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Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2020-11-01
Bulletin Contents
Unmercenaries
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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,

Think of all the different ways we use the word 'love'. 'Love' describes a whole spectrum of different relationships. I love my friends, and I love my child, and I love my parents, and I love my wife. These are four very different relationships, but we use the word 'love' to describe all of them. We even talk about love outside of human relationships. Some people love golf, others love hamburgers, still others love democracy, and some people love Hawaii. How can one word, 'love,' be used for all these different things?

In Greek, there are at least four kinds of love. Φιλία (filia) is the love that a person has for their friends. This is the kind of love that makes people feel like they're part of a team. Στοργή (storgi) is a kind of doting, affectionate love. This is the kind of love that a mother often has for her child. Έρος (eros) is erotic, sexual love. This kind of love is an expression of our desire for another person. But the highest, the purest form of love is the love that God has for his creation. This kind of love is described by the word αγάπη (agapi).

Agapi is also the kind of love that God has called us to have for all humankind. We are called to imitate God's agapi by loving every person we come across with the selfless care that God has for us. But what is agapi love? How can we practice it. Curiously enough, if you look in the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), you'll see that the word agapi is always translated with the word 'charity.' What this suggests to me is that we have today an impoverished idea of what charity means. We think of charity as an obligation that we have to make financial contributions each year to certain 'charitable organizations.' But charity is much more than that; it is the highest form of love.

In today's Gospel reading, the Rich Man finds himself condemned, not because of how he felt about the poor man Lazarus who lay at his gates. He is condemned because of something far more basic than his feelings: he failed to help Lazarus. He failed to reach out to Lazarus and try his best to meet the needs of this suffering person who God had put in his path. He failed, in other words, to show agapi to Lazarus. Agapi love is a selfless love that is willing to go out of its way in order to care for the other, no matter how uncomfortable that other person might make us.

As you go throughout your day and your week, look for the opportunities that God is giving you to show love to others. Look for the suffering that you can do something about. Then, do not fail to respond to that suffering by reaching out with the selfless care of God's agapi love. When God knocks at the door of your heart, don't hesitate to open to him. Then, as you show loveto others, you will also receive it in God's Kingdom.

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 Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian in the Third Mode

O Holy Unmercenaries and wonderworkers, visit our infirmities; freely ye received, freely give to us.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Second Mode

The protection of Christians unshameable, intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering, do not turn from the prayerful cries of those who are in sin; instead, come to us, for you are good; your loving help bring unto us, who are crying in faith to you: Hasten to intercession and speed now to supplication as a protection for all time, Theotokos, for those who honor you.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Tenth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 21:1-14

At that time, being raised from the dead, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 15.3,8.
Among the saints who are in his land, the Lord has been wondrous.
Verse: I see the Lord before me continually.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 12:27-31; 13:1-8.

Brethren, you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.


Gospel Reading

5th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 16:19-31

The Lord said, "There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazaros, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazaros in his bosom. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazaros to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazaros in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses, and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to them, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.'"


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Saints and Feasts

Unmercenaries
November 01

Cosmas and Damian the Holy Unmercenaries of Asia, and their mother Theodota

The Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian and their mother Saint Theodota were natives of Asia Minor. Their pagan father died while they were still quite small children. Their mother raised them in Christian piety. Through her own example, and by reading holy books to them, Saint Theodota preserved her children in purity of life according to the command of the Lord, and Cosmas and Damian grew up into righteous and virtuous men.

Trained and skilled as physicians, they received from the Holy Spirit the gift of healing people’s illnesses of body and soul by the power of prayer. They even treated animals. With fervent love for both God and neighbor, they never took payment for their services. They strictly observed the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Freely have you received, freely give.” (Mt. 10:8). The fame of Saints Cosmas and Damian spread throughout all the surrounding region, and people called them unmercenary physicians.

Once, the saints were summoned to a grievously ill woman named Palladia, whom all the doctors had refused to treat because of her seemingly hopeless condition. Through faith and through the fervent prayer of the holy brothers, the Lord healed the deadly disease and Palladia got up from her bed perfectly healthy and giving praise to God. In gratitude for being healed and wishing to give them a small gift, Palladia went quietly to Damian. She presented him with three eggs and said, “Take this small gift in the Name of the Holy Life-Creating Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Hearing the Name of the Holy Trinity, the unmercenary one did not dare to refuse.

When Saint Cosmas learned what had happened, became very sad, for he thought that his brother had broken their strict vow. On his deathbed he gave instructions that his brother should not be buried beside him. Saint Damian also died shortly afterward, and everyone wondered where Saint Damian’s grave should be. But through the will of God a miracle occurred. A camel, which the saints had treated for its wildness, spoke with a human voice saying that they should have no doubts about whether to place Damian beside Cosmas, because Damian did not accept the eggs from the woman as payment, but out of respect for the Name of God. The venerable relics of the holy brothers were buried together at Thereman (Mesopotamia).


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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.
 
Church School
 
Church School for our children will take place at 5pm on Saturdays. Lessons will follow the "Tending the Garden of our Hearts" curriculum. Sessions will take place outside, weather permitting. Adult family members are encouraged to stay for the lesson. Masks are required for adults when indoors. Please email Fr. Jeremy if you have any questions.
 
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 “Theology and Experience,” from The Way of the Spirit: Reflection on Life in God (Indiktos Publishing Company, 2009) pp. 282-289.
 
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 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.
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This Week at St. Nicholas

Following Divine Liturgy this morning, we will chant the one-year Memorial Service for the servant of God Thomas Weir.

  • Tuesday, November 3: 10am Adult Ministry Service
  • Wednesday, November 4: 6pm Paraklesis, 7pm Adult Ed (online)
  • Thursday, November 5: 6pm Vespers
  • Friday, November 6 St. Paul the Confessor: 8am Orthros, 9am Divine Liturgy
  • Saturday, November 7: 5pm Youth Church School, 6pm Great Vespers
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