Jesus Christ taught us to love and serve all people, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. To understand that, we need to look no further than to the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Every time we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, it is offered "on behalf of all, and for all." As Orthodox Christians we stand against racism and bigotry. All human beings share one common identity as children of God. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatian 3:28)

Members of our Parish Council are:

Carolyn Neiss- President     Greg Jankura - Vice President
Boris Doph - Treasurer     Dierdre Cottergarfield - Secretary
Sharon Hanson - Member at Large
Luba Martins - Member at Large    
Brett Malcolm - Member at Large

Pastoral Care - General Information

Emergency Sick Calls can be made at any time. Please call Fr Steven at (860) 322-2906, when a family member is admitted to the hospital.
Anointing in Sickness: The Sacrament of Unction is available in Church, the hospital, or your home, for anyone who is sick and suffering, however severe. 
Marriages and Baptisms require early planning, scheduling and selections of sponsors (crown bearers or godparents). See Father before booking dates and reception halls!
Funerals are celebrated for practicing Orthodox Christians. Please see Father for details. The Church opposes cremation; we cannot celebrate funerals for cremations.

Fencing (not with foils however).

We are in need of having our fence replaced, portions of it simply can no longer be repaired. This past week several young folk were seen pushing a portion of the fence over so that they could cut through to the parking lot on the other side.

Unfortunately, this is currently not a budget expence. It is my suggestion that we approach paying for the fence the same way we did for the flooring in our basement, through donations for the necessary sections of fence that we wish to replace. I am currently awaiting two quotes and will share them with you as soon as I receive them.

I realize that the council will be asking much of you over the upcoming fiscal year, yet this is the reality of the situation we are facing. The council and I will share more with you over the next few weeks in preparation for our annual meeting.

Fr Steven 

New Filesharing

As mentioned previously, there is a new filesharing site for you to obtain information shared with the parish. Please use the following site URL.

https://sites.google.com/stalexischurch.net/parish/home

If you are asked to enter a username and password, please contact Fr Steven via email.

A Prayer for the Cessation of Violence

We thank You, Master and Lover of mankind, King of the ages and giver of all good things, for destroying the dividing wall of enmity and granting peace to those who seek your mercy. We appeal to You to awaken the longing for a peaceful life in all those who are filled with hatred for their neighbors, thinking especially of those thinking of violence, those at war or preparing for war. Grant peace to your servants. Implant in them the fear of You and confirm in them love one for another. Extinguish every dispute and banish all temptations to disagreement and hatred. For You are our peace and to You we ascribe glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

We pray, Lord our God, for all those who suffer from acts of gun violence and acts of war, especially for the victims and all those in the struggles in the Ukraine and Gaza.

We pray for your peace and your mercy in the midst of the great suffering that people are now inflicting on each other. Accept the prayers of your Church, so that by your goodness peace may return to all peoples. Hear us and have mercy on us.

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Lord our God, remember and have mercy on our brothers and sisters who are involved in every civil conflict. Remove from their midst all hostility, confusion and hatred. Lead everyone along the path of reconciliation and peace, we pray You, hear us and have mercy on us.

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

Let all believers turn aside from violence and do what makes for peace. By the strength of your mighty arm save your people and your Holy Church from all evil oppression; hear the supplications of all who call to You in sorrow and affliction, day and night. Merciful God, let their lives not be lost, we pray You, hear us and have mercy.

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

But grant, O Lord, peace, love and speedy reconciliation to your people whom You have redeemed with your precious blood. Make your presence known to those who have turned away from You and do not seek You, so that none of them may be lost, but all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, so that everyone, in true love and harmony, O long-suffering Lord, may praise your all holy Name.

Amen.

Memory Eternal on the anniversary of the repose of Archbishop Nikon.

Pray for: All those confined to hospitals, nursing homes, and their own homes due to illness; for all those who serve in the armed forces; widows, orphans, prisoners, victims of violence, and refugees;

• All those suffering chronic illness, financial hardship, loneliness, addictions, abuse, abandonment and despair; those who are homeless and dispossesed, those who are institutionalize, those who have no one to pray for them;
• All Orthodox seminarians & families; all Orthodox monks and nuns, and all those considering monastic life; all Orthodox missionaries and their families.
• All those who have perished due to hatred, intolerance, predjudice; pestilence and natural disaster; all those departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection.

Please let Fr. Steven know via email if you have more names for which to pray.

