Orthros at 8:45 am & Divine Liturgy at 10am
Weekday Orthros and Liturgies begin at 8am
Orthros @9am & Divine Liturgy @10am
Memorials
A 40 Day Memorial Service will be held for the repose of the soul of +Constantine Rallis, beloved husband of Stavroula (Julie) and father of Anastasios (Ernest) and Georgia Rallis
A 40 Day Memorial Service will be held for the repose of the soul of +Ioni Τsevis, beloved mother of Hara Kokodis.
A Three Year Memorial Service will be held for the repose of the soul of +John Hambos, beloved father of Marina (George) Venizelos and Peter (Sotiria) Hambos.
May their memory be eternal.
Orthros @8am & Divine Liturgy @9:15am
One list of +Names (Baptismal names only) to be given prior to service and will be prayed for on all three Saturday of Souls
MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION Αποκριάτικο Γλέντι 2020
Sunday, February 16th, 2020 at 5:00 pm | see flyer
INFO contact: Anastasia Mitrakos anastasia7@yahoo.com or Demitra Paxos 973-970-8003
Tickets will be sold during coffee hour and Thursday evenings starting in January
Coffee Hour: is hosted by DOP| Bagels donated by ALFA BAGELS
Parish Council Oath of Office next Sunday
Rescheduled: Next Sunday 2/23/20 following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy our Newly Elected Parish Council members along with nour ongoing members will take the “Oath of Office” from Fr. John. Please join us in welcoming and thanking them all for their dedication and service to our Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church.
Council of Ministries Meeting next Sunday
Sunday 2/23/20 at 1pm: Leaders of Saint Andrew are invited for a Leaders’ Meeting in the Library Rm 203 (important topic to be discussed). Please contact the church office with your RSVP or the name of the person who will be representing your ministry.
House Blessings: Fr. John Theodosion has begun the House Blessings in our community. St. Andrew Parishioners will be notified of his pending visit. Please look for a “Post Card” indicating date and time. We will also be announcing in the weekly bulletin the towns that Fr. John will be visiting. If you don’t receive a Post Card when your town is listed, please contact the office ASAP and make arrangements for «Agiasmo» in your home.
Assistive Listening available: Don't miss a single sound: Please use our Listening Device which was generously donated by one of our parishioners to be used during our Services. Ask Parish Council at the narthex to assist you
Feb: 2/16 DOP, 2/23 GOYA
Mar: 3/1 Philoptochos, 3/8 PTA*, 3/16 DOP*, 3/22 GOYA*, 3/29 Bakaliko*
Apr: 4/5 Philoptochos*, 4/12 All Organizations participate for the Palm Sun Luncheon*, 4/19 Pascha no coffee Hr , 4/26 GOYA
*Lenten refreshments/deserts during Great Lent please
BAGELS for Sunday Coffee hour are donated by ALFA BAGELS located on Route 10 in Randolph, NJ. We thank them for their generosity and continued support.
The Stewardship Committee understands that submitting your pledge card in November may not be uppermost in your mind as the holiday season approaches. With that in mind, we will be celebrating a Second Stewardship Sunday on March 8th. We cannot do what we do without you and are grateful to God for your continued love and support.
Stewardship update: A of February 5th 2020. 139 families made their 2020 Pledge, totaling $163,473.
If you have not already made your commitment to Saint Andrew church, we ask that you prayerfully consider your blessings and submit your2020 pledge today.
Online Giving System – WeShare click on link and follow instructions https://standrewgonj.churchgiving.com/ our website/ or call the office
We’d like to be able to better communicate with everyone on social media where appropriate.
Please Like Us / Follow Us on our church Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Religious-Organization/St-Andrew-Greek-Orthodox-Church-Randolph-NJ-758987230951158/
Coffee Hour Hosts: 2/16 DOP, 2/23 GOYA, 3/1 Philoptochos, 3/8 PTA*, 3/15 DOP*, 3/22 GOYA*, 3/29 Bakaliko* *Lenten foods during coffee hour please
MON 2/17
TUE 2/18
11:30am Agape Luncheon 3rd Tuesday in the Social Hall
7-9 pm HES /Adult Greek Language Class
WED 2/19
10a-2p Knitting Group Meets in Social Hall
THU 2/20
11am--6pm House Blessings in Sparta
4:30 HAS CLASSES | 6:30 Greek Dance | 7pm GOYA Greek Dance
FRI 2/21
10am Little Angels Play Group in Room 103
SAT 2/22
@8am Saturday of Souls also on 2/29 & 3/7
Faith Kitchen: GOYA Prep in the Kitchen
SUN 2/23
8:45am Judgment Sunday (Meatfare Sunday)
Parish Council Oath of Office & Executive Board Elections (Reschduled from 2/9/20)
@1pm Council of Ministries Meeting Rescheduled from 2/9/20
2/24 @1-6pm House Blessings in Hopatcong, Lake Hopatcong…..
