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Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2020-09-06
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Miracleatchonae
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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,

St. John Chrysostom tells us that "Churches came into being, not so that we who come together should be divided, but so that we who are divided should be united."

The Church is the gathering of God's holy people. It is the place where a scattered people come out from their individual homes, their individual lives, and gather together in order to express their unity in love. When the early Christians gathered together liturgically as the Church, they referred to these gatherings as 'love-feasts'. They understood that they were gathering together not simply as a social club, not simply for fellowship, but so that they could be transformed by Christ into his one body.

Without the presence of this unity in love, the gathering of God's holy people cannot express the truth of the Church. St. Paul tells us in today's Epistle reading, "if any one has no love for the Lord, let him be anathema," (1 Cor. 16:22). To be "anathema" means to be removed from the Church. The absence of love, then, is not compatible with the nature of the Church, which is always "without spot or wrinkle," (Eph. 5:27).

When we as the Church gather in love, we discover that Christ presents himself to us in our gathering. St. Paul today uses a unique Aramaic phrase to describe Jesus' presence with us: "maranatha," "the Lord has come," (1 Cor. 16:22). This phrase "maranatha" expresses both our yearning for Jesus' presence among us and our assurance that Jesus has answered our yearning, that "God is with us," (Matt. 1:23). As long as we persist in our isolation, we find the absence of God, but in the gathering of the people of God we find that "Christ is in our midst," and that "he is and ever shall be."

The Church is the place where all humanity is brought together, and at our gathering place we find that "God is with us," that "the Lord has come." When we discover the presence of the Son of God with us, let us not reject him like the unrighteous tenants in today's Gospel reading. These men killed the son of the master when he came to visit them. We, on the other hand, when we encounter the Lord in our gathering, when we encounter the Lord in our neighbor, when we encounter the Lord in the Chalice, are called to embrace him and to cry out with St. Paul and St. John Chrysostom: "Maranatha, I saw the Lord; behold, the Lord has come, behold where he is!"

In Christ,
Fr. Jeremy

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Fourth Mode

When the tidings of the resurrection from the glorious angel was proclaimed unto the women disciples, and our ancestral sentence also had been abolished, to the Apostles with boasting did they proclaim that death is vanquished evermore, and Christ our God is risen from the dead, and granted to the world His great mercy.

Apolytikion for Miracle of Michael in Colossae in the Fourth Mode

O Chief Commanders of the heavenly armies, we the unworthy ones entreat you in earnest, that you might with your supplications fortify us, guarding us who run to you and beneath the protection of the pinions of your unmaterial glory, and who with fervor shout: Deliver us, from every danger, as Captains of the hosts on high.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Mode

In your holy birth, Immaculate One, Joachim and Anna were rid of the shame of childlessness; Adam and Eve of the corruption of death. And so your people, free of the guilt of their sins, celebrate crying: "The barren one gives birth to the Theotokos, who nourishes our life."
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Second Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Mark 16:1-8

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back, for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 16:13-24.

Brethren, be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Now, brethren, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to be subject to such men and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicos, because they have made up for your absence; for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men. The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. If any one has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.


Gospel Reading

13th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 21:33-42

The Lord said this parable, "There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?'"


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Saints and Feasts

Miracleatchonae
September 06

The Commemoration of the Miracle Wrought by Archangel Michael in Colossae (Chonae)

The feast today in honour of the Archangel Michael commemorates the great miracle he wrought when he delivered from destruction a church and holy spring named for him. The pagans, moved by malice, sought to destroy the aforesaid church and holy spring by turning the course of two rivers against them. But the Archangel appeared and, by means of the Cross and a great earthquake that shook the entire area, diverted the waters into an underground course. Henceforth, the name of that place changed from Colossae to Chonae, which means "funnels" in Greek.


Allsaint
September 07

Sozon the Martyr

This holy Martyr was a shepherd in Lycaonia. Born a pagan, named Tarasius, he received holy Baptism and was renamed Sozon. Filled with zeal for the truth, he taught his countrymen to desist from the worship of idols. Once he entered the temple of Artemis in Pompeiopolis of Cilicia, cut off the golden hand of the idol, and breaking it in pieces, distributed it among the poor. When he saw that many were being unjustly punished for the theft, of his own accord he gave himself up to Maximian the Governor. He was beaten with rods until his bones were broken. According to some, he suffered martyrdom in 288; according to others, in 304.


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Parish Information

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.
 
Adult Ed
 
Please join us on Wednesday following Paraklesis for our Adult Ed Discussion Group. We are currently continuing to meet over Zoom. Please ask Fr. Jeremy if you need the link for the class.
 
We are currently discussing Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra's “Awaiting Pentecost,” The Way of the Spirit: Reflection on Life in God (Indiktos Publishing Company, 2009) pp. 161-192.
 
Coronavirus Procedures
 
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 for all attendees.
-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.
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This Week at St. Nicholas

  • Monday, September 7: 6pm Vespers
  • Tuesday, September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos: 8am Orthros, 9am Divine Liturgy
  • Wednesday, September 9 Sts. Joachim and Anna: 8am Orthros, 9am Divine Liturgy, 6pm Paraklesis, 7pm Adult Ed
  • Thursday, September 10: 10am Adult Ministry Service
  • Saturday, September 12: 6pm Vespers
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