Sunday Divine Liturgy 10:00am V. Rev. Father Maximos Politis, Priest
Ηζωήωςτάλαντοσωτηρίας
Κάθε άνθρωπος που έρχεται σε αυτόν τον κόσμο, παράλληλα με όλα όσα καλά έχει να του προσφέρει η ζωή, καλείται και ο ίδιος να δουλέψει και να αξιοποιήσει τις ευκαιρίες που του δίνονται. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο, όταν θα έρθει η ώρα που δεν θα μπορεί να δουλεύει θα απολαύσει τους καρπούς των κόπων του. Κάπως έτσι, θα λέγαμε, ισχύει και για τα πνευματικά θέματα. Ο Θεός χαρίζει σε κάθε άνθρωπο ορισμένα τάλαντα. Τάλαντα είναι οι επιδεξιότητες αλλά και όλες οι ευκαιρίες που αν τις χρησιμοποιήσουμε για να υπηρετήσουμε τον Θεό, τον πλησίον μας, ή και να καλλιεργήσουμε το χωράφι της ψυχής μας, θα σωθούμε. Στην Παραβολή των ταλάντων βλέπουμε ότι αυτοί που έλαβαν είτε δύο είτε πέντε τάλαντα, εργάστηκαν και ανταμείφτηκαν από τον εργοδότη τους. Αντίθετα, ο τεμπέλης τιμωρήθηκε.
Ο Θεός μας δίνει το μεγάλο δώρο της ζωής η οποία είναι το κύριο τάλαντο μαζί με τα υπόλοιπα, όπως τα ορίσαμε πιο πάνω. Ακόμα και αν δεν δουλέψουμε πάνω στα τάλαντα που μας δίνει ο Θεός, όσο είμαστε στη ζωή έχουμε την ευκαιρία να μετανοούμε και να είμαστε ταπεινοί. Η μετάνοια και η ταπείνωση είναι το σπίτι όπου θα κατοικήσουν όλες οι αρετές. Είναι το χωράφι όπου θα βρει ρίζα ο κάθε μορφής πνευματικός μας αγώνας. Τι νόημα έχει κάποιος να είναι δωρητής αν δεν είναι ταπεινός; Απλώς τρέφει τα πάθη του. Ο άνθρωπος που νηστεύει και προσεύχεται, αν δεν μετανοεί για ό,τι χρειάζεται μετάνοια, τότε οι κόποι του πάνε χαμένοι. Ας ευχαριστούμε τον Θεό για τη πρόσκαιρη ζωή που μας δίνει. Η καλή χρήση της θα μας χαρίσει την αιώνια.
The life as a talent to salvation
Every person who comes to this world, along with everything that life has to offer him, is called to work and take advantage of the opportunities given to him. In this way, when the time comes when he will not be able to work, he will enjoy the fruits of his labors. In a way, we would say, it also applies to spiritual matters. God gives each person certain talents. Talent is the skills but also all the opportunities that if we use them to serve God, our neighbor, or to cultivate the field of our soul, we will be saved. In The Parable of the Talents, we see that those who received either two or five talents, worked and were rewarded by their employer. Instead, the lazy person was punished.
God gives us the great gift of life, which is the main talent along with the rest, as we have defined them above. Even if we do not work on the talents God gives us, as long as we are alive, we have the opportunity to repent and be humble. Repentance and humility are the home where all virtues will dwell. It is the field where our every kind of spiritual struggle will find its roots. It makes no sense for someone to be, for example, a benefactor if he is not a humble man. He is just nourishing his passions. The person who fasts and prays, if he does not repent for what he needs to repent, then his efforts are wasted. Let us thank God for the temporary life he gives us. Its good use will give us the eternal one.
“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
We pray for mercy, life, peace, and healing of all parishioners -prayers for the family and friends of Mikae Gaetanos. Prayers for Gary Peterson who is recovering from surgery; Michael Colburn; Chris Bersu; Michael and Ingrid Fotianos; Ruza Basimamovic; Chresanthe Lemieux; Zoe Kauttu; Maryann Bolt; James Day; Margaret, James, Kyriake; Joseph, Alex Aclim; Jane Anderson; Gwen H.; and Thanos Nikolopoulos. Remember also our missionary families: Fr. Stephanos, Pr. Alexandria, Moses & Athan Ritsi serving in Albania.
Stewardship:
We enter our spiritual home not to be entertained, but to be a part of a community of believers. We receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. As we pray, worship and serve together, we become His Body. To be truly a member of the Church as Body of Christ requires our presence and our engagement with one another -- in worship, study and service to others. We grow spiritually as a family. We give sacrificially as we acknowledge that all we have comes from God.
The stewardship theme for this year is "Our Church, Our Spiritual Home" and it bears repeating as we work toward reaching the stewardship goals that fully support the needs of our parish. The Stewardship segment of our weekly bulletin will now include some additional information regarding our progress. This information will include the number of families that are active stewards, the total amount pledged and the amount contributed to date. Please note that the total amount pledged is twenty five percent below what we have budgeted for stewardship income, which makes staying focused on our goals even more important.