2/24 @7:30pm Parish Council Meeting 4th Monday
2/25 @10am-5pm House Blessings in Morris Plains
2 /25 @7pm Philoptochos Meeting 4th Tuesday
2/27 @11am-6pm House Blessings in Budd Lake
2/27 @6:30pm GOYA Meeting 4th Thursday
2/28 @2-6pm House Blessings in Berkley Heights, Madison, Florham Park…..
2/28 JOY ONLY - Center Court Ninja @7pm
2/29 @8am Saturday of Souls also on 3/7
3/1 @8:45am Forgiveness Sunday
3/1 @4pm Vespers “Forgiveness Sunday”
3/1 Memorial Service: +Viola Lioudis, +Ethel (Athena) Georges
3/2 GREAT LENT BEGINS
3/2 @6:30PM Office of the Great Compline, also on 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/6
3/4 @6:30PM Pre-Sanctified Gifts Liturgy, also on 3/11, 3/18, 4/1, 4/8
3/6 Salutations, also on 3/7,3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/10 Akathist
3/8 @8:45am SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY – Regular Sunday School Classes - Icon Procession by Children in church
3/9 @ 8pm Monday Pre-Marriage Counseling sessions/also on 3/16 & 3/23
3/15 @8:45m Sunday of St Gregory of Palamas
3/17 Stewardship Meeting
3/20 GOYA Retreat
3/21 HOPE/JOY Roller Skating
3/22 @8:45am Sunday of Holy Cross
3/22 GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY Greek School Program (HAS)
3/25 @8am Orthros & Liturgy Annunciation of the Theotokos
3/28 Faith Kitchen: PHILOPTOCHOS
3/29 GID Parade Fifth Ave from 64th to 79th St NYC
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hosted by PTA - Sunday February 16, 2020
ORTHROS @8AM & DIVINE LITURGY @9:15AM | FEBRUARY 22, 29 & MARCH 7 | Submit +Names of Loved ones for blessed repose
We would like to thank everyone who submitted their 2020 Christian Stewardship Commitment. As of January 22nd, 130 families made their 2020 Pledge, totaling $155,643
Philoptochos Membership 2020
Saturday activity 2/15/2020
10 Reasons to bring your child to Sunday School
don't wait! prepare today!
If you would like us to remember you or your loved one in our prayers, please contact the office. 973-584-0388
Names will be kept on this list for approximately 3 months. Please resubmit Names if needed. Fr. John will pray for the Names above during the Proskomide “Offering of gifts” during the first part of the Divine Liturgy when our priest prepares the mystical gifts of bread and wine. Please keep these names in your prayers as well.
Evanthia, Ramon, Athanasios, Angeliki, Christian, Olga, Efthimia, Demitra, Antonia, Aikaterini, John, Stavroula, Anna Christina, Manny, Mary, George, Susan, Dimitrios, Peter, Michael, Ryan, Ioannis, Monica, Katerina, Tasia, Rose, Christina,Andrew, Andrew, Margaret, Eleni, Paraskevi, Panagotis, Maria, Caroline, Demetrios, Konstantinos, Susan, Afrodite, Cassandra, Aristea, Konstantinos, George, Mary, Holly, Gary, Roye, Cristos, Panagiota, Anna, Panagiotis, John, Nicos, Hannah, Christos, Theoseva, George, Genevieve, Christine, Anna, Louis, Marilyn, Suriana, Antonios, John, Maria, Dimitry Elias, Evangelia, George, Kyriaki, John, Rose, Evmorfia, Fr. Konstantine, Fr. Demetri, Prz Spyridoula, Eugenia, Constantinos, Eftychia, Kyzoula, Lukas, Zoe, Spyridoula, Maria, Eugenia, Alexa, Eleni, Vasiliki, Rosemary, Corinne, Sophia, Anastasia, Pamela, Brian, Brandon, Irene, Eleutherios, Panayioti, William, Kyriaki
Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal (me) Your servant from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant (me) patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed. I pray that You heal (me) as Your servant and grant (me) the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
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.
