Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Plagal Second Mode

When the angelic powers appeared at Your grave, the soldiers guarding it feared and became as dead. And standing by the sepulcher was Mary who was seeking Your immaculate body. You devastated Hades, not afflicted by it. You went to meet the virgin, and granted eternal life. You resurrected from the dead. O Lord, glory to You.

Ἀγγελικαὶ Δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμά σου, καὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες ἀπενεκρώθησαν, καὶ ἵστατο Μαρία ἐν τῷ τάφῳ, ζητοῦσα τὸ ἄχραντόν σου σῶμα. Ἐσκύλευσας τὸν ᾍδην, μὴ πειρασθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὑπήντησας τῇ Παρθένῳ, δωρούμενος τὴν ζωήν, ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ των νεκρῶν, Κύριε δόξα σοι.

Apolytikion for John the Hut-Dweller in the Fourth Mode

Since thou hadst with fervour longed after the Lord from thy youth, * thou leftest the world with its delights and nobly didst strive in valiant ascetic deeds. * Thou didst pitch thy hut before the gates of thy parents; * thou didst break the demons' snares, O all-blessed Father. * And therefore, as is meet, hath Christ God glorified thee, O John.

Ἐκ βρέφους τὸν Κύριον, ἐπιποθήσας θερμῶς, τὸν κόσμον κατέλιπες, καὶ τὰ ἐν κόσμῳ τερπνά, καὶ ἤσκησας ἄριστα, ἔπηξας τὴν καλύβην, πρὸ πυλῶν σῶν γονέων, ἔθραυσας τῶν δαιμόνων, τὰς ἐνέδρας Παμμάκαρ, διὸ σε Ἰωάννη Χριστός, ἀξίως ἐδόξασεν.

Seasonal Kontakion in the First Mode

Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in authority, whom You love, as only the loving One.

Ὁ μήτραν παρθενικὴν ἁγιάσας τῶ τόκω σου, καὶ χείρας τοῦ Συμεὼν εὐλογήσας ὡς ἔπρεπε, προφθάσας καὶ νὺν ἔσωσας ἡμᾶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλ' εἰρήνευσον ἐν πολέμοις τὸ πολίτευμα, καὶ κραταίωσον Βασιλεῖς οὓς ἠγάπησας, ὁ μόνος φιλάνθρωπος.

Services and Sacraments

January 15, 2023 – 12^th Sunday of Luke

Memorial: ROBERT WRIGHT SR. – 1 Year (Coffee Hour Sponsor)

May his memory be eternal!

SERVICES THIS WEEK:

Sunday, January 15 – 12^TH SUNDAY OF LUKEOrthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am,

Tuesday, January 17 – FEAST DAY ST. ANTHONY, Orthros 8:45 am,

Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Wednesday, January 18 – FEAST DAY ST. ATHANASIOS AND ST. CYRIL, Orthros 8:45 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

Saints Constantine and Helen Church, Westland

Wednesday, January 18 – HOLY UNCTION, 7:00 pm

Nativity Church, Plymouth

We strongly encourage those who will not be attending church to participate in services through our website at https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming

If you wish to follow along with the text, please use this link: https://dcs.goarch.org/

VIDEO ARCHIVE: Previously recorded Sunday Divine Liturgy services will now be archived and available on our website! Go to https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming and you can click on the service you would like to view. Fr. Teodor’s sermon link will also be posted weekly to facebook weekly.

LIGHT A CANDLE AND SAY A PRAYER: When you are not able to attend church, you can purchase a candle from our church website (home page or video-streaming page), which be lit before the following service or a service that you specify. Please give specific names, living or deceased, that you would like Father to remember in prayer. Father will light candles one hour before each service. For Sunday services, please place candle orders prior to 8:00 am Sunday morning.

Please Pray For: Irene, Matthew, Maria, Tom, Stefanos, Leonidas, Gus, Connie, Maria, Brenda, Panagiota, Nicholas, Vicki, Susan, Tom, Suzanne, Tom, Thomas, Jim, Panagioti, Gloria, Evans, Phyllis, Marti, Marty, Janet, John, Paul, Zacharias, Vanessa (Vasiliki), Jake, Maegan, Irene, Lisa, Pat, Jonathan, Alexandra, Tracy, Dianna, Betty, Catherine, Susan, Evelyn, Gregg, Peter, Angela, Bill, Carrie, Vito, Pete, Amalia, Stephanie, Lisa, Anastasia, Kylie, Effie, Nicholas, and Maria.