To be stewards of the Gospel, we need to be stewards of our parish. We are called to apply our abilities and resources to the tasks that God places before us. If we do this humbly and prayerfully, the body of Christ will function to its full potential.
To all who faithfully contribute to their stewardship commitment, thank you.
Update St. Francis House:
If are not able to help right now? Please look to help us another day -- we help deliver dinners the 2nd Monday of every month.
Online: Please visit us online at http://www.facebook.com/holytrinityoutreach Blessings in Christ, Richard
Calling All Men and Boys (6 years and Older): Have you noticed your head chanter, Nick Lekas, hustling between the chanters stand and the altar to help Father Maximos during a service? On occasion, it has been others in the congregation who saw the need and were moved to help. This happens because we lack altar help on a consistent basis.
Greek Festival:
The annual Holy Trinity Greek Festival is October 7-9, 2022. Our popular festival will begin with "Friday to go" with pre-orders only. Saturday and Sunday will include music, dance and on-site dining. https://www.staugustinegreekfestival.com/
Sunday School:Saint Phanourios:
All are invited to offer a Phanouropita in honor of St. Phanourios on Sunday, August 28. The holy, glorious and right-victorious Great-martyr Phanourios is commemorated on August 27th. St. Phanourios is known for assisting the faithful in revealing lost objects, directing or revealing actions that should be taken, restoring health and similar situations. He is honored by the faithful through a symbolic cake, called the "Phanouropita," which can be brought to the church, at any time, for a blessing.
Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed!
We need volunteers to host coffee hour. You can do it solo or share the responsibility withsomeone else. Please sign up at: www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4CA5AB2AA0FFC34-sunday, email Stefanie Burke at holy3goc.hostess@gmail.com; call 904/671-4566; or speak to Stefanie after church and she can sign you up. Thank you in advance for considering offering this hospitality to our parish family and guests.
[Using the SignUpGenius link: click the blue box that says SIGN UP; then the brown box at the bottom of the page that says SUBMIT AND SIGN UP - this will take you to the next screen; and click on SIGN UP NOW]
Holy Services and Events Schedule - Orthros 9 a.m. & Divine Liturgy 10 a.m.
August
27 Great-martyr Phanourios commemorated
28 Offer a Phanouropita in honor of St. Phanourios
29 Beheading of St. John the Baptist (strict fast)
29 DEADLNE for Newsletter article submission is by or before Monday, August 29th to church office Holy3goc@gmail.com
September
1 Ecclesiastical New Year
8 Nativity of the Theotokos
14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross
19 Parish Council 6:30 p.m.
Budget Planning
Stewardship Drive
October
7-9 Annual Greek Festival
17 Parish Council 6:30 p.m.
26 St. Demetrios
Stewardship Drive
Giving by Check: Please be sure to include a notation on the memo line to allows us to identify your intentions (i.e. stewardship, candles, trays, memorials, etc.).
Weekly Offering: The Lord's day is to be the time for a weekly offering for the support of His cause. Make your offering today and enable our Church to continue to enhance the spiritual growth of the Orthodox Christians entrusted to our care. Your offering can be made at the collection basket as you exit the service.
Parish Office: Please call (904 829-0504) or email (holy3goc@gmail.com) the parish office to update your contact information. Also, if you know of anyone who doesn’t receive parish emails but would like to, please encourage them to contact the parish office with their contact information.
Weekly Photo: https://www.facebook.com/HolyTrinityGOC/photos/a.214784738566511/5712076172170646
Philanthropy – Fellowship – Faith in Action We invite you to join Philoptochos & help us achieve our mission!
Honorees are Parish Members who exemplify the true Orthodox Christian way of life by their deep faith, commitment, dedication and service to the Church and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on their respective Parish level.
2022 Stewardship Pledge from
The Apostle Thaddaeus was from Edessa, a Jew by race. When he came to Jerusalem, he became a disciple of Christ, and after His Ascension he returned to Edessa. There he catechized and baptized Abgar (see Aug. 16). Having preached in Mesopotamia, he ended his life in martyrdom. Though some call him one of the Twelve, whom Matthew calls "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus" (Matt. 10:3), Eusebius says that he is one of the Seventy: "After [Christ's] Resurrection from the dead, and His ascent into Heaven, Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles, inspired by God, sent Thaddaeus, one of the seventy disciples of Christ, to Edessa as a preacher and evangelist of Christ's teaching" (Eccl. Hist. 1: 13).
The Martyrs were from Edessa of Macedonia. Bassa was the wife of a certain Valerian, a priest of the idols, to whom she bore three sons and raised them in piety. She was betrayed with her sons to the proconsul by her own husband; each of her sons was tormented before her and beheaded. For refusing to worship the idols, she was imprisoned, cast into water and then fire, was stoned, and remaining unharmed, was brought to the temple to worship the idols. Laying hold upon the idol of Zeus, she overturned it and broke it to pieces. After being preserved through further torments, she was beheaded, about the year 290, in the reign of Maximian.
Prokeimenon. 1st Tone. 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.
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."