Second Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 16:1-8
Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ ᾿Ιακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν. καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῆς μιᾶς σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου. καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς· τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου; καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος· ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα. καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον καθήμενον ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς, περιβεβλημένον στολὴν λευκήν, καὶ ἐξεθαμβήθησαν. ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐταῖς· μὴ ἐκθαμβεῖσθε· ᾿Ιησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνὸν τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον· ἠγέρθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε· ἴδε ὁ τόπος ὅπου ἔθηκαν αὐτόν. ἀλλ᾿ ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ὅτι προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε, καθὼς εἶπεν ὑμῖν. καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου· εἶχε δὲ αὐτὰς τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπον· ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.
Prokeimenon. Second Mode. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 6:12-20.
Brethren, "all things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" -- and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two shall become one flesh." But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belong to God.
Προκείμενον. Second Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 117.14,18.
Ἰσχύς μου καὶ ὕμνησίς μου ὁ Κύριος.
Στίχ. Παιδεύων ἐπαίδευσέ με ὁ Κύριος.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 6:12-20.
Ἀδελφοί, πάντα μοι ἔξεστιν, ἀλλʼ οὐ πάντα συμφέρει· πάντα μοι ἔξεστιν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐγὼ ἐξουσιασθήσομαι ὑπό τινος. Τὰ βρώματα τῇ κοιλίᾳ, καὶ ἡ κοιλία τοῖς βρώμασιν· ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ ταύτην καὶ ταῦτα καταργήσει. Τὸ δὲ σῶμα οὐ τῇ πορνείᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ ὁ κύριος τῷ σώματι· ὁ δὲ θεὸς καὶ τὸν κύριον ἤγειρεν καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξεγερεῖ διὰ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν μέλη Χριστοῦ ἐστιν; Ἄρας οὖν τὰ μέλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποιήσω πόρνης μέλη; Μὴ γένοιτο. Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ὁ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ ἓν σῶμά ἐστιν; Ἔσονται γάρ, φησίν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. Ὁ δὲ κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν. Φεύγετε τὴν πορνείαν. Πᾶν ἁμάρτημα ὃ ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ἄνθρωπος ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ πορνεύων εἰς τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα ἁμαρτάνει. Ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὸ σῶμα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματός ἐστιν, οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ θεοῦ; Καὶ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἑαυτῶν, ἠγοράσθητε γὰρ τιμῆς· δοξάσατε δὴ τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι ὑμῶν, ἅτινά ἐστιν τοῦ θεοῦ.
Sunday of the Prodigal Son
The Reading is from Luke 15:11-32
The Lord said this parable: "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his belly with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
Sunday of the Prodigal Son
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 15:11-32
Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τήν παραβολὴν ταύτην· Ἄνθρωπός τις εἶχε δύο υἱούς. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ νεώτερος αὐτῶν τῷ πατρί· πάτερ, δός μοι τὸ ἐπιβάλλον μέρος τῆς οὐσίας. καὶ διεῖλεν αὐτοῖς τὸν βίον. καὶ μετ᾿ οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας συναγαγὼν ἅπαντα ὁ νεώτερος υἱὸς ἀπεδήμησεν εἰς χώραν μακράν, καὶ ἐκεῖ διεσκόρπισε τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ ζῶν ἀσώτως. δαπανήσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἰσχυρὸς κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἐκείνην, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤρξατο ὑστερεῖσθαι. καὶ πορευθεὶς ἐκολλήθη ἑνὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης, καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς αὐτοῦ βόσκειν χοίρους. καὶ ἐπεθύμει γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδίδου αὐτῷ. εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθὼν εἶπε· πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύουσιν ἄρτων, ἐγὼ δὲ λιμῷ ἀπόλλυμαι! ἀναστὰς πορεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ ἐρῶ αὐτῷ· πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου. οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου· ποίησόν με ὡς ἕνα τῶν μισθίων σου. καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ. ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν. εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ υἱός· πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου. εἶπε δὲ ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ· ἐξενέγκατε τὴν στολὴν τὴν πρώτην καὶ ἐνδύσατε αὐτόν, καὶ δότε δακτύλιον εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποδήματα εἰς τοὺς πόδας, καὶ ἐνέγκαντες τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτὸν θύσατε, καὶ φαγόντες εὐφρανθῶμεν, ὅτι οὗτος ὁ υἱός μου νεκρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησε, καὶ ἀπολωλὼς ἦν καὶ εὑρέθη. καὶ ἤρξαντο εὐφραίνεσθαι. ῏Ην δὲ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐν ἀγρῷ· καὶ ὡς ἐρχόμενος ἤγγισε τῇ οἰκίᾳ, ἤκουσε συμφωνίας καὶ χορῶν, καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἕνα τῶν παίδων ἐπυνθάνετο τί εἴη ταῦτα. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἥκει καὶ ἔθυσεν ὁ πατήρ σου τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν, ὅτι ὑγιαίνοντα αὐτὸν ἀπέλαβεν. ὠργίσθη δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν εἰσελθεῖν. ὁ οὖν πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐξελθὼν παρεκάλει αὐτόν. ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπε τῷ πατρί· ἰδοὺ τοσαῦτα ἔτη δουλεύω σοι καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐντολήν σου παρῆλθον, καὶ ἐμοὶ οὐδέποτε ἔδωκας ἔριφον ἵνα μετὰ τῶν φίλων μου εὐφρανθῶ· ὅτε δὲ ὁ υἱός σου οὗτος, ὁ καταφαγών σου τὸν βίον μετὰ πορνῶν, ἦλθεν, ἔθυσας αὐτῷ τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τέκνον, σὺ πάντοτε μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ εἶ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐμὰ σά ἐστιν· εὐφρανθῆναι δὲ καὶ χαρῆναι ἔδει, ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου οὗτος νεκρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησε, καὶ ἀπολωλὼς ἦν καὶ εὑρέθη.
Through the parable of today's Gospel, our Saviour has set forth three things for us: the condition of the sinner, the rule of repentance, and the greatness of God's compassion. The divine Fathers have put this reading the week after the parable of the Publican and Pharisee so that, seeing in the person of the Prodigal Son our own wretched condition -- inasmuch as we are sunken in sin, far from God and His Mysteries -- we might at last come to our senses and make haste to return to Him by repentance during these holy days of the Fast.
Furthermore, those who have wrought many great iniquities, and have persisted in them for a long time, oftentimes fall into despair, thinking that there can no longer be any forgiveness for them; and so being without hope, they fall every day into the same and even worse iniquities. Therefore, the divine Fathers, that they might root out the passion of despair from the hearts of such people, and rouse them to the deeds of virtue, have set the present parable at the forecourts of the Fast, to show them the surpassing goodness of God's compassion, and to teach them that there is no sin -- no matter how great it may be -- that can overcome at any time His love for man.
Saint Theodore who was from Amasia of Pontus, contested during the reign of Maximian (286-305). He was called Tyro, from the Latin Tiro, because he was a newly enlisted recruit. When it was reported that he was a Christian, he boldly confessed Christ; the ruler, hoping that he would repent, gave him time to consider the matter more completely and then give answer. Theodore gave answer by setting fire to the temple of Cybele, the "mother of the gods," and for this he suffered a martyr's death by fire. See also the First Saturday of the Fast.
Through the Apostolic Constitutions (Book VIII, ch. 42), the Church of Christ has received the custom to make commemorations for the departed on the third, ninth, and fortieth days after their repose. Since many throughout the ages, because of an untimely death in a faraway place, or other adverse circumstances, have died without being deemed worthy of the appointed memorial services, the divine Fathers, being so moved in their love for man, have decreed that a common memorial be made this day for all pious Orthodox Christians who have reposed from all ages past, so that those who did not have particular memorial services may be included in this common one for all. Also, the Church of Christ teaches us that alms should be given to the poor by the departed one's kinsmen as a memorial for him.
Besides this, since we make commemoration tomorrow of the Second Coming of Christ, and since the reposed have neither been judged, nor have received their complete recompense (Acts 17:31; II Peter 2:9; Heb. 11:39-40), the Church rightly commemorates the souls today, and trusting in the boundless mercy of God, she prays Him to have mercy on sinners. Furthermore, since the commemoration is for all the reposed together, it reminds each of us of his own death, and arouses us to repentance.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Standard Text
Hymn of the Apostle St. Andrew: As first of the Apostles to receive the call, and very brother of the prince of them, intercede O Andrew, with the Master of all of us, peace to all the world to grant, and to our souls His great mercy.
Απολυτίκιο του Αποστόλου Ανδρέου: Ως των Αποσόλων πρωτόκλητος, και του κορυφαίου αυτάδελφος, τον Δεσπότην των όλων Ανδρέα ικέτευε, ειρήνην τη οικουμένη δωρήσασθαι, και ταις ψυχαίς ημών το μέγα έλεος
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Narthex Press
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Standard Text