same person (John 9:8-9); and it was still lively in their remembrance when Christ came to the tomb of Lazarus, for they said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have caused that even this man should not have died?" Saint John Chrysostom gives a thorough and brilliant exposition of our Lord's meeting with the woman of Samaria, the healing of the paralytic, and the miracle of the blind man in his commentaries on the Gospel of Saint John.
The holy Virgin Martyr Theodosia was born in Tyre of Phoenicia. At the age of eighteen she was seized in Caesarea of Palestine during a persecution and was brought before Urban the ruler. Because she refused to offer sacrifice to the idols, her sides and breasts were mercilessly scraped even to the inward parts and bones. She endured this in silence with astonishing courage. When Urban again asked her to sacrifice, she mocked him, and after being tormented even more horribly than before, she was cast into the sea in the year 308.
The Righteous Martyr Theodosia, having Constantinople as her homeland, struggled in asceticism in her own convent, which was located in that same imperial city. Filled with zeal for the veneration of the holy icons, she withstood Emperor Leo the Isaurian's impious command that the icons be destroyed. She received the martyr's crown when a soldier of the imperial guard plunged a ram's horn through her throat, about the year 717.
Prokeimenon. Plagal First Mode. Psalm 11.7,1.
You, O Lord, shall keep us and preserve us.
Verse: Save me, O Lord, for the godly man has failed.
The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 16:16-34.
IN THOSE DAYS, as we apostles were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers; and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice." The crowd joined in attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's fetters were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, "Men, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, with all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his household that he had believed in God.
Sunday of the Blind Man
The Reading is from John 9:1-38
At that time, as Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be Christ he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?" And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you." He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshiped him.
PARISH NEWS
Celebrating our 40th Anniversary
Pangari Schedule: Charles Krome, Stephanie Farrell & Nick Kafkalas.
Greeter Schedule: Richard & Linda Haviland.
A 40 Day Blessing will be held today for Magdalena Eugenia Valakelis, daughter of Paul & Amalia Valakelis.
There is no coffee hour today after the Divine Liturgy.
GOYA Basketball - 2022-2023: Attention all parents and present and future GOYAns. If you are interested in participating in GOYA basketball for the 2022-2023 season, please contact Coach Anthony Panetta at 609-432-2413 (Boys) or Coach Tony Mertis at 609-501-5892 (Girls). Announcements on Summer practices will be made soon.
MAY & JUNE CHURCH SERVICES
† May 30, Monday, Memorial Day, Cemetery Trisagia
· Greenwood Cemetery 9:00 am
· Laurel Memorial Cemetery 10:30 am.
† June 1, Wednesday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Leave-Taking of Pascha
† June 2, Thursday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Ascension of Our Lord
† June 11, Saturday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Saturday of the Souls, Sts. Bartholomew &Barnabas
† June 12, Sunday, Divine Liturgy 8:15 / 9:30 am., Pentecost, Kneeling Vespers
† June 13, Saturday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Monday of the Holy Spirit
† June 24, Friday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Nativity of the Forerunner John the Baptist
† June 13, Saturday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Monday of the Holy Spirit
† June 29, Wednesday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Sts. Peter & Paul
† June 30, Thursday, Divine Liturgy 9:00 / 10:00 am., Synaxis of the Twelve Holy Apostles
CHURCH REMINDERS
Wearing masks is now optional in the church and throughout the community center.
Those who are feeling sick should stay at home.
We will continue to live-stream our church services.
UPCOMING EVENTS (see attached flyers)
June 2-5: Annual Greek Festival
June 12: Pentecost
June 18: DVYC Beach Blast in Wildwood
June 19: School Graduations
June 30-July4: National Yal Conference
July3-7: National Clergy Laity Conference
July 17-23: Camp Good Shepherd
November 13: SUV Raffle Drawing
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.
GREEK FESTIVAL- HELP NEEDED
*Tuesday, May 31st and June 1st, day, and evenings! TLC parking lot, Festival setup
*Wednesday, June 1st, 5:30 pm. Help is needed for making Mousaka in our commercial kitchen
*Festival - June 2-5
*Monday, June 6th, clean up and inventory
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
Sunday School is in person every Sunday! We look forward to seeing the children back in church!
GRADUATES
We are asking all those parishioners who are graduating from high school, college, or graduate school, to contact the church office by June 12th. Please indicate the school from which you graduated and the name of the school you may be attending in the future. A special presentation will be made to all of our graduates on Sunday, June 19th.
TRINITY LEARNING CENTER
We are in great need of staff (18 years and older) for our summer camp program. Please contact the school at 609-653-9001.
MELINA GALIAS ORGAN DONOR REQUEST
PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
Philoptochos will continue to sell Shop Rite Gift Cards. Please see attached flyer with information on how to purchase.
BIBLE STUDY
MEMORIALS
If you are planning a family memorial, please contact the church office far in advance of the date.
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!