• Departed:  Beverly, Lawrence, Annette, Peter, Helen, Fr Paul, Alan, Dorothy
• Clergy and their families: Fr Sergei B, Fr Vladimir, Matushka Anne, Matushka Sharon Anne, Fr Vladimir, Fr John, Fr Steven
• ​Catechumen: Paige, Jordan, Diedre
• Individuals and Families: Luba, Suzanne, Rosemary,  Daniel & Dayna, Kristen, Victor, Susan, Gregory, Nancy, Boris
• Birthdays and Name’s Days this Month: Marie Christine Fourtean (B-8/1) Michael Kuziak (B-8/4), Douglas Kuziak (B-8/12), Stasia PenkoffLidbeck (B-8/16), Sam Jankura (B-8/18), Kyle Hollis (B-8/23), Susan Egan (B-8/24), Deirdra Cotter Garfiled (8/25), Anastasia Littlefield (B-8/30),  
• Anniversaries this Month: Danilack-Fekete (8/7), Hosking (8/21), Skuby (8/30)
• ​Expecting and Newborn: 
• ​Traveling: 
• ​Sick and those in distress:  Thomas, Sheri, Joanna, Joshua, Julia, Stormy, Anne, Noah, Sophia, Gregory, Tomas, Nicholas, Carol, Matthew, Mark, Hermon, Sandra, Richard, Peter, Loretta, James, Christian, Mitchel, Stephanie, Sharon, Katharine

Today’s commemorated feasts and saints

12th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 3. The restoration of the church of the Theotokos at Neorion (Neorion). The Placing of the Cincture (Sash) of the Mother of God (395-408). Hieromartyr Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage (258). St. Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople (471). St. Aidan, Bishop of Lindesfarne (651).

Again we pray for those who have lost their lives because of the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East: that the Lord our God may look upon them with mercy, and give them rest where there is neither sickness, or sorrow, but life everlasting.

Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, for those who are suffering, wounded, grieving, or displaced because of the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East.

Again we pray for a cessation of the hostilities against Ukraine and the Middle East, and that reconciliation and peace will flourish there, we pray thee, hearken and have mercy.

Tone 3    Troparion    (Resurrection)
Let the heavens rejoice!
Let the earth be glad!
For the Lord has shown strength with His arm.
He has trampled down death by death.
He has become the first born of the dead.
He has delivered us from the depths of hell,
and has granted to the world//
great mercy.

Tone 8    Troparion    (Theotokos)
Ever Virgin Theotokos, protectress of mankind,
you have given your people a powerful legacy:
the robe and sash of your most honored body which remained incorrupt throughout your seedless childbearing;
for through you time and nature are renewed.//
Therefore we implore you: “Grant peace to your people and to our souls great mercy!”

Tone 4        Troparion (St. Alexis)
O righteous Father Alexis, our heavenly intercessor and teacher, 
divine adornment of the Church of Christ! 
Entreat the Master of All to strengthen the Orthodox Faith in America, 
to grant peace to the world and to our souls great mercy.

Tone 3     Kontakion    (Resurrection)
On this day You rose from the tomb, O Merciful One,
leading us from the gates of death.
On this day Adam exults as Eve rejoices;
with the Prophets and Patriarchs//
they unceasingly praise the divine majesty of Your power.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit

Tone 5    Kontakion (St. Alexis)
Let us, the faithful praise the Priest Alexis, 
a bright beacon of Orthodoxy in America, a model of patience and humility, 
a worthy shepherd of the Flock of Christ. 
He called back the sheep who had been led astray 
and brought them by his preaching to the Heavenly Kingdom.

now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone 4    Kontakion    (Theotokos)
Today your flock celebrates the enshrinement of your precious sash,
and it earnestly cries out to you://
“Rejoice, O Virgin, boast of all Christians!”

