Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

From on high didst Thou descend, O Compassionate One; to burial of three days hast Thou submitted that Thou mightest free us from our passions. O our Life and Resurrection, Lord, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion for All Saints in the Fourth Mode

Adorned in the blood of Thy Martyrs throughout all the world as in purple and fine linen, Thy Church, though them, doth cry unto Thee, O Christ God: Send down Thy compassions upon Thy people; grant peace to Thy commonwealth, and great mercy to our souls.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

As the first-fruits of our nature to the Planter of created things, the world presenteth the God-bearing martyred Saints in off'ring unto Thee, O Lord. Through their earnest entreaties, keep Thy Church in deep peace and divine tranquillity, through the pure Theotokos, O Thou Who art greatly merciful.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20

At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 67.35,26.
God is wonderful among his saints.
Verse: Bless God in the congregations.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 11:33-40; 12:1-2.

Brethren, all the saints through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering over deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

Gospel Reading

The Sunday of All Saints
The Reading is from Matthew 10:32-33; 37-38; 19:27-30

The Lord said to his disciples, "Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first."

Απόστολος και Ευαγγέλιον

Εβρ 11:33-40; 12:1-2

Ἀδελφοί, οἱ Ἅγιοι πάντες διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας, εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην, ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν, ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων, ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρός, ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρας, ἐνεδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας, ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, παρεμβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων· ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν· ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν, οὐ προσδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἵνα Κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν· ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς· ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον, περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι, ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος, ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσι καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσι. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς, τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, δι' ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν 'Ιησοῦν.

Ματ ιʹ 32-33, 37-38, ιθʹ 27-30

Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ Μαθηταῖς· Πᾶς ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς· ὅστις δ' ἂν ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀρνήσομαι αὐτὸν κἀγὼ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ὁ φιλῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος· καὶ ὁ φιλῶν υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος· καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος. Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι· τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν; ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντές μοι, ἐν τῇ παλιγγενεσίᾳ, ὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, καθίσεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. καὶ πᾶς ὅς ἀφῆκεν οἰκίας ἢ ἀδελφοὺς ἢ ἀδελφὰς ἢ πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ γυναίκα ἢ τέκνα ἢ ἀγροὺς ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός μου, ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. Πολλοὶ δὲ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι.

Pastoral Reflections

Sunday of All Saints

Beloved in the Lord:

Today is the Sunday of All Saints. The Greek word for “acknowledge” in today’s Gospel lesson means to confess. That is to openly declare faith in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. However, since many will come before him on the Day of Judgment who have even worked miracles in His name and will still hear the words, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, for I never knew you,” there must be more to confessing and acknowledging our Lord that just an open, verbal declaration or demonstration of faith in Him.

Last week we learned that praying “in the name of Jesus” means much more than using the right words, it has more to do with the existence of a certain spiritual state of the soul than with words. St. Paul points to the condition necessary to praying “in the name of Jesus” as having no self except Christ living in us. To pray in His name is to allow the living Christ to pray in us. It is about a truly Orthodox Christian and mystical state of being. So acknowledging or confessing our Lord openly before men is not about words or external forms, like preaching on street corners, it is about allowing the Christ who lives in us to be seen through our deeds, words, and silence. It is about living as He lived, loving as He loved, speaking as He spoke, and sacrificing everything for the sake of others as He did.

If our words are right, but our life is not, then what good are our words? Holy Scripture tells us that good fruit cannot come from bad trees. Good words, to be good, must proceed from a pure heart. When the heart is good, the words will also be good, and many will be attracted to the goodness. Beautiful actions proceeding from a pure heart is the most effective way to preach the Gospel. “When the flower blooms the bees will come uninvited.”

People are attracted by true holiness. In the presence of the holy we find ourselves at home. People are attracted by love and not condemnation. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. We must not be oppressors. Is the message preached from the pulpits and airwaves oppressive? People are attracted by a message that makes a positive difference in their lives, that makes life appreciably better. Are we so busy talking about pie in the sky that we have forgotten that Christ is with us now and the kingdom is within? Does the message we preach offer a way to make life better now or only in the future? If not, it is no wonder people look elsewhere for solutions to the difficulties of life.

It is also true that holiness and goodness are not a sure defense against persecution. However, whatever the case we are only blessed if we are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. The point is not to worry about persecution. If it comes, it comes…if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Our responsibility as Orthodox Christians is to spend each moment loving God and our neighbors no matter what happens. The heart of the Faith is this: having a direct experience of God who is Absolute Being, Absolute Love, Absolute Mercy in an immediate, fully awakened engagement with Christ in the living of everyday life. Anything other than that is missing the point.

Praying that the abundant blessings of Almighty God and the prayers of the Holy Theotokos be with you and your loved ones, I humbly remain,

With paternal love and blessings in the Lord,

Protopresbyter Panagiotis

June & July's Liturgical Calendar

June

Sunday, June 6th – 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Sunday of the Blind Man)

Thursday, June 10th - 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Holy Ascension)

Sunday, June 13th – 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council)

Saturday, June 19th – 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Saturday of Souls)

Sunday, June 20th – 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Holy Pentecost)

Sunday, June 27th – 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (All Saints)

Tuesday, June 29th - 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Saints Peter & Paul Preeminent of the Apostles)

July

Sunday, July 4th - 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Saint Andrew of Crete)

Sunday, July 11th - 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Saint Euphemia the Great Martyr)

Sunday, July 18th - 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Sunday of the Holy Fathers)

Sunday, July 25th - 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Dormition of Saint Anna mother of The Theotokos)

Tuesday, July 27th - 9:00am Orthros & Divine Liturgy (Saint Panteleimon the Great Martyr)

The Mystery of Holy Confession

The Holy Church gives us the gift of confession so that we may cleanse our souls from sin. Those who would like to have their confessions heard, please contact Father Panagiotis at the Church office to schedule an appointment.

Memorials, Artoclasies, Special Services & Events

Memorials

Today we will chant the Memorial Service for:

Ioannis Makros - 3 month memorial

George Makros - 7 year memorial

May their memory be eternal!

Church Calendar

June

Thursday, June 24th - 12:00pm Agape Lunch

Monday, June 28th - 7:00pm Philoptochos Elections

July

Tuesday, July 13th - 7:30pm Parish Council Meeting

Thursday, July 29th - 12:00pm Agape Luncheon

Wisdom of the Fathers

Peter ... put to Him this question in behalf of all the world ... For He had required of the rich man these two things, to give that he had to the poor, and to follow Him. ... For the forsaking was done for the sake of following, and the following was rendered easier by the forsaking.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 64 on Matthew 19, 4th Century

But He seems to me here to intimate also the persecutions. For since there were many instances both of fathers urging their sons to ungodliness, and wives their husbands; when they command these things, said He, let them be neither wives nor parents, even as Paul likewise said, "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart."