Saints and Feasts

August 05

10th Sunday of Matthew

August 06

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Our Lord had spoken to His disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and Death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure. Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Savior desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory which is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that "there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom" (Matt. 16:28), He took His three foremost disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place. Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before, and Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased; hear ye Him" (Matt. 17: 5).

Such are the marvels, truly worthy of God, celebrated in this present feast, which is an image and prefiguring of the future state of the righteous, whose splendor the Lord spoke of, saying: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun" (Matt. 13:43). It is because of this that the Kontakion of this Feast is said daily (when there is not a great feast) in the Service of the Typica in perpetual commemoration of the glory that will be the lot of the Saints. According to tradition, the Lord's Transfiguration came to pass forty days before His Crucifixion; this is why the Transfiguration is celebrated forty days before the Exaltation of the Cross.

Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the First Mode

The stone had been secured with a seal by the Judeans, * and a guard of soldiers was watching Your immaculate body. * You rose on the third day, O Lord * and Savior, granting life unto the world. * For this reason were the powers of heaven crying out to You, O Life-giver: * Glory to Your resurrection, O Christ; * glory to Your eternal rule; * glory to Your dispensation, only One who loves mankind.

Apolytikion for Forefeast of the Transfiguration in the Fourth Mode

Come, let us all welcome the Transfiguration of Christ, and joyously celebrate the bright prefestival, O ye faithful, and let us cry: Nigh at hand now is the day of God-given gladness, as the Sovereign Master goeth up on Mount Tabor to flash forth with the beautiful light of His Divinity.

Apolytikion for St. Anna (Dec. 9) in the Fourth Mode

Today the bonds of childlessness are loosed; for God hearkened to Joachim and Anna. And though it was beyond hope, He clearly promised them that they should bear a divine child, from whom was born the Uncircumscribable One Himself Who became a mortal, and through an Angel commanded them to cry unto her: Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee."

Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Mode

All of mortal nature now divinely shineth on this day with the divine Transfiguration ere the time; and in great gladness, she crieth out: Christ is transfigured, and saveth the race of man.

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 32.22,1.
Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us.
Verse: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.

The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 4:9-16.

Brethren, God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things. I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Gospel Reading

10th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 17:14-23

At that time, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before him said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him." And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me." And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting." As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."

Wisdom of the Fathers

Yet if his unbelief was the cause ... why does He blame the disciples? Signifying, that even without persons to bring the sick in faith, they might in many instances work a cure.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 57 on Matthew 17, 4th Century

For as the faith of the person presenting oftentimes availed for receiving the cure, even from inferior ministers; so the power of the doers oftentimes sufficed, even without belief in those who came to work the miracle.

St. John Chrysostom

Homily 57 on Matthew 17, 4th Century

Ministry News

TODAY we will pass a special tray dedicated to bringing comfort, aid, and hope to those whose homes and communities have been destroyed by the Attica fires. Please see the ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL FOR THE RECENT FIRES IN GREECE in the e-bulletin.

Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; Yes, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Is. 41:10).

Church Calendar:

Supplication (Paraklesis) Service to the Virgin Mary will be celebrated every weeknight during the fast - August 1-3, August 7-10, and August 13, all at 7 pm.

Monday, August 6: Transfiguration of our Lord - Orthros/Divine Liturgy at 8:30 am followed by the Annual Blessing of the Grapes.

Tuesday, August 14: All are invited to the Kimisis Church in Holmdel for the Great Vespers of the Dormition Service at 7 pm

Wednesday, August 15: Dormition of Virgin Mary Services, Orthros/Divine Liturgy starting at 9 am.

Monday, August 27: St. Phanourios - at 9 am

Wednesday, August 29: Beheading of St. John the Baptist - Orthros/Divine Liturgy at 9 am

Saturday, September 1: Indiction (Beginning of Ecclesiastical New Year)-Orthros /Divine Liturgy 9 am

GOYA News: St. Anna GOYA is once again working with our local United Way, through FOCUS, in providing backpacks to our local middle school to children in need. Please see any GOYA member or advisor if interested in helping to fill a backpack. They will be available this Sunday after liturgy.

PC Corner

Dear Parishioners,

Summer is upon us and we are all enjoying taking some time off to relax, spend time with family and friends, rejuvenate, and come back to our routine. During this time, our church operations are normal and planning is in full swing for our upcoming OPA 2018 event on September 7-8-9. A few people have already gotten together and prepared Baklava, Galaktoboureko, Revani, and Spanakopitta for the big event. We are now in the process of securing vendors, donors, food donations, expediting equipment and supplies, licenses, drinks etc.

You may ask: How can I participate and help?

Here is what you can do.

Approach your local business or anyone you know who can contribute food or become a donor and ask them for donation
Volunteer to help during preparation of food, set up the tents, tables, etc
Register to volunteer during the event
If you cannot do any of the above, contribute some money to be able to purchase whatever is not donated and to hire help during the event

Contact Diana Grina at dianakg2003@yahoo.com, or at 908-392-7449 and volunteer your time or ask her how you can help

Please help our efforts to make this event successful or even better than last year!

OPA Festival Sponsorship: Sponsorship forms can be downloaded from the OPA Festival website, http://www.opafestival.com under “Sponsor Program.” Please contact the Sponsorship Chairperson, Elaine Markos at petermarkos2@gmail.com, if you require additional information. Thank you!

Food Donation Transport: Please contact Bill Panageas at vpanageas@gmail.comif you can help pick up food donations during the last week of August/first week of September.

Iconography: Look for updates in St Anna Iconography and Beautification News and Update emails! The first phase of the iconography has been completed and we hope to have the rest of the icons ordered soon so that we can finish by the end of this year. Ambitious goal but the overwhelming support so far is very encouraging. The iconostation is progressing well. We got a broker to ship it from Greece and a broker in the USA to expedite through customs when it arrives in November some time.

We have successfully passed the annual health inspection for our kitchen and I would like to thank all of you who helped during the year to keep the kitchen clean!

The Wine and Dine is rescheduled for Saturday October 6 (rain or shine) at the Soteropoulos residence. The last fund raising event in 2018 is will be the Vendors Day scheduled for November 17 and 18. We will have craft vendors and sell food. Details will follow.

For those of you with children in the Greek school program, we are happy to inform you that we have hired a new teacher for the new school year. Greek School will begin on Monday, September 24. If you have any questions please contact Father Anastasios or Maria Sfondouris, our Greek School Director.

For all Sunday School families, we are happy to introduce Aimee Douvris as our new Religious Education Director. The first day of the 2018-19 Sunday School year will be Sunday, September 23.

All of our school directors are volunteers - please help them to succeed!

Be safe and enjoy the summer.

John Kaldes

PC president

Fall Wine & Dine - The Best from the West in the US…Featuring top wines from California, Oregon and Washington paired with 5 dishes.

Saturday, October 6, 6:30 pm (rain or shine) at the Soteropoulos Residence; 12 Vail Lane, Flemington

Cost is $75 per person.Contacts: George Staikos at 973.699.2199 or george@theeducatedgrape.comor Christi Staikos at cstaikos@comcast.net. Please send payment (check payable to St Anna) to Christi Staikos at 43 Fox Grape Road, Flemington, NJ 08822

Fellowship Hour: There is no official Fellowship Hour Sponsorship through September 16, but you can contact John Giannouris at (610) 680-7507 or john.giannouris@comcast.netif you are interested in sponsoring Fellowship Hour in the summer months or this fall. Thank you.

Bulletin Inserts

Archiepiscopal Encyclical for Recent Fires in Greece

Special encyclical

Stewardship

STEWARDSHIP: Stewardship is the sharing of the talents and treasures that God has provided for us. An Orthodox Christian Steward is an active participant in the life of the Church. The parish encourages all who accept the Orthodox Faith to become practicing Stewards.

2018 Stewardship Status: 131 Pledges totaling $133,855 for an average of $1,022 and $85,416 received to date. We also have 8 families who have contributed $5,250 to date but have not submitted a stewardship card. It is important that all families complete a stewardship card to be considered a steward.. Current Stewardship List and other stewardship information is posted on bulletin board by the water cooler.

If you have not done so already, we ask that you prayerfully consider your Stewardship commitment and submit a 2018 pledge card as soon as you can.

…Remember a rich man is not one who has much, but one who gives much...

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