Saturday Vespers, 6pm
Sunday Morning Orthros, 8:45am
Sunday Divine Liturgy, 10am
Wednesday Evening Prayer & Healing (Paraklesis), 6pm
Saint Alexander was sent to the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea as the delegate of Saint Metrophanes, Bishop of Constantinople (see June 4), to whose throne he succeeded in the year 325. When Arius had deceitfully professed allegiance to the Council of Nicaea, Saint Alexander, knowing his guile, refused to receive him into communion; Arius' powerful partisans threatened that they would use force to bring Arius into the communion of the Church the following day. Saint Alexander prayed fervently that God might spare the Church; and as Arius was in a privy place relieving nature, his bowels gushed forth with an effusion of blood, and the arch-heresiarch died the death of Judas. Saint Alexander was Bishop from 325 until 337, when he was succeeded by Saint Paul the Confessor, who died a martyr's death at the hands of the Arians (see Nov. 6). The Saint John commemorated here appears to be the one who was Patriarch during the years 562-577, surnamed Scholasticus, who is also commemorated on February 21. He was from Antioch, where he had been a lawyer (scholasticus); he was made presbyter, then was sent to Constantinople as representative (apocrisiarius) of the Patriarch of Antioch, and was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople by the Emperor Justinian. Saint Paul was Bishop of Constantinople during the years 687 - 693, in the reign of Emperor Justinian II, and presided over the Quinisext Council in 692.
Saint Phantinos was from Calabria in Italy and was born in the year 902. His father was named George and his mother was Vryaini. From childhood he dedicated himself to God, and when he reached eight years of age he entered the monastery of Saint Elias and became his disciple. There he undertook the labor of acquiring the virtues. He was tonsured a monk and served as the cook of the monastery. And although he was continuously around food, in the second year of his monastic life he only ate once a week some raw vegetables and legumes. Having conquered gluttony and thoroughly purified himself of his passions, he was elevated to serve as ecclesiarch.
Following the repose of Saint Elias, Phantinos, after twenty years of obedience in the monastery, was made worthy of the gift of discernment and divine revelations, and decided to live an eremitic life in Lycaonia of southern Italy. There the devil tried to frighten him away from the place with noises and snakes, and even took on the appearance of his parents, but Phantinos remained unmoved and vanished his temptations with the sign of the cross. There he continued to struggle amidst great hunger and deprivation, to the point where his clothes withered away and he remained naked, even through the winter which nearly made him freeze to death. He struggled like this for eighteen years.
One day certain hunters came to the place where Phantinos struggled in ascetcism, and recognized him. So they returned and told his parents, who went to meet him and there they had a tearful reunion. He then convinced them to embrace the monastic life, and after they distributed their belongings to the poor they joined their son. Phantinos therefore built one monastery for his mother and sister, and another monastery some distance away for his father and brothers Luke and Kosmas, and he became to all of them a spiritual father in the solitary life. But soon the mountains became like cities, so many followers did he attract, and this brought him to seek solitude every so often, but returned to his monastery to lead the brethren.
When he reached 60 years of age, by divine revelation he departed for Thessaloniki due to a coming invasion of Saracens, in order to inspire the people there towards a life of virtue. He therefore departed for Greece with two of his disciples, Vitaly and Nikephoros. Passing through Corinth, Athens and Larissa, where he stayed for some time at the tomb of Saint Achilleos, he eventually arrived at Thessaloniki. There he faced many hardships, but also worked many miracles and spoke various prophecies. After eight years there, he reposed in peace at the age of 73 in the year 974. And soon after his repose, he continued to work many miracles.
The Synaxis of the Holy Hierarchs of Serbia: The Saints commemorated on this day are: Sabbas, First Archbishop and enlightener of Serbia (see Jan. 14); Arsenius, his successor, a great hierarch and wonderworker; Sabbas II, son of Saint Stephen, the first-crowned King of Serbia; Nicodemus, About of Hilandar, later Archbishop of Serbia; Joannicius, Archbishop, later Patriarch from 1346 to 1349; Patriarch Ephraim, an ascetic, who crowned Prince Lazarus, and later left the patriarchate to live in solitude; Spyridon, Ephraim's successor, who reposed in 1388; Macarius, who printed many church books in Serbia and abroad, was very zealous in renovating and adoring churches, and reposed in 1574; Gabriel, Archbishop, who took part in the Church Council of Moscow during the patriarchate of Nicon, for which the Turks accused him of treason and hanged him in Prusa in the year 1656. Also commemorated are Eustathius, James, Daniel, Sabbas III, Gregory, Cyril (Patriarch), John, Maximus, and Nicon. Many of them labored in asceticism on the Holy Mountain, and all were "good and faithful servants, good labourers in the vineyard of the Lord".
First Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Matthew 28:16-20
At that time, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. Amen."
First Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 28:16-20
Οἱ δὲ ἕνδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, εἰς τὸ ὄρος οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς. καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ, οἱ δὲ ἐδίστασαν. καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς. πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ῾Αγίου Πνεύματος, διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. ἀμήν.
Prokeimenon. Third Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.
Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Προκείμενον. Third Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 46.6,1.
Ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε.
Στίχ. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κορινθίους α' 15:1-11.
Ἀδελφοί, γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ παρελάβετε, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε, διʼ οὗ καὶ σῴζεσθε· τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε. Παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις, ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς. καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη· καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς· καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη Κηφᾷ, εἶτα τοῖς δώδεκα· ἔπειτα ὤφθη ἐπάνω πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ, ἐξ ὧν οἱ πλείους μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι, τινὲς δὲ καὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν· ἔπειτα ὤφθη Ἰακώβῳ, εἶτα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πᾶσιν· ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων, ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι, ὤφθη κἀμοί. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ. Χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη, ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα, οὐκ ἐγὼ δέ, ἀλλʼ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί. Εἴτε οὖν ἐγώ, εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, οὕτως κηρύσσομεν καὶ οὕτως ἐπιστεύσατε.
12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26
At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, 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." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
12th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 19:16-26
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, νεανίσκος τις προσῆλθε τῷ Ἰησοῦ, γονυπετῶν αὐτόν, καὶ λέγων· Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω ἵνα ἔχω ζωὴν αἰώνιον; ‘O δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ Θεός. εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωήν, τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς. λέγει αὐτῷ· ποίας; ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπε· τὸ οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ νεανίσκος· πάντα ταῦτα ἐφυλαξάμην ἐκ νεότητός μου· τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ; ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ ῾Ιησοῦς· εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ νεανίσκος τὸν λόγον ἀπῆλθε λυπούμενος· ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά. ῾Ο δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι δυσκόλως πλούσιος εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες· τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι; ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστι, παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά ἐστι.
Young Adult Virtual Book Club
Attention all young adults!
St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church is starting a virtual book club! Through the Telos Project at Hellenic College Holy Cross, a project dedicated to engaging young adults in their communities, we are receiving funds to buy books for participants. Discussions will be held on Zoom (TBA).
If you are interested, please contact Kirsti Settas at ksettas@nevada.unr.edu or the church office at saintanthonyreno@sbcglobal.net will be held on Zoom (TBA).
High-School Youth: The Relationship Project is an all-inclusive program that engages teens in today’s most needed conversations. We will launch this program later in September.
This program is presented in a visually stunning and highly engaging format: Teens will have fun connecting with each other as they learn the timeless wisdom and freedom that is found in the Orthodox Faith. It is composed of three connected parts, with multiple sequential teaching segments, The Relationship Project brings the teens into an exciting exploration of how they were designed by God, and what that design means within their relationships. By exploring all three Parts of The Relationship Project, our teens will discover who they are as children of God, how they were designed to be in relationship with others, with themselves, and ultimately with God. See our flyer below.
If you have a young person interested in this program please let us know. Send an email to fatherstephen@att.net
Evening Online Orthodoxy Class on Wednesday evenings starting September 16. RSVP to Father Stephen at fatherstephen@att.net. More details will follow.
Save the Dates
Tuesday, September 8th Nativity of the Holy Theotokos Orthros 8a; Divine Liturgy 9a
Monday, September 14th Exaltation of the Holy Cross Orthros 8a, Divine Liturgy 9a
Our Parish is our Treasure
This pandemic has brought hardship to each of us. As Orthodox Christians, it is our priority to keep our parish alive. We want to continue to experience and share the mercy, forgiveness, and blessing of God. Church is an expression of God’s love for us, it is our source of FAITH and LIGHT, holiness and power. Our Parish is our Treasure.
Current Situation: We are blessed with parishioners who continue to express their love, faith, and support for church through maintaining their stewardship commitment. Yet, we are still facing a deep impact due to the cancellation of our festival and reduction in our “other income” normally received through weekly in-church offerings, general donations, and small fundraisers.
Our Plan: We are embarking on an income generation campaign to sustain our FAITH and LIGHT for All Generations. It has distinct elements that complement one another and will be anchored by a comprehensive communication approach.
We are strongest when we are working together in unity! Additionally, we are putting together a team to support our campaign! Andreia Pop & Dimi Sakelarios have partnered with Father Stephen in leading our overall effort. Stephanie Rossi is leading our Communication Team, supported by Andrea Jervinis, Nasi Karcher, Maria Borrego & Georgie Anastassatos. Kiki Virden & Tom Stamos are working on our Fund-Raising efforts. Corinne Sakelarios is leading our Stewardship team supported by Nancy Surina & Danilo Simich.
