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:
Joseph Barbera - Council Member at Large
Dori Kuziak - Council Secretary
Carolyn Neiss - Vice President
Marlene Melesko - Council Member at Large
Kyle Hollis - President
Roderick Seurattan - Treasurer

Pastoral Care - General Information

Emergency Sick Calls can be made at any time. Please call Fr Steven at (860) 866-5802, 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.

Reminder

At the conclusion of Liturgy, after the announcements are given, we follow-up with the Post-Communion prayers. Please be considerate of those who wish to participate and recite these prayers. Do not hold conversations in the sanctuary as this is not the appropriate place., but rather, instead please go downstairs or outside.

Support of Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry

Donated books located in the back of the nave, or any books from the kitchen may be obtained through a good-will donation to OCPM. Please leave your contribution in the tray located at the top of the stairs to the nave.

Parish Shared Folder

Once again, here is the link to the parish shared folder: 

http://bit.ly/St-Alexis

Archpriest Dennis, Archpriest Michael, Deacon Timothy, Evelyn, Katheryn, Anne, Aaron, Veronica, Richard, Nancy, Susanne, Carol, Alexander, Gail, Vincent, Nina, Ellen, Maureen, Elizabeth, Christopher, Joshua, Jennifer, Petra, Olivia, Jessica, Sean, Sarah, Justin, Valery, Jason, Dayna, Daniel and Gregory.

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• 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, 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 and pestilence; all those departed this life in the hope of the Resurrection.

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Afterfeast of the Transfiguration. St. Emilian the Confessor, Bishop of Cyzikus (813-820). Ven. Gregory the Iconographer, of the Kiev Caves (Near Caves—12th c.). Translation of the Relics of Ven. Zosimas and Sabbatius of Solovétsky Monastery (1566). St. Myron, Bishop of Crete (ca. 350). Martyrs Eleutherius and Leonidas of Constantinople, and many infants martyred with them. Ven. Gregory of Sinai (and Mt. Athos—14th c.)

Tone 6 Troparion (Resurrection)

The Angelic Powers were at Your tomb;
the guards became as dead men.
Mary stood by Your grave,
seeking Your most pure body.
You captured hell, not being tempted by it.
You came to the Virgin, granting life.
O Lord, Who rose from the dead,//
glory to You.

Tone 7 Troparion (Feast)

You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God,
revealing Your glory to Your Disciples as far as they could bear it.
Let Your everlasting Light also shine upon us sinners,
through the prayers of the Theotokos!//
O Giver of Light, glory to You!

Tone 3 Troparion (St. Emilian)

In confessing the Faith, you proclaimed Orthodox doctrine
and were unjustly exiled for rebuking the wicked king.
Righteous and glorious Emilian,
the boast of Cyzicus,//
entreat Christ God to grant us His great mercy.

Tone 6 Kontakion (Resurrection)

When Christ God, the Giver of Life,
raised all of the dead from the valleys of misery with His mighty hand,
He bestowed resurrection on the human race.//
He is the Savior of all, the Resurrection, the Life, and the God of all.

Tone 3 Kontakion (St. Emilian)

The Church for which you suffered
glorifies you in hymns, O Emilian;
you were a valiant champion of the Trinity,
therefore we honor your memory.//
Deliver your servants from all assaults of the Enemy!

Tone 7 Kontakion (Feast)

On the mountain You were transfigured, O Christ God,
and Your Disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could see it;
so that when they would behold You crucified,
they would understand that Your suffering was voluntary,
and would proclaim to the world//
that You are truly the Radiance of the Father.

Tone 6 Prokeimenon (Resurrection)

O Lord, save Your people, / and bless Your inheritance! (Ps. 27:9a)

V. To You, O Lord, will I call. O my God, be not silent to me! (Ps. 27:1a)

Tone 4 Prokeimenon (Feast)

O Lord, how manifold are Your works; / in wisdom have You made them all.

Tone 6
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

V. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the heavenly God. (Ps. 90:1)

V. He will say to the Lord: “My Protector and my Refuge; my God, in Whom I trust.”(Ps. 90:2)
Tone 8
V. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours! (Ps. 88:11a)

(Instead of “It is truly meet…,” we sing:)

Tone 4
Magnify, O my soul, the Lord Who was transfigured on Mount Tabor!

Your childbearing was without corruption;
God came forth from your body clothed in flesh,
and appeared on earth and dwelt among men.//
Therefore we all magnify you, O Theotokos.

Communion Hymn

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest! (Ps. 148:1)
O Lord, we will walk in the light of Your countenance, and will exult in Your Name forever. (Ps. 88:15)
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up" (Romans 15:1-2)

We have a responsibility as believers to build up and encourage our fellow believers if they are struggling with certain things. We are not to look to our own interests but to that of Christ. As such it is important for us to endure the struggles of our weaker brothers and sisters without passing judgment. Instead we should strive to encourage and build them up for good.

At first glance this passage seems like common sense and it would be easy to casually read right over it and miss the golden truth nestled inside. But the Amplified Bible explains it this way, "WE WHO are strong [in our convictions and of robust faith] ought to bear with the failings and the frailties and the tender scruples of the weak; [we ought to help carry the doubts and qualms of others] and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually]" ( Romans 15:1-2 Amp ). So you see what Paul is saying is much more than just bearing each other's weaknesses without passing judgment. In this case we are to come along side those individuals who are struggling in their faith and help carry the burden of their doubts.

This can be accomplished by instruction in the word. Paul told Timothy "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" ( II Timothy 3:16-17 ). If our brethren are struggling in convictions, doubt or doctrine then the only way to help them is to show and teach them from the word and to build them up spiritually. The scriptures were given for this very purpose, to equip us for a godly life and give us instruction for everything we will encounter. Consequently their faith is built this way. Romans 10 says, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" ( Romans 10:17 ). So if doubt or lack of faith is the issue than the solution is instruction in the word of God.

If we are strong in our convictions and robust of faith we must be patient with the tender scruples of the weak and help carry their doubts. This is done by strengthening and building them up spiritually. This is the only way to remove doubt and inner struggle. Jesus told the disciples "then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" ( John 8:32 ). The truth is the truth, but to be free you have to know it. So if our brothers and sisters are struggling in faith because of doubts or lack of knowledge and understanding, then we should be reassuring them from the word of God to help build faith in them and see them freed by the truth we share. This makes for a happy life, but more than that it affects their true welfare; it strengthens, edifies and builds up spiritually so to be fully equipped for every good work in Christ.

This is a good word for today. Let us therefore encourage and build one another up in faith by learning and understanding the word of God. Jesus said concerning the words he spoke, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life" ( John 6:63 ). To those who take these precious words to heart they will be life and happiness forevermore. May you be blessed and encouraged by the truth of this passage, amen.

https://www.jcblog.net/romans/8/49-blog/romans/romans-15/17-romans-151-2-bear-with-the-failings-of-the-weak-and-not-to-please-ourselves