Communion Hymn

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

After Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples on Mount Tabor, He started to teach them what it means to follow Him. He teaches them the meaning of the Kingdom of God. And how the values of God are sometimes different or opposite from the values of this world. In this passage, Jesus teaches us that total dependence on God is the key to constant communion with Him.
The rich young man wants to know more about the Lord’s teaching on eternal life. He calls the Lord Good Teacher and asks what he can do to inherit eternal life. The answer to this question is crucial since having eternal life is the most significant human hope and God’s greatest gift to us. We all know that this life will one day end, and so, in the very depths of our hearts, we wish to understand how we can have eternal life. The rich young
ruler, despite his youth, was wise enough to go right to the heart of the matter. Jesus, instead of answering him right away, responds with another question, as He often does. Jesus  s drawing out a deeper consideration from the young man. The Lord asks, “Why do you call me good? One there is who is good.” And this is God. Jesus is drawing attention to the fact that He is indeed the Good Teacher, and the rich young ruler could see why: because not only is Jesus the Messiah, but He is the only true Good One, that is, the Son of God.
The Lord continues, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” Here, the Lord teaches the young man by reminding him of the Ten Commandments (found in the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament). God gave the commandments to Moses and to the ancient people of Israel. The first part of the Ten Commandments refers to the love of God (“You shall have no other gods before Me,” as found in Exodus 20:3 and the following verses). Jesus Himself is God, so after pointing that out to the young ruler, He mentions the second part of the commandments, which relates to the matters of love of neighbor.
God loves us infinitely, so when we respond with love to Him, we express that by keeping His commandments and living the way He teaches us to live. If we truly love our neighbor, as the Lord teaches, then the desire to lie, steal, murder, covet, dishonor others, or do any injury to anyone diminishes. Jesus refers to this in the New Testament, giving the commandments a deeper perspective. He shows that the commandments are not a matter of purely external actions but a matter of the heart. The commandments, by themselves, do not carry as much weight if they are not understood as an invitation for a higher life, a life with Christ. This is a life that struggles for Christlike virtues like love, goodness, and compassion.
For Christians, the commandments are fulfilled when they are done through love and for love. Jesus is our role model, and He is perfect. He sets the ultimate bar that a human being can reach, and when this seems unattainable for us, He gives us hope. Whatever we think is impossible can be made possible by the grace of God.
Jesus’ call to the young man gets to the root of the matter in his life. God knows us personally, and because of His love for us, He gives us the prescription that grants us healing so that we can be united with Him. Jesus says to the young man that if he desires to be perfect, he can sell his earthly possessions in exchange for treasure in heaven. Then, He says, “Come and follow Me.” When the Lord uses the word “perfect” (in Greek: τέλειος), it means complete or mature. When the young man heard this, he left sorrowful, for he had great possessions. To be clear, the Lord does not call each of us to sell all we have, but He knows that this is what that young man needs for his life.
Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The image of a camel going through the eye of a needle is a simple analogy of impossibility. Apart from the love and grace of God, we cannot find eternal life. Whether rich or poor, we close ourselves to Him when we love anything more than the God who loves us. It is not a matter of how much money or possessions we have but a matter of the heart. It is a question of what our greatest treasure is: is it God or the possessions of this life? Christ invites us to imitate Him and place Him at the center of our lives.
When counseling a rich man, Saint Kosmas Aitolos did not ask him to give alms to the poor, which would have been very easy for him. Instead, he asked him to fast since he had to deny himself and keep from the food readily available. By contrast, when counseling a poor man, Saint Kosmas did not ask him to fast, which was easy for him because he lacked food, but to give alms out of his poverty. God always provides us with the medicine we personally need to grow in His love.
The rich young ruler was self-sufficient, and Christ called him to become like a child, to desire nothing but the Lord himself, and to trust Him fully. Saint Basil the Great says, “He does not tell us to sell our goods because they are by nature evil, for then they would not be God’s creatures; He, therefore, does not bid us cast them away as if they were bad but distribute them; nor is anyone condemned for possessing them, but for abusing them.”
The commandment to follow Christ with all our hearts applies to each of us. We are all called to love Him above all things. Have Him always at the center of our lives so that everything we do flows from the love of God. Some people are called to a more literal application of the passage. There was another rich young ruler named Anthony, a native of Egypt, born in the year 250. At about 20, he walked into a church and heard the words of Christ in this passage. Those words seized him, sold his inheritance, and took up the life of a hermit. Eventually, he became known as the father of monasticism, and we know him today as Saint Anthony the Great. Not all of us are called to serve Christ in that exact way, but we are all called to follow Christ, regardless of our position in life and regardless of our possessions. The ultimate question is: What is our greatest treasure? If it is Christ, then we love God above all things, and the love of God will flow to us and through us to bless others. Becoming dependent on God, like a child is to its mother and father, is key to communion with Him. Even when we seem to struggle and stumble, let us always remember that all things are possible because of God’s infinite love for us.

https://www.goarch.org/departments/religioused/sermons