Your involvement is also critical as more help from parishioners is needed in all areas. In particular, we are looking for that special someone to lead our Donations effort. Please get involved by reaching out to Andreia, Dimi, Father Stephen or the Church office. All offers of time and talent are appreciated, no matter how big or small. “For the body is not one member, but many.” (1 Corinthians 12:14)
What’s Next: Information Sharing – A “Town Hall” Zoom meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept 9th @ 7pm. This will be an opportunity for parishioners to learn more about our plan and approach, as well as ask questions and share ideas.
Special Parish Assembly Meeting – This will be held in the coming weeks (date TBD) to discuss and approve a safety net option the Parish Council would like to pursue. This includes capitalizing on the advantageous loan opportunities being offered by the government and encouraged by the Metropolis.
Regular Progress Updates – To keep you informed of progress we are making towards our goal and upcoming activities.
How You Can Help: Get Involved – Join us by supporting and becoming active in this wonderful ministry of light to our community! Please reach out to Andreia, Dimi, Father Stephen or the Church office to get involved.
Donate – Our Online Giving Portal has been updated to accept donations toward our goal. Links can be found on our website or below. Donations by check can be mailed or dropped off to the church office. Please be sure to write “Faith & Light” in the memo so we can attribute to our campaign and goal. If you are interested in donating stock, bonds, etc., please contact the church office for assistance.
“Put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Do good, be rich in good deeds, and be generous and willing to share. In this way you will lay up treasure for yourselves as a firm foundation for the coming age and take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6: 17-19
Reminders & Guideline Adjustments
Pastoral Visits & Holy Communion
For setting dates, sacraments, memorial services, personal counseling, confessions, sick calls and personal visitations that may include receiving Holy Communion, please call the church office (775-825-5365) and speak with Father Stephen or e-mail at fatherstephen@att.net. You may also contact Maria at the church office or email saintanthonychurch@sbcglobal.net
Live Streaming
All scheduled services are being live-streamed on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/saintanthonychurchreno/.We have seen great improvement with the quality of our streaming, but we are still learning. We now have someone at church monitoring the live-streaming and correcting issues as they arise. If your video freezes or disconnects, please refresh your screen. Sometimes you will need to look for a new post to pick up on services where they cut out. Thank you for your continued patience and support as we learn and grow with this capability. It is a blessing to be able to connect with those at home in this way.
Parishioners who are sick or at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to refrain from attending services at this time. This includes those who are 65 or older, have underlying medical conditions, have been exposed to the virus, or are experiencing symptoms of illness. (If you are high-risk with underlying health challenges, you can make a personal appointment with Father Stephen to receive Holy Communion during the week.)
Online Giving Portal for Stewardship & Donation Offerings
The Online Giving Portal can be accessed through our Church Website by clicking the new “Donations & Stewardship” tab. This functionality is secured for your protection and gives you the opportunity to make a one-time contribution or set up a recurring offering.
Our traditional ways of accepting offerings remain the same – the portal has been added for those who prefer the convenience of online giving. It also helps to mitigate the risks associated with handling cash. Our office remains open during weekdays and at services a collection tray will be placed in the Narthex (as a health and safety precaution it will not be passed).
Also be reminded it is still important to fill out a Stewardship Pledge card each year - this helps us to plan and budget effectively. If you have not completed one yet, please view and print a 2020 Stewardship Commitment Card by clicking on this address: http://www.saintanthonyreno.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Pledge-Card-PDF.pdf
Our prayers remain with you, your families, our community and our world for good health, strength, peace, and resilience now and in the days ahead!
Sunday, August 30th 12th Sunday of Matthew Orthros 9a; Divine Liturgy 10a
Wednesday, September 2nd Paraklesis 6p
Saturday, September 5th Vespers 6p
Sunday, September 6th 13th Sunday of Matthew Orthros 9a; Divine Liturgy 10a
Reminders:
Email the church office on Wednesday to RSVP for the following Sunday Liturgy.
Paraklesis and Vespers do not require an RSVP.
If you cannot attend, please join our services streaming online at https://www.facebook.com/saintanthonychurchreno
Narthex Greeters: Kiki Virden, Aaron Davis, Nancy Surina
Altar Flowers: Please contact the church office if you would like to provide fresh flowers.
May God grant us all good health and well-being.
May He protect us from the perils of the Coronavirus.
May He protect the firefighters and have mercy on the victims of the devastating fires.
May He give us the will to continue to support and build our parish!
Please contact the church office at 825-5365 to give the names of those in need of prayer. Please know that the names of all parishioners are included in prayers at every Divine Liturgy.
St. Nicholas Orthodox Academy in Reno is looking for a teacher’s aid to assist our Chaplain and Head Teacher, Father Paul!
Coming in September for High School aged youth!