Names may be added to the prayer list by request. If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, or if there is a name that should be removed from the prayer list, please contact the church office at stcons2@gmail.com

Saints and Feasts

January 15

12th Sunday of Luke

Gospel and Epistle Readings

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Plagal Second Mode. Psalm 27.9,1.
O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance.
Verse: To you, O Lord, I have cried, O my God.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians 3:4-11.

Brethren, when Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.

Προκείμενον. Plagal Second Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 27.9,1.
Σῶσον, Κύριε τὸν λαὸν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.
Στίχ. Πρὸς σἐ, Κύριε, κεκράξομαι ὁ Θεός μου.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς Κολοσσαεῖς 3:4-11.

Ἀδελφοί, ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ. Νεκρώσατε οὖν τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορνείαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν, πάθος, ἐπιθυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρεία, διʼ ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας· Ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς περιεπατήσατέ ποτε, ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν αὐτοῖς. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα, ὀργήν, θυμόν, κακίαν, βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν· μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἀπεκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατʼ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτόν· ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος· ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός.

Gospel Reading

12th Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 17:12-19

At that time, as Jesus entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."

12th Sunday of Luke
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 17:12-19

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, εἰσερχομένου αὐτοῦ εἴς τινα κώμην ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ δέκα λεπροὶ ἄνδρες, οἳ ἔστησαν πόρρωθεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦραν φωνὴν λέγοντες· ᾿Ιησοῦ ἐπιστάτα, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. καὶ ἰδὼν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· πορευθέντες ἐπιδείξατε ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτοὺς ἐκαθαρίσθησαν. εἷς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἰδὼν ὅτι ἰάθη, ὑπέστρεψε μετὰ φωνῆς μεγάλης δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ εὐχαριστῶν αὐτῷ· καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Σαμαρείτης. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν· οὐχὶ οἱ δέκα ἐκαθαρίσθησαν; οἱ δὲ ἐννέα ποῦ; οὐχ εὑρέθησαν ὑποστρέψαντες δοῦναι δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀλλογενὴς οὗτος; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀναστὰς πορεύου· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε.

Parish News and Updates

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:

CONGREGATIONAL SINGING: During today’s Divine Liturgy service, please take a hymnal from the pews and join our Choir in singing the hymns of the service. God loves to hear us all singing together, (even if a few of us are off-key!)

SUNDAY SCHOOL TODAY: Our Sunday School is back in session for the 2023 year! Please be sure your children are seated in church before Father Teodor’s children’s sermon (right before communion.) After communion, they will go directly to their Sunday School classrooms.

MEETINGS TODAY, SUNDAY JANUARY 15^TH:

There will be 3 meetings held after church today, if you are a member of one of these groups, please plan to attend:

MEN’S CLUB MEETING: In the Hall.
PHILOPTOCHOS MEETING: In the church library.
GOYA MEETING: In the board room.

TLC LUNCHEON: Our TLC Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, January 24th at 12:00 noon. Start the New Year with excellent food and even better conversation! All ages are welcome to attend; please RSVP to Caryl Lowes at 734.751.3683 or cvlowes@gmail.com no later than Sunday, January 22th.

ADULT BIBLE STUDY: Adult Bible Study will meet on Tuesday, January 17^th on the ZOOM platform. We will continue our study of the Book of Matthew. ZOOM LINK is: https://zoom.us/j/7345256789, Meeting ID: 734 525 6789. All adults are welcome to join, no pre-registration is required.

HOPE & JOY “GOD’S LOVE IS SO BIG!”: On Sunday, January 29^th, following church services all families with children 4-12 years old, their siblings and GOYA age teens are invited to immediately meet in HCC for a complimentary lunch, a Chat with Father, a heart craft, a heart exercise activity...LOTS OF FAITH, FUN AND SMILES!!! There is a sign up sheet outside the church library, or you please RSVP to stcons2@gmail.com or call 734.525.6789 as soon as possible so we may prepare!

GREEKFEST 2023! Mark your calendars now for Saturday February 18^th and Sunday, February 19^th! Saints Constantine and Helen will be hosting our 3^rd annual Greek Fest, and expanding it to a two-day indoor Greek Festival! We are planning delicious Greek food and pastries, Live Greek music and dancing, and much more!

