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Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2020-08-09
Bulletin Contents
Transfiguration
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Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (970) 242-9590
  • Street Address:

  • 3585 North 12th Street

  • Grand Junction, CO 81506


Contact Information




Services Schedule

8:45am - Orthros, 10am - Divine Liturgy


Past Bulletins


Message from your Priest

Beloved in Christ,

Spiritual life and physical exercise have much in common. In both cases, we set goals and take steps to work toward achieving those goals. Physical exercise sets goals like muscle growth, weight loss, or heart health. Spiritual life sets goals like growing in humility, reducing our selfishness, and becoming more like Jesus Christ. In both cases, we have tools and techniques that can help us achieve our goals. Physical exercise makes use of tools like weights, push-ups, and healthy diets to help us become physically healthy. Spiritual life makes use of tools like prayer, almsgiving, and fasting to help us become spiritually healthy. It is not accidental that the term encompassing these spiritual techniques is ascesis-- a Greek word meaning 'exercise'.

Runners have found that it is helpful for them to focus their attention on the place they are moving toward-- a tree in the distance, a spot further down their track, or their finish line-- rather than gazing at their surroundings. By focusing on where they are going rather than where they are, the distances start to seem shorter, they find that they can run faster, and they become less fatigued while running.

In the spiritual life, as well, we can make great progress if we focus our attention on our goal, which is Jesus Christ. In today's Gospel reading, we see that the Peter is able to walk over the raging waves of the sea when he focuses his attention on his Lord toward whom he is moving. When Peter becomes distracted by all that is around him-- the winds, the waves, the deep sea-- then he becomes overwhelmed by these difficulties and beings to sink.

Our lives in the world are very much like raging seas in bad weather. We are surrounded by treacherous waves-- all of life's pains, sufferings, and distractions. In the middle of these rough conditions, we can make the choice to focus our attention on the difficulties. If we do so, we find them to be impossible to overcome, and we begin to sink under the weight of life's cares. But if we decide to focus on where we are going rather than where we are, then the difficulties fade into the background. Keeping our eyes on Jesus lets us walk over life's hardships just as Peter walked over the waves toward his Lord.

As good spiritual athletes, then, "let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith," (Hebrews 12:1-2). If we focus on our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the goal of our spiritual journey, then there are no obstacles that can keep us from running toward him.

In Christ,

Fr. Jeremy

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

From on high did You descend, O merciful Lord. For us did you endure three days in the tomb that we may be released from passions in this world. You who are our resurrection and our life, glory unto You O Lord.

Apolytikion for Afterfeast of the Transfiguration in the Grave Mode

You were transfigured upon the mountain, O Christ our God, showing to Your disciples Your glory as much as they could bear. Do also in us, sinners though we be, shine Your everlasting light, through the intercessions of the Theotokos, O Giver of light. Glory to You.

Apolytikion of Saint Nicholas in the Fourth Mode

An example of the faith and a life of humility: • as a teacher of abstinence you did inspire and lead your flock, • and through the truthfulness of your deeds • were exalted to greatness through your humility, • uplifting all, and by poverty gaining wealth. • Father and hierarch Saint Nicholas, • intercede with Christ our God • that our souls may be saved.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Grave Mode

On the mount Thou wast transfigured, and Thy disciples, as much as they could bear, beheld Thy glory O Christ our God; that when they should see Thee crucified, they would know Thy passion to be willing, and would preach to the world that Thou, in truth, art the effulgence of the Father.
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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.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal Fourth Mode. Psalm 75.11,1.
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 3:9-17.

Brethren, we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are.


Gospel Reading

9th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 14:22-34

At that time, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they entered the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.


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Saints and Feasts

Transfiguration
August 09

Afterfeast of the Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Our Lord had spoken to His disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and Death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure. Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Savior desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory which is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that "there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom" (Matt. 16:28), He took His three foremost disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place. Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before, and Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased; hear ye Him" (Matt. 17: 5).

Such are the marvels, truly worthy of God, celebrated in this present feast, which is an image and prefiguring of the future state of the righteous, whose splendor the Lord spoke of, saying: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun" (Matt. 13:43). It is because of this that the Kontakion of this Feast is said daily (when there is not a great feast) in the Service of the Typica in perpetual commemoration of the glory that will be the lot of the Saints. According to tradition, the Lord's Transfiguration came to pass forty days before His Crucifixion; this is why the Transfiguration is celebrated forty days before the Exaltation of the Cross.


Allsaint
August 09

The Holy Apostle Matthias

After Judas by transgression fell from his apostleship (Acts 1: 25), and hanging himself out of despair ended his life with a wretched and shameful death (Matt. 27: 5), then, that the number of the Twelve not be lacking, all the disciples gathered in one place after the Ascension of the Savior (the number of men and women being 120), and they chose two men from among them, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was also surnamed Justus, and Matthias, and they set them in the midst. Then they prayed to God and cast lots, "and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles" (Acts 1: 15-26). And thus, having taken the place of Judas, Matthias fulfilled the work of apostleship and the prophecy concerning Judas, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David: "And his bishopric let another take" (Ps. 108(109):8). After this, it is said, Matthias preached the Gospel in Ethiopia, and completed his life there in martyrdom.


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Parish Information

From August 1st through 14th, we have entered the period of the Dormition Fast. This fasting period leads up to the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, when we commemorate the falling-asleep of the Mother of God. Please see our parish calendar for the fasting rules for this period. If you have any questions or concerns about fasting, please get in touch with Fr. Jeremy.
 
Here at St. Nicholas we are blessed to be able to welcome our community back to public services with the following directives in place:
 
-Individuals who have been exposed to the Coronavirus, or are at high risk as defined by the CDC (those 65-years or older, those with compromised immune systems, those with respiratory illness, heart conditions, or other underlying medical conditions) are encouraged to stay at home. Our livestream will still be active for the time being.
-A distance of six feet must be observed between families at all times.
-Use of non-medical masks is required whenever in the Church building.
-There will be no fellowship hour following Liturgy. Parishioners are asked to depart the Church in an orderly fashion family-by-family following the dismissal.
-Icons are to be venerated by crossing oneself and bowing. Please do not kiss the icons.
-Distribution of antidoron will not take place.
 
If you do not currently receive emails from our parish, please give Fr. Jeremy your name and email address to be added to our list.
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This Week at St. Nicholas

  • Monday, August 10: 6pm Small Paraklesis
  • Tuesday, August 11: 10am Adult Ministry Service
  • Wednesday, August 12: 6pm Great Paraklesis, 7pm Adult Ed
  • Friday, August 14: 6pm Great Vespers
  • Saturday, August 15 Dormition of the Mother of God: 9am Orthros, 10am Divine Liturgy, 6pm Vespers
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