GreekFest Volunteers and Sponsors needed! This year, our church is offering Festival Sponsorships for area businesses, and also Family listings in our festival program book. Volunteers are needed before and during the festival. There will be people at the coffee hour with sponsorship and volunteer forms. Forms are also available at the church office.

ORATORICAL FESTIVAL: The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will be held on Sunday, March 5^th at our parish. The festival centers around faith, education, and fellowship. It is a national program where Orthodox youth, grades 7 – 12, present speeches discussing the Greek Orthodox faith and the Church. Youth get to explore and deepen their faith; and hone their public speaking, writing, and personal presentation skills. They can also earn cash awards at the parish level and scholarship awards if they make it to the Nationals. For more information, https://www.goarch.org/oratorical, or any 7^th grade – 12^th grade Sunday School teacher.

NEWS AND NOTICES:

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW PARISH COUNCIL OFFICERS! Our new Parish Council officers were elected last Sunday. Congratulations to: John Avdoulos, President; Dino Lembesis, Vice President; Mike Liakos, Treasurer, Maria Topalovic, Secretary; Pete Kalergis and Leah Calagias, Assistant Treasurers; and Jeff Zeh, Assistant Secretary. Thank you for your service to our parish!

STEWARDSHIP CARDS: If you haven’t already, we encourage you to submit your card today, indicating the time, talent and treasure that you will offer as a member of the Church, the Body of Christ on earth. Stewardship pledge cards are available at the church office, or at the Pangari. Parishioners can also complete the 2023 Stewardship Card online at https://www.stcons.org/stewardship

ANNUAL HOME BLESSINGS: After the Epiphany and through the beginning of Lent, Father Teodor will be available for home blessings. This is a beautiful and very important tradition of our church; every Orthodox Christian should have their home blessed annually. Please call the office to schedule your home blessing for the new year. If you wish to schedule a blessing for the new year, contact the church office to be added Fr. Teodor’s calendar. (stcons2@gmail.com or 734.525.6789)

PHILOPTOCHOS “ONE WARM COAT” DRIVE: The St. Helen Philoptochos is collecting clean, gently worn and new coats during January and February for their “One Warm Coat” drive. Coats will be distributed to needy and homeless people in our community. Coats can be left in the collection box near the church office.

OCW – 30^th ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON: The Orthodox Christian Women of MI will be holding their 30^th Annersary Luncheon on Sunday, February 5^th at 1;00 pm at the St. Mary’s Cultural and Manquet Center in Livonia, MI. For more information, contact Gia Cherpes-See at gcsee1@gmail.com

HELLENIC HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS! Do you work in the Healthcare field? We want to meet you! Hellenic Healthcare Professionals of MI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created to establish a platform in which we can serve our greater Detroit communities. We are coming together to collaborate, connect, and celebrate our common bonds at our premiere launch event! There will be an open house on Thursday, January 19^th from 5-9 pm at Bakalikon in Greektown. If you can’t join us this time, please check out our social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn and our website: www.hhpmi.org

MEMORIAL SERVICES: Please call the church office to schedule all memorials and coffee hour sponsorships at least two weeks in advance. On the day of the service, please bring a list of family names you would like Father to remember in prayer. Koliva will be distributed at the coffee hour; if you wish to bring in paximadia, koulourakia, or other dry cookie it may also be distributed. Coffee Hour sponsorship is not required, however the church is grateful to those who wish to make a sponsorship donation of $150, and the HCC will set up a table with cloth and coffee, etc. for your family.

REMEMBER THE CHURCH IN YOUR WILL:You’ve supported the church your whole life, remembering us in your estate plan will help the church when you’re gone. Consult your estate planner or contact the Church office for information. We are grateful to our parishioners who have left bequests to the church in the last few years.Their loving legacy made a big difference! May their memory be eternal.

Wisdom of the Fathers

Having met the Savior, therefore, the lepers earnestly besought Him to free them from their misery, and called Him Master, that is. Teacher. No one pitied them when suffering this malady, but He Who had appeared on earth for this very reason, and had become man that He might show pity to all, He was moved with compassion for them, and had mercy on them.

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, Homilies 113-116. B#42, pp. 465-466, 4th Century

And why did He not rather say, I will, be you cleansed; as He did in the case of another leper, but commanded them rather to show themselves to the priests? It was because the law gave directions to this effect to those who were delivered from leprosy (Lev. 14-2); for it commanded them to show themselves to the priests, and to offer a sacrifice for